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NASA’s Pandora satellite set to search for alien life
NASA’s Pandora satellite set for January launch to search exoplanets for signs of alien life
NASA’s Pandora satellite set for January launch to search exoplanets for signs of alien life
– NASA and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory will launch the Pandora Mission on January 5, 2026, to find signs of life.
– The mission will study 20 exoplanets’ atmospheres for biosignatures, utilising an innovative telescope design.
NASA is gearing up to launch the Pandora Mission on January 5, 2026, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The compact satellite, developed with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is designed to probe distant exoplanets for signs of life by analyzing their atmospheric composition. This $20 million mission focuses on detecting water vapor and other biosignatures across 20 known worlds.
At the core of Pandora is CODA, a 45-centimeter all-aluminum telescope offering innovative, cost-effective observations in both visible and near-infrared light. By separating planetary signals from the bright light of host stars, scientists hope to confirm the presence of water—a critical ingredient for life as we know it. Each of the 20 target planets will be observed 10 times during planetary transits, enabling continuous 24-hour monitoring sessions.
Pandora arrives amid growing excitement over exoplanet discoveries, including potential biosignatures found on K2-18b in 2025. Its observations will pave the way for future missions, like NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory, while rideshare payloads from Spire Global and Kepler Communications join the launch. The mission operations center at the University of Arizona will process all incoming data.
What’s happening in the Middle East?
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President Donald Trump says Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed
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Iran is entering a transitional period, with a three man leadership council temporarily taking control
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The U.S. military confirms three American service members were killed in the joint Israeli U.S. operation
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The White House says U.S. forces have destroyed and sunk nine Iranian naval ships
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Israel and the United States continue strikes on Iranian targets, with Tehran launching missile and drone retaliation across Israel and Gulf states
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Shipping, aviation and oil markets have been disrupted, with civilians fleeing major cities amid escalating tensions
News
Israel strikes Tehran anew as conflict escalates and global markets react
Israel strikes Tehran after Khamenei’s death; U.S. warns of prolonged conflict as tensions escalate in the Middle East.
Israel strikes Tehran after Khamenei’s death; U.S. warns of prolonged conflict as tensions escalate in the Middle East.
Israel has launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran, following the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. U.S. President Donald Trump has warned the campaign could last up to a month, framing the operation as a move to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities.
Iran has retaliated with missile attacks, while its Revolutionary Guards claim responsibility for assaults on oil tankers in the Gulf. The escalating hostilities are already disrupting global shipping lanes and air travel, sending shockwaves through international markets.
With reports of the first U.S. casualties emerging and Washington declaring the Tehran operation a success, tensions across the Middle East are intensifying rapidly. The question now is how far this conflict could spread — and at what cost.
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U.S. and Israel strike Iran as missiles hit Gulf bases and oil surges
U.S. and Israel launch major military operation against Iran; tensions rise as conflict escalates, impacting global markets.
U.S. and Israel launch major military operation against Iran; tensions rise as conflict escalates, impacting global markets.
The United States and Israel have launched a sweeping military operation against Iran, striking leadership targets and more than 500 military sites in what President Trump has dubbed Operation Epic Fury.
Explosions have rocked Tehran, with civilians fleeing the capital as U.S. sea and air assets carry out sustained attacks. Washington says the mission is designed to prevent a nuclear armed Iran and has even called on Iranians to rise up against the regime.
Iran has retaliated with a barrage of missiles and drones targeting Israel and U.S. bases across the region, including in Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. While many projectiles were intercepted, a U.S. base in Bahrain sustained damage.
Gulf states long seen as stable hubs for global business are now directly in the firing line, raising fears of a wider regional war.
Oil prices are climbing and tankers are diverting from the Strait of Hormuz as markets react to the escalating conflict. U.S. aircraft carriers, advanced fighter jets and missile destroyers remain in position, signalling more strikes could follow.
With global leaders scrambling diplomatically, the world is watching to see whether this spirals further or shifts back to negotiations.
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