The Parker Photo voltaic Probe could have solved a Venusian thriller. The NASA mission handed by Venus on its solution to its goal, the Solar, in 2021. Whereas close by, the spacecraft collected information about Venus, which just lately produced a new finding: that flashes of sunshine noticed in Venus’ ambiance may not be lightning, as beforehand thought; as a substitute, they could possibly be related to disturbances within the magnetic fields surrounding the planet. Pictured: An artist’s impression of the Parker Photo voltaic Probe passing Venus. Picture credit score: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben.
Psyche is ready to launch subsequent week. NASA’s mission to a metallic asteroid of the identical identify is scheduled to carry off on Oct. 12, 2023 at 10:16 a.m. EDT (14:16 UTC). It would take six years for the Psyche spacecraft to succeed in its goal, situated within the outer reaches of the primary asteroid belt. One of many mission’s most important goals is to find out whether or not the bizarre, steel asteroid Psyche is the core of an historical, rocky world or a brand new sort of object from the Photo voltaic System’s early days.
New Horizons’ mission has been prolonged. NASA introduced this week that the mission’s operations will continue till the spacecraft exits the Kuiper Belt, which is anticipated across the finish of the last decade. New Horizons will deal with gathering heliophysics information, very similar to NASA’s Voyager probes did as they entered the interstellar medium.