More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. NASA has been working on bipedal robots for over a decade. Valkrie, its early prototype, was completed in 2013. Humans won't be the only ones aboard future NASA missions . At Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, researchers on the agency's Dexterous Robotics Team are working on the next generation of advanced robots to aid crews during their increasingly uncharted journeys to the moon and possibly even Mars .

Science Space Deep Space Exoplanets Earth's closest alien life probably isn't very advanced, says new study Potential plant life may be a key indicator for exoplanet evolutionary timelines. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. Many exoplanets orbit older red dwarf stars, which are dimmer and cooler than our sun. The sheer scale of the universe strongly suggests Earth isn't its only life-hosting planet. But do distant worlds harbor the types of advanced spacefaring civilizations depicted in science fiction, or just far simpler microbes?

Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable Selects Look Up Say More Safety Net Versus Creator Playbook In My Bag Trending Now Back to School Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age Switch Off All Series This mission apparently has some catching up to do. Elisha Sauers writes about space for Mashable, taking deep dives into NASA's moon and Mars missions, chatting up astronauts and history-making discoverers, and jetting above the clouds . Through 17 years of reporting, she's covered a variety of topics, including health, business, and government, with a penchant for public records requests. She previously worked for in Norfolk, Virginia, and in Annapolis, Maryland. Her work has earned numerous state awards, including the Virginia Press Association's top honor, Best in Show, and national recognition for narrative storytelling.

Lights blink on as I enter the Rover Operations Center at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, at 7:30 a.m. I'm the first to arrive, even though I already feel late. Sometime during the night on Earth, the Curiosity rover finished its day exploring on Mars and beamed its latest collection of images and measurements to a Mars orbiter zooming by overhead. The orbiter relayed the data to Earth, where it now waits on servers here and at partner institutions around the globe. Once our rover operations shift kicks off at 8:15 a.m., a few dozen engineers and scientists will have just three hours to check the health of the rover, analyze the new science data and agree on the next set of rover activities.

Versus Say More Look Up Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable Selects Creator Playbook In My Bag Trending Now Back to School Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age Switch Off Mashable Voices All Series NASA's new Roman Space Telescope sees starlight for the first time The captured image is an early step toward releasing Roman's first science pictures in early 2027. Olivia Tauber is the deputy editor of digital culture, covering creators, media, movies, beauty, and more. Based in New York, her work has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Cut, Teen Vogue, Complex, and Interview Magazine. She holds a Master's degree in Journalism from NYU and a Bachelor's from the University of Michigan. She also runs Fan Mail, a weekly pop-culture newsletter.

Say More Look Up Versus Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable Selects Creator Playbook In My Bag Trending Now Back to School Good Connection: Uplifting stories for a digital age Switch Off Mashable Voices All Series And an Apollo 16 mystery solved. Elisha Sauers writes about space for Mashable, taking deep dives into NASA's moon and Mars missions, chatting up astronauts and history-making discoverers, and jetting above the clouds . Through 17 years of reporting, she's covered a variety of topics, including health, business, and government, with a penchant for public records requests. She previously worked for in Norfolk, Virginia, and in Annapolis, Maryland. Her work has earned numerous state awards, including the Virginia Press Association's top honor, Best in Show, and national recognition for narrative storytelling.

In 1963, a plane flew to space. Why couldn't we go farther? From the record-breaking X-15 to today's hypersonic aircraft, the spaceplane dream never really died. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. A stubby-winged'missile with a cockpit,' the X-15 will take its pilot to the edge of space, 'Popular Science' reported in June 1958. In 1926, when Albert Scott Crossfield was five years old, a priest came to his home to administer the last rites.

More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. Living building material can be 3D printed under simulated Martian conditions at -30 C and 0.01 atm (left). A microscopic view reveals the material's porous structure with polymers and engineered yeast highlighted in yellow (right). Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .

Before reentering our atmosphere, the telescopes onboard NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory have been restarted to take their last observations. After 21 years in space, NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory will soon return to our atmosphere. NASA has carried out some notable rescue missions over the past few years, including bringing home the astronauts stranded on the International Space Station last year. More recently, the agency sent up a probe in hopes of saving the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a satellite first launched in 2004 that began falling out of our planet's orbit. The plan was for robotic arms on the probe, known as LINK, to grab onto the aging satellite and--with a powerful set of thrusters--drag the observatory back into position.

The satellite will be falling back to Earth within the next two months. More information Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. This artist's concept shows NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory orbiting above Earth. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy .