Virgin Orbit’s First Launch of 2021 Is Imminent
The company is targeting Sunday, January 17 for sending its LauncherOne rocket to space from the belly of a 747 jet
Stories by Mike Wall
Trump Signs Directive to Bolster Nuclear Power in Space Exploration
One goal laid out in the new policy is the testing of a fission power system on the moon by the mid- to late 2020s
SpaceX’s Starship SN8 Prototype Soars on Epic Test Launch, with Explosive Landing
Despite its “rapid unplanned disassembly,” the company’s highest-yet flight of its next-generation rocket was a success
Japanese Space Capsule Carrying Pristine Asteroid Samples Lands in Australia
Gathered by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft, the material from asteroid Ryugu will deepen scientists’ knowledge of early solar system history
China’s Chang’e 5 Lands on Moon to Collect Fresh Samples
The ambitious mission is the first effort since 1976 to bring lunar material back to Earth
China’s Chang’e-5 Mission Launches to Collect Lunar Samples
After a 44-year hiatus, humans are on the verge of returning fresh material from the moon
NASA Celebrates Crew-1 Arrival at Space Station
SpaceX’s first 4-astronaut mission for the agency is a milestone in human spaceflight
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Probe Successfully Stows Space-Rock Sample
The spacecraft will deliver the pristine material from asteroid Bennu back to Earth in 2023
In the Hunt for Planet Nine, Astronomers Eye a New Search Technique
“Shifting and stacking” method could unveil the elusive world and other objects in the outer solar system
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Is Overflowing with Asteroid Samples
The mission team is working to stow the sample as fast as possible to minimize losses
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Successfully Touches Asteroid Bennu
The spacecraft attempted to collect samples from the asteroid for eventual return to Earth
Scientists Spot Giant Planet Orbiting Dead Star’s Corpse
The discovery around a white dwarf suggests planets can survive their star’s demise
Life on Venus? Breakthrough Initiatives Funds Study of Possible Biosignature
A team of scientists will examine the astrobiological prospects for phosphine on Earth’s hellish twin
NASA’s TESS Planet-Hunting Space Telescope Completes Its Primary Mission
The observatory has found 66 confirmed worlds, plus 2,100 additional candidates—and the search goes on
SpaceX's Starship SN5 Prototype Soars in First Test Flight
The short hop could be a big leap toward future missions to Mars
NASA Astronauts Splashdown Safely after Historic SpaceX Mission
The first-ever crew-carrying commercial orbital mission is a major spaceflight milestone
Pluto’s Wispy Atmosphere May Be Surprisingly Robust
The dwarf planet’s blue-tinged air may punch far above its weight
NASA Selects Companies to Develop Human Lunar Landers
Blue Origin, Dynetics and SpaceX will each design and build spacecraft that could return astronauts to the Moon
Weird Neutrino Behavior Could Explain Long-standing Antimatter Mystery
But more data are needed before physicists know for sure
Molten Iron Rain Falls on Scorching-Hot Exoplanet
A planet called WASP-76 b may be the most extreme world we know of
