The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is set to return to Earth on Friday, carrying nearly 6,700 pounds of scientific experiments, equipment, and supplies from the International Space Station. NASA scheduled its departure for 12:05 p.m. EDT on Thursday, with splashdown off the California coast. Returning experiments include studies on space-exposed materials, radiation shielding, and Astrobee robots that demonstrated the ability to grasp and move objects in … Continue reading SpaceX Dragon to depart ISS with scientific research samples

Scientists are urging NASA to quickly repurpose its twin Janus smallsats to study the asteroid Apophis before its close approach to Earth in April 2029. Originally built for asteroid flybys, the Janus mission was canceled and the spacecraft were placed in storage. Researchers now recommend using them for a pre-flyby mission to Apophis, following discussions at the recent Apophis T-4 Years Workshop, Space News has … Continue reading Scientists urge NASA to act on Apophis mission concept

Astronomers are warning of increased solar storms in the coming days as a highly active sunspot region rotates to face Earth. NASA recently recorded 2025’s strongest solar flare so far—an X2.7-class eruption—which caused brief radio blackouts in the Middle East. More flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from this region could disrupt radio signals, power grids, navigation systems, and pose risks to satellites and astronauts. … Continue reading Nasa warns of huge solar flares causing blackouts on Earth

Earlier this year, NASA faced a critical decision that could have ended Voyager 1’s mission. Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 relies on roll thrusters to keep its antenna aimed at Earth. After years of using backup thrusters due to primary failure, engineers feared both systems might fail as residue built up in the fuel lines. With the only ground antenna capable of contacting Voyager 1 … Continue reading A broken thruster jeopardized Voyager 1, but engineers executed a remote fix

NASA’s PUNCH mission captured a stunning photo of the moon against a dark sky while testing its instruments. Launched in March, PUNCH is a group of four small satellites studying the solar wind—the charged particles from the sun that cause space weather affecting Earth. Using an “occulter” to block the sun’s bright light, PUNCH reveals the sun’s corona and plasma structures that help scientists understand … Continue reading NASA spacecraft snaps eerie image of eclipsed sun with an extra moon overhead

A new bacterial strain, niallia tiangongensis, was discovered aboard China’s Tiangong space station. This microbe shows strong resistance to oxidative stress and radiation damage, helping it survive extreme space conditions. The finding, part of China’s CHAMP program, could lead to better microbial control on spacecraft and offer sustainable ways to convert waste into useful resources for space and Earth applications, NDTV has reported. Written by B.C. … Continue reading New strain of bacteria found on China’s Tiangong space station

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured the first evidence of cloud formation in the northern hemisphere of Saturn’s moon Titan, revealing dynamic weather similar to Earth. Observed in 2022 and 2023 with help from Hawaii’s Keck Observatory, the data showed cloud convection and also identified a key organic molecule, the methyl radical, linked to Titan’s methane-based chemistry. These findings, published in Nature Astronomy, build on … Continue reading James Webb Space Telescope captures ghostly images of clouds on Saturn’s largest moon Titan

A House hearing on NASA’s efforts to defend against asteroid impacts shifted focus to concerns over proposed budget cuts to the agency. While bipartisan support remained strong for the planetary defense program—including the Near Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission—Democrats warned that broader cuts in the White House’s 2026 proposal could harm NASA’s science initiatives and partnerships. Officials, including NASA’s Nicky Fox, said they have little … Continue reading House hearing on asteroid threats also takes up budget threats

A massive solar filament stretching nearly 600,000 miles erupted on May 12-13, unleashing a dramatic coronal mass ejection (CME) across the sun’s northern hemisphere. Though visually striking, the eruption is not expected to impact Earth. Aurora watchers described the blast as one of the largest recent filament eruptions, but preliminary models show the CME is heading north and will miss our planet, Space.com has reported. … Continue reading Sun unleashes 600,000-mile-long eruption in fiery outburst

SpaceX set a new rocket reuse record as a Falcon 9 booster completed its 28th launch on May 13, carrying 28 Starlink satellites from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The booster, B1067, landed successfully on a drone ship just eight minutes after liftoff. This mission followed another Falcon 9 launch just hours earlier from California, underscoring SpaceX’s rapid launch pace, Space.com has reported. The Starlink network … Continue reading SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 28 Starlink satellites to orbit

China has announced an ambitious mission to sample Venus’s harsh atmosphere between 2028 and 2035, aiming to search for signs of microbial life and study the planet’s toxic clouds, extreme heat, and geological history. Led by top Chinese space agencies, the mission will use two spacecraft—one to orbit Venus and another to dive into its atmosphere to collect gas and particle samples. The effort could … Continue reading China Has A Plan to Collect a Sample from Venus’s Killer Atmosphere

New images from the James Webb Space Telescope reveal that Jupiter’s auroras are hundreds of times brighter than Earth’s, powered by solar storms and particles from its volcanic moon Io. Captured in detail using Webb’s near-infrared camera, the fast-changing auroras were observed by a team led by Jonathan Nichols from the University of Leicester. The study, conducted on December 25, 2023, was published in Nature Communications, … Continue reading NASA’s Webb Space Telescope captures bright auroras on Jupiter

After 53 years orbiting Earth, the failed Soviet Venus mission Kosmos 482 reentered the atmosphere on May 10, likely splashing down in the Indian Ocean. Built to endure Venus’ harsh conditions, the spacecraft may have partially survived reentry, but no debris has been found. Launched in 1972, Kosmos 482 failed to reach Venus due to a malfunction and remained in orbit until atmospheric drag caused … Continue reading Uncontrolled Soviet Probe Crashes to Earth, Hitting Unknown Location

SpaceX launched its Starlink 6-93 mission on May 6 from Cape Canaveral, deploying 28 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. The Falcon 9 rocket’s booster, B1085, successfully landed on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions after its seventh flight. This marks SpaceX’s 53rd Falcon 9 launch of 2025 and the 36th Starlink mission this year, adding to a constellation now exceeding 7,200 satellites providing global internet … Continue reading SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 28 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida

Despite uncertainty in NASA’s proposed budget—potentially canceling key Artemis programs like Gateway, Orion, and the SLS after Artemis 3—international partners say they remain committed to their contributions. At the GLEX 2025 conference in New Delhi, agencies from Germany, the UAE, Europe, and Canada expressed concern but emphasized flexibility and continued support. While monitoring developments, they pledged to honor current commitments, adapt to any changes, and … Continue reading Space agencies grapple with potential changes to Artemis

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has discovered a rare “rogue” supermassive black hole—nicknamed “Space Jaws”—600 million light-years away, devouring a star in a dramatic tidal disruption event (TDE). Unlike typical TDEs, this black hole, with a mass equal to 1 million suns, is not at the center of its galaxy, suggesting a population of wandering black holes. Researchers believe it may have been displaced by a … Continue reading NASA Reveals Roaming Monster Black Hole That’s Eating Stars

As his role with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) ends, Elon Musk is refocusing on his long-term goal of colonizing Mars, which he calls “life insurance” for humanity. In a Fox News interview, Musk emphasized the need for a self-sustaining Mars settlement to ensure survival beyond Earth’s eventual destruction by the sun. He aims to launch a SpaceX Starship to Mars by late 2026, … Continue reading Elon Musk shares vision of Mars as ‘life insurance’ for humanity

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has detected water vapor in the atmosphere of TOI-421 b, a scorching sub-Neptune planet about 244 light-years away. This marks a breakthrough in studying these mysterious planets, which have no equivalent in our solar system. Unlike previous sub-Neptunes that showed featureless spectra likely due to haze, TOI-421 b’s hot, clear atmosphere revealed water, possible carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide, and … Continue reading Webb Space Telescope finds water in the air of exotic ‘sub-Neptune’ exoplanet

The White House has nominated Matthew Anderson, a retired Air Force colonel and Space Force advocate, as NASA’s deputy administrator. Anderson, who has limited direct experience with NASA, previously served as a pilot and liaison officer and now works with the Space Force Association and defense contractor CACI. His nomination, alongside Jared Isaacman’s for NASA administrator, has surprised some in the space industry, but NASA’s … Continue reading Retired Air Force officer nominated to be NASA deputy administrator

On May 1, NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers completed the fifth all-female spacewalk in history, working for 5 hours and 44 minutes to move an antenna and prepare the International Space Station for new solar arrays. They began by assembling attachment hardware for the upcoming Rollout Solar Arrays, which will increase the station’s power capacity by up to 30%. The astronauts also relocated … Continue reading NASA astronauts prep ISS for new solar arrays on spacewalk

A failed Soviet spacecraft, Kosmos 482, is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere around May 10 after more than 50 years in orbit. Originally launched in 1972 for a Venus mission, it never left Earth orbit due to a rocket malfunction. The half-ton capsule may survive reentry, though the risk to people is low, similar to that of being hit by a meteorite, the Associated Press … Continue reading Soviet-era craft will plunge to Earth half-century after failed launch to Venus

An American military satellite, USA 324, was recently observed making close passes near two Chinese satellites, TJS-16 and TJS-17, as tensions rise in a new space race. The U.S. Space Force’s satellite performed proximity maneuvers—just 7 to 10 miles away—to inspect the Chinese satellites, which are believed to have military surveillance roles despite being labeled as communications experiments. While the U.S. conducts such operations to … Continue reading USA Buzzes China’s Military Satellites in Unfolding Space Rivalry

The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii, the world’s largest solar telescope, has been upgraded with a powerful new instrument called the Visible Tunable Filtergraph (VTF), enhancing its ability to study the sun in unprecedented detail. Developed over 15 years by German scientists, the VTF analyzes sunlight with extreme precision, helping researchers examine the sun’s surface and atmosphere to better understand solar eruptions and … Continue reading World’s largest solar telescope gains powerful new ‘eye’ to study the sun’s secrets

Astronomers analyzing decades-old infrared sky surveys may have found a possible candidate for the elusive Planet Nine — a hypothetical massive planet far beyond Neptune. By comparing data from the IRAS and AKARI missions 23 years apart, the team identified one slow-moving object that fits Planet Nine’s expected behavior. While promising, the finding is not conclusive, and more observations are needed to confirm if it … Continue reading Astronomers Find Potential Candidate For Planet Nine In 40-Year-Old Data

A Vega C rocket successfully launched ESA’s Biomass satellite on April 29, marking a key step in Europe’s space sovereignty efforts. The 1,250-kg satellite, built by Airbus, will map global forest biomass using a powerful P-band radar to monitor carbon storage and environmental changes over a 5.5-year mission. The launch, from French Guiana, was Vega C’s second since a 2022 failure and part of ESA’s … Continue reading Vega launches Biomass satellite