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Latest News News Archive Refine your search:
dateMore Than a Year Ago
subjectSoftware
authorJet Propulsion Laboratory/NASA
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An edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.


NASA InSight Team on Course for Mars Touchdown
From ACM News

NASA InSight Team on Course for Mars Touchdown

NASA's Mars Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) spacecraft is on track for a soft touchdown on the surface of...

Kepler Telescope Bids 'Goodnight' with Final Commands
From ACM News

Kepler Telescope Bids 'Goodnight' with Final Commands

On the evening of Thursday, Nov. 15, NASA's Kepler space telescope received its final set of commands to disconnect communications with Earth.

Exploding Stars Make Key Ingredient in Sand, Glass
From ACM News

Exploding Stars Make Key Ingredient in Sand, Glass

We are all, quite literally, made of star dust. Many of the chemicals that compose our planet and our bodies were formed directly by stars.

NASA Learns More About Interstellar Visitor 'Oumuamua'
From ACM News

NASA Learns More About Interstellar Visitor 'Oumuamua'

In November 2017, scientists pointed NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope toward the object known as 'Oumuamua,' the first known interstellar object to visit our solar...

NASA's ARIA Maps California Wildfires from Space
From ACM News

NASA's ARIA Maps California Wildfires from Space

California continues to be plagued by wildfires, including the Woolsey Fire near Los Angeles and the Camp Fire in Northern California, now one of the deadliest...

NASA's Dawn Mission to Asteroid Belt Comes to End
From ACM News

NASA's Dawn Mission to Asteroid Belt Comes to End

NASA's Dawn spacecraft has gone silent, ending a historic mission that studied time capsules from the solar system's earliest chapter.

NASA's InSight Will Study Mars While Standing Still
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NASA's InSight Will Study Mars While Standing Still

You don't need wheels to explore Mars.

­pdate on Opportunity Rover after Martian Dust Storm
From ACM News

­pdate on Opportunity Rover after Martian Dust Storm

One month since increasing their commanding frequency, engineers have yet to hear from NASA's Opportunity rover.

Mars Virtual Reality Software Wins NASA Award
From ACM News

Mars Virtual Reality Software Wins NASA Award

A mixed-reality software that allows scientists and engineers to virtually walk on Mars recently received NASA's 2018 Software of the Year Award.

All Eyes on Hurricane Michael
From ACM News

All Eyes on Hurricane Michael

Hurricane Michael plowed into the Florida panhandle Wednesday, Oct. 10, as a major Category 4 storm—the strongest hurricane ever to hit that region.

Painting Cars for Mars
From ACM News

Painting Cars for Mars

When John Campanella's friend wanted his beloved Ferrari painted, he knew exactly who to call.

Curiosity Rover to Temporarily Switch 'Brains'
From ACM News

Curiosity Rover to Temporarily Switch 'Brains'

Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, this week commanded the agency's Curiosity rover to switch to its second computer.

Groundbreaking Science Emerges from ­ltra-Close Orbits of Saturn
From ACM News

Groundbreaking Science Emerges from ­ltra-Close Orbits of Saturn

New research emerging from the final orbits of NASA's Cassini spacecraft represents a huge leap forward in our understanding of the Saturn system—especially the...

Opportunity Emerges in a Dusty Picture
From ACM News

Opportunity Emerges in a Dusty Picture

NASA still hasn't heard from the Opportunity rover, but at least we can see it again.

Dust Storms on Titan Spotted for the First Time
From ACM News

Dust Storms on Titan Spotted for the First Time

Data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft has revealed what appear to be giant dust storms in equatorial regions of Saturn's moon Titan.

Scientists ID Three Causes of Earth's Spin Axis Drift
From ACM News

Scientists ID Three Causes of Earth's Spin Axis Drift

A typical desk globe is designed to be a geometric sphere and to rotate smoothly when you spin it. Our actual planet is far less perfect—in both shape and in rotation...

Legacy of NASA's Dawn, Near the End of its Mission
From ACM News

Legacy of NASA's Dawn, Near the End of its Mission

NASA's Dawn mission is drawing to a close after 11 years of breaking new ground in planetary science, gathering breathtaking imagery, and performing unprecedented...

Curiosity Surveys a Mystery ­nder Dusty Skies
From ACM News

Curiosity Surveys a Mystery ­nder Dusty Skies

After snagging a new rock sample on Aug. 9, NASA's Curiosity rover surveyed its surroundings on Mars, producing a 360-degree panorama of its current location on...

Martian Skies Clearing over Opportunity Rover
From ACM News

Martian Skies Clearing over Opportunity Rover

A planet-encircling dust storm on Mars, which was first detected May 30 and halted operations for the Opportunity rover, continues to abate.

15 Years in Space for NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope
From ACM News

15 Years in Space for NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope

Initially scheduled for a minimum 2.5-year primary mission, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has gone far beyond its expected lifetime—and is still going strong after...
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