Can the U.S. and China Cooperate in Space?
China’s meteoric rise in space science and exploration—along with its new partnership with Russia—is spurring U.S. experts to reconsider a long-standing prohibition on bilateral collaborations
China’s Space Station Is Preparing to Host 1,000 Science Experiments
The spaceborne studies will cover diverse topics, from dark matter and gravitational waves to the growth of cancer and pathogenic bacteria
InSight Lander Makes Best-Yet Maps of Martian Depths
The NASA mission used seismic waves from marsquakes to perform a core-to-crust survey of the planet’s subsurface
Venus Wins Stunning Third New Mission, This Time from Europe
EnVision will follow NASA’s DAVINCI+ and VERITAS
NASA Picks Two Missions to Explore Venus, the First in Decades
The space agency’s DAVINCI+ and VERITAS missions could boost planetary science when they launch later this decade
NASA Just Broke the ‘Venus Curse’: Here’s What It Took
Despite the best efforts of scientists eager to study Earth’s sister world, U.S. efforts to send a dedicated spacecraft to Venus languished—until NASA made a surprising announcement
First in Flight: NASA Just Proved Flying on Mars Is Possible—Next Up Is the Solar System
With Ingenuity’s five successful flights on the Red Planet, aviation may find unexpected footing in the future of space exploration
Perseverance Has Landed! Mars Rover Begins a New Era of Exploration
NASA’s latest mission to the Red Planet will seek out signs of ancient life, gather samples for return to Earth and even fly a first-of-its-kind interplanetary helicopter
Want to Talk to Aliens? Try Changing the Technological Channel beyond Radio
Finding cosmic civilizations might require a more innovative approach than listening for radio transmissions
Alone in a Crowded Milky Way
Even a galaxy teeming with star-hopping alien civilizations should still harbor isolated, unvisited worlds—and Earth might be among them
Finding Alien Life May Require Giant Telescopes Built in Orbit
Scientific American reports on new efforts from NASA and other federal agencies seeking to service and assemble large structures—such as life-finding telescopes—in space
NASA’s InSight Mission Triumphantly Touches Down on Mars
After enduring a high-tension descent from orbit, the spacecraft will now begin its quest to peel back the profound mysteries of the Red Planet’s interior