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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Icelandic rocks hold clues to Mars’ ancient climate
Water once flowed on Mars. But was ancient Mars’s climate hot and wet, or dry and glacial? Iceland may hold the answer.
This cloudless “hot Jupiter” is unlike any known exoplanet
Astronomers have discovered a first-of-its-kind cloudless hot Jupiter — and it could expand our understanding of exoplanet formation.
An AI has discovered new craters on Mars
An AI trained to spot signs of fresh craters on Mars in photos of the Martian surface has already discovered dozens of new impacts.
We're floating in 6,000 tons of junk
There’s a lot of trash in outer space. We need to clean it up before it becomes unusable.
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Hacking satellites with $300 worth of TV gear
There are nearly 3,000 satellites in orbit, and all of them are subject to a breach in satellite security. Here’s how white hat hackers can help.
Citizen scientists helped NASA map our cosmic backyard
NASA was able to create a highly detailed 3D map of nearby brown dwarfs thanks to the efforts of 150,000 citizen scientists.
Scientists may have found the hum of the universe
Scientists may have recorded the “hum” of the universe for the first time by measuring irregularities in gravitational waves.
Tiny satellite uses Earth’s magnetic field to generate thrust
Students are sending a CubeSat to space. The nanosatellite will test a propulsion method that uses Earth’s magnetic field to maintain low earth orbit.
This spider-like moon rover will explore lunar lava tubes
A spider-like moon rover heading to the lunar surface in 2021 is designed to explore the underground lava tubes in which astronauts might one day live.
The most anticipated space missions of 2021
The list of 2021’s most exciting space missions includes several Mars orbiters, a couple of moon shots, and the launch of an asteroid-deflecting spacecraft.
NASA's next-gen spacesuit
NASA is developing a next-generation spacesuit called the xEMU for upcoming missions to the moon and, eventually, crewed trips to Mars.
ESA is building its first reusable spaceplane
ESA is officially building Space Rider, a spaceplane designed to give scientists cheaper access to microgravity for their experiments.
5 awesome space exploration achievements of 2020
2020 was a big year for space news. Here are five achievements in space exploration that were particularly awesome.
NASA scientists want to send this robot dog to Mars
A modified version of Boston Dynamics’ robot dog Spot could be the ideal Mars rover for exploring caves and other underground structures.
Electric planes will bring cheaper flights and less CO2
Electric aviation would mean less CO2 emissions and cheaper airfare — but batteries still aren’t powerful enough to compete with fuel-filled commercial jets.
See the Milky Way 1.6 million years from now
Using data from the Gaia spacecraft, ESA scientists predict where 40,000 stars in the Milky Way will be 1.6 million years from now.
An AI co-pilots a military jet for the first time
On December 16, 2020, the Air Force flew an AI co-pilot on a U-2 spy plane. This is the first time that the Air Force completed a military flight with AI.
What alien life could teach us about humanity
As we continue to search for extraterrestrial life, we need to get creative by redefining the unique attributes of life itself.
SpaceX’s Starship exploded, but the flight was a success
During a test flight, a SpaceX Starship rocket prototype soared to a record height of eight miles, completed a successful “belly flop” — and then crashed.
Can Japan’s asteroid samples show us how life began?
JAXA’s Hayabusa2 has successfully returned asteroid samples to Earth. Its next mission? Gather information that could help prevent an asteroid impact.
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