SpaceX Hits New Milestone with Fram2, the First-Ever Crewed Polar Mission
The privately funded Fram2 mission is the first ever to take astronauts into polar orbit—and the latest sign of a “new normal” for human spaceflight
A Near-Miss with a City-Killer Asteroid Highlights Gaps in Earth’s Defenses
The threat from near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 may have subsided, but discoveries of other hazardous space rocks are set to soar as new observatories come online
NASA Astronauts Finally Return, Seals Hold Their Breath, and Penguin Poop Stresses Out Krill
In this week’s news roundup, two NASA astronauts finally return to Earth after nine unexpected months in space, gray seals hold their breath for more than an hour, and penguin poop panics krill.
We’re Not Going to Mars Anytime Soon—Despite What Musk Says
Elon Musk and Donald Trump have announced ambitious plans to send a mission to Mars in 2026 and 2028. It’s not going to happen
‘Space Advertising’ Could Outshine the Stars—Unless It’s Banned First
Astronomers are racing to protect the dark skies as private companies seek to place large advertisements in Earth orbit
After 286 Days in Space, NASA Astronauts Return to Earth with a Splash
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams had been “stuck” at the International Space Station since June 6, 2024, after Boeing’s Starliner, the vehicle they rode to get there, ran into multiple hardware problems
Wow! Blue Ghost Captures Total Lunar Eclipse from the Moon
Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 lunar lander snapped incredible photographs of the March 13–14 total lunar eclipse, as seen from the moon
If Life on Mars Ever Existed, This Bizarre Rock May Tell Us
The intriguing chemistry of a rock collected by the Perseverance rover could trace to microbial activity—or not
Are the Colors in Astronomical Images ‘Real’?
In colorful photographs of galaxies, stars, planets, and more, what you see isn’t necessarily what you get
NASA’s Voyager Probes Lose One Instrument Each as Power Wanes
NASA’s twin Voyager probes, which launched in 1977, are the longest-running missions to send data home. But as their power supplies wane, scientists are saying goodbye to one instrument on each spacecraft
Intuitive Machines’ Athena Lander Reaches the Moon Lopsided—Just like Its Predecessor
Despite some connection delays postlanding, the lunar lander Athena is officially set to study what lies beneath the moon’s surface over the next 10 days
Blue Ghost, a Private U.S. Spacecraft, Lands on the Moon
After its successful lunar touchdown, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost mission could soon be joined on the moon by two more commercial spacecraft