PolicySeptember 27, 2018
Moon Is Stepping-Stone, Not Alternative to Mars, NASA Chief Says
The Red Planet remains the U.S. space agency’s ultimate goal
Stories by Mike Wall
Mike Wall has been writing for Space.com since 2010. His book about the search for alien life, “Out There,” was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Space & PhysicsSeptember 18, 2018
SpaceX Plans to Fly Humans Around the Moon in 2023
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and a hand-picked coterie of artists could embark on a lunar mission within five years
Space & PhysicsSeptember 13, 2018
Space Station Commander: It’s “Absolutely a Shame” to Suggest Astronauts Caused Leak
The lead astronaut on the station defends the integrity of his team
Space & PhysicsSeptember 7, 2018
Faster Than Light? Neutron-Star Merger Shot Out a Jet with Seemingly Impossible Speed
The jet’s apparent (but not actual) superluminal velocity provide new constraints on the merger and its aftermath
Space & PhysicsSeptember 1, 2018
With Mars Dust Storm Clearing, Opportunity Rover Could Finally Wake Up
The mission now faces a 45-day deadline to phone home before active recovery measures cease
Space & PhysicsAugust 19, 2018
NASA’s Opportunity Rover Still Silent on Mars
Two months into a planet-wide dust storm, the hardy rover remains in hibernation—or worse
Space & PhysicsAugust 9, 2018
Lunar Exploration Tech Tops NASA’s “Tipping Point” Funding List
The agency awarded a total of $44 million to multiple firms developing crucial technologies for future space exploration
Natural DisastersAugust 7, 2018
Space Station Crew Photographs Raging California Wildfires
The Golden State’s fiery woes are clearly visible all the way from low-Earth orbit
Space & PhysicsAugust 5, 2018
Planet-Hunting Kepler Telescope Wakes Up, Phones Home
Nearing the end of its life, the spectacularly successful mission is still churning out new observations
Space & PhysicsJuly 23, 2018
Signs of Life on Europa May Be Just beneath the Surface
New maps suggest evidence of alien life in the icy moon’s buried ocean could be surprisingly easy to find
Space & PhysicsJuly 4, 2018
Watch a Baby Exoplanet Being Born
New observations reveal an infant alien world coalescing from gas and dust around a young star
Space & PhysicsJune 27, 2018
NASA Defers Launch of James Webb Space Telescope Again—This Time to 2021
The postponement brings the project's total estimated lifetime cost to $9.66 billion—and further delays are possible
Space & PhysicsJune 1, 2018
Pluto Has Dunes, but They’re Not Made of Sand
Images from NASA’s New Horizons probe reveal mysterious mounds made of frozen methane or nitrogen
PolicyApril 20, 2018
New NASA Chief Jim Bridenstine Faces "Uphill Climb" after Contentious Confirmation
Partisanship and his past statements about climate change could hinder Bridenstine’s leadership of the space agency
Space & PhysicsApril 2, 2018
Chinese Space Station Tiangong 1 Falls to Earth
The space station disintegrated in the atmosphere over the South Pacific
Space & PhysicsMarch 21, 2018
European Space Agency Picks Exoplanet-Studying Spacecraft for 2028 Launch
The ARIEL mission will peer into the atmospheres of thousands of exoplanets to learn more about their formation and evolution
The SciencesMarch 21, 2018
Stephen Hawking to Be Interred in Westminster Abbey
The late physicist’s ashes will share a final resting place with the remains of Newton, Darwin and other historic figures
Space & PhysicsMarch 20, 2018
'Oumuamua, First-Known Interstellar Visitor, Likely Born from 2 Stars
The mysterious object may have formed in a binary star system, new research suggests
Space & PhysicsMarch 9, 2018
You Are Here: Earth Shines in Image from Kepler Spacecraft
Last December, the planet-hunting mission viewed our planet from 94 million miles away
Space & PhysicsFebruary 28, 2018
Astronomers Glimpse Signposts of Universe’s First Stars
A simple signal confirms the existence of stars just 180 million years after the big bang, and reveals new hints about the nature of dark matter
Space & PhysicsFebruary 28, 2018
Superflare Wallops Nearest Exoplanet, Proxima b
Such flares dim hopes for life on the Earth-mass world
Space & PhysicsFebruary 23, 2018
Astronomers Spot Most Distant Supernova Ever Seen
Light from the powerful cosmic explosion took 10.5 billion years to reach Earth
Space & PhysicsFebruary 22, 2018
SpaceX Launches Test Satellites for Internet Constellation
The launch also marked the company’s first attempt to recover and reuse the fairing of its Falcon 9 rocket
Space & PhysicsFebruary 16, 2018
Astronomers Haul in Another Horde of Kepler Planets
Nearly 100 worlds are the latest catch from the hardy space telescope