SpaceX ends year with another perfect parachute test for Crew Dragon
SpaceX's Crew Dragon parachutes are looking good after the capsule completed yet another successful test landing ahead of manned flights that could take place in 2020. It was the 10th consecutive test of the new Mark 3 parachutes to go off without a hitch, allowing the SpaceX team to end the year on a high.
Amazon bets big on its internet-from-space plan with major new facility
Amazon has announced a major expansion of its project to provide broadband from space with the imminent opening of a new facility in Redmond, Washington. The site will serve as a research and development center, as well as a manufacturing base, for its ambitious Project Kuiper initiative.
Rosie the Astronaut is heading to space on Boeing’s Starliner
Boeing’s Starliner capsule is set to make its first orbital test flight on Friday. It’s heading to the ISS with 600 pounds of supplies. It’s also carrying a sensor-laden test dummy called Rosie that will help researchers confirm the safety of the capsule ahead of expected crewed flights next year.
SpaceX nails another launch and landing, but can’t catch the nose cone
SpaceX successfully deployed a Boeing-made satellite on Monday evening before bringing the booster safely back down onto a drone ship. But the mission to catch the nose cone ended in failure. It came down in two parts as planned, but two ships carrying large nets failed to catch the different sections.
Blue Origin nails another rocket mission ahead of space tourism flights
Blue Origin this week sent a rocket on its sixth suborbital space mission, marking the company's 12th launch overall. The reusable New Shepard booster carried several experiments into space during its short outing on Wednesday. Blue Origin aims to use the rocket to launch a space tourism service in the near future.
NASA wants astronauts to light fires on the International Space Station
Lighting a fire carries an element of risk. Doing it in microgravity on a space station 250 miles above Earth is something else entirely. Which is exactly why astronauts on the ISS have been asked to unleash their inner pyromaniac for a new experiment. Here's what they're doing.
Astronomers capture the best images yet of the Borisov interstellar comet
Astronomers are getting close-up images of the interstellar comet known as 2I/Borisov as it comes closer to our solar system. The comet will come closest to us in early December. Yale scientists have been able to capture the clearest images so far, but expect more in the future.
Meet the robotic pioneers that will help humanity colonize Mars
The race to populate Mars is on. But before humans can visit the red planet, we need to send out robot scouts to see the lay of the land. The next generation of Martian robotics will use sophisticated AI, novel propulsion methods, and flexible smallsats to meet the challenges of colonizing a new world.
Watch SpaceX’s Starship prototype blow its top during a ground test
SpaceX's Starship blew its top during a pressure test in Texas on Sunday. A nearby camera captured the dramatic incident, which wrecked Starship's upper section. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was quick to respond, confirming the team would continue with work on a more advanced version rather than rebuild the damaged one.
NASA invites SpaceX and Blue Origin to help with moon missions
NASA has given SpaceX and Blue Origin the green light to bid for contracts linked to its Artemis program, which is seeking to establish a sustainable presence on the moon with an eye on eventual missions to Mars. The two companies are among 14 vying to help take essential payloads to the moon starting in 2021.
Curiosity rover discovers a puzzling oxygen mystery on Mars
NASA's Curiosity rover continues to make discoveries that challenge our understanding of the Martian environment. The latest strange puzzle taxing scientists is the variation of oxygen levels on Mars, as detected Curiosity's portable chemistry lab, Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM).
Meet OffWorld, the startup that wants to mine the moon with a swarm of robots
Will the future of space exploration involve swarms of smart robots aiding human pioneers by mining for resources, or even autonomously preparing new locations on other planets for human habitation? California-based startup OffWorld certainly thinks so. Here's what it is working on.
Hayabusa2 spacecraft begins long journey home laden with asteroid samples
Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft is on its way home following a successful 17-month rendezvous with the Ryugu asteroid some 200 million miles from Earth. And there’s a good reason for it coming back as it’s carrying with it the first-ever rock samples collected from the subsurface of an asteroid.
SpaceX conducted a key Crew Dragon engine test — and it didn’t blow up!
The last time SpaceX tested the launch abort system on its Crew Dragon capsule, there was an almighty explosion. This time around, it appeared to go much better. Wednesday’s apparent success takes SpaceX another step closer to a manned test of the Crew Dragon, which could soon be taking astronauts to the ISS.
Google Pixel 4’s astrophotography mode is now rolling out to older Pixels
Google Pixel 4's astrophotography mode is now making its way to a bunch of previous-generation Pixel phones. Google has begun rolling out the version 7.2 update for its default camera app, which enables the astrophotography mode for the Pixel 2, Pixel 3, and Pixel 3a, among other additions and changes.
Watch Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule hit 650 mph in critical test
Boeing deemed a launch abort test of its Starliner crew capsule a success on Monday, but it didn’t go entirely to plan as one of its parachutes failed to deploy when it returned to the ground. Following more tests, the Starliner could be used to carry astronauts to the space station as early as 2020.
Lamborghini will send an experiment to the International Space Station
Lamborghini is sending five samples of carbon fiber to the International Space Station for six months to see how they react to the harsh environment of space. Lamborghini believes this will help to develop new lightweight materials for future cars, as well as medical devices.
We’re slowly trapping ourselves under an umbrella of space junk
Kessler Syndrome is a scenario in which the density of objects in low Earth orbit is high enough that collisions between objects could cause a cascading effect that ultimately traps humanity beneath a ceiling of space junk. We spoke to the man who coined the term.
Report calls for changes to rules about contamination of other worlds
A new report has called for NASA to update its rules governing contamination of other planets in the course of space exploration. It points out that many of the guidelines for planetary protection were written at the beginnings of human space exploration and are in serious need of updating.
Europe’s Solar Orbiter has completed testing and is ready to explore the sun
An upcoming mission will travel within a few million miles of the sun to collect data on how our star affects the whole solar system. Testing of the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter is now complete, and the craft is being packed up and shipped to Cape Canaveral ready for its launch next year.
Rocky exoplanets are more like Earth inside than we thought
When looking for exoplanets similar to Earth, astronomers look at planets orbiting red dwarf stars which are similar to our Sun. However, new research shows that rocky exoplanets in orbit around a different type of star, a white dwarf, can have interiors that are surprisingly similar to our planet.
Feeding off-world colonies: Leeks and tomatoes can be grown in Martian soil
In a move that takes us one step closer to creating a permanent colony on another planet, scientists have demonstrated that it is possible to grow edible food crops in soil like that found on Mars and the moon. Nine edible plant species were able to grow in simulated Martian and lunar soil.
NASA will work with Japanese space agency on lunar landing projects
The Japanese space agency, JAXA, has confirmed it will work with NASA on the upcoming Artemis mission to send humans back to the moon by 2024. NASA Administrator James Bridenstine and JAXA President Hiroshi Yamakawa met recently in Tokyo to affirm their commitment to a joint lunar exploration project.
Hubble images galactic visitor, interstellar comet 2I/Borisov
Hubble has captured an image of the comet which is believed to have traveled to our solar system from a different planetary system somewhere else in the galaxy. The comet, named 2I/Borisov, was first spotted by amateur astronomer Gennady Borisov and now Hubble has captured the clearest image of it yet.
NASA’s InSight lander is drilling on Mars again, after being stuck for 6 months
Finally, some good news for NASA's InSight lander, which has been stuck on Mars due to a part of its drill called the mole becoming wedged in the soil. The mole has dug nearly 2 centimeters in the past week after six months of being stuck, giving hope InSight can get back to being fully operational.
See both of NASA’s explorers, Curiosity and InSight, on the surface of Mars
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is currently in orbit around the red planet and is snapping photos of its surface using an instrument called the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE). Recently, HiRISE imaged not just one but both of NASA's missions which are on the planet now.
Make a wish upon a star: Here’s how to watch this week’s Orionid meteor shower
Turn your eyes to the skies this week, because it's the time of year to observe the annual Orionid meteor shower. It will begin on October 18 and continue for several days, peaking between October 20 and 22. The meteors are the remnants of one of the most famous astronomical objects, Halley's Comet.
Watch NASA astronauts conduct the first-ever all-woman spacewalk
NASA astronauts and International Space Station residents Christina Koch and Jessica Meir are making history by performing the first-ever all-woman spacewalk. Starting at 7:50 a.m. ET, the pair ventured outside the International Space Station in order to perform repairs to the station's power system.
How to watch NASA’s first all-female spacewalk on the ISS online
NASA's first all-female spacewalk will take place outside of the International Space Station on Friday, October 18 -- and you can watch the whole thing live right here on Earth. Here's how to watch it live, and what you need to know about pioneering astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir.
Virgin Galactic’s spacesuits give you that gym-ready look for spaceflights
Virgin Galactic's spacesuits were designed by Under Armour, and they clearly have a sporty look and feel to them. These sporty spacesuits are meant to be worn by ticket holders for upcoming Virgin Galactic flights. They don't look like your typical astronaut gear -- and that's not a bad thing.
NASA shows off the new spacesuits that astronauts will wear to the moon
NASA is pushing ahead with its plans to go back to the moon by 2024, and today showed off its new spacesuit for the first time. The Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit is designed to protect astronauts against temperatures ranging from minus 250 degrees to plus 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remains of shallow, briny pools provide further evidence of liquid water on Mars
As the Curiosity rover explores Mars' Gale Crater, the data it collects tells us more about the history of the planet and whether liquid water once existed there. A new study has examined the geology of the crater to learn more about the briny ponds which once dotted the planet's surface.
New evidence questions whether Venus ever had oceans on its surface
Recently new research surprised astronomers and the public by suggesting that millions of years ago, Venus could have been a hospitable planet with lower temperatures allowing water to exist on its surface. However, a new study of lava flows on the surface of Venus suggests these ideas are mistaken.
Image of rare blue comet captured by the European Southern Observatory
Last year, astronomers in Paris noticed a beautiful and distinctive comet, technically called C/2016 R2 but more colloquially known as the blue comet for its unusual hue. Now, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) has released this new image showing the comet up close.