Space and Planetary Sciences

How 40 years of Viking missions decoded the Universe’s most misbehaving matter

Asmae Ourkiya February 20, 2026

Space plasma in a jar by Gabriel Voitcu. Source: Imaggeo

In a couple of days, on 22 February, we will mark a major milestone in space history: 40 years since the launch of the first Swedish Viking satellite, when an Ariane rocket from Kourou in French-occupied Guiana launched on 22 February 1986! While the general public might hear the word Viking and picture longboats, heavy axes, and a level of beard maintenance that borders on the professional, space ...[Read More]

Challenger: the lessons of a teacher who never reached space

Catarina Aydar January 28, 2026

Icarus’ fall; Challengers self-destruction. Source: Kennedy Space Center - https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa2explore/10697912315/in/album-72157630719371642/, Public Domain

Humankind’s development is often associated with facing challenges. The original ideas required to solve new problems keep pushing the power of human creation towards more sophisticated and practical solutions. However, part of the excitement of any challenge comes from the dangers of trying something that nobody has accomplished before. An example of technological advances driven by human a ...[Read More]

Jacobus Kapteyn at 175: Still expanding our cosmic horizon

Sabrina Minnick January 23, 2026

IC410_Tadpoles. Photo by the author

January 19th marked the 175th birthday of Dutch astronomer Jacobus Kapteyn. His work and legacy had a profound yet subtle impact on the astronomical community and our understanding of the cosmos. His lasting contributions and methodologies continue to be refined and provide the foundation for ongoing astronomical research and discoveries. After he completed his studies, Kapteyn worked at Leiden Ob ...[Read More]

The prize that failed forward: How a 100,000-franc quest for aliens funded a century of astronomy

Asmae Ourkiya December 17, 2025

Photo by Leo Visions. Source: Unsplash

Today, 17 December, marks 125 years since the formal announcement of one of the most eccentric, ambitious, and ultimately consequential prizes in the history of science: the Prix Pierre Guzman. Announced by the French Académie des Sciences in December 1900, the award promised 100,000 francs, which is the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of dollars today, to the first person who could successful ...[Read More]