Astronomers Uncover the Vast Greater Pleiades Complex with 3,000 Hidden Stars

Astronomers analyzing Gaia and TESS data have discovered that the famed Pleiades is only the bright center of a much larger stellar complex containing over 3,000 stars. Spanning 2,000 light-years, this vast family reveals how young clusters form, travel, and disperse across the galaxy.

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India Approves Chandrayaan-4 Moon Sample Mission and National Space Station

India has officially greenlit Chandrayaan-4, a 2028 lunar sample-return mission set to bring home 3 kg of Moon soil. The mission involves five spacecraft docking in Earth orbit before heading to the lunar surface. ISRO is also moving ahead with its Bharatiya Antariksh Station, with the first module planned for 2028 and full completion targeted for 2035.

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SpaceX Sends Sentinel-6B to Orbit for Precision Sea-Level Tracking

SpaceX successfully launched the Sentinel-6B ocean-monitoring satellite on November 17, 2025, marking its 500th orbital mission using a reused Falcon 9 booster. Sentinel-6B will extend more than 40 years of continuous sea-level measurement, delivering high-precision global ocean data as part of Europe’s Copernicus climate program. Equipped with advanced radar and mi...

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Artemis Era Raises Safety Concerns as Lunar Orbit Nears Capacity, New Study Finds

As lunar exploration surges, scientists warn that the Moon’s limited stable orbits are growing crowded. Georgia Tech simulations suggest that with about 50 satellites, each may need several collision-avoidance maneuvers per year. Even now, orbiters like Chandrayaan-2 require frequent course corrections. With Artemis and private missions incoming, agencies are develo...

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