Space

A rocket lifts off from its launch pad with clouds of smoke billowing around it, set against a blue sky.

The New Space Race

Reusable rockets are real, the internet is in orbit, and we’re heading to Mars. With space manufacturing, asteroid mining, and lunar bases, the new space race has just begun, transforming life on Earth forever.
Featured
T-Minus: 10 milestones in commercial spaceflight
T-Minus looks back at 10 major milestones in the commercial space industry — including several SpaceX triumphs.
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T-Minus: 10 space startups to watch
Today’s aerospace industry includes hundreds of startups, all vying to be the next SpaceX. Here are 10 that could actually do it.
T-Minus: 10 space stations of the future
The International Space Station may be nearing retirement, but 10 new space stations are just preparing for launch.
T-Minus: Counting down 10 upcoming moon missions
A countdown of 10 upcoming moon missions, all leading up to the one expected to return NASA astronauts to the lunar surface.
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Ian Brooke wants to revolutionize flight as we know it
This Y Combinator-backed startup has invented a new kind of jet engine, radically more efficient and versatile than anything before it.
T-Minus: SpaceX’s Starship vs. Boeing’s Starliner
A breakdown of SpaceX’s Starship, Boeing’s Starliner, and what they mean for the future of space exploration at NASA.
T-Minus: How will solar storms affect Mars astronauts?
Freethink’s breakdown of the biggest space news, featuring NASA’s efforts to protect astronauts from intense solar storms.
T-Minus: How to not die on (the way to) Mars
A breakdown of the five biggest threats to future Mars astronauts and what NASA scientists are doing to overcome each one.
Life on Mars, together
Researchers spent two weeks at the Mars Desert Research Station conducting an analog mission for potential future trips to Mars.
NASA hopes private space companies can rescue its $11 billion Mars rock mission
If this ambitious NASA mission unraveled, scientists would lose their chance to learn much more about the red planet.
T-Minus: New SpaceX fashion, a Mars mystery, and more
Freethink counts down the biggest space news, featuring new spacesuits, a mission to the dark side of the moon, and more.
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft was set to launch on May 6 — but was delayed again
Boeing’s Starliner launch – delayed again – will be an important milestone for commercial spaceflight if it can manage to launch.
T-Minus: Psyche phones home, NASA sets sail, and more
Freethink counts down the biggest space news, featuring a new kind of space communication, lots of orbital debris, and more.
T-Minus: $11B Mars rocks, Voyager 1’s resurrection, and more
Freethink counts down the biggest space news, featuring NASA’s Mars rock request, the Dragonfly mission, and more.
T-Minus: SpaceX’s military launch, a rocket family’s final flight, and more
Freethink counts down the biggest space news, featuring a new kind of military satellite, the solar eclipse, and more.
Starlink competitor unveils new internet satellite
Satellite internet startup Astranis just unveiled Omega, a new, larger satellite that could help it close the digital divide.
T-Minus: SpaceX’s first “Bandwagon” launch, NASA’s future moon vehicles, and more
Freethink counts down the biggest space news, featuring a new SpaceX service, a request for “moon time,” and more.
Persistent “hiccups” in a far-off galaxy draw astronomers to new black hole behavior
Scientists have found a large black hole that “hiccups,” giving off plumes of gas, revealing another black hole.
How three laser-shooting spacecraft could reveal the birth of the universe
The first space-based mission to detect gravitational waves, LISA, could give us a brand new perspective into the universe’s past.
T-Minus: Counting down the 10 biggest “firsts” in space exploration
A special edition of Freethink’s weekly countdown of space news, featuring the 10 biggest milestones in humanity’s exploration of space.
Hypersonic startup unveils its first aircraft
Hermeus just unveiled its first flight vehicle, putting it a major step closer to developing first-of-their-kind hypersonic aircraft.
China is one step closer to having a nuclear-powered spacecraft
Chinese researchers say they are making progress on a nuclear-powered spacecraft that could dramatically accelerate space travel.
T-Minus: Bezos’ space station advances, Boeing’s capsule crews up, and more
Freethink counts down the biggest space news, featuring a new space station, NASA’s next astronaut transporter, and more.
Drugs made in space “cooked real good,” says startup
Varda Space Industries has shared the results of its first mission to manufacture “space drugs” in Earth’s orbit.
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