Carbon-containing meteorites look like they had less severe impacts than those without carbon because the evidence was blasted into space by gases produced during the impact. The Kobe University discovery not only solves a 30-year-old mystery, but also provides guidelines for a future sampling mission to Ceres.

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team is announcing the official designs for the mission’s three core surveys. These observation programs will investigate some of the most profound mysteries in astrophysics while enabling expansive cosmic exploration that will revolutionize our understanding of the universe.

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), UCF scientists and collaborators analyzed far-away bodies — known as Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) — and found varying traces of methanol. The discoveries are helping them better classify different TNOs and understand the complex chemical reactions in space that may relate to the formation of our solar system and the origin of life.

Space tourists' experience might be affected by how their parasympathetic nervous system functions, per study of novice passengers during and after zero-gravity parabolic flights

Scientists have designed a bioinspired soft robot that can jump several times its own body length. Sunny Kumar and colleagues uncovered the mechanisms that enable some parasitic worms to propel themselves towards potential hosts by bending their bodies to create a “kink.” Using this discovery, the authors built a soft cylindrical robot that could form reversible kinks and launch itself from the ground and through a 10-foot-high basketball hoop. These findings could expand the applications of limbless soft robots. Kinks form when an object is bent beyond a certain point and can often be harmful to living organisms. For instance, kinks can lead to blockages in blood vessels and permanent damage in plant stems. However, studies have suggested that some nematodes can harness kinks to leap and ambush hosts. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, Kumar et al. used high-speed imaging to study Steinernema carpocapsae, a nematode that infects insects. They found that, when stimulated with host-related cues, the larval nematode stood up on its tail and contorted its body to form an “α” shape. The stiff cuticle of the larva’s midsection and liquid inside its body facilitated the storage of elastic energy and subsequent spring-latch-like release, generating powerful and extremely fast jumps. Based on these observations, the researchers developed a silicone soft robot with a carbon fiber backbone for stiffness. They conducted a series of experiments and demonstrated that the soft robot could generate enough power through reversible kink formation to jump on sand, onto a car, or over a hurdle. At the same time, the jumper was soft enough to bounce off a balloon without bursting it, highlighting its safety for use around humans. Kumar et al. propose that their approach could inform designs for “limbless robots for controlled jumping, locomotion, and even planetary exploration.”

The SETI Institute will recognize Dr. Joseph Twicken, Senior Data Scientist at the SETI Institute, with its 2025 Carl Sagan Center (CSC) Director’s Award. Now serving as the Lead Data Scientist in the TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) Science Processing Center, Twicken’s contributions to the Kepler Mission included designing, implementing, operating, maintaining and documenting the mission’s Data Processing Pipeline. Kepler revolutionized exoplanet science, discovering and confirming nearly 3,000 exoplanets and fundamentally changing our understanding of planets beyond our solar system. SETI Institute to Honor Contributions to Exoplanet Research with its Carl Sagan Center Director’s Award CSC Director’s Award honors SETI Institute scientists for outstanding achievements in astrobiology, technology, and exploration of life in the universe. Beyond excellence in science, the awardees must demonstrate their commitment to mentoring and educating the next generation of scientists and sharing the excitement of exploration and discovery with the public. The SETI Institute’s Science Council peers select the recipient presented annually during the Drake Awards celebration.