Fueling a return journey from Mars
PhD candidate Lanie McKinney is building technology to convert the Red Planet’s atmosphere into propellant for bringing astronauts home.
New artist residency program at MIT expands views of the cosmos
Inaugural artist Amy Karle will join astrophysicists at MIT’s Kavli Institute to explore questions about the universe and translate them into an immersive multimedia experience.
Study: Peptides can form well-defined structures in harsh, Venus-like conditions
New research offers support for the possibility that complex biological molecules could exist in the highly acidic environment of Venus’s cloud layer.
Meteorite dust holds records of magnetism that may have helped form the sun
The discovery likely represents the earliest known evidence of a magnetic field in the infant solar system.
Anthea Coster awarded International Union of Radio Science Appleton Prize
The MIT Haystack Observatory principal research scientist is honored for lifetime contributions to ionospheric research.
How to design a space habitat that supports its residents’ mental health
A new online platform helps engineers look beyond survival mode when designing habitats for extreme living conditions.
High-orbit satellites could light the way for travel to the moon
Acting as cooperative optical beacons, the satellites could provide GPS-like navigation and communications support for spacecraft operating across cislunar space.
Diffuse puffs of “missing” matter surround most galaxies
An MIT-led team used bright radio bursts to illuminate a vast source of matter that was previously unaccounted for.
MIT researcher proposes a way to detect nuclear weapons in space
The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans nuclear weapons in space, but there’s currently no way to verify that satellites aren’t carrying them.
Many black holes had past lives, new research shows
Physicists have found signs of colliding black holes that are themselves products of previous black hole smash-ups.
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.
Antenna array could provide protected tactical satellite communications in low-Earth orbit
The prototype array uses a small, lightweight, low-power, and low-cost aperture.
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 SPURS looks to the future of urban technology and policy
As the international program approaches its 60th year, leaders are reshaping its curriculum to address emerging technologies and the policies shaping their use in urban planning.