Astronomy
Bad Weather Forces Delay in Launch of James Webb Space Telescope
The launch will now occur no earlier than Christmas Day
Stories by Meghan Bartels
Planetary Science
Space Rocks Keep Hitting Jupiter: What’s the Deal with That?
The giant planet’s hefty gravitational tug helps explain a spate of recent asteroid strikes
Astronomy
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Goes Dark Due to Glitch
The space agency is working to bring the observatory’s science instruments back online
Space Exploration
Senate Debates Uncertain Future of U.S. Spaceflight
A congressional hearing about NASA’s budget and activities offered more questions than answers about the International Space Station, orbital debris hazards and returning astronauts to the moon...
Astronomy
Chinese Astronomers Eye Tibetan Plateau Site for Observatory Project
Years of weather monitoring suggest a high-altitude locale in Qinghai Province could host future telescopes
Planetary Science
NASA Probe Finds Higher Chance of Asteroid Bennu Striking Earth
Using data from the OSIRIS-REx mission, scientists calculated slightly increased (but still low) odds the space rock will collide with our planet in the 2100s
Space & Physics
A Glitch Has Knocked the Hubble Space Telescope Offline—for Now
Although mission controllers have yet to identify the source of the problem, confidence is high the iconic observatory will soon return to normal operations
Space Exploration
Venus Wins Stunning Third New Mission, This Time from Europe
EnVision will follow NASA’s DAVINCI+ and VERITAS
Space & Physics
Jeff Bezos Will Go to Space on Blue Origin’s First Crewed Flight
The multibillionaire—along with his brother and at least one other passenger—could reach suborbital heights as soon as July 20
Space & Physics
NASA’s Juno Set for Close Encounter with Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede
The flyby will be the closest a spacecraft has come to the gas giant’s largest moon in 20 years
Space & Physics
Celebrating 60 Years of Humans in Space
The anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s historic voyage to orbit is a chance to reflect on how far human spaceflight has come—and where it’s going next
Space & Physics
Hope Probe Enters Orbit around Mars
The United Arab Emirates’ first interplanetary mission reaches its destination scarcely a decade after the country’s first satellite launch
Space & Physics
The United Arab Emirates’ Hope Probe Approaches Mars
Stakes are high for the Arab world’s first ever interplanetary mission as it prepares to enter Martian orbit
Space & Physics
Biden Administration Appoints Acting NASA Chief
Associate administrator Steve Jurczyk, who has worked at the space agency since 1988, will serve as its interim leader during the presidential transition
Space & Physics
The Arecibo Radio Telescope’s Massive Platform Has Collapsed
The hanging structure crashed through Arecibo’s dish after major cable failures
Space & Physics
The International Space Station Is Doomed to Die by Fire
Twenty years after the famed orbital outpost went up, scientists and engineers are deciding how and when it will come back down
Space & Physics
Why NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Uses Nuclear Energy
Radioactive plutonium is crucial for keeping this and other power-hungry deep-space missions warm and working for years on end
Space & Physics
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Docks with Space Station
The first-ever orbital flight of astronauts on a private spacecraft has been a historic success
Space & Physics
Margaret Burbidge, Astronomer Who Studied the Inner Workings of Stars, Dies at 100
Sometimes called “Lady Stardust,” Burbidge helped reveal the cosmic origins of chemical elements
Space & Physics
NASA’s Next Solar Mission Will Use Six Spacecraft to Make One Giant Telescope
Launching no earlier than July 2023, the SunRISE mission will study the origins of solar storms
