Science & Space Digest — Jun 26, 2026

Week of: Jun 26, 2026

Discovery of the Week

NASA reveals the "puffiest" planets ever found — The TESS space telescope has discovered two Jupiter-sized worlds so light that their density rivals cotton candy, making them the least dense planets known. These "super-puff" planets challenge models of how planetary atmospheres form and survive. (NASA News)

Space Missions & Astronomy

• Possible signs of ancient life on Mars show complex carbon — The Perseverance rover's instruments detected large, intricate carbon compounds alongside surface patterns that resemble microbial traces, offering some of the strongest chemical hints yet of past life on the Red Planet. Significance: High. (New Scientist)
• Webb captures millions of stars in the Cigar Galaxy — The James Webb Space Telescope peered through dust clouds in starburst galaxy M82, revealing a dense population of young stars in infrared light that Hubble couldn't see. Significance: Medium. (NASA News)
• Planet orbits so close to its star their magnetic fields connect — Astronomers found a world where the planet's magnetic field links directly to its star's, causing the star's outer atmosphere to brighten at certain orbital points. Significance: Medium. (Ars Technica Science)
• ISS repair spacewalk highlights station health concerns — NASA astronauts prepare to fix a robotic arm while advisers warn about the aging station's long-term condition and spacesuit reliability. Significance: Medium. (SpaceNews)
• Rocket Lab wins NASA award for three Electron launches — The company will launch two science missions — PolSIR (studying ice clouds) and TSIS-2 (measuring solar energy reaching Earth) — on three rockets in 2027. Significance: Medium. (SpaceNews)
• China schedules debut Long March 10B launch and sea recovery attempt — The new rocket's first flight is set for July, with an attempt to recover its first stage at sea, similar to SpaceX's Falcon 9 landings. Significance: Medium. (SpaceNews)
• Botswana signs the Artemis Accords — The African nation becomes the 68th country to commit to peaceful, transparent space exploration under NASA's framework. Significance: Low. (NASA News)
• Starlink veterans launch startup for megaconstellation ownership — Former SpaceX engineers founded a company to help governments and businesses build and control their own satellite internet networks. Significance: Medium. (SpaceNews)
• Canceled NASA exploration projects suffered billions in overruns — Four projects the agency stopped this year saw costs more than double, with over $1 billion in additional increases expected. Significance: Medium. (SpaceNews)
• Artemis II lessons shape NASA's Moon to Mars plans — Seven weeks after Orion's crewed lunar flyby, mission managers shared how the flight is guiding designs for future surface landings and Mars missions. Significance: Medium. (NASA News)

Life Sciences & Medicine

• New effort will sequence genomes for every endangered species — Colossal Biosciences plans to biobank tissues and obtain full genome sequences for the entire U.S. Endangered Species List, creating a genetic library for conservation. Significance: High. (Ars Technica Science)
• CRISPR's next act: companies editing the epigenome to treat disease — Instead of cutting DNA, several startups are using CRISPR-based tools to turn genes on or off by modifying chemical tags on the genome, opening new paths for treating conditions like obesity and muscular dystrophy. Significance: High. (Nature News)

Physics & Materials

• How physicists track and trap the elusive neutrino — A feature explores the massive, audacious detectors — buried in ice, deep underground, or in giant water tanks — built to catch these nearly massless, ghostly particles that barely interact with matter. Significance: Medium. (Quanta Magazine)
• Can video games help us better understand quantum mechanics? — Hundreds of quantum-inspired video games exist, and researchers argue they could help players grasp counterintuitive quantum concepts and even aid in designing better quantum devices. Significance: Low. (New Scientist)

Climate & Earth Science

• Weather Stream releases first images from new microwave satellite — The commercial GEMS2-Amethyst satellite, launched in March, is now collecting global atmospheric data using a microwave radiometer — an instrument that measures temperature and moisture through clouds — improving weather forecasting. Significance: Medium. (SpaceNews)
• Can home batteries help save the climate and save you money? — Growing numbers of homeowners are installing batteries that store cheap electricity for later use, balancing the power grid and cutting emissions, with cheaper plug-in models set to expand access. Significance: Medium. (New Scientist)

Technology-Driven Science

• As better chatbots get harder to build, AI turns to simulated worlds — Rather than training on more text, researchers are developing AI agents that learn by acting in virtual environments, aiming for human-level intelligence through experience rather than passive reading. Significance: High. (Science Magazine News)

Upcoming: Launches & Publication Dates

• China's Long March 10B rocket is scheduled for its debut flight and first-stage sea recovery attempt in July. (SpaceNews)
• NASA and the U.S. Small Business Administration will sign a partnership agreement on June 29. (NASA News)