Jupiter's Moon Europa Has Plate Tectonics like Earth Does
The discovery could buoy bids for a mission to the Jovian moon
Sep 8, 2014 |By Alexandra Witze and Nature magazine

Some of the scars on the Jovian moon Europa could be the result of subducting plates.
Credit: Ted Stryk/Galileo Project/JPL/NASA

If you have got an idea for how to study Europa, then NASA wants to hear from you.

The agency has no official plans for a mission to the Jovian moon, whose icy crust covers a watery ocean in which life could theoretically exist. But spurred by intense congressional interest and several recent discoveries, NASA is seeking ideas for instruments that could fly on a mission to Europa. The possibilities range from a stripped-down probe that would zip past the moon, to a carefully designed Jupiter orbiter that would explore ...

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NASA to Send 3-D Printer to Space
The machine is expected to let astronauts create parts to order
Sep 10, 2014 |By Alexandra Witze and Nature magazine

Engineers test a 3D printer under microgravity conditions aboard a modified aircraft in parabolic flight.
Credit: Made In Space

In one small step towards space manufacturing, NASA is sending a 3D printer to the International Space Station. Astronauts will be able to make plastic objects of almost any shape they like inside a box about the size of a microwave oven — enabling them to print new parts to replace broken ones, and perhaps even to invent useful tools.

The launch, slated for around September 19, will be the first time that a 3D printer flies in space. The agency has already embraced ground-based 3D printing as a fast, cheap way to make ...

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