The U.S. Space Force’s X-37B space plane returned to Earth on Friday after 434 days in orbit. The unmanned, solar-powered aircraft completed its seventh mission, testing classified payloads and space domain awareness technology. Launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in 2023, the X-37B used a technique called aerobraking to efficiently change its orbit with minimal fuel. The mission showcased the plane’s advanced maneuver capabilities and … Continue reading Space Force’s mysterious X-37B plane returns to Earth after 434 days in orbit

NASA is shutting down two science instruments on its Voyager spacecraft to conserve power and extend their missions. Voyager 2 will turn off an instrument measuring charged particles and cosmic rays later this month, while Voyager 1 powered down a similar instrument last week. The spacecraft, launched in 1977, are now in interstellar space, with Voyager 1 over 15 billion miles from Earth and Voyager … Continue reading NASA powers down two instruments on twin Voyager spacecraft to save power

Intuitive Machines’ Athena lunar lander touched down near the moon’s south pole but may have tipped over, creating uncertainty about its status. Despite communication with controllers and solar power generation, the lander’s exact position remains unclear. NASA and Intuitive Machines are assessing whether the onboard drill and drone can still function. This was the second moon landing this week under NASA’s commercial lunar delivery program, … Continue reading Private lunar lander may have fallen over while touching down near the moon’s south pole

SpaceX’s Starship megarocket suffered another setback during its eighth test flight, losing contact with the upper stage about eight minutes after launch. The rocket lifted off from Starbase in Texas but appeared to experience engine failures before communication was lost. Debris from the explosion was reported over Florida, Jamaica, and Turks and Caicos. Despite the failure, the Super Heavy booster successfully executed its “catch” landing, … Continue reading SpaceX again loses its Starship rocket on test flight after explosion during previous attempt

A Falcon 9 booster, after successfully landing on a droneship following a March 2 launch carrying 21 Starlink satellites, was lost due to an off-nominal fire that damaged one of its landing legs, causing it to tip over. This was only the fifth flight of the booster, B1086, and SpaceX stated they would use the data from this failure to improve Falcon 9’s reliability. This … Continue reading Falcon 9 booster lost after droneship landing

SpaceX postponed its Starship test flight from its Starbase facility in Texas on March 3 due to issues with the Super Heavy booster. Although the FAA had approved the launch on February 26, technical problems caused multiple holds during the countdown. The launch was scrubbed after engineers couldn’t resolve the issues in time. The mission aims to test the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper … Continue reading Super Heavy booster issue causes scrub of SpaceX’s Starship Flight 8

NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft successfully completed a flyby of Mars on March 1, passing just 550 miles above the planet to use its gravity for a trajectory boost toward Jupiter’s moon Europa. This maneuver, part of its 1.8-billion-mile journey, allows the spacecraft to adjust its course with a gravitational assist, saving fuel. Launched in October 2024, Europa Clipper is NASA’s first mission dedicated to exploring … Continue reading NASA’s Europa Clipper Flies Past Mars On Its Way To Jupiter’s Icy Moon

A Russian Progress MS-30 cargo spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station on March 1, delivering about 3 tons of supplies for the Expedition 72 crew. The spacecraft, launched from Kazakhstan two days earlier, brought food, medical supplies, a new spacesuit, and materials for scientific experiments. It also delivered fuel, water, and nitrogen to replenish the station’s resources. The Progress will remain docked for … Continue reading Russian cargo ship docks at space station with science, spacesuit and supplies

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander successfully touched down on the Moon, making it the first private company to land a spacecraft upright without crashing. Carrying NASA experiments, including a drill and vacuum, the lander aims to support future astronaut missions. The $101 million mission is part of NASA’s effort to foster a lunar economy. Blue Ghost sent back images, including a selfie and Earth in … Continue reading Private lunar lander Blue Ghost touches down on moon with special delivery for NASA

NASA’s Artemis program is advancing with Gateway, a lunar space station set to support astronauts and deep-space exploration. Key progress includes near-completion of the HALO module in Italy, which will be integrated with the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) before launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy by December 2027. ESA is developing communication and habitation modules, while Maxar is finalizing the PPE’s propulsion and solar … Continue reading NASA’s Artemis Program Takes a Big Leap With the Gateway Lunar Space Station

NASA has selected SpaceX to launch its NEO Surveyor spacecraft in September 2027 to detect potentially hazardous asteroids and comets. The $100 million mission will send the telescope to a stable orbit 930,000 miles from Earth, where it will scan for NEOs in infrared. Over five years, it aims to identify at least two-thirds of undiscovered objects 460 feet wide or larger, Space.com has reported. … Continue reading NASA picks SpaceX rocket to launch asteroid threat hunter NEO Surveyor in 2027

NASA’s SPHEREx observatory is set to launch Thursday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to map over 450 million galaxies. The $488 million mission will survey the entire sky in 102 infrared colors, offering insights into galaxy formation, cosmic inflation, and the origins of water in the Milky Way. Using spectroscopy, SPHEREx will create a 3D map of the universe, helping scientists study the early … Continue reading NASA space observatory poised to launch on a mission to map 450 million galaxies

On Sunday, February 24, the Sun erupted with a powerful X2.0 solar flare from sunspot AR 4001, located just beyond the sun’s northwestern limb. The flare caused a shortwave radio blackout across parts of the Pacific Ocean due to increased UV radiation. X-class flares are the most intense, with each increase in class representing a tenfold increase in strength. This flare was rated an R3 … Continue reading Sun unleashes powerful X-class solar flare, triggers radio blackouts

China plans to launch the Solar Polar Orbit Observatory in 2029 to study the Sun’s poles, offering a unique perspective on solar activity and high-speed solar winds that impact Earth’s space weather. The spacecraft will perform a gravity assist at Jupiter to enter a high-inclination orbit, allowing it to observe the solar poles. Equipped with advanced instruments like a Magnetic and Helioseismic Imager, Extreme Ultraviolet … Continue reading China to send a spacecraft out of the ecliptic to study the Sun’s poles

The Texas-based company Intuitive Machines is launching its second robotic lunar mission, Athena, this week. The spacecraft will study the moon’s surface, focusing on the chemical makeup of rocks and soil and searching for subsurface water, which is crucial for future lunar bases. Athena will land in the moon’s south polar region on Mons Mouton, where water ice is thought to be abundant. The mission … Continue reading A new lunar lander is set to launch to the moon’s south pole this week

Space engineers are preparing to launch the Lunar Trailblazer mission, a two-year project to map water on the moon’s surface. The probe, scheduled for launch on Thursday from Florida on a SpaceX Falcon rocket, will use advanced instruments to locate and analyze lunar water. While the moon was once thought to be dry, recent discoveries suggest water, mainly in ice form, exists in permanently shadowed … Continue reading Space mission aims to map water on surface of the moon

The U.S. Space Force released the first-ever public photo of its secretive X-37B space plane in orbit on February 20, 2024. Taken during its seventh mission, the image shows the space plane’s solar panel and open payload bay, with Earth in the background. Launched on December 28, 2023, atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, the X-37B is operating in a higher orbit than before, testing … Continue reading US Space Force reveals 1st look at secretive X-37B space plane in orbit

Elon Musk has called for the International Space Station (ISS) to be deorbited by 2027, arguing that it has outlived its usefulness. He suggested preparations begin within two years, ahead of the original 2030 deorbit plan. Musk’s statement comes amid NASA’s budget concerns and uncertainty, while international partners like the European Space Agency and Russia expect the ISS to remain operational until at least 2028. … Continue reading Elon Musk calls for International Space Station to be deorbited by 2027

Chinese astronauts have successfully tested a new maintenance robot on the Tiangong space station during the Shenzhou-19 mission. The robot, designed to maintain complex pipework, passed through various pipe shapes and sizes with ease, thanks to its flexible hydraulic tube feet inspired by marine animals. Equipped with sensors and the ability to adapt autonomously, the robot can safely navigate the station’s complex environment. The test, … Continue reading China tests starfish-inspired robot on Tiangong Space Station for critical repair works

The likelihood of asteroid 2024 YR4 striking Earth has decreased to 1.5%, down from 2.6%, but NASA and other space agencies are still planning for the possibility. The asteroid, estimated to be 130-300 feet wide, poses a risk to Earth in December 2032, potentially threatening 110 million people. While the chance of impact remains low, NASA and the European Space Agency are closely monitoring its … Continue reading NASA looking for ways to destroy asteroid that could strike Earth, kill city

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost 1 lander entered orbit around the Moon on February 13, following a 4-minute thruster burn. The lander is preparing for a March 2 landing near Mare Crisium, carrying 10 NASA payloads as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Meanwhile, the Resilience lander from ispace performed a lunar flyby on February 14 and is set for a return to lunar … Continue reading Blue Ghost 1 enters lunar orbit as Resilience flies by the moon

Scientists have discovered evidence that liquid water once flowed in ancient, shallow lakes on Mars, challenging previous models that suggested Mars’ water was always covered by ice. Using images from NASA’s Curiosity rover, researchers found wave ripples in Gale Crater lakebeds, indicating the water was exposed to the atmosphere and acted upon by wind. These ripples suggest the lakes were shallow and less than 2 … Continue reading NASA rover discovers liquid water ‘ripples’ carved into Mars rock

NASA has increased the likelihood of Earth being hit by asteroid 2024 YR4, now estimating a 2.6% chance of a collision in 2032. This is up from the previous 2.3% and 1% earlier in January, due to more detailed observations refining its trajectory. While the asteroid’s impact remains unlikely, it could potentially affect over 100 million people, The Independent has reported. The asteroid, measuring around … Continue reading Nasa upgrades chances of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth

SpaceX has set a new rocket-reuse record with the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket on February 15, 2025, carrying 21 Starlink satellites to orbit. This marked the 26th liftoff for the rocket’s first stage, breaking a record set just last month. After launching from Cape Canaveral, the rocket’s booster successfully landed on a platform in the Atlantic Ocean. The Falcon 9’s upper stage deployed … Continue reading SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 21 Starlink satellites on record-setting 26th flight

A new video from NASA’s Curiosity rover showcases delicate red-and-green-tinted clouds on Mars, drifting in patterns similar to Earth clouds. These “noctilucent” clouds, made of carbon dioxide ice, are illuminated by sunlight even at night on Mars. Captured in January 2025, the video speeds up 16 minutes of footage taken by Curiosity’s cameras. These clouds typically form about 37-50 miles above Mars’ surface and are … Continue reading ‘Iridescent’ clouds on Mars captured in Martian twilight in stunning NASA rover images