Space
The latest news about space and space exploration.
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The Odysseus has become the first US spacecraft to land on the moon in 50 years
The Odysseus spacecraft made by Houston-based Intuitive Machines has successfully landed on the surface of the moon.
Karissa Bell02.23.2024
A satellite designed to inspect space junk just made it to orbit
Astroscale's ADRAS-J satellite will attempt to demonstrate the safe approach and characterization of a space junk target. It launched from New Zealand on Sunday atop an Electron rocket from Rocket Lab.
Cheyenne MacDonald02.19.2024
Intuitive Machines’ moon lander sent home its first images and they’re breathtaking
Intuitive Machines has shared the first images transmitted by its lander, Odyseus, from space as it makes its way toward the moon. The pictures show a look at Earth and the Falcon 9 second stage falling away after separation.
Cheyenne MacDonald02.18.2024
NASA is looking for volunteers to live in its Mars simulation for a year
NASA put out an open call on Friday for volunteers to participate in its yearlong Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA 2) mission. The space agency will select four people for a crew that will be housed in its 1,700-square-foot 3D-printed habitat in Houston.
Cheyenne MacDonald02.18.2024
Intuitive Machines' lunar lander begins its multi-day journey to the moon
Intuitive Machines' Odysseus has started making its way to the moon and could make history as the first privately built lander to touch down on the lunar surface.
Mariella Moon02.15.2024
SpaceX moves its legal home to Texas from Delaware
Elon Musk has started moving his businesses away from Delaware, following a judge's decision in the state to invalidate his $56 billion Tesla pay package.
Mariella Moon02.15.2024
Intuitive Machines is taking its shot at nailing the first commercial moon landing
Intuitive Machines is set to embark on its moon mission this week, with a launch window that opens on February 14. It's the second mission contracted under NASA's CLPS program, and could be the first private lander to make it to the moon.
Cheyenne MacDonald02.13.2024
Japan’s moon lander took this eerie photo before being enveloped by lunar night
JAXA has confirmed its SLIM lander has gone dormant for the two-week-long lunar night, after it sent a final image taken before dusk. The ill-fated lander managed to turn on after landing upside down, but may not survive the cold, dark stretch.
Cheyenne MacDonald02.04.2024
The European Space Agency will test 3D printing metal on the ISS
A metal 3D printer will soon be used on the International Space Station. All going well, 3D-printed metal parts could eventually help with the construction of a base on the Moon.
Kris Holt01.31.2024
NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter has flown on Mars for the final time
NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter is no longer able to fly on Mars. The history-making machine suffered rotor blade damage on its 72nd flight.
Kris Holt01.26.2024
Japan’s SLIM lunar spacecraft landed upside down on the moon
Japan's SLIM spacecraft landed on the moon upside down.
Malak Saleh01.26.2024
Take a look at the full asteroid Bennu sample in all its glory
NASA has shared a high-resolution image of the asteroid Bennu sample inside the Touch-and-Go-Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), which remained closed because of stuck fasteners until last week. The mission obtained an abundance of material.
Cheyenne MacDonald01.21.2024
Japan’s SLIM lunar lander made it to the moon, but it’ll likely die within hours
JAXA, the Japanese space agency, confirmed that its SLIM lunar lander successfully made a soft landing on the moon. But, its solar cell isn't working as planned and it isn't generating electricity. JAXA says it only has enough battery for a few more hours.
Cheyenne MacDonald01.20.2024
Peregrine moon lander and its cargo will likely burn up in Earth’s atmosphere
In the latest update from Astrobotic, the company said the Peregrine lander seems to be heading back toward Earth and will likely burn up in the atmosphere. As of Saturday, Peregrine had made it 242,000 miles from Earth but has been leaking propellant for days.
Cheyenne MacDonald01.15.2024
NASA finally got the stuck lid off its asteroid Bennu sample container
NASA says it's finally removed two fasteners that were keeping it from getting to the asteroid Bennu sample. The sample is housed in a Touch-and-Go-Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), which itself is being protected in a glovebox.
Cheyenne MacDonald01.14.2024
NASA's new X-59 plane could hit supersonic speeds with minimal sonic boom
NASA’s X-59 Quesst supersonic commercial jet will have its flight test livestreamed on January 12.
Malak Saleh01.13.2024
Peregrine Mission 1 heralds the beginning of the moon’s commercialization
Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander is scheduled to launch on January 8 atop United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan Centaur rocket. The mission is the first of those contracted under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.
Cheyenne MacDonald01.07.2024
Now’s the last chance to send your name to one of Jupiter’s moons on NASA’s Europa Clipper
NASA's Europa Clipper mission is set to launch in October 2024 to study whether the icy Jupiter moon could support life. In a campaign called Message in a Bottle, NASA has invited the public to have their names added to the spacecraft alongside a poem by US Poet Laureate Ada Limón.
Cheyenne MacDonald12.31.2023
NASA beamed a video of a cat named Taters from deep space to Earth
On December 11, NASA successfully beamed an ultra-high definition video from the Psyche spacecraft to Earth. At the time, Psyche was about 19 million miles away. The video signal was received 101 seconds after it was sent.
Cheyenne MacDonald12.25.2023
SpaceX dominated private spaceflight in 2023, but its competitors (mostly) aren't quitting
In 2023, there were at least 200 successful orbital launches, and nearly half of them were conducted by SpaceX. Private space companies have been ramping up their activities as they compete to serve as launch providers and facilitate space tourism. But it wasn't a milestone year for all.
Cheyenne MacDonald12.21.2023