The New Frontier

How exactly does the Sun affect the Earth Scientists have long been searching for this answer but with limited technology and data the answers have been evasive Now two advanced space probes have been launched that have the capability to orbit closer to the Sun than ever before opening the door for scientists to study topics that were once only theoretical

Since the 1960s humans have made less frequent trips to the Moon preferring instead to send robots Today scientists are studying the benefits of a hybrid mission one where humans and robots work in tandem to minimize the risk to the astronauts as well as optimize the amount of data collected Missions on Earth are the best way to put this theory to the test

Climate change is arguably the biggest danger facing our Earth today With sea levels on the rise carbon emissions and deforestation there is overwhelming evidence that we have indelibly altered our planet Scientists are racing to find ways to slow down and stop this imminent threat and are relying on extraterrestrial technology to help gather the data

It is the closest planet to Earth in size and distance from the Sun It once may have had oceans and a similar climate Now it is hostile and unforgiving Scientists want to know why and how it changed This could help with the hunt for other habitable worlds For now Venus could be considered Earths evil twin

The permanently manned International Space Station circles overhead to give us a unique perspective on science health and industry The benefits of manufacturing in zeroG is spurring other countries and private companies to join this elite club of manned space stations

Asteroids from planetoidsized monsters down to tiny pebbles are remnants from the birth of our solar system They have orbited our sun for billions of years We count their numbers explore their causes and keep a wary eye on these mountains in the dark Several spacecraft have ventured out toward these rocky worlds Two new robotic probes are ready to study some of these unique targets

Scientists searching for life in space are following the signs for water where life can evolve There are exciting candidates to explore like the icy moons of Jupiter Orbiting Jupiter are three candidates Ganymede the largest moon in the solar system Callisto once thought to be dead and potentially harboring a salty ocean and the active Europa with its plumes of water erupting into space

The James Webb Space Telescope is one of the most complex and sophisticated scientific instruments ever built It is orbiting our sun a million kilometers out in space in temperatures of 266 degrees Celsius It is a time machine that will peer deep into the past and reveal unexplored reaches And it will be our key to understanding where we fit in this enormous universe

Black holes are where time and space converge under gravitys immutable power These extremes of nature once considered improbable are now giving up their secrets In fact scientists have been able to imagine the impossible the black hole at the center of our galaxy We can now peer into the abyss

For millennia we have looked up to the stars and galaxies in awe and wonder trying to understand our place in the universe Current technology is enabling us to see further and farther back in time with much more detail than ever The next generation of orbiting telescopes is soon to enter service Who knows what giant leap they will make in our understanding of the universe