The HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft records its 100,000th image of Mars after almost two decades in orbit. The detailed view of Syrtis Major reveals mesas, dunes, and traces of wind, helps in the selection of future landing zones, and involves the general public in exploration through the HiWish program.
TIME has included NASA's James Webb and Curiosity missions in its Best Inventions Hall of Fame, recognizing them as inventions that have reshaped our understanding of the universe, changed the image of Mars, spurred new technological innovations on Earth, strengthened international cooperation, and paved the way for future human missions.
Satellites, aircraft, and field measurements are increasingly used to monitor methane leaks from waste landfills. A pioneering project over the Madrid landfill Las Dehesas shows how a combination of this data helps discover hidden emission hotspots, plan remediation faster, and reduce climate impact.
Astrophysicists are increasingly clearly distinguishing two main scenarios for the formation of hot Jupiters. New research uses tidal orbital circularization time and system age to single out planets that arrived at tight orbits via peaceful migration through the disk, rather than violent gravitational perturbations.
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will soon begin a wide-field survey of the galactic plane, mapping billions of stars in the infrared range and revealing hidden regions, stellar nurseries, compact remnants, and variable stars in the Milky Way, creating a new reference map of our galaxy.
On Wednesday, December 17, 2025, from the European spaceport in French Guiana, the Ariane 6 rocket launches two new Galileo satellites, SAT 33 and SAT 34. The mission increases the precision, robustness, and security of positioning services and confirms the strategic importance of European autonomy in space technology and infrastructure.