Solar Orbiter

The European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter mission has tracked the origin of mysterious magnetic switchbacks, sudden zig-zag deviations in the solar wind's magnetic field that have puzzled scientists for decades. The finding offers new insight into how the Sun's magnetic field behaves as it streams outward into the solar system.

A new study argues the solar system is far more fragile than commonly assumed and will eventually be completely destroyed, with planetary orbits described as terminally unstable. Readers are debating the findings, with some skeptical about long-term predictions and others highlighting that instability is expected on vast timescales.

A long, strange cloud stretching off Mars's Arsia Mons volcano has puzzled scientists since it was spotted recurring each Martian morning. New analysis indicates the cloud cannot be explained by dust alone, deepening the mystery around how it forms and endures. Researchers continue to study the phenomenon using data from Mars orbiters, and the finding is drawing attention from space enthusiasts and planetary scientists alike.

Google's Project Suncatcher proposes running AI chips in space, with satellites orbiting Earth to harness continuous solar power for large-scale computing. The idea is pitched as a potential breakthrough that could reshape how AI infrastructure is built, easing energy and cooling limits on the ground. Commentators and educators are breaking down the technical ambitions and challenges, from launch costs to radiation and heat management.

The idea of placing data centers in orbit is drawing attention as a way to meet surging computing and energy demands. Proponents argue space-based compute could tap continuous solar power and radiate heat more easily, easing pressure on strained terrestrial power grids. Critics point to launch costs, maintenance and radiation challenges. The topic sits at the intersection of the space economy and AI infrastructure policy.

Astronomers have identified a planet that survived the death of its host star, orbiting a white dwarf — the burnt-out remnant left after a star exhausted its fuel. Dubbed a 'Phoenix planet' for rising from the stellar ashes, the finding suggests planets can endure a star's violent end, prompting discussion about what this means for the long-term fate of our own solar system.

New research reported by AAS Nova suggests the Solar System's expected lifetime is roughly a billion times shorter than previously estimated, pointing to far greater long-term instability in planetary orbits. The finding revises how long the current planetary arrangement can persist before gravitational interactions between planets destabilise it, prompting discussion among astronomers and science readers about what this means for Earth's distant future.

A new item from Hackaday under its science, space and astronomy tags plays on the famous Star Wars line to highlight a story about an exoplanet — a planet orbiting a star outside our solar system. No further details are given beyond the headline, so what exactly was discovered or observed remains unstated. Space enthusiasts are sharing the piece, keeping exoplanet research in the conversation.

Redwire, the Florida-based space infrastructure company, is providing solar arrays for another commercial space station module, strengthening its position in the emerging market for privately operated orbital stations. The announcement highlights the company's growing role in supplying power systems as aerospace firms develop successors to the International Space Station.

A new report argues that the solar system is fundamentally unstable, with planetary orbits shifting chaotically over long timescales and potentially leading to collisions or planets being ejected. Scientists have long modeled these gravitational instabilities, and renewed attention to the findings is prompting discussion about Earth's eventual fate in the distant future.

Google has launched prototype satellites carrying its AI chips to test whether data centres could one day operate in orbit. The experiment aims to assess whether space-based computing, powered by solar energy, could reduce terrestrial energy demands and support the huge power needs of AI. The move puts Google in direct comparison with rivals exploring similar orbital computing concepts.

A new study reported by 404 Media concludes that our solar system is terminally unstable and will eventually be completely destroyed. The finding points to the long-term chaotic dynamics of planetary orbits, which over vast timescales can destabilize the configuration of the planets, ultimately dismantling the system we know today.

The Pentagon is backing an ambitious project to collect solar power in space and beam it back to Earth, a concept long discussed as a potential source of clean, continuous energy. The plan, reported on energy news outlets, would involve harvesting sunlight in orbit and transmitting it wirelessly to receiving stations on the ground, bypassing weather and nighttime limits that affect terrestrial solar farms.

EarthSky has published a guided tour of the solar system's strangest moons, highlighting the most unusual satellites orbiting the planets. The piece walks readers through moons known for their odd shapes, wild orbits, extreme surfaces and other peculiar traits that set them apart from more familiar bodies like our own Moon. It offers a quick, accessible astronomy roundup for curious readers.

Google's Project Suncatcher has put its first satellite into orbit carrying four TPU chips as an early test of computing in space. The prototype runs its TPUs for about 15 minutes at a time before needing to cool down, because a spacecraft has no air or water for cooling and must shed heat by radiation alone. Engineers point to this as a key constraint for future orbital data centers, which supporters hope could one day run at scale using solar power in orbit.

Elon Musk has floated a SpaceX moonshot to build AI computing infrastructure in orbit, using satellites with solar power to handle data-center workloads. Commentators argue the idea will not uproot neocloud companies, the firms offering cloud GPU capacity for AI, citing the immense cost, engineering hurdles and timescales of orbital data centers compared with fast-growing terrestrial GPU cloud providers.

New reporting from IFLScience suggests the solar system could be doomed after all, with the Sun identified as the cause. The claim points to the Sun's long-term evolution, which can destabilize planetary orbits as it changes over billions of years, ultimately threatening the planets' survival.

Space-based solar startup Virtus Solis has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Brae Systems for up to 250 megawatts of orbital solar energy. The deal represents a landmark commercial commitment to space-based solar power, a technology long considered speculative. If delivered, it would make Virtus Solis one of the first companies to sell electricity collected in space to customers on Earth under a long-term contract.

On February 15, 2022, the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter captured the largest solar prominence eruption ever recorded in a single field of view, using its Full High Resolution Imager. The eruption involved a massive structure of hot gas, held in place by complex magnetic fields, extending millions of kilometres from the Sun, offering a dramatic view of extreme solar activity.

Kepler-1314 b is a Neptune-like giant exoplanet located 463 light-years from Earth. Discovered in 2016 by NASA's Kepler telescope, it has a radius about 5.11 times that of Earth and completes an orbit in just 5.42 days. Astronomy communicators are sharing the planet's profile alongside NASA's Eyes on Exoplanets visualisation, drawing renewed attention to the Kepler mission's catalog of worlds beyond the solar system.

Google has reportedly placed its first orbital data center into orbit, marking a step toward computing infrastructure in space. The development was highlighted by computer scientist Daniel Lemire on his blog, filed under space and technology. Orbital data centers could offer solar-powered, always-illuminated computing, though questions remain about maintenance, cooling and radiation resilience.

Redwire has been awarded a follow-on contract to provide its Roll-Out Solar Array wings for Axiom Space's second commercial space station module. The deal extends the company's existing role in powering Axiom's expanding orbital infrastructure. The announcement was carried by financial news outlets, drawing attention to Redwire's growing space technology portfolio.

Scientists report that the solar system will break apart much sooner than previously believed, according to a Euronews headline. The finding suggests existing models of the long-term stability of planetary orbits may need revision. Details of the research, the timeline involved, and which team made the discovery are not provided in the available reporting.

A commercial space station's second module is being fitted with two solar arrays, which will expand the station's power supply as construction continues in orbit. The addition of the solar wings marks another step in building out private orbital infrastructure, though details on the operator, launch timing and deployment schedule have not yet been confirmed.

The Department of War has funded a project to beam solar power from space, according to a news report. Space-based solar power involves collecting energy in orbit and transmitting it to Earth, typically via microwave or laser beams. Interest in the technology has grown as militaries and energy companies look for reliable, continuous renewable power, since orbiting collectors avoid clouds and nighttime losses. Details about the specific contractor, funding amount and timeline were not provided.

Google has unveiled Project Suncatcher, an initiative to run its artificial intelligence chips aboard satellites orbiting Earth. The project would move data-centre computing into space, potentially harnessing solar power above the atmosphere to power large-scale A.I. workloads. Details on timelines and partners remain limited, but the announcement has drawn attention across the technology and semiconductor sectors as companies explore alternatives to terrestrial computing infrastructure.

Google has launched an experimental AI data center prototype into space aboard a SpaceX rocket. The project signals a push to move data center infrastructure beyond Earth, potentially using solar power and orbit to scale AI computing. The prototype will be tested to see whether orbital data centers are technically and economically viable.

Astronomers have reported detecting a radio signal from Beta Pictoris b, a giant exoplanet orbiting the young star Beta Pictoris about 63 light-years from Earth. The observation, covered by science outlets, is drawing attention because radio emissions from a planet beyond the solar system could offer a new way to study exoplanets' magnetic fields and atmospheres.

Google has launched an experimental satellite to test its proposal to put data centers in space. The idea is that orbiting data centers could be powered by uninterrupted solar energy, easing the growing energy and water demands of terrestrial facilities. The satellite is designed to demonstrate whether the ambitious concept can work in practice. Observers note that major questions remain about cost, reliability and the practicalities of operating computing infrastructure in orbit.

SpaceX's Starship rocket is at the center of a new debate over whether orbital data centers could become economically viable. The argument holds that Starship's projected low launch costs could make it cheaper to put computing infrastructure in orbit, powered by continuous solar energy, than to expand terrestrial facilities. The idea carries potentially trillion-dollar market implications, though skeptics question thermal management, maintenance and latency challenges.