Science

A peer-reviewed study published October twenty-sixth reports the first on-site measurements of fine and ultrafine Martian dust. Using Perseverance rover data, researchers found particles as small as about one hundred nanometers on spacesuit-material samples and calibration targets. The work does not measure health effects in people on Mars. Instead, it gives engineers real measurements that can guide future studies of spacesuits, habitats, dust removal, and crew exposure limits before human missions.

NASA says the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory ended science operations on October twentieth as its low orbit created too much atmospheric drag for steady observations. The October twenty-third NASA update says Swift observed more than two thousand gamma-ray bursts and contributed data to about seven thousand scientific papers. This is a mission-status update, not a new discovery. NASA expects the spacecraft to re-enter in the next few weeks, while its public archive can still support future research.