Category: Explained

Inspiration4 Explained: The First All Civilian Mission to Space

Inspiration4 Explained: The First All Civilian Mission to Space
Inspiration4 is set to make history as the first all civilian mission to space. Launched by SpaceX and organized to raise funds and awareness for St. Jude Children’s Hospitals, the mission will orbit Earth for three days. Jared Isaacman, tech billionaire and commander of Inspiration4, purchased the SpaceX flight and awarded the three remaining seats... Read more »
By Sophie Sanchez,
September 15, 2021 at 4:32 am • 

Mars InSight Lander Explained: NASA's Mission to Mars

Mars InSight Lander Explained: NASA's Mission to Mars
NASA’s latest mission to Mars is unique because not only will it land a spacecraft on the surface of the planet, but the lander will perform science operations that will tell us about the geology and formation of the planet. InSight’s instruments will bore into the ground, measure ground motion, and measure the rotation of... Read more »
By Sophie Sanchez,
November 21, 2018 at 12:26 am • 

Parker Solar Probe Explained: NASA's Mission to Touch the Sun

Parker Solar Probe Explained: NASA's Mission to Touch the Sun
NASA’s mission to touch the Sun is decades in the making, sending the Parker Solar Probe spacecraft directly into the Sun’s corona. Named after Chicago physicist Eugene Parker, the mission seeks to answer questions Parker set down in his groundbreaking paper theorizing the existence of solar wind back in 1958. The observations Parker Solar Probe... Read more »
By Sophie Sanchez,
August 11, 2018 at 11:48 pm • 
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OSIRIS-REx Explained: NASA's Asteroid Sample Return Mission

OSIRIS-REx Explained: NASA's Asteroid Sample Return Mission
NASA is about to launch OSIRIS-REx, a spacecraft that will chase down an asteroid named Bennu, analyze Bennu’s surface, and then return asteroid regolith to Earth; making it the largest space sample return of any kind since the Apollo missions returned with lunar samples. The seven year mission is integral to learning more about the... Read more »
By Sophie Sanchez,
September 7, 2016 at 7:01 am •