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.
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This is the damage a tiny speck of space debris can do at 15,000mph
A crater 5 inches deep was caused by something about the size and weight of an eraser on the end of a pencil.
What happens if the Solar System’s largest comet collides with Earth?
The asteroid that caused the last mass extinction 65 million years ago was only 5 kilometers across — tiny compared to this one.
17 pictures that show how mind-bogglingly large the Universe is
Our entire planet is a little under 13,000 kilometers in diameter, or about seven orders of magnitude greater than the size of a human.
When will the Earth come to an end?
There are many different “ends” in store for our planet, in both the near and far future. Here are the ways our planet will meet its demise.
MIT proposes Brazil-sized fleet of “space bubbles” to cool the Earth
A raft of “space bubbles” could be used to reverse global warming, according to an MIT group’s solar geoengineering proposal.
Ukrainian startup expects to fly “self-devouring” rocket in 2022
Ukrainian startup Promin Aerospace is developing a “self-devouring” rocket built from a material that its engine can burn as fuel.
Pilotless German air taxi flies for first time
Volocopter’s four-seat air taxi — the VoloConnect — has completed its maiden flight and is on track for a 2026 commercial launch.
US plans to put nuclear-powered spacecraft in orbit by 2026
Nuclear thermal propulsion systems could power missions to Mars, help defense satellites evade attacks, and more.
Humans have big plans for mining in space
What’s holding us back from mining in space when we have such big plans already? The sheer cost, for one thing.
We have a new way to hunt for potentially hazardous asteroids
To help protect Earth from potentially hazardous asteroids, astronomers developed an algorithm to look for them in existing datasets.
After 350 years, astronomers still can’t explain the solar system’s strangest moon
Saturn’s Iapetus, discovered way back in 1671, has three bizarre features that science still can’t fully explain.
World’s fastest passenger jet hits near-supersonic speeds
Aircraft manufacturer Bombardier has unveiled the Global 8000, the fastest private jet in the world with a max operating speed of 721 mph.
Einstein was right. Flying clocks around the world in opposite directions proved it.
By flying planes both with and against Earth’s rotation, and returning them all to the same starting point, we tested Einstein’s theory.
NASA to help put first Japanese astronaut on the moon
The first non-American to reach the lunar surface will likely do so as part of NASA’s Artemis mission — and could be a Japanese astronaut.
Telescope “sunglasses” find brightest pulsar outside our galaxy
Australian astronomers have discovered the brightest pulsar ever seen outside the Milky Way by putting “sunglasses” on a telescope.
Perseverance rover kicks off new hunt for life on Mars
NASA’s Perseverance rover has begun its Delta Front Campaign, the part of its mission most likely to produce evidence of past life on Mars.
Boeing’s Starliner is finally on its way to the ISS (Updated)
Boeing’s Starliner capsule — developed to carry NASA astronauts — is now en route to the International Space Station.
NASA is planning to bring back supersonic flight over land
Supersonic flight over land is currently banned in the US, but a plane being built by NASA and Lockheed Martin could rewrite the rules.
Chinese rover makes surprise discovery about liquid water on Mars
Data from China’s Zhurong rover suggests there was substantial liquid water on Mars far more recently than we thought.
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