Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
In a big step for clean energy, Professor Indrajit Shown from Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS) in Chennai has found a way to turn carbon dioxide (CO2) into renewable clean fuel using sunlight. Professor Shown and his team created a special material that captures sunlight and uses it to change CO into a fuel ingredient called acetaldehyde. This substance can help make renewable fuels. The material, made from zinc and sulfur-based compounds, is designed in a way that makes the process much faster and more effective than older methods. Harnessing solar energy to convert CO2 or water into solar fuels represents a dual-purpose approach to address both energy & environmental challenges.
Former NASA astronaut Chris Hadfield and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Matthias Maurer recently took part in critical testing of Axiom Space’s new lunar spacesuit, the AxEMU, in conjunction with Astrolab’s FLEX lunar rover prototype. Hadfield, who has extensive spaceflight experience, performed detailed assessments of the crew stand and operational controls of the FLEX rover while wearing the pressurized AxEMU suit. This unique suit is designed to offer enhanced protection, increased mobility, and thermal regulation-featuring a white exterior to reflect heat and a life-sustaining backpack system-enabling astronauts to operate effectively on the Moon’s harsh surface.
Webb captured an enormous display of auroras unlike anything seen on Earth. These infrared observations reveal unexpected activity in Jupiter’s atmosphere, challenging what scientists thought they knew about the planet’s magnetic field and particle interactions. pic.twitter.com/fcCwLHxa1m
— NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) May 13, 2025
(Credit: X/@NASAWebb)
NASA has released stunning footage of what happens when a solar storm slams into Earth -- it triggers mega auroras on the largest planet in the Solar System. James Webb Space Telescope has captured new details of the auroras on Jupiter, which are hundreds of times brighter than those seen on Earth, revealing new details about the planet's magnetosphere. Jupiter has an additional source for its auroras: the strong magnetic field of the gas giant grabs charged particles from its surroundings. This includes not only the charged particles within the solar wind but also the particles thrown into space by its orbiting moon Io, known for its numerous and large volcanoes.
An international team of scientists has identified 26 novel bacterial species growing inside cleanrooms associated with NASA space missions. Cleanrooms are highly specialised facilities engineered to maintain exceptionally low levels of dust and microorganisms. Spacecraft are assembled in cleanrooms. These unknown and newly described species carry genetic traits associated with resilience to extreme environments such as those found in space, and may hold clues to space survival and biotech, as per the researchers. This effort is pivotal for monitoring the risk of microbial contamination and safeguarding against unintentional colonisation of exploring planets.
