Science news today centers on long-range planning under pressure, from space exploration to energy and water security. Japan pushes ahead with an ambitious mission to bring back samples from near Mars, while officials and forecasters warn that climate stress and future fuel const...
Science news today centers on long-range planning under pressure, from space exploration to energy and water security. Japan pushes ahead with an ambitious mission to bring back samples from near Mars, while officials and forecasters warn that climate stress and future fuel constraints are sharpening choices on Earth.
Japan prepares to launch its Martian Moons eXploration mission, or MMX, to Phobos in a bid to collect material from the moon’s surface and just below it, then return those samples to Earth in 2031. Led by JAXA and launched on an H3 rocket, it marks a rare sample-return mission from the Mars system.
The International Atomic Energy Agency warns that uranium supply from existing mines could drop by at least half by 2040, even as demand for nuclear fuel grows. The outlook raises concern about how quickly new mining capacity can come online if countries expand nuclear power as part of their energy plans.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is stepping up watershed restoration and forest protection as El Niño risk grows. The effort aims to improve how forests and watersheds retain and regulate water during extended dry periods, with the goal of cushioning water supplies against the effects of a hotter, drier season.
Angat Dam’s water level edges up by about four centimeters to 209.51 meters as a very strong El Niño begins in the Philippines. The slight increase offers limited relief as authorities monitor water reserves closely, with dry conditions expected to put greater pressure on supply in the months ahead.
Top Science stories
- Japan’s MMX mission will return samples from Mars moon Phobos in 2031 (16 sources)
- Angat Dam water level rises slightly as very strong El Niño begins (2 sources)
- DENR ramps up watershed restoration and forest protection ahead of El Niño (2 sources)
- IAEA projects uranium supply could fall sharply by 2040 amid rising demand (2 sources)
Paige Newsom
Author at IfHighLow
