A robotic SpaceX cargo craft is scheduled to depart the International Space Station Monday afternoon (Jan. 9), and you can watch the action live.
Space News & Blog Articles
Tune into the SpaceZE News Network to stay updated on industry news from around the world.
Comet E3 ZTF Brightens as the First Good Comet of 2023
The first good comet of the year, Comet E3 ZTF is a fine object for northern hemisphere observers in January.
Is Space Power a Good Idea? A new Spacecraft is Going to Find Out!
Solar power, long considered the leading contender among renewable energy sources, has advanced significantly over the past few decades. The cost of manufacturing and installing solar panels has dropped considerably, and efficiency has increased, making it price competitive with coal, oil, and fossil fuels. However, some barriers, like distribution and storage, still prevent solar power from being adopted more aggressively. In addition, there’s the ever-present issue of intermittency, where arrays cannot collect power in bad weather and during evenings.
Are Chemical Rockets or Solar Sails Better to Return Resources from Asteroids?
If and when we ever get an asteroid mining industry off the ground, one of the most important decisions to be made in the structure of any asteroid mining mission would be how to get the resources back to where all of our other infrastructure is – somewhere around the Earth. That decision typically will focus on one of two propulsion methodologies – chemical rockets, such as those we already use to get us into space in the first place, or solar sails, which, while slower and unable to get us into orbit, don’t require any fuel. So, which propulsion methodology is better for these future missions? A study by researchers at the University of Glasgow looked at those two scenarios and came out with a clear-cut answer – solar sails.
Virgin Orbit counting down to first historic satellite launch from British soil
Virgin Orbit’s carrier aircraft arrived at Spaceport Cornwall from the company’s home base in Mojave, California, late last year for final launch preparations. Credit: Virgin Orbit
A new chapter in spaceflight history will be made Monday when the first ever satellites to be launched into orbit from Western Europe begin their journey into space inside a rocket slung beneath a converted jumbo jet carrier aircraft that will take off from Cornwall on the southwest peninsula of England.
New JWST Image Shows That Grand Spiral Galaxies had Already Formed 11 Billion Years ago
For the first time this week, photos from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) revealed that stellar bars were present in some galaxies as far back as 11 billion years ago. Stellar bars are a defining feature of about two-thirds of all spiral galaxies in the Universe, including our own Milky Way. The discovery has implications for astronomers’ understanding of galactic evolution, indicating that bars form very quickly and may persist for much of a galaxy’s lifespan, influencing its shape and structure.
Amazing photos of gorgeously green Comet C/2022 E3 (ZFT) in the night sky (gallery)
Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF is already putting on a show as it makes its way through our solar system.
Watch SpaceX launch 40 OneWeb internet satellites on Sunday night
SpaceX plans to launch 40 more internet satellites for the communications company OneWeb on Sunday night (Jan. 8), and you can watch the action live.
BlueWalker 3, an enormous and bright communications satellite, is genuinely alarming astronomers
On a dark night, away from the city lights, you can see the stars in the same way as your ancestors did centuries ago.
This is our best look yet at how young stars stifle planetary formation
Using the Chandra X-ray Observatory, researchers conducted the most in-depth study of planet-killing stars ever.
NASA's moon-orbiting space station will be claustrophobic, architect admits
Living quarters of NASA's moon orbiting Gateway station will be so tiny that astronauts will not be able to stand upright inside, an architect involved in the station's design said.
What is Intuitive Machines and how is it aiming for the moon?
Heading to Schroter's Valley, the lunar south pole and Reiner Gamma, Intuitive Machines' trio of missions are part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Delivery Services program.
Launch preps underway for first of up to five Falcon Heavy missions this year
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket for the USSF-67 mission inside the integration hangar at Launch Complex 39A. Credit: SpaceX
SpaceX is set to kick off a busy week of launch preparations at Kennedy Space Center for the first of five planned Falcon Heavy rocket missions this year, targeting a dusk departure no earlier than Thursday evening from Launch Complex 39A on a flight for the U.S. Space Force.
Eruption on Io, Moon Navigation, Space-Based Power Test
NASA is looking for dangerous asteroids, Io is blasting lava into space, the solar wind could be creating water on the Moon, space power is finally getting a test.
Arecibo Studied 191 Asteroids That Flew Past the Earth. All the Data are Available in a new Paper
Even from beyond the grave, Arecibo is still contributing to new discoveries. Back in October, researchers released a “treasure trove of data” from what was then the world’s most powerful radio telescope on the radar signatures of near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). Not only will these observations help defend the planet if any of those asteroids happen to be hazardous, but they can also help the burgeoning asteroid mining industry scan for targets.
Q&A with Dr. Z: Former NASA science chief talks about his 6 years at the helm
Space.com caught up with Dr. Z recently to discuss his favorite missions, the advice he'd give to his successors and the incredible growth of the space community over the past few years.
What time will newfound comet be closest to the sun next week?
Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF, just discovered in March 2022, will be making its closest approaches to both Earth and the sun in the coming weeks.
1st full moon of 2023 was a wonderful Wolf Moon worldwide (photos)
The first full moon of 2023, January's Wolf Moon, led to some gorgeous imagery around the world.
Hubble Space Telescope captures exquisite view of nearby star cluster before it fades away
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a dazzling view of an open cluster of stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud that is slowly dissolving into the dwarf galaxy around it.
Space mining startups see a rich future on asteroids and the moon
Space mining has matured to the point where there are dozens of startup companies planning to begin harvesting valuable resources from space.
Dead NASA satellite to crash to Earth this weekend
A defunct NASA satellite is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere on Sunday evening (Jan. 8), but there's little to fear from the 5,400-pound hunk of space junk.
