Space & Physics
At Pluto, the End of a Beginning
Early this morning, if all has gone well, the first golden age of interplanetary exploration will have come to a close
Stories by Lee Billings
The Sciences
Book Review: Aurora
Books and recommendations from Scientific American
Space & Physics
Hubble's Proposed Supersize Successor Generates Controversy
As the legendary space telescope enters its twilight years, astronomers are searching for a replacement, but no one agrees about what it should accomplish
Space & Physics
Taking the Weight of an Alien World
Though hobbled by age, NASA’s Kepler planet-hunting telescope is proving to be an almost inexhaustible engine of discovery. The observatory found thousands of new worlds before an equipment malfunction in 2013 slowed its planetary torrent to a trickle, but clever researchers have managed to squeeze remarkable new findings out of its vast trove of archival data...
Space & Physics
Making Space for Everyone: A Q&A with BoldlyGo's Jon Morse
NASA’s former director of astrophysics plans to revolutionize space science with agile, privately funded missions
Space & Physics
NASA Tests Its Flying-Saucer Lander for Mars
The lander, a six-meter Kevlar-inflatable disk, could carry heavier loads to the Red Planet
Space & Physics
Frenzy-Feeding Black Hole Makes Galaxy Most Luminous
A galaxy 12.5 billion light-years away gives off the light of 300 trillion suns, because its feeding black hole produces enough heat to set the whole galaxy's dust glowing. Lee Billings reports ...
Space & Physics
Launch of First Private Solar Sail–Powered Spacecraft Set for Wednesday [Video]
With its LightSail project, the Planetary Society aims to take the next step in its decades-long quest to transform spaceflight
Policy
Scientific American Presents: Neil deGrasse Tyson-on StarTalk [Video]
Neil deGrasse Tyson is host of StarTalk, which is both a top-rated podcast and a television series on National Geographic Channel. Click here for full transcript
Space & Physics
Dawn Spacecraft Images Reveal "Ice Rinks" on Ceres
Bright spots in the latest pictures from NASA’s mission to the dwarf planet may be water ice, researchers say
The Sciences
Book Review: How to Clone a Mammoth
Books and recommendations from Scientific American
Space & Physics
Mars Travelers Could Suffer Radiation Brain Damage
Mice exposed to radiation akin to what astronauts to Mars would receive experienced cognitive impairment. Lee Billings reports
Space & Physics
Astronomers Seek Super-Size Hubble Successor to Search for Alien Life
Controversy swirls around a bold proposal for a bigger, better—and expensive—replacement for NASA’s premier space telescope
Space & Physics
MESSENGER’s Mercurial Swan Song and Other Interplanetary Smash-Ups
On April 30, if all goes well, after running out of fuel to fight off orbital decay NASA’s long-running MESSENGER spacecraft will end its mission to Mercury by crashing into the planet’s surface at nearly 4 kilometers per second...
Space & Physics
Hubble's Repairman Reflects on the Telescope's Legacy
Twenty-five years ago, on April 24, 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope soared into orbit. Since then, its great discoveries have been legion, and the story of how it became the most successful and productive astronomical observatory in human history is destined to become legendary...
Space & Physics
Modest but Momentous: Hubble’s Brilliant, Unsung Images [Slide Show]
NASA’s iconic space telescope has delivered gorgeous astronomical pictures for a quarter century, but some of its keystone discoveries come from far more humble images. Here are Scientific American ’s top 10...
Space & Physics
The Make-or-Break Moment for Hubble Repair
Former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino, veteran of two space shuttle missions to Hubble, recalls how he saved the telescope he loves
Space & Physics
Scientific American Editor's Career Soared with Hubble
Mariette DiChristina, Scientific American's Editor in Chief, has a special place in her heart for the Hubble Space Telescope
Space & Physics
Alien Supercivilizations Absent from 100,000 Nearby Galaxies
The most far-seeing search ever performed for “Dyson spheres” and other artifacts of “astroengineering” comes up empty. Where is everybody?
Space & Physics
SpaceX Faces the Hard Truth about Soft Landings—They’re Tough to Do
With two partially successful landing attempts of its Falcon 9 booster, the private company inches closer to its goal of making a fully reusable rocket
...
