March 2, 2022 UArizona to help NASA understand solar wind and plasma with HelioSwarm mission Plasma is rare on Earth, but it fills the sky. To more deeply understand this state of matter that makes up 99% of the visible universe, NASA's HelioSwarm mission will deploy a "swarm" of spacecraft to gather data. UArizona assistant professor Kristopher Klein will serve as the mission's deputy principal investigator.
Feb. 15, 2022 UArizona students confirm errant rocket's Chinese origin, track lunar collision course For weeks, UArizona students have been gathering data on a high-profile piece of space junk on a collision course with the moon. They've confirmed it's not a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster as previously believed.
Feb. 1, 2022 It takes a special kind of planet to make a moon Moons around terrestrial planets may play important roles in shaping the conditions for life. For sizable moons to form successfully, the circumstances must be just right, a new study finds.
Jan. 19, 2022 OSIRIS-REx mission team wins 2022 Swigert Award for Space Exploration The award recognizes the team behind the mission's successful collection of a pristine asteroid sample for laying "the groundwork for forging the next generation of scientists, astronomers, geologists and more."
Nov. 11, 2021 Near-Earth Asteroid Might be a Lost Fragment of the Moon The near-Earth asteroid Kamo`oalewa might actually be a fragment of our moon, according to a team of astronomers led by the University of Arizona. Kamo`oalewa is a quasi-satellite – a type of near-Earth asteroid that orbits the sun but remains relatively close to Earth.
Oct. 6, 2021 Highly Porous Rocks Responsible for Bennu's Surprisingly Craggy Surface Using data from NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, a UArizona-led team of scientists concluded that asteroids with highly porous rocks, such as Bennu, should lack fine-grain material on their surfaces.
Oct. 1, 2021 'Mini Psyches' Give Insights into Mysterious Metal-Rich Near-Earth Asteroids New research into metal-rich asteroids reveals information about the origins and compositions of these rare bodies that could one day be mined.
Sept. 23, 2021 Earth and Venus Grew up as Rambunctious Planets Using machine learning and simulations of giant impacts, researchers found that planets residing in the inner solar system were likely born from repeated hit-and-run collisions.
Aug. 11, 2021 OSIRIS-REx Improves Understanding of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids NASA and UArizona scientists were able to significantly reduce uncertainties about asteroid Bennu's orbit and determine the likelihood of the asteroid impacting Earth between now and the year 2300.
July 29, 2021 Mars Lake Hypothesis on Ice After Study Offers Different Explanation Scientists have long debated what is under the surface of Mars' south pole. A new study points to clays being more likely than a subsurface lake.
