NASA has opened a new call for proposals for private astronaut missions (PAMs) to the International Space Station, allowing missions to be commanded by non-NASA astronauts. The latest solicitation, announced on April 2, 2024, is for the fifth and sixth PAMs, part of NASA’s plan to commercialize low Earth orbit. While the previous rules required the commander to be a former NASA astronaut with ISS … Continue reading NASA seeks proposals for two private astronaut missions to ISS

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams revealed that the Boeing Starliner came close to failing its docking attempt with the International Space Station on June 5, 2024. During the approach, the spacecraft lost multiple thrusters, including a crucial fourth thruster, which affected its maneuverability. Despite the risk of aborting the mission, NASA waived flight rules to continue. The astronauts, worried about losing communication with … Continue reading NASA astronaut reveals they nearly failed to dock Boeing Starliner to International Space Station

Four space tourists returned to Earth on Friday after completing a privately funded polar tour in a SpaceX Dragon capsule. The crew, led by Bitcoin investor Chun Wang, orbited both the North and South Poles during their 3.5-day mission. Wang, along with Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robotics researcher Rabea Rogge, and Australian polar guide Eric Philips, experienced space motion sickness but recovered quickly. They … Continue reading Four space tourists return to Earth after a private flight over the poles

After a weather delay, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket on Monday, March 31, carrying 28 Starlink V2 Mini satellites—the largest batch of this type to date. The rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 3:52 p.m. EDT, with booster B1080 completing its 17th flight and landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. These upgraded satellites feature enhanced antennas, avionics, and propulsion, optimizing them … Continue reading SpaceX launches 28 Starlink V2 Mini satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral

The ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter has captured an unprecedented video of a massive, spiraling solar wind jet stretching over 1.2 million miles from the Sun’s surface. Observed by the Metis coronagraph during the spacecraft’s perihelion passage, the footage provides the clearest view yet of Alfvénic waves launching solar wind into space. This discovery could help scientists better understand how solar wind forms and impacts Earth’s space … Continue reading A Million-Mile-Long Plasma Twist Just Launched From the Sun

SpaceX is preparing for its unique Fram2 mission, set to launch on March 31, 2025, sending four private astronauts into a polar orbit to observe Earth’s remote regions. The crew will fly at an altitude of 265 to 280 miles above Earth, becoming the first to orbit the planet’s poles. The mission, funded by Chun Wang, includes crew members Jannicke Mikkelsen, Eric Philips, and Rabea … Continue reading Upcoming Private SpaceX Mission Will Boldly Go Where No Human Has Orbited Before

NASA is closely monitoring the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), a large region of weakened magnetic intensity above Earth, stretching between South America and southwest Africa. This anomaly, which doesn’t impact life on Earth but poses a risk to satellites and spacecraft, can cause malfunctions due to exposure to charged particles from the Sun. The SAA, likened to a “pothole in space,” weakens the magnetic field, … Continue reading NASA Is Watching a Huge, Growing Anomaly in Earth’s Magnetic Field

NASA’s Curiosity rover has discovered the largest organic compounds ever found on Mars, sparking speculation about the possibility of past life on the planet. The compounds, long-chain alkanes, were found in a 3.7 billion-year-old rock from an ancient Martian lakebed. While these molecules can form through both chemical and biological processes, they are key components of cell membranes on Earth, raising the possibility they could … Continue reading Nasa rover discovers largest organic compounds yet found on Mars

NASA’s Artemis II mission has taken a significant step forward with the assembly of its massive core stage at Kennedy Space Center. Crews successfully connected the 212-foot-tall core stage to its twin boosters, forming the backbone of the powerful launch vehicle. This mission, set to launch later this year, will mark the first crewed flight of the Artemis program, paving the way for future lunar … Continue reading NASA’s moon rocket moves closer to next major milestone

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the classified NROL-69 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on March 24, marking the first National Security Space Launch of 2025. This mission is part of the NRO’s effort to build the largest U.S. government satellite network, following the recent NROL-57 launch on March 21. Over the past two years, the NRO has deployed more than 150 … Continue reading NRO expands spy satellite network with back-to-back SpaceX launches

NASA spokeswoman Bethany Stevens credited former President Donald Trump for the successful return of two astronauts stranded on the ISS for over nine months. She emphasized that the rescue was a “huge win” for Trump’s administration and highlighted his nominee for NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, as key to advancing Trump’s space agenda. Isaacman, a businessman and the first civilian to complete a spacewalk, has strong … Continue reading NASA reveals astronauts’ return ‘would not have happened’ without Trump’s intervention

Astronomers have detected oxygen in the most distant galaxy ever observed, JADES-GS-z14-0, located 13.4 billion light-years away. This discovery challenges previous expectations, as the galaxy, seen just 300 million years after the Big Bang, contains far more oxygen than expected for such an early object. Using the ALMA telescope, scientists found that the galaxy is chemically more evolved than anticipated, suggesting that stars had already … Continue reading Scientists Detect Oxygen in the Oldest Known Galaxy

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is set for its second close encounter with the sun, flying within 3.8 million miles of its surface. The spacecraft, which holds the record for the closest approach to the sun, will reach speeds of 430,000 mph. Launched in 2018, Parker has already flown through the sun’s corona, and scientists hope its data will help explain why the sun’s outer atmosphere … Continue reading A NASA spacecraft will make another close pass of the sun

Former President Donald Trump said he would personally cover the overtime pay for astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, who spent nine months in space instead of their planned eight-day mission. When asked about their $1,430 in extra pay, Trump remarked it was a small amount given their ordeal. The astronauts, stranded at the ISS since June, were finally rescued by a SpaceX … Continue reading Trump suggests he’ll pay overtime for formerly stranded astronauts

A top Space Force general revealed that commercial systems have observed Chinese satellites practicing “dogfighting” maneuvers in low Earth orbit, demonstrating advanced space tactics. Gen. Michael Guetlein described how five Chinese satellites maneuvered in synchronicity, showcasing complex space operations. This exercise, which involved three Shiyan-24C experimental satellites and two Shijian-605 spacecraft, highlights China’s growing space capabilities, Defense News has reported. Guetlein expressed concern over the … Continue reading China demonstrated ‘satellite dogfighting,’ Space Force general says

Astronomers using the ALMA telescope have discovered a surprising new type of filamentary structure in the central molecular zone (CMZ) of the Milky Way, near the supermassive black hole. These slim filaments, detected through shock-induced molecules like silicon monoxide (SiO), appear as long, narrow structures not linked to star-forming regions or dust emission. The filaments may be part of a cyclical process in which shocks … Continue reading Astronomers discover ‘space tornadoes’ around the Milky Way’s core

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured its first direct images of carbon dioxide on a planet beyond our solar system, marking a major milestone in exoplanet research. Focusing on the HR 8799 system, 130 light-years away, JWST observed four planets, including HR 8799 e, revealing heavy metals in its atmosphere, supporting the theory of planet formation through gradual clumping from a gas and … Continue reading James Webb Space Telescope sees four giant alien planets circling nearby star

The European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope, launched in 2023, has released new data on distant galaxies, including images of three cosmic regions it will study in detail. The mission aims to map over 1.5 billion galaxies across six years, creating a cosmic atlas to better understand dark energy and dark matter—mysterious forces that make up most of the universe, PBS News has reported. Written by … Continue reading Euclid space telescope unveils new images of galaxies billions of light years away

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 74 satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base on March 15 during the Transporter 13 mission. The rocket’s first stage successfully returned to Earth, landing vertically at Vandenberg just 7.5 minutes after launch, marking its 13th landing and the 400th for Falcon 9 boosters. Meanwhile, the rocket’s upper stage deployed the 74 payloads, including cubesats, microsats, and a reentry capsule … Continue reading SpaceX launches 74 satellites to orbit, lands Falcon 9 rocket

During NASA’s Crew-10 docking on the International Space Station, Russian cosmonaut Ivan Vagner welcomed the new crew with a humorous touch, wearing an alien mask. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule docked at 12:04 a.m. after launching from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.  Vagner, dressed in a hoodie, pants, and socks, floated around during the lighthearted moment. After the hatches were opened, the new crew, including NASA … Continue reading ‘Alien’ encounter: ISS crew member plays joke as SpaceX team arrives

SpaceX successfully launched another batch of Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral, continuing its mission to expand global high-speed internet coverage. The Falcon 9 rocket deployed the satellites into low Earth orbit and landed its first stage on an autonomous drone ship, demonstrating the company’s reusable rocket strategy. With thousands of satellites now in orbit, Starlink provides broadband to remote areas and is poised to grow … Continue reading SpaceX Successfully Launches New Batch of Starlink Satellites

The European Space Agency’s Hera space probe, launched on October 7, 2024, captured images of Mars’ moon, Deimos, during a flyby. Hera, on a mission to study the Dimorphos asteroid and asteroid deflection techniques, got as close as 620 miles to Deimos. The probe used three imaging instruments to capture data on the moon’s mineral composition and surface temperatures. This flyby will aid future missions … Continue reading Probe captures rare images of moon orbiting Mars

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center on Friday evening, headed to the International Space Station (ISS). The crew, including astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, is on a mission to relieve the current station crew. After a delay due to a technical issue, the launch occurred at 7:03 p.m. ET, with docking scheduled for Saturday. Williams and Wilmore, who have been … Continue reading Successful SpaceX Dragon launch in mission to get NASA astronauts on ISS back to Earth

Astronomers have discovered 128 new moons orbiting Saturn, bringing its total to 274, nearly double the number of Jupiter’s moons. These moons, mostly irregular and potato-shaped, were identified using the “shift and stack” technique. Saturn now leads the solar system in moon count, with the moons expected to eventually be named after Norse, Gallic, and Canadian Inuit gods. The discovery sheds light on the early … Continue reading Astronomers discover 128 new moons orbiting Saturn

On March 11, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying two NASA science missions: SPHEREx and PUNCH. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, placing both spacecraft into sun-synchronous orbits. SPHEREx will explore the infrared universe, while PUNCH will study the solar wind. The missions were launched together to optimize efficiency, as both were headed to similar orbits. The … Continue reading Falcon 9 launches NASA astrophysics and heliophysics missions