MIT student teams win top honors in NASA competition
Three MIT teams took five top awards in the 2026 NASA RASC-AL Competition for designing critical elements for the moon base and future missions to Mars.
Listening for the echoes of black holes
By analyzing X-ray reverberations and other astrophysical data, Erin Kara seeks to understand the most extreme objects in the universe.
Astronomers map a magnetic “skeleton” funneling gas into a stellar nursery
MIT Haystack Observatory researchers use SOFIA observations to reveal how magnetic fields guide the assembly of one of our galaxy's most active high-mass star-forming regions.
MIT astronomers discover the earliest known flickering quasar
When the universe was just 850 million years old, this voracious black hole was already surprisingly mature, a new study finds.
How Artemis II livestreamed hi-def videos and images from the moon to Earth
This first use of laser communications on a crewed mission at lunar distance was a foundational step to establishing a high-speed internet in deep space.
New propulsion system could make tiny satellites both fast and fuel-efficient
For satellites as small as a briefcase, getting around in space just got a whole lot easier.
Astronomers pin down the origins of a planetary odd couple
New measurements of a hot Jupiter and its mini-Neptune companion suggest both planets formed surprisingly far away from their host star.
A regulatory loophole could delay ozone recovery by years
Scientists say an exception in the Montreal Protocol for the use of ozone-depleting feedstocks could set the ozone recovery back seven years.
Waves hit different on other planets
From lazy ripples to towering breakers, waves should vary widely from one planet to another, according to a new model.
Bridging space research and policy
PhD student Carissma McGee studies exoplanets and examines intellectual property frameworks for space collaborations.
Lincoln Laboratory laser communications terminal launches on historic Artemis II moon mission
High-definition video and data sent from the lunar vicinity to Earth will demonstrate the first use of laser communications on a crewed mission.
3 Questions: Fortifying our planetary defenses
MIT astronomers are developing a new way to detect, monitor, and mitigate the threats posed by smaller asteroids to our critical space infrastructure.
Finding a nanoscale solution to safer spaceflight
Using boron nitride nanotubes, mechanical engineering doctoral student Palak Patel develops materials for space that block dangerous ionizing radiation.
Featured video: How tiny satellites help us track hurricanes and other weather events
Mini microwave sounders developed at Lincoln Laboratory, demonstrated on a NASA mission, and now transferred to industry, are expanding storm-forecasting capabilities.
Fueling research in nuclear thermal propulsion
Master's student Taylor Hampson is modeling the behavior of an unconventional rocket engine that will heat propellant using nuclear energy.