The Hubble Space Telescope captured a stunning image of a distant star cluster that could help us better understand how such clusters evolve and even reveal the elusive black holes at their hearts.
Space News & Blog Articles
China plans to put astronauts on the moon before 2030
China could land astronauts near the south pole of the moon before the end of the decade, according to statements made by officials with the country's space agency.
Register for ESA’s first Earth observation commercialisation event
Registration is now open for ESA’s first-ever Earth Observation Commercialisation Forum. Taking place at ESA Headquarters in Paris from 30 to 31 October 2023, investors, institutions, entrepreneurs and companies of any size from the Earth observation sector will now be able to come together and discuss the commercial potential and challenges of Earth observation, together with the technical, industrial and risk-capital support available to European companies.
Private astronauts splash down to close out 9-day commercial research mission
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION
This is How NASA Wanted to Rescue Space Shuttle Astronauts
For most of us, this would be a nightmare.
Live coverage: SpaceX poised for late-night launch from California
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on the Starlink 2-10 mission with 52 Starlink internet satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.
SpaceX Webcast
A Sign from Space Simulates What it Would be Like to Get a Message from Aliens!
Someday, humanity might receive a message from space that will answer one of the greatest existential questions: is anybody out there? Regardless of the content, a message from an extraterrestrial civilization will be the single greatest event in human history. How would such an event happen, and how would it play out? What will be the repercussions of billions of people suddenly learning that we are NOT alone in the Universe? This question has inspired countless works of science fiction and scientific studies that have attempted to predict (and even quantify) our collective reaction.
Watch China's Shenzhou 16 astronauts enter Tiangong space station (video)
A new video shows the three astronauts of China's Shenzhou 16 mission entering the Tiangong space station on Tuesday (May 30).
Watch SpaceX launch 52 Starlink satellites to orbit early Wednesday
SpaceX plans to launch 52 of its Starlink broadband satellites to orbit early Wednesday morning (May 31), and you can watch the action live.
Ring Nebula
The Ring Nebula, also known as Messier 57 (M57), is a well-known planetary nebula located in the constellation Lyra. Here are some key details about the Ring Nebula:
Watch SpaceX Dragon carrying private Ax-2 astronauts return to Earth tonight
The four astronauts of the private Ax-2 mission are scheduled to return to Earth in their SpaceX Dragon capsule tonight (May 30), and you can watch the action live.
Stratolaunch Buys Virgin Orbit's Rocket-Launching 747
With Virgin Orbit going through bankruptcy, other launch providers are purchasing various parts of the business. This week we learned that Stratolaunch’s bid to buy Virgin Orbit’s modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft has been approved by the U.S Bankruptcy Court, enabling Stratolaunch to use the 747 to carry its Talon-A hypersonic vehicles, ideally beginning operation by 2024.
Relive SpaceX Starship's epic launch with these amazing highlights (video)
Recently released footage gives new, highly detailed looks at the first-ever launch of a fully stacked Starship vehicle, which SpaceX conducted last month.
HAKUTO-R’s Software Got Confused at the Last Minute, Causing it to Crash into the Moon
On April 26, 2023, people around the world watched as the HAKUTO-R lander made its final approach for a landing on the Moon. It had been “on the road” since December 11, 2022, and completed eight Mission 1 milestones. Numbers 9 and 10 would have been landing and establishing a base on the Moon. As we all know, it reached the lunar surface, but not the way the ispace team expected. NASA images confirmed its final resting place.
How Much Damage Will Lunar Landings Do to Lunar Orbiters?
Multiple missions are destined for the Moon in this decade. These include robotic and crewed missions conducted by space agencies, commercial space entities, and non-profit organizations. The risks and hazards of going to the Moon are well-documented, thanks to Apollo Program and the six crewed missions it sent to the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. But unlike the “footprints and flags” of yesterday, the plan for the coming decade is to create a “sustained program of lunar exploration and development.”
A New Place to Search for Habitable Planets: “The Soot Line.”
The habitable zone is the region around a star where planets can maintain liquid water on their surface. It’s axiomatic that planets with liquid water are the best places to look for life, and astronomers focus their search on that zone. As far as we can tell, no water equals no life.
A massive sunspot is currently visible to the unaided eye. Here's how to see it safely before it's gone
A massive new sunspot is visible without using a telescope or binoculars, but you'll still need to protect your eyes when observing it.
SpaceX could launch this origami-inspired folding heat shield later this year
A private company has plans to test a revolutionary new heat shield that folds and unfolds like origami, and it could conduct a test flight aboard a SpaceX rocket later this year.
JWST Spies a Gigantic Water Plume at Enceladus
The James Webb Space Telescope has observed a huge water vapor plume emanating from Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Astronomers say the plume reaches nearly 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles) into space, which is about the equivalent distance as going from Ireland to Japan. This is the largest plume ever detected at Enceladus.
New record! 17 people are in Earth orbit right now
The total number of people in Earth orbit is now at a record high, though only for a short time. With Monday's (May 29) launch of China's Shenzhou 16 mission, the population in orbit grew to 17.
One Spacecraft Could Visit All of Saturn's Inner Large Moons
If you’ve ever played Kerbal Space Program, you know how difficult it can be to get your spacecraft into the orbit you want. It’s even more difficult in real life. This is why it’s pretty impressive to see a proposal to study all of Saturn’s large inner moons in one go.