On April 10th, ESA’s Solar Orbiter made its closest flyby of the Sun, coming to within just 29% of the distance from the Earth to the Sun. From this vantage point, the spacecraft is performing close-up studies of our Sun and inner heliosphere. This is basically uncharted territory, as we’ve never had a spacecraft this close to the Sun.
Space News & Blog Articles
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See dwarf planet Haumea at its closest to Earth in 285 years tonight
Dwarf planet Haumea reaches both opposition and perigee on April 20, making this a prime opportunity to see the dwarf planet in the night sky.
Relive SpaceX's explosive 1st Starship test flight in these incredible launch photos
SpaceX launched a fully stacked Starship on April 20 in an epic first test flight that led to some incredible launch pictures.
Save $110 on this Black Series Darth Vader Force FX Elite Lightsaber
Rule the galaxy with a huge discount on the Star Wars the Black Series Darth Vader Force FX Elite Lightsaber.
'Stargate' and 'RoboCop' reboots in the works at Amazon: report
Rumors once again resurface and fans remain cautiously optimistic, but none of the original production team are believed to be involved
SpaceX's 1st Starship launches on epic test flight, explodes in 'rapid unscheduled disassembly'
SpaceX launched its gigantic Starship rocket toward space for the first time ever today (April 20), a milestone that could presage humanity's expansion out into the solar system.
Aurora Hunter Todd Salat Captures a Bizarre Spiral Made by a SpaceX Fuel Dump
Astrophotographer Todd Salat was out in the early hours of April 15, 2023, hoping to capture an aurora display over Donnelly Dome near Delta Junction, Alaska. While the stunning aurora didn’t disappoint, Salat was in for a surprise: a weird spiral appeared in the sky over the summit.
Solar activity may peak 1 year earlier than thought. Here is what it means for us
The sun may reach the peak of its current solar cycle in 2024, one year ahead of official predictions, new research reveals. But solar mayhem may still occur in the next five years.
SpaceX’s Starship Has a Glorious Liftoff — but Then Spins and Explodes
SpaceX’s Starship launch system lifted off on its first full-scale test flight today, rising majestically from its Texas launch pad but falling short of stage separation.
NASA's LUCY mission snaps its asteroid targets for the first time
NASA's LUCY asteroid-hopping mission has for the first time spotted four of its asteroid targets which it will visit from 2027 onwards and send those images back to Earth.
ESA’s technical centre expands
Image: ESA’s technical centre expands
Rare hybrid solar eclipse 2023 delights South Pacific skywatchers (photos)
A rare hybrid solar eclipse on April 20 was captured by skywatchers in the South Pacific. We take a look at some of the best photos and videos from the once-in-a-decade event.
Introducing World Cereal
Global food security is a major challenge in the face of population growth and climate change. One of the first steps in achieving food security for all is to know which crops are growing where and how – each season. Launching today, ESA’s WorldCereal is the world’s first dynamic system capable of providing seasonally updated crop information to help monitor agricultural production across the globe.
Airbus unveils futuristic space station concept (photos)
The European aerospace giant Airbus has unveiled a new concept space habitat that will be more spacious and comfortable than existing space stations.
China launches new weather satellite after airspace closure issue with Taiwan (video)
China launched a new rainfall-monitoring satellite on Saturday (April 15) after a dispute with Taiwan over airspace closure issues.
The moon will appear as a tiny sliver tonight. Can you spot it?
And on Thursday evening, April 20, everyone across North America will have an opportunity to sight an exceedingly young crescent moon. Try your own hand at finding it!
Ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica hits new record
A report, publishing today, states that ice loss from Greenland and Antarctica has increased fivefold since the 1990s, and now accounts for a quarter of sea-level rise.
Wanted: new ideas to live off Moon resources
Making use of the very first resources of another world would be a major feat for our species, bringing us closer to living in space to stay. But reaching such a milestone will take sustained inventiveness and effort – so ESA invites your ideas to help make it happen.
Live coverage: SpaceX counting down to test flight of Starship rocket
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of SpaceX’s first full-scale Super Heavy booster and Starship rocket from Starbase, SpaceX’s development and test facility at Boca Chica Beach, Texas. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.
SFN Launch Pad Live
The First Light in the Universe Helps Build a Dark Matter Map
In the 1960s, astronomers began noticing a pervasive microwave background visible in all directions. Thereafter known as the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the existence of this relic radiation confirmed the Big Bang theory, which posits that all matter was condensed onto a single point of infinite density and extreme heat that began expanding ca. 13.8 years ago. By measuring the CMB for redshift and comparing these to local distance measurements (using variable stars and supernovae), astronomers have sought to measure the rate at which the Universe is expanding.
Video from Starbase: SpaceX prepares for second Starship launch attempt
Spaceflight Now’s Stephen Clark reports from Starbase in South Texas as SpaceX prepares the largest rocket in history for a second launch attempt after calling off a launch attempt Monday due to a valve problem. The next launch attempt is set for Thursday at 8:28 a.m. CDT (9:28 a.m. EDT; 1328 UTC).
