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.
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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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New evidence discovered of underground water on Mars
Either underground water on Mars is far more prevalent than previously thought or something we can explain is going on beneath the Red Planet’s surface.
Black holes caught eating neutron stars for first time
Using gravitational waves, astronomers have observed collisions between black holes and neutron stars for the first time.
Chunks of Venus’ crust float like icebergs on its mantle
New evidence of tectonic activity on Venus expands our understanding of the hellish planet and offers a window into Earth’s own geological past.
You can now buy a balloon ride to the edge of space
Space tourism company Space Perspective has begun selling tickets for rides in a stratospheric balloon that can reach the edge of space.
See the first 3D map of the heliosphere
Astronomers have created the first ever 3D map of the heliosphere, using satellite data to reveal the part of the universe influenced by our sun’s solar wind.
New Chinese space station receives first astronauts
The new Chinese space station has received its first crew, a huge milestone for a project that began nearly 30 years ago.
Major airlines preorder hundreds of flying taxis
Several major airlines have preordered Vertical Aerospace’s in-development flying taxis, suggesting the industry views eVTOLs as the future of urban mobility.
Ion propulsion will power new space station
China’s new space station will get a boost from an ion propulsion system, making it the first crewed spacecraft to feature the sci-fi-sounding engines.
Astronomers find more than 100,000 "stellar nurseries"
The biggest survey of stellar nurseries to date, PHANGS-ALMA, charts more than 100,000 star formation regions across our corner of the universe.
NASA probe snaps stunning photos of Ganymede
NASA has shared new photos of Ganymede taken by the Juno probe when it was just 645 miles away from Jupiter’s icy moon.
Japan’s transforming moon rover gets help from toy company
Japan is sending a transforming moon rover to the lunar surface in 2022 to collect data that will inform an upcoming crewed mission.
NASA announces first missions to Venus since the '80s
NASA has just approved two missions to Venus that will provide the scientific community with a wealth of new data on Earth’s closest planetary neighbor.
United will buy 15 supersonic jets
United Airlines has agreed to buy 15 supersonic jets from Boom Supersonic, with plans to begin commercial flights before the end of the decade.
Colorful clouds on Mars captured in new rover pics
NASA’s Curiosity rover has captured images of colorful clouds on Mars, forming at higher altitudes and earlier in the Martian year than expected.
Gecko gripper could clean up space junk
The Earth is circled by a sea of space junk, and it poses a danger to satellites and astronauts. We know we should…
Fridge for astronaut food aces first flight tests
Purdue University engineers have designed a fridge for astronaut food that could double its shelf life, potentially overcoming a barrier to longer missions.
Discovery Channel is looking for wannabe astronauts
The winner of Discovery Channel’s new astronaut competition series, “Who Wants To Be an Astronaut?” will spend eight days aboard the ISS.
See the most realistic simulation of star formation yet
A new simulation of star formation is the most realistic ever created, giving scientists an unprecedented opportunity to study the birth of a star.
Radioactive plutonium from space found in Pacific Ocean
A rare form of plutonium has been discovered on Earth for the first time — and an exploding star appears to have helped it get here.
China’s Mars rover nails landing
China’s Mars rover, Zhurong, has landed on the Red Planet, making China only the second nation to successfully land a rover on Mars.
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