Study determines the original orientations of rocks drilled on Mars
The “oriented” samples, the first of their kind from any planet, could shed light on Mars’ ancient magnetic field.
For all humankind
Political science and physics major Leela Fredlund wants to ensure fairness and justice prevail in humanity's leap into space.
Professor Emeritus Igor Paul, an expert in product design and safety, dies at 87
Longtime professor helped develop the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s design and manufacturing curriculum, contributed to artificial joints as well as NASA inertial guidance systems.
Astronomers spot 18 black holes gobbling up nearby stars
The detections more than double the number of known tidal disruption events in the nearby universe.
Researchers release open-source space debris model
The MIT Orbital Capacity Assessment Tool lets users model the long-term future space environment.
A carbon-lite atmosphere could be a sign of water and life on other terrestrial planets, MIT study finds
A low carbon abundance in planetary atmospheres, which the James Webb Space Telescope can detect, could be a signature of habitability.
How to be an astronaut
Astronaut Woody Hoburg ’08 shares insights and advice with students in his first visit to campus since joining NASA.
MIT’s Science Policy Initiative holds 13th annual Executive Visit Days
MIT students traveled to Washington to speak to representatives from several federal executive agencies.
ILLUMA-T launches to the International Space Station
This laser communications terminal, developed at Lincoln Laboratory, aims to transmit data at high rates from the ISS to ground stations via NASA’s first two-way laser communications relay system.
MIT engineers are on a failure-finding mission
The team’s new algorithm finds failures and fixes in all sorts of autonomous systems, from drone teams to power grids.
The Beaver visits Father Sky: Meet MIT’s First Nations Launch team
MIT Doya blasted their first rocket to a height of 1,290 meters, placing second at the 2023 First Nations Launch contest. The team is now gearing up for a 2024 launch.
Robert van der Hilst to step down as head of the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences
Professor led EAPS for more than a decade, cultivating a focus on Earth systems, planets, climate science, and the origins of life.
With Psyche, a journey to an ancient asteroid is set to begin
The NASA mission, a project with deep roots at MIT, is setting course for a metallic space rock that could be the remnant of a planetary core like our own.
3 Questions: The first asteroid sample returned to Earth
Richard Binzel describes how asteroid dirt and dust delivered by OSIRIS-Rex, with help from MIT, may reveal clues to the solar system’s origins.
How to prevent biofilms in space
Microbial or fungal biofilms on spacecraft can clog hoses and filters, or make astronauts sick. Space Station tests show that a surface treatment can help.