Space
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
Stories by Meghan Bartels
Space
Venus Wins Stunning Third New Mission, This Time from Europe
EnVision will follow NASA’s DAVINCI+ and VERITAS
Space
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
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
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
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
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
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
The Arecibo Radio Telescope’s Massive Platform Has Collapsed
The hanging structure crashed through Arecibo’s dish after major cable failures
Space
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
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
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
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
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
Space
Cooped Up at Home? Help Scientists Spot Penguins from Space or Seek Out Galaxies
Some citizen science projects can be done during quarantine
Policy & Ethics
Hubble Telescope Test Inspires Changes at NASA to Combat Gender Bias
The space agency’s adoption of dual-anonymous review for certain science programs seeks to ensure proposals are judged on merit alone
Math
Katherine Johnson of Hidden Figures Fame Dies at 101
The pioneering NASA mathematician overcame racial barriers to help humans reach the moon
Space
Astronomers Just Found (Another) Potentially Habitable Exoplanet. What Happens Next?
NASA’s TESS spacecraft identified the unusual world around a red dwarf
Space
James Webb Space Telescope on Track for March 2021 Launch, NASA Says
Despite numerous setbacks, the $9.7-billion observatory is still on schedule to revolutionize our view of the universe
Space
Boeing’s Next-Generation Starliner Vehicle Passes Major Safety Test
Despite a parachute glitch, the spacecraft’s pad-abort system showed it could protect future astronauts
