Space Exploration
NASA’s Giant SLS Rocket Rolls to Launchpad for Artemis 1 Moon Mission
The Space Launch System rocket could lift off on its voyage to lunar orbit as early as late August
"spacecraft"
Space Exploration
Don’t Fear China’s Falling Rocket—Fear the Future It Foretells
Long considered trivial, the effects of rocket launches and reentering space debris on global warming and ozone loss could soon become too large to ignore
Space Exploration
Russia Plans to Leave the International Space Station after 2024
The announcement comes as NASA and Roscosmos are laying plans to transition to other orbital habitats
Astronomy
NASA Triumphantly Unveils Full Set of Webb’s First Images
Breathtaking pictures that include the deepest-ever infrared view of ancient galaxies offer a preview of the spectacular science in store for the most powerful space observatory in history...
Astronomy
Meet the Woman Who Makes the James Webb Space Telescope Work
Jane Rigby, Webb’s operations project scientist, discusses how NASA plans to wring as much science as possible from the $10-billion observatory
Astronomy
Webb Telescope’s Giant Mirror Struck by Micrometeoroid
The impact has slightly degraded one of the observatory’s mirror segments, but NASA says the telescope has sustained no significant damage
Space Exploration
‘Unsustainable’: How Satellite Swarms Pose a Rising Threat to Astronomy
SpaceX and other companies are still struggling to make their satellites darker in the night sky
Astronomy
Our Sun Could Someday Reveal the Surfaces of Alien Earths
In the far future, we could reveal detailed views of distant worlds by turning our home star into a gravitational lens
Space Exploration
NASA Hails Starliner Launch Success despite Thruster Glitch
The Starliner team is confident the malfunctions won’t prevent the spacecraft from completing its mission
Space Exploration
Boeing’s Starliner Launch Will Bring New Cargo and Science to the Space Station
The uncrewed flight includes a payload of food, provisions and a specialized flight-test dummy
Cosmology
New Record-Breaking Simulation Sheds Light on ‘Cosmic Dawn’
THESAN—the largest, most detailed computer model of the universe’s first billion years yet made—is helping set expectations for observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope...
Space Exploration
Old Russian Rocket Motor Explodes in Orbit, Creating More Space Debris
Ground stations are currently tracking 16 fragments associated with the event, which occurred on April 15
Planetary Science
NASA Spacecraft Will Visit Apophis, Once Earth’s Deadliest Asteroid Threat
After delivering extraterrestrial samples to Earth in 2023, OSIRIS-REx will embark on an extended mission to a potentially planet-threatening space rock
Space Exploration
Europe Cancels Joint Moon Missions with Russia
Russia will move forward with lunar exploration without its European partners
Planetary Science
Next Stop, Uranus? Icy Planet Tops Priority List for Next Big NASA Mission
An influential panel’s recommendation makes the ice giant a likely destination for a flagship space mission
Space Exploration
Ax-1, First Private Crewed Space Station Mission, Launches Successfully
Axiom Space’s visit to the International Space Station is a milestone for commercial human spaceflight
Astronomy
New Revelations Raise Pressure on NASA to Rename the James Webb Space Telescope
E-mailed exchanges show the space agency’s internal struggle to address pleas to change the controversial name of its latest, greatest observatory
Space Exploration
Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Soars on 22nd Red Planet Flight
The aircraft’s sorties are helping NASA’s Perseverance rover scout a path into an ancient Martian river delta
Astrophysics
A Stunning Image Shows Stars Aligned for the James Webb Space Telescope
With its mirrors now focused, the observatory’s science instruments are now being readied for work
Planetary Science
China’s First Moon Rocks Ignite Research Bonanza
Samples collected by Chang’e-5 are revealing exciting insights into the moon’s evolution
