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Engineers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California and AeroVironment are conducting an extensive investigation into the final flight of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which occurred on January 18, 2024. According to reports, the rotorcraft, initially designed for a short demonstration of aerial flight on Mars, exceeded expectations by completing 72 flights over nearly three years. Details from the investigation, which are set to be released in a technical report, aim to inform future aircraft designed for extraterrestrial exploration.

Ingenuity’s Last Flight

The 72nd mission was planned as a routine ascent to test systems and capture images, reportedly. Data indicates that the helicopter reached an altitude of 40 feet before descending. Reports reveal that communication with the vehicle ceased shortly after it landed. Images received days later confirmed significant damage to the rotor blades, bringing Ingenuity’s operational career to an end.

Cause of the Incident

According to reports, experts suggest that a lack of distinguishable surface features in Jezero Crater’s sand ripple terrain was the probable cause of the navigation system’s failure. Håvard Grip, the first pilot of Ingenuity, explained in a statement that the navigation system, relying on surface texture tracking, struggled in the featureless environment. The resulting errors reportedly led to high horizontal speeds at touchdown, causing severe mechanical stress.

Continuing Contributions

Despite being grounded, Ingenuity still transmits weather and avionics data to the Perseverance rover, aiding ongoing Mars research. According to Teddy Tzanetos, Ingenuity’s project manager, in a statement, this mission marked a pioneering use of commercial off-the-shelf processors in space, demonstrating their potential durability in harsh environments.

Next Steps for Martian Flight

NASA engineers are exploring future designs inspired by Ingenuity. Concepts under review include the Mars Chopper, a larger rotorcraft capable of carrying scientific instruments and autonomously exploring challenging terrains. This development aims to extend the boundaries of aerial exploration on Mars while building on the legacy of Ingenuity’s achievements.

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Scientists Chase Falling Satellite to Study Atmospheric Pollution from Spacecraft Reentries

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Scientists Chase Falling Satellite to Study Atmospheric Pollution from Spacecraft Reentries

Scientists take advantage of the spectacular airborne chase of a falling satellite to gather rare data on atmospheric pollution from burnt-up spacecraft. In September 2024, a group of European researchers hopped on an aeroplane outfitted with 26 cameras and flew into the night sky to watch the satellite Cluster Salsa make its flaming return to Earth over the Pacific Ocean. The mission, which was launched from Easter Island, sought chemical byproducts that would have been released during that short, meteor-like reentry event. Despite the glare of bright natural light that impeded a clear view, the researchers captured for the first time images of the satellite fracturing and chemicals being released as it fell to Earth.

Satellite Reentries May Impact Ozone and Climate, Scientists Warn

As per the report presented at the European Conference on Space Debris, reentry produced lithium, potassium, and aluminum emissions — elements with the potential to impact the ozone layer and Earth’s climate. Stefan Löhle of the University of Stuttgart mentioned that the satellite’s weak trail indicated that pieces splintered off and burned with less ferocity than predicted. The satellite started to disintegrate at about 80 kilometres above sea level, and the observations stopped at a height of around 40 kilometres due to the visual extinction.

Such events are increasingly important to monitor as satellite reentries grow in frequency. Although spacecraft such as those in SpaceX’s Starlink fleet are made to burn up completely, surviving debris and dust particles could still affect the upper atmosphere, scientists caution. The aluminum oxide from the melting satellites, for example, could be involved in long-term atmospheric effects, such as changes in thermal balance and ozone destruction.

This mission marks only the fifth time a spacecraft reentry has been observed from the air. Researchers hope to align their collected data with computer models to estimate how much mass satellites lose during disintegration and how that mass interacts chemically with the atmosphere. The data also suggest that some titanium components from the 550-kilogram Cluster Salsa may have survived reentry and landed in the Pacific Ocean.

As more satellites return to Earth, researchers plan to repeat the chase with Salsa’s sister satellites—Rumba, Tango, and Samba—expected to re-enter by 2026. Despite daytime limitations affecting some measurement techniques, these missions may help clarify how spacecraft pollution influences Earth’s upper atmosphere and climate.

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NASA Stacks Artemis 2 Second Stage While the Future of SLS Remains Uncertain

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NASA Stacks Artemis 2 Second Stage While the Future of SLS Remains Uncertain

NASA’s Artemis 2 mission has reached a major milestone as the second stage that powers the Artemis 2 rocket, the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS), has been stacked. Kennedy Space Centre in Florida’s technicians mounted the ICPS on top of the SLS rocket inside the Vehicle Assembly Building on May 1. Driven by its upper stage, NASA’s Orion spacecraft and four-person crew—three NASA astronauts and one Canadian—out of Earth orbit will travel a free-return path around the moon, therefore allowing NASA’s return to deep space exploration.

NASA Advances Artemis 2 Moon Mission as Future of SLS and Orion Faces Uncertainty

As per NASA’s announcement, the ICPS arrived at the VAB last month and was hoisted into position inside the rocket stage adapter. The stage is critical for completing the crew’s journey past low Earth orbit during the 10-day Artemis 2 mission. Images shared by NASA show the second stage being lowered into place, while the Orion spacecraft and service module, delivered this week by Lockheed Martin, await integration. Exploration Ground Systems will process the Orion module before joining the rest of the launch vehicle.

Artemis 2 follows Artemis 1, which launched uncrewed in 2022 and revealed issues with Orion’s heat shield that delayed future missions. The Artemis 2 crew will fly a lunar pass rather than enter lunar orbit. The success of the mission will be vital in opening the path for Artemis 3, currently set for 2027, whereupon humans would land on the moon using a SpaceX Starship lander.

Even with continuous development, ambiguity surrounds the long-term fate of the program. A 2026 budget proposal released May 2 suggests ending the SLS and Orion programs after Artemis 3. If enacted, the mission currently under assembly may be among the final uses of the massive launch vehicle, designed to carry humans beyond low Earth orbit.

Artemis 2 is still relentlessly heading towards launch readiness. Though programming objectives are always changing, NASA’s efforts to prepare the SLS and Orion spacecraft highlight a more general aim of maintaining a continuous lunar presence—a step towards eventual Mars exploration.

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What Happens in Your Brain When You Read? New Study Maps the Reading Mind

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What Happens in Your Brain When You Read? New Study Maps the Reading Mind

Scientists concluded in a recent research published in April 2025 in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews provides an in-depth look into how our brain understands the written language. The study has been conducted by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences. The findings of this research have been derived from 163 neuroimaging studies to understand the neural mechanisms behind reading in depth. This comprehensive analysis has shown how different areas of the brain work in synchronisation, mainly the left-hemispheric regions and the cerebellum, to process different written content.

How the Brain Handles Letters to Full Texts

Sabrina Turker, Philip Kuhnke, Gesa Hartwigsen and Beatrice Fumagalli, the researchers involved in the study, found that specific brain areas get activated based on the type of reading. Researchers found that the left occipital cortex’s single cluster was activated after reading letters, whereas words, sentences and paragraphs activated the left hemisphere. While reading pseudo words, unique areas were involved, which has shown the inability of the brain to find the difference between the language that is known and the unknown.

Silent vs. Aloud Reading: What’s the Difference?

A major discovery in this research is the difference between overt (aloud reading) and covert (silent reading) brain activity. Aloud reading triggers the regions linked to sound and movement, whereas silent reading involves more complex multiple-demand areas. According to the researchers, silent reading needs more mental resources than aloud reading.

Explicit vs. Implicit Reading Tasks

The study also revealed the exploration of how the brain responds to explicit reading, i.e. Silent word reading and lexical decision tasks. The former one involves stronger activation in the regions, just like the cerebellar cortices and left orbitofrontal, whereas the implicit reading activated both sides of the inferior frontal, together with insular regions.

Why This Matters

The insights from the study can help support individuals suffering from reading challenges. After knowing how silent reading reacts differently to the brain, educators and doctors can better customise the medical practices for treating disorders such as dyslexia.

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