Latest articles by Patrick Pester
NASA fixes Artemis II rocket for April launch to take astronauts around moon
NASA's Artemis II is on track to shoot for the moon in April after engineers fixed the helium issue that grounded the mission's rocket last month.
Birds are declining faster and faster in 3 US hotspots, new study finds
Researchers have revealed that North American birds are declining at an accelerating rate in three regional hotspots associated with intense agriculture.
Chinese astronauts describe moment a crack was discovered on Shenzhou-20 spacecraft
Taikonauts from the ill-fated Shenzhou-20 mission have described what happened when they discovered cracks on their spacecraft as they prepared to depart China's Tiangong space station last year.
Kazakhstan plants tens of thousands of trees in giant effort to reintroduce tigers
Kazakhstan planted 37,000 seedlings and cuttings in South Balkhash last year to prepare for the return of its tigers, which disappeared more than 70 years ago.
NASA set to roll Artemis rocket back for urgent repairs after yet another delay
NASA is about to roll its Artemis II moon rocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to fix a helium flow issue that guarantees astronauts won't fly around the moon in March.
NASA starts countdown clock for second Artemis II wet dress rehearsal after rocky first attempt
NASA will attempt to fuel its Artemis II rocket again tomorrow after hydrogen leaks derailed the first wet dress rehearsal and delayed what is scheduled to be a historic crewed flight around the moon.
Our adorable, noodle-like ancestor had 4 eyes, half-a-billion-year-old fossils reveal
The earliest recorded vertebrates had four eyes to escape predators in the ancient Cambrian ocean, according to half-a-billion-year-old fossils from China that shed light on our evolutionary origins.
NASA telescope spots the building blocks for life spewing out of comet 3I/ATLAS
NASA's SPHEREx space telescope detected organic molecules coming off comet 3I/ATLAS as the interstellar visitor made its closest approach to Earth in December.
Hydrogen leak derails Artemis II wet rehearsal, pushing launch date back by weeks
NASA has delayed the Artemis II launch until March at the earliest after engineers discovered hydrogen leaks during last night's wet dress rehearsal.
Artemis II simulated launch window opens tonight as NASA delays mission due to 'rare Arctic outbreak'
NASA's Artemis II simulated launch is scheduled for tonight after Arctic weather forced the mission to be delayed. The first crewed Artemis mega moon rocket could still leave Earth as early as this weekend.
Next-generation AI 'swarms' will invade social media by mimicking human behavior and harassing real users, researchers warn
Artificial intelligence experts have warned that AI "swarms" are poised to infiltrate social media by deploying agents that mimic human behavior and exploit our tendency to follow the herd.
NASA is preparing for simulated launch of Artemis II mega moon rocket — and it could happen as early as Saturday
NASA has announced it will fuel the Artemis II rocket as part of a simulated launch that will take place as early as Saturday (Jan. 31).
Arctic blast probably won't cause trees to explode in the cold — but here's what happens if and when they do go boom
An exploding tree claim has gone viral as the U.S. brace for an Arctic blast that will send temperatures plunging, triggering a massive and long-lasting winter storm.
Coyote scrambles onto Alcatraz Island after perilous, never-before-seen swim
Experts have reacted to a viral video of a coyote swimming to Alcatraz Island in what is a surprising first for the San Francisco Bay Area.
Medieval 'super ship' found wrecked off Denmark is largest vessel of its kind
Divers have unearthed the largest cog shipwreck ever discovered in a strait off Denmark, signalling a period of economic development in medieval Europe.
NASA's Mars Sample Return is dead, leaving China to retrieve signs of life from the Red Planet
NASA's plans for Mars sample return are effectively cancelled as part of a bill approved by the U.S. Congress, ending efforts to collect Perseverance rover samples that could contain evidence of alien life.
NASA astronauts back on Earth after unprecedented medical emergency on ISS
The SpaceX Crew-11 Dragon spacecraft splashed down this morning as four astronauts completed an unprecedented medical evacuation of the International Space Station (ISS).
Artemis 2 mission update: Rollout imminent as NASA prepares first crewed Artemis mission to the moon
NASA's Artemis 2 rollout could be as early as this weekend as the space agency makes final preparations for its first crewed Artemis moon mission.
China's 'artificial sun' reactor shatters major fusion limit — a step closer to near-limitless clean energy
China's EAST nuclear fusion reactor has successfully kept plasma stable at extreme densities, passing a major fusion milestone and potentially bringing humanity closer to wielding near-limitless clean energy.
Spinosaurus relative longer than a pickup truck stalked Thailand's rivers 125 million years ago
A large fish-eating dinosaur died beside a river 125 million years ago in Cretaceous Thailand. Now, the remains of this ancient predator are helping researchers better understand Asia's enigmatic spinosaurids.
Flat-headed cat not seen in Thailand for almost 30 years is rediscovered
Conservationists are celebrating the rediscovery of flat-headed cats in Thailand after camera traps recorded the endangered feline for the first time in almost 30 years.
That was the week in science: Farewell comet 3I/ATLAS | Starlink tumbles from orbit | AI’s giant carbon footprint
LIVE Friday, Dec. 19, 2025: Your daily feed of the biggest discoveries and breakthroughs making headlines.
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS makes closest pass of Earth. Where's it heading next?
Everyone's favorite interstellar comet, 3I/ATLAS, flew past Earth overnight, coming within about 168 million miles (270 million kilometers) of our planet.
James Webb telescope finds supermassive black hole hidden inside 'Jekyll and Hyde' galaxy
The discovery of a hidden supermassive black hole inside an ancient galaxy suggests that some of our universe's most extreme objects could be invisible unless observed in infrared wavelengths, James Webb telescope observations reveal.
