Space Exploration News 30 October 2025 - 9 November 2025

Published: November 9, 2025 Comet 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1) — only the third confirmed interstellar object to sweep through our solar system — has reemerged from behind the sun and is sliding into the predawn sky this week. Fresh spacecraft imagery, a flurry of social media claims about its “missing tail,” and ongoing questions about color changes have made it the most watched rock‑ice visitor of the season. Here’s what’s new today, what’s reliable, and how to see it yourself. Space Key updates on Nov. 9 What astronomers agree on Fact‑check: today’s most shared claims “It has no tail — must

Date: November 7, 2025 Key points What happened—and why this one is different A Caltech‑led team reports an extraordinary flare from the supermassive black hole in AGN J2245+3743, first seen rising dramatically in 2018 and now recognized as a record‑setter for both luminosity and distance. At peak, it shone with the light of ~10 trillion suns, unmistakably towering above the AGN’s usual variability. California Institute of Technology+1 The peer‑reviewed study, published November 4, 2025 in Nature Astronomy, quantifies just how extreme the event is: the source brightened by more than a factor of 40, radiating a cumulative ~10⁵⁴ ergs—on par

Published: November 7, 2025 What happened today A wave of coverage on Friday highlighted a new Nature Astronomy study that sets a concrete target for the next generation of black hole images: if upcoming telescopes can reach percent‑level fidelity, they could tell Einstein’s black holes apart from a range of look‑alikes predicted by alternative theories of gravity. The paper—published November 5—uses advanced simulations to show that when the mismatch between images exceeds roughly 2–5%, future instruments should be able to rule out many non‑Einstein models. Nature Today’s recaps emphasize what this means in practice: sharper “shadow” images—the dark silhouette encircled

Published: November 7, 2025 Key facts at a glance What’s launching and why it matters Blue Origin’s New Glenn is slated to lift off Nov. 9 carrying ESCAPADE—Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers—two identical NASA satellites designed to explain how Mars lost most of its atmosphere and water. The probes will make coordinated measurements to build a 3D, time‑varying picture of Mars’ upper atmosphere and magnetic environment, something a single spacecraft can’t do. It’s NASA’s first dual‑satellite mission to another planet, marking a milestone for low‑cost planetary science. Space Each spacecraft carries electrostatic analyzers (UC Berkeley) to track charged

A new analysis of NASA’s Cassini data finds excess heat at Enceladus’ north pole, balancing previously known heat loss in the south. The results, published Nov. 7, 2025 in Science Advances, suggest the icy moon’s global ocean has remained stable over geologic time—strengthening its habitability. Science+3SciTechDaily+3Space+3 Publish date: November 7, 2025 What’s new A peer‑reviewed study released today in Science Advances reports the first clear evidence of endogenic (internal) heat flow at Enceladus’ north pole. Until now, direct heat loss had only been measured at the south pole, where Cassini discovered dramatic plumes in 2005. The new result indicates heat

Updated: November 7, 2025 — Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (also cataloged as C/2025 N1 [ATLAS]) has re-emerged from behind the Sun and is back on astronomers’ morning watch lists. Fresh coverage today highlights new imagery from Mars orbit, public tools to follow its path, and why agencies are mobilizing to study only the third confirmed interstellar object ever seen. Space+2WIRED+2 What’s new today (Nov 7) Quick facts at a glance Back in our skies: where and how to see 3I/ATLAS The comet is again observable from Earth in the pre‑dawn sky, very low toward the eastern horizon. It remains a small‑telescope

Published: November 7, 2025 Summary What happened China’s human‑spaceflight agency said the Shenzhou‑20 return mission, originally scheduled for Wednesday, was postponed due to a suspected impact from tiny orbital debris on the crew capsule. The agency added that “impact analysis and risk assessment” are underway to determine next steps. Xinhua News Independent outlets and space publications corroborated the delay and the debris suspicion, noting that the capsule has remained docked while engineers evaluate its condition. As of Friday, Nov. 7, officials have not provided a revised landing plan. Reuters+1 Who is aboard Tiangong The outgoing Shenzhou‑20 crew consists of Commander

Comet 3I/ATLAS news roundup — November 6, 2025 Today’s big development: China’s Tianwen‑1 Mars orbiter captured and released new images of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (also cataloged as C/2025 N1), taken from roughly 30 million km away during the comet’s October 3 pass near Mars. China’s state outlets say the sequence shows clear cometary features and marks one of the closest probe‑based looks at the object to date. The observation doubles as a technology pathfinder for China’s upcoming Tianwen‑2 mission. State Council of China+2Xinhua News+2 What the Tianwen‑1 images add Context: ESA’s TGO produced the closest European look on Oct.

Key facts (updated Nov. 5, 2025): What happened and what we know China’s Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said Shenzhou‑20’s return, originally scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 5, is postponed after the spacecraft was “possibly hit by tiny bits of space debris.” An impact analysis and risk assessment are in progress; no revised landing time has been announced. Reuters The outgoing Shenzhou‑20 crew has already completed a handover with the newly arrived Shenzhou‑21 team aboard the Tiangong space station. The in‑orbit changeover took place earlier this week, and both ships remain docked as engineers evaluate Shenzhou‑20’s condition. Spacepolicyonline Why this is significant

Meet the Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS – A Visitor From Beyond When astronomers spotted a faint new comet on July 1, 2025, they quickly realized it was no ordinary comet. Its official designation, 3I/ATLAS, tells the tale: “3I” means it’s the third interstellar object ever recorded, and “ATLAS” credits the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System survey telescope (in Río Hurtado, Chile) that discovered itscientificamerican.com. In the days following discovery, observatories around the world rushed to calculate its orbit – and the results were stunning. Unlike normal comets bound in elliptical orbits around the Sun, 3I/ATLAS was on a one-way hyperbolic trajectory,

A Visitor From Beyond the Solar System On July 1, 2025, astronomers in Chile spotted a faint, fast-moving object that immediately stood out. Follow-up measurements showed it was on a hyperbolic orbit – not bound to our Sun – confirming it came from interstellar spacets2.tech. The discovery was officially designated 3I/ATLAS, where “3I” denotes the third Interstellar object ever observed, and “ATLAS” credits the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System survey that found itts2.tech. This find electrified scientists. “This is only the third such interstellar comet we’ve ever been able to study, and planetary scientists are super excited to learn about

What is Comet 3I/ATLAS? An Interstellar Visitor from Beyond Image: Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, captured by the Gemini South Observatory in late 2025, showing a diffuse coma and tail against the stars. This “ghostly” haze of gas and dust confirms that 3I/ATLAS is an active comet venting material as it nears the Sun. Space Wikipedia Comet 3I/ATLAS is a rare celestial visitor that truly doesn’t belong in our solar system. Officially designated 3I/ATLAS (for “3rd Interstellar” object, discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System), it was first spotted on July 1, 2025 by an ATLAS telescope in Chile Esa Wikipedia. Within

Discovery and Designation Comet 3I/ATLAS was discovered on July 1, 2025 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) survey telescope at Río Hurtado, Chileesa.int. ATLAS – a NASA-funded sky survey designed to spot incoming asteroids – detected a faint magnitude ~18 object moving against the starry backgroundras.ac.uk. Initially catalogued as C/2025 N1 (ATLAS) under comet naming conventions, the object raised immediate excitement because its orbit did not appear bound to the Sunts2.tech. Within days, astronomers determined the new comet was on a highly hyperbolic trajectory, not a closed ellipse like ordinary comets. In August 2025 the International Astronomical Union confirmed