Stories by Ilya Ferapontov

Ilya Ferapontov is a science journalist based in Russia.

A small metallic sphere bristling with antennas and surrounded by four petal-like panels rests in a crater-pocked lunar landscape.

Space ExplorationFebruary 5, 2026

Space archaeologists may have found a long-lost Soviet lander on the moon

Scientists have spent decades searching for the final resting place of Luna 9, the first spacecraft to soft-land on the moon. Now they’re on the cusp of finding it

Ilya Ferapontov

A photo of Russia’s Nauka multipurpose laboratory module (MLM) on the International Space Station.

Space ExplorationDecember 29, 2025

Russia Quietly Changed Its Space Station Plans. Here’s What That Means

The proposed Russian Orbital Station will stick to a familiar path instead of an ambitious polar orbit

Ilya Ferapontov