Space News

Explore UC San Diego’s pioneering space research in astronomy, astrophysics, planetary sciences, life sciences, engineering, data, health and more.

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Is Anyone Out There?

Curiosity drives almost all of us, and little sparks the imagination more than thinking about who might live among the stars.

Is the Universe Twisted? A New Check on a Possible Twist in the Universe’s Oldest Light

Even a small error in the orientation of a telescope’s polarization detectors can produce a false reading of cosmic birefringence. Researchers at UC San Diego have developed a method to test the relative polarization-angle calibration of different detector sets providing a crucial calibration check.

Why Is Discovering Exoplanets Important?

UC San Diego postdoc Aidan Gibbs explains why finding exoplanets, which orbit around stars other than our sun, can help us better understand our own solar system and home planet.

Rebecsinib Clinical Trial Means New Options for Blood Cancer

A clinical trial of rebecsinib — an investigational drug that inhibits the ADAR1 gene involved in the growth of more than 20 cancers — is underway at UC San Diego.

A Small Optical Component Could Change How Telescopes View the Sun

A new telescope technology could improve how future space missions study and monitor the Sun while simplifying onboard hardware and reducing costs. The technology is built from a metasurface, which is a device engineered with nanoscale structures that manipulate light in unusual ways.

Plants Could Be Used to Grow Medicines in Space, Study Shows

A new pharmaceutical production method could allow astronauts on long space missions to "grow" fresh medicines on demand using plants. The work could also bring low-cost pharmaceutical production to resource-limited areas on Earth.