NASA

Researchers found evidence of water on the near side of the moon, a discovery that could increase the chances of one day having a human base on Earth's satellite. Photo by NASA on The Commons

There’s water on the moon’s sunlit surface. Colonization could be on the horizon.

Having a water source on the moon could eliminate the need for astronauts to bring their own drinking supplies, breathable air, and fuel. This invaluable resource is the first step toward one day sustaining human life on the moon and beyond, says Taskin Padir, associate professor of computer and electrical engineering.

by Emily Arntsen October 28, 2020

Willis Jenkins helped design a $1 U.S. coin commemorating the contributions of Native Americans to the U.S. space program. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

Her mission was to get us to space. His was to tell her story on this $1 coin.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—After earning a degree in electrical engineering from Northeastern, Willis Jenkins has spent two decades at NASA and, most recently, helped design a $1 coin commemorating the contributions of Native Americans to the U.S. space program.

by Adam Tismaneanu - contributor February 24, 2020

A team of Northeastern students was recently selected by NASA to enter the Big Idea Challenge, and will receive a $90,000 award to develop a robotic system to help astronauts explore permanently shadowed regions of the moon. From left: Julian Morgen, Paige Butler, and María Belén Ou. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

NASA is going back to the moon. Northeastern University students are designing robots to explore the terrain.

Some parts of the moon never see the light, but they are full of resources that NASA could mine to settle on the lunar surface and venture beyond. The agency selected a team of Northeastern students to be part of the 2020 Big Idea Challenge, in which they will develop robotic systems to help survey the darkest areas of the moon.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa February 21, 2020

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket lifts off from space launch complex 37 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with the second Global Positioning System III payload on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Will Space Command help or hurt international relations in space?

The United States recently established Space Command, a military headquarters for space operations to match those in other countries. Northeastern professor Mai’a Cross questions whether the militarization of outer space could create conflict where there hasn’t been any.

by Molly Callahan September 5, 2019

Can you guess which of these items came from the space program? We tried.

Laptops or barcodes? Sneaker insoles or lava lamps? Wireless headphones or GPS? See if you can do better than we did.

by Cam Sleeper July 18, 2019

Mars and beyond

Northeastern students and faculty reflect on the role of humanoid robots in deep space exploration, sending humans to Mars, and the need for reusable spacecraft.

by Gregory Grinnell, Laura Castañón and Hannah Moore July 17, 2019

A SpaceX Falcon heavy rocket lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., early Tuesday, June 25, 2019. The Falcon rocket has a payload military and scientific research satellites. AP Photo/John Raoux

Is this the Space Race 2.0?

Space exploration “has always been about international cooperation and the betterment of humanity,” says Mai’a Cross, a professor at Northeastern whose newest research focuses on the international collaboration that fostered the Space Race of the 1960s. But some politicians and military officials describe space missions as necessary in order to “prepare for war in space,” she says.

by Molly Callahan July 11, 2019

A general view of the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex as the sun shines through a window in the ceiling on Feb. 15, 2017. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

Here’s how the government shutdown is affecting research at Northeastern

As the United States enters the third week of a partial government shutdown, federally funded research at Northeastern University is so far “minimally affected” and continuing as usual, according to David Luzzi, senior vice provost for research at the university.

by Molly Callahan January 9, 2019

In this image provided by NASA, Mars InSight team members Kris Bruvold, left, and Sandy Krasner rejoice, Monday, Nov. 26, 2018, inside the Mission Support Area at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, after receiving confirmation that the Mars InSight lander successfully touched down on the surface of Mars. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via AP)

InSight has landed on Mars. Now the real work begins.

The data from InSight will help researchers understand how Mars was formed. These same processes shaped Earth and the other terrestrial planets more than four billion years ago. Northeastern associate professor Taskin Padir walks us through what it means.

by Laura Castañón November 26, 2018

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

The secret ingredients behind Chicken Lou’s

Northeastern’s signature fast-food restaurant, managed by second-generation proprietor Dave Ferretti, has been feeding students, faculty, and staff for 28 years.

by Ian Thomsen September 12, 2018