Coverage of the Undocking of the SpaceX CRS-32 Dragon Cargo Ship from the International Space Station. Image credit: NASA

SpaceX Dragon CRS-32 returns with sonic boom, splashes down near the coast of California

A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft concluded the CRS-32 commercial resupply mission with a sonic boom and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oceanside, California, at 01:44 EDT (05:44 UTC) on May 25, 2025. The spacecraft returned approximately 3 040 kg (6 700 pounds) of cargo from the International Space Station, including scientific experiments and crew supplies.

Auroras on Jupiter flash in seconds, defying old models

Auroras on Jupiter flash in seconds, defying old models

The largest planet in the solar system is putting on a show no telescope has fully caught before. New data from the James Webb Space Telescope shows the gas giant’s auroras flickering in bursts measured in seconds, not minutes. Scientists now face fresh questions about where that power comes from.

Selfie of NASA’s Perseverance rover beside the rock “Rochette” with two visible drill holes from core sampling on the Martian surface.

First visible-light aurora on Mars detected from the surface

A visible aurora has been recorded from the surface of Mars for the first time. NASA’s Perseverance rover detected a faint green glow of atomic oxygen triggered by a solar storm, confirming long-standing predictions about atmospheric emissions. The detection provides a new way to study Martian space weather from the surface.

View of the zenith side of the International Space Station (ISS) taken from Atlantis after undocking on STS-135.

Atomic clocks enter orbit to test relativity and redefine time standards

The newly launched Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) mission will advance our understanding of how gravity affects the passage of time. By comparing highly accurate clocks aboard the International Space Station with those on Earth, ACES aims to test key concepts in Einstein’s theory of relativity and explore fundamental physics.

asteroid 2025 fa22 orbit diagram

Asteroid 2025 FA22 enters top 5 ESA’s impact risk list

A newly discovered asteroid, 2025 FA22, has climbed into the top five positions of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) risk list due to its low but measurable chance of striking Earth in 2089. During the first four months of 2025, more than 1 000 new NEOs have been discovered, in line with the recent average of about 3 000 per year.

Eta Aquariids meteor shower simulation. Image credit: American Meteor Society

Eta Aquariid meteor shower peaks May 5–6, 2025

The Eta Aquariid meteor shower, caused by debris from Halley’s Comet, peaks on May 5–6, 2025. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere may see up to 50 meteors per hour under dark skies before dawn, while those in mid-northern latitudes may observe 10–20 meteors per hour.

Detailed view of Mars' Hellas impact basin, showcasing large craters, material flows, and signs of water and ice activity on the basin floor.

New model links Mars’ molten core to hemispheric magnetic field anomaly

A new study proposes that Mars once had a fully molten core, potentially explaining the planet’s hemispheric magnetic field asymmetry. The model links this anomaly to heat loss concentrated in the southern hemisphere, driven by differences in crustal thermal conductivity. The findings offer new insight into Mars’ early interior dynamics and atmospheric evolution.