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

SpaceX postponed a mission to send the next crew to the International Space Station (ISS) and return astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams due to a hydraulic issue with the launch tower, not the spacecraft. The mission was rescheduled for Thursday or Friday evening. Wilmore and Williams, who have been on the ISS since June 2024 after conducting Boeing’s Starliner crewed test flight, were initially … Continue reading SpaceX mission to bring home Starliner astronauts postponed due to hydraulic issue

NASA is reassessing the schedule for the upcoming Cygnus NG-22 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) after damage was found to its shipping container during transport. The mission, scheduled for June, may face delays depending on the results of inspections. Due to this uncertainty, NASA revised the manifest for the next SpaceX cargo mission, SpX-32, scheduled for late April, removing some science experiments to … Continue reading Cygnus issue causes changes in ISS cargo missions

The Crew Dragon Endurance capsule, set to carry astronauts on the Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), has arrived at SpaceX’s hangar at Launch Complex-39A. The mission, scheduled for launch no earlier than March 12, will transport NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov to the ISS for a six-month stay. The launch was … Continue reading SpaceX Dragon capsule arrives at launch site for Crew-10 astronaut flight to ISS

NASA’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions, originally scheduled to launch together on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, have been delayed. The launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, was postponed to allow more time for rocket checkouts. SPHEREx, designed to explore the origins of life in the Milky Way by mapping galaxies and searching for life’s key ingredients, will work alongside PUNCH, which will study the … Continue reading NASA delays launch of newest space telescope to search for life’s key ingredients

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