A new look at data from the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft strengthens the case for saltwater lakes under Mars’ south polar cap. The results came from an analysis of 134 radar images taken over 10 years. Learn more about Mars and what water on its surface might mean for the search for life. Pictured: Mars’ south pole, captured by the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter in 2015. Image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/Bill Dunford.
NASA is pushing back the launch date for Dragonfly, a flying spacecraft that will explore Saturn’s moon Titan. Dragonfly was originally scheduled to launch in 2026 but will now blast off in 2027. NASA cites budget shortages related to COVID-19 as a reason for the delay. Learn more about the mission here.
A Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo ship was scheduled to blast off for the International Space Station Thursday just as The Downlink went to press. Among the vehicle contents: a new space toilet that “further automates waste management and storage,†a function we’re sure future astronauts will appreciate.
Speaking of the International Space Station, ground controllers are trying to find the source of a small air leak. While the crew isn’t in any danger, they have been helping with troubleshooting efforts, which now point to Russia’s Zvezda module as the likely source. Zvezda was launched in 2000 and became the station’s third module. Learn more about the ISS here.
Scientists have released the first long-term radiation data for the far side of the Moon, using a German instrument aboard China’s Chang’e-4 lander. The dose rate varies between 5 and 10 times higher than that of a typical passenger jet flight, implying future long-term lunar astronauts will need some form of radiation protection. Learn all about the Moon here.
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