Are We There Yet?

After spending about a month on the International Space Station, SpaceX’s new Cargon Dragon capsule splashed down off the coast of Florida. It’s a departure from previous versions of the vehicle which splashed down in the Pacific. The new splash zone means scientists can get their hands on their returning equipment faster, meaning they can make critical observations of experiments quicker and opening up more opportunities for space-based science.

When it comes to how dirt on the moon behaves, scientists are still in the dark. Moon sand, also called regolith, is pretty mysterious -- but one team of University of Central Florida scientists want to shed some light on lunar dust clouds...by shooting lasers at it.

Understanding how dust behaves on the moon and other planetary surfaces is critical for future space exploration missions. Exhaust from a spacecraft’s landing engines could kick up razor-sharp moon dust that could damage instruments or obscure the view of landing.

A team led by scientists Addie Dove and Phil Metzger is developing a sensor that can measure how these dust particles interact with rocket exhaust -- a study that garnered the interest of NASA.

Metzger and Dove’s Ejecta STORM hardware received funding from NASA -- and recently Metzger traveled to the Mojave desert to test it out on a rocket which kicked up simulated dust.

UCF’s Phil Metzger and Addie Dove join us now to talk about the experiment and what they hope to learn about moon dust.

When it comes to how dirt on the moon behaves, scientists are still in the dark. Moon sand, also called regolith, is pretty mysterious -- but one team of University of Central Florida scientists want to shed some light on lunar dust clouds...by shooting lasers at it.

When it comes to how dirt on the moon behaves, scientists are still in the dark. Moon sand, also called regolith, is pretty mysterious -- but one team of University of Central Florida scientists want to shed some light on lunar dust clouds...by shooting lasers at it.

NASA announced the first group of astronauts who will train for a mission to the moon. We’ll talk with one of those astronauts, Kayla Barron, about the selection and what the mission means for women in the astronaut corps.

NASA announced the first group of astronauts who will train for a mission to the moon. We’ll talk with one of those astronauts, Kayla Barron, about the selection and what the mission means for women in the astronaut corps.

For the last three decades, the Hubble Space Telescope has peered deep into our universe, exploring the origins of the cosmos and capturing stunning views of stars, clusters and galaxies. Now, NASA is releasing a catalogue of some of its most dazzling images -- some you can see yourself from your own backyard.

For the last three decades, the Hubble Space Telescope has peered deep into our universe, exploring the origins of the cosmos and capturing stunning views of stars, clusters and galaxies. Now, NASA is releasing a catalogue of some of its most dazzling images -- some you can see yourself from your own backyard.

A new company plans to launch small satellites from the belly of a drone. It joins the growing number of small launch companies popping up to send tiny payloads into space. So what’s the market for these small satellites?

A new company plans to launch small satellites from the belly of a drone. It joins the growing number of small launch companies popping up to send tiny payloads into space. So what’s the market for these small satellites?