If all goes according to plan, the James Webb Space Telescope, launched on Christmas Day 2021 after years of delays, will usher in a new era of astronomy.
Space News & Blog Articles
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2029 Will be the Perfect Year to Launch a Mission to Sedna
Object 90377 Sedna – a distant trans-Neptunian object known best for its highly elliptical, 11,390-year long orbit – is currently on its way towards perihelion (its closest approach to the Sun) in 2076. After that, Sedna will swing out into deep space again and won’t be back for millennia, making this flyby a once-in-a-lifetime (or, once in ~113 lifetimes) opportunity to study an object from the far reaches of our solar system. There are no missions to Sedna in the works just yet, but astronomers are beginning to plan for the possibility, and the ideal launch date for such a mission is approaching fast, with two of the best launch windows coming up in 2029 and 2034.
A Detailed Scan of the Milky Way Finds Possible “Fossil” Spiral Arms
As we learn more about the cosmos, it’s interesting how some of the greatest discoveries continue to happen close to home. This is expected to continue well into the future, where observations of Cosmic Dawn and distant galaxies will take place alongside surveys of the outer Solar System and our galaxy. In this latter respect, the ESA’s Gaia observatory will continue to play a vital role. As an astrometry mission, Gaia has been to determine the proper position and radial velocity of over a billion stars to create a three-dimensional map of the Milky Way.
James Webb Space Telescope team taking a rest day before sunshield tensioning begins
To celebrate the new year, consider taking a day to rest.
Orbital Badminton in 360° | Cosmic Kiss
Video: 00:01:27
Experience an orbital badminton match on the International Space Station ISS in 360° as ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer challenges his crewmates and Japanese spaceflight participants Yusaku Maezawa and Yozo Hirano.
January: Evening Planet Adieu
There’s no better way to start the new year than listening to our monthly Sky Tour astronomy podcast. It’s an informative and entertaining 12-minute guided tour of the nighttime sky.
The best night sky events to see in 2022
Here are some of the more noteworthy sky events that will take place this upcoming year.
Astronauts ring in New Year aboard space station to welcome 2022
The astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station are marking the New Year, becoming only the 37th crew in history to be in space as Earth begins another revolution around the Sun.
James Webb Space Telescope unfurls massive sunshield in major deployment milestone
The $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope unfolded its huge sunshield on Friday (Dec. 31), pulling the five-layer structure out by sequentially deploying two booms.
Webb telescope begins unfurling tennis court-sized sunshield
Artist’s concept of the James Webb Space Telescope with one half of its sunshield deployed. Credit: NASA
Flying outbound from Earth at a distance of more than 400,000 miles, the James Webb Space Telescope extended one of two booms Friday to begin unfurling the mission’s five-layer sunshield. With the port-side boom deployed, work is underway tonight to extend another boom on the starboard side.
Test launch of Russia’s heavy-lift Angara rocket marred by upper stage failure
An Angara A5 rocket lifts off Dec. 27 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Credit: Russian Ministry of Defense
The third test launch of Russia’s heavy-lift Angara A5 rocket Dec. 27 was marred by an upper stage failure that stranded a dummy payload in a low orbit.
White House directs NASA to extend International Space Station operations through 2030
The Biden-Harris administration has committed to extending International Space Station operations through 2030 and directed NASA to work with its international partners to continue use of the outpost.
The 10 strangest space structures discovered in 2021
The closer we look at the universe, the more beautiful and baffling it becomes. Here are the 10 most epic space structures discovered in 2021.
Watch 9 awesome moments with NASA astronauts in space in 2021
In-flight education downlinks are chances for students to interact with astronauts on the International Space Station. Here are the nine most memorable downlink moments of 2021, as ranked by NASA.
Lego Star Wars helmet sets are up to $14 off with these year-end deals!
Lego Star Wars helmet building sets that feature Scout Trooper and Darth Vader headgear are currently on sale.
2021: a year physicists asked, 'What lies beyond the Standard Model?'
The Standard Model explains the physics of how the world works. But in 2021, physicists started probing fundamental gaps in this long-established concept.
These Lego Star Wars 'The Mandalorian' sets are up to $12 off in Walmart/Target deals
The holiday season may be almost over, but Star Wars streaming has just begun!
2021 was an epic year for Mars exploration
During this very eventful year, two nations joined the Mars club, a robot plied Red Planet skies for the first time ever and humanity kicked off an ambitious interplanetary sample-return campaign.
Top 10 spaceflight stories of 2021
From landing on Mars to launching private citizens into space, and everything in between, this year has seen many historic milestones and giant leaps.
JWST Just Deployed a Sail That Lets it Stop Getting Pushed Around by the Sun’s Radiation.
On December 25th, 2021, astronomers and space exploration enthusiasts got the greatest Christmas present of all! After years of delays, cost overruns, and additional testing, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. In what was a real nail-biter, the Ariane 5 rocket and its precious payload reached orbit without a hitch. But as is so often the case, the deployment of the JWST was just the first in a series of “hurry up and wait” episodes.
9 things we learned about aliens in 2021
A bombshell UFO report, the "alien junk" in our solar system, and more new clues about extraterrestrial life.
