A patch created to honor Eileen Collins, the first woman to command a U.S. spacecraft, features a geometric pattern representing the glow of her space shuttle lifting off into the night sky.
Space News & Blog Articles
Boeing Starliner brings astronaut launches back to Atlas rocket and Cape Canaveral
The launch of astronauts on a Boeing spacecraft will mark a first for the company, but will also bring human spaceflight back to a rocket and launch site after more than 50 years.
The Broadest Horizon
Many people travel to broaden their horizons; there's no broader horizon than the cosmos.
Live Coverage: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to launch 23 Starlink satellites from Florida
A Falcon 9 stands ready for a Starlink mission at Cape Canaveral’s pad 40. File photo: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now.
Update: SpaceX has pushed the T-0 liftoff time to near the end of the launch window.
Long-delayed Boeing Starliner ready for first piloted flight to space station
Boeing’s Starliner capsule sits atop the Atlas 5 rocket at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station a day before its planned launch. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now.
Years behind schedule and more than a billion dollars over budget, Boeing’s Starliner capsule is finally poised for its first piloted launch Monday, a critical test flight carrying two veteran astronauts to the International Space Station and in so doing, demonstrate an alternative to SpaceX’s already operational Crew Dragon.
China Creates a High-Resolution Atlas of the Moon
Multiple space agencies are looking to send crewed missions to the Moon’s southern polar region in this decade and the next. Moreover, they intend to create the infrastructure that will allow for a sustained human presence, exploration, and economic development. This requires that the local geography, resources, and potential hazards be scouted in advance and navigation strategies that do not rely on a Global Positioning System (GPS) developed. On Sunday, April 21st, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) released the first complete high-definition geologic atlas of the Moon.
NASA astronaut and director Ellen Ochoa awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
The first Hispanic woman to launch into space is now the second female astronaut to be awarded the United States' highest honor. Ellen Ochoa was bestowed with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Happy National Astronaut Day 2024! Holiday's founder talks importance of honoring America's spaceflyers (exclusive)
For National Astronaut Day 2024, we have an exclusive interview with Uniphi Good's Annie Balliro on why she founded the holiday honoring America's spaceflyers.
After an 'emotional rollercoaster,' NASA astronauts are ready to fly on Boeing Starliner
Two NASA astronauts waited several extra years for their ride aboard Boeing Starliner, but the wait was not fully unexpected, the former test pilots recently shared with reporters.
X-ray spacecraft reveals odd 'Cloverleaf' radio circle in new light (image)
Thanks to XMM-Newton, astronomers may know the powerful event that gave rise to the Cloverleaf odd radio circle.
Where will the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 2, 2024 be visible?
The path of annularity on Oct. 2, 2024, passes through the Pacific Ocean and South America. View detailed maps of where the eclipse will be visible here.
Mission control ready for EarthCARE despite disruption
Teams at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, are currently engaged in intensive preparations for the critical ‘Launch and Early Orbit’ phase of the agency's EarthCARE satellite.
Dinkinesh's Moonlet is Only 2-3 Million Years Old
Last November, NASA’s Lucy mission conducted a flyby of the asteroid Dinkinish, one of the Main Belt asteroids it will investigate as it makes its way to Jupiter. In the process, the spacecraft spotted a small moonlet orbiting the larger asteroid, now named Selam (aka. “Lucy’s baby”). The moonlet’s name, an Ethiopian name that means “peace,” pays homage to the ancient human remains dubbed “Lucy” (or Dinkinish) that were unearthed in Ethiopia in 1974. Using novel statistical calculations based on how the two bodies orbit each other, a Cornell-led research team estimates that the moonlet is only 2-3 million years old.
Boeing Starliner rolls out to launch pad for 1st astronaut flight on May 6 (photos)
Starliner is at last at its Florida launch pad for its historic 1st mission with astronauts. The Boeing spacecraft made a brief journey there May 4 to coincide with Star Wars Day.
The Universe Could Be Filled With Ultralight Black Holes That Can't Die
It’s that time again! Time for another model that will finally solve the mystery of dark matter. Or not, but it’s worth a shot. Until we directly detect dark matter particles, or until some model conclusively removes dark matter from our astrophysical toolkit the best we can do is continue looking for solutions. This new work takes a look at that old theoretical chestnut, primordial black holes, but it has a few interesting twists.
The history of the Jedi Order in 'Star Wars'
All aboard this lightspeed tour of the history of the Jedi Order, the peacekeepers of the galaxy.
Star Wars Day 2024: 'Star Wars: Tales of the Empire' premieres today on Disney+
A preview of the new Disney+ animated anthology "Star Wars: Tales of the Empire."
Free Comic Book Day 2024: Get Marvel Comics 'Star Wars #1' for free
For the first time ever, May the 4th coincides with Free Comic Book Day. So in perfect synchronicity, Marvel is offering up "Free Comic Book Day 2024: Star Wars #1."
This Week In Space podcast: Episode 109 — Music of the Spheres
On Episode 109 of This Week In Space, Rod and Tariq talk with Chris Carberry, CEO of Explore Mars, about the long history of music influencing how we think about spaceflight.
Darth Vader's vile Jedi-killers are on the hunt in Marvel Comics' 'Star Wars: Inquisitors'
A preview of Marvel Comics' new miniseries, "Star Wars: Inquisitors #1."
What's next for Boeing Starliner after its 1st crew flight test?
Astronauts will board a Boeing Starliner spacecraft for the 1st ISS test flight no earlier than May 6. Boeing says it's already working on first operational mission Starliner-1 for 2025.