SpaceX is preparing to launch two crew members to the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday, weather permitting. The Crew Dragon capsule will carry NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, with liftoff scheduled for 1:17 p.m. ET from Florida’s Cape Canaveral. They will join five others onboard the ISS, rounding out the Expedition 72 team, and are set to stay until February, … Continue reading SpaceX to launch capsule that will bring two stranded astronauts back from space station

Austrian astrophotographer Felix Schöfbänker captured images of a top-secret Pentagon spacecraft, USA 290, using a 14-inch Dobsonian telescope. Unlike typical spy satellites, USA 290 has a distinct design and follows an unusual orbit. Launched in 2019 aboard a Delta IV rocket, it is described as a surveillance payload owned by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Schöfbänker noted its large, approximately 16-foot-long rectangular panel, which could … Continue reading Amateur Astronomer Catches Fleeting Glimpse of Secret Spy Satellite

On October 2, an annular solar eclipse will be visible over parts of the Pacific Ocean, southern Chile, and southern Argentina. The path of annularity, where the moon will cover about 93% of the sun, is relatively narrow, spanning 165 to 206 miles (265 to 331 kilometers). For those unable to view it in person, Space.com will provide live coverage and livestreams, with details released … Continue reading Annular solar eclipse turns the sun into a dramatic ‘ring of fire’

Researchers propose using X-ray bursts generated by a nuclear explosion as a potential method for deflecting asteroids on a collision course with Earth. According to a study published in Nature Physics, this technique involves vaporizing the asteroid’s surface, altering its trajectory enough to avoid impact. Following NASA’s DART mission, which successfully redirected an asteroid through kinetic impact, this X-ray method could enhance planetary defense strategies. Laboratory … Continue reading Asteroids Could Be Deflected Using X-rays From Nuclear Weapons

NASA has launched a Space Sustainability Division to consolidate its efforts on orbital debris and related issues. Announced by Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy at the AMOS Conference, the division aims to integrate operational, research, and policy functions that were previously spread across various offices. While not all organizations will be merged, the division will streamline those that can be, enhancing coordination and accountability. Led by … Continue reading NASA creates space sustainability division to consolidate orbital debris activities

Chinese private rocket company Deep Blue Aerospace announced that its Nebula-1 rocket failed to complete a high-altitude recovery test. While the rocket met 10 out of 11 objectives during the vertical takeoff and landing trial, it crashed during the final landing phase due to a malfunction in the landing mechanism. The three engines initially performed well, but complications arose during descent, leading to a hard … Continue reading China’s first-ever reusable kerosene rocket crashes during vertical landing

Two Russian astronauts, Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, have set a new record for the longest continuous stay on the International Space Station (ISS), surpassing the previous record of 370 days, 21 hours, and 22 minutes set in September 2023. Kononenko, who will return to Earth on Monday, also holds the record for the most cumulative time in space, totaling 1,110 days over five missions. … Continue reading 2 Russians set record for longest single stay on the International Space Station

SpaceX launched 20 more Starlink satellites to orbit on September 20 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base. The rocket’s first stage successfully landed on the SpaceX drone ship, marking its 13th reuse. SpaceX has now launched over 7,000 Starlink satellites, with more than 6,300 currently active. Thirteen of the new satellites can provide direct-to-cell service, expanding this capability in low … Continue reading SpaceX launches 20 Starlink satellites, lands rocket at sea

NASA and SpaceX are targeting September 26 for the launch of the Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will lift off aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from Cape Canaveral. Crew-9, the ninth crew rotation mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, will focus on scientific research to support future human exploration beyond low Earth orbit, … Continue reading NASA, SpaceX plan to launch new crewed mission next week

NASA has developed a new method for studying the lunar surface by shooting miniaturized spectrometers into the moon’s soil. These tiny sensors, embedded in bullet-like casings, analyze the composition of the lunar regolith quickly and efficiently. Using Fresnel diffraction, the compact spectrometers work at shorter distances, allowing for high-quality data collection, the Daily Galaxy has reported. This innovation could enhance lunar exploration by enabling widespread … Continue reading NASA’s Plan to Study Lunar Craters by “Shooting the Moon” with Mini-Spectrometers

Gen. Chance Saltzman, head of the U.S. Space Force, praised the TacSRT program, which uses commercial satellite imagery and data analytics to enhance military operations, citing its success during the U.S. troop withdrawal from Niger. Speaking at the Air Space & Cyber Conference on Sept. 17, Saltzman highlighted TacSRT’s efficiency, with data delivery times improving from three and a half hours to as little as … Continue reading U.S. Space Force chief endorses commercial satellite data program

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have observed a supermassive black hole in the early universe, located in “Pablo’s Galaxy,” causing the galaxy’s rapid star death by expelling gas at speeds up to 2.2 million miles per hour. This intense outflow of gas, which is cooler and denser than previously detected, is quenching star formation by stripping the galaxy of the materials needed … Continue reading James Webb Space Telescope witnesses a black hole ‘killing’ its galaxy

Researchers at the Europlanet Science Congress have identified massive, dense structures beneath the remains of an ancient Martian ocean, possibly formed by volcanic activity or space rock impacts. Detected through Mars’ gravity data from NASA’s Insight mission and other satellites, these structures, including one shaped like a dog, are located in the northern polar plains. They are about 300-400 kg/m³ denser than surrounding rock and … Continue reading Mars: Mysterious ‘Dense Structures’ Detected Below Planet’s Surface

SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn crew has successfully returned to Earth after a historic five-day mission, which included the world’s first commercial spacewalk. The Crew Dragon capsule, carrying four astronauts, splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Dry Tortugas, Florida, at 3:37 a.m. ET on Sunday. During the mission, the crew reached the highest altitude achieved by humans in five decades. Safely returning involved performing a … Continue reading SpaceX Polaris Dawn crew returns home after history-making mission

Earth is expected to gain a new temporary moon by the end of September, as a small asteroid named 2024 PT5 becomes temporarily captured by our planet’s gravity. Discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) on August 7, this mini-moon, measuring about 33 feet (10 meters) wide, will orbit Earth once between September 29 and November 25 before escaping its gravitational pull. Although … Continue reading Earth’s new ‘mini-moon’ will orbit our planet for the next 2 months

The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory has recently alerted the public about five approaching asteroids, including one termed ‘stadium-size’ asteroid named 2024ON, which is about 950 feet in diameter. This asteroid is set to pass Earth on Tuesday at a distance of approximately 621,000 miles—nearly three times farther than the average distance to the moon. Other monitored asteroids range in size from ‘airplane-size’ to ‘house-size,’ with … Continue reading NASA issues alert for stadium sized asteroid passing earth

NASA is working with U.S. and international partners to establish a Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC) following a White House directive. The time standard, based on a weighted average of atomic clocks on the Moon, aims to support a future lunar ecosystem and can be adapted for other celestial bodies. Initial research shows that atomic clocks on the Moon may tick slightly faster than on Earth … Continue reading NASA to develop lunar time standard for exploration initiatives

Voyager 1, the most distant human-made object now in interstellar space, recently used a clever thruster technique to maintain communication with Earth. Facing issues with its thrusters and limited power, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) engineers managed to switch to a backup thruster system. Despite the spacecraft’s advanced age and declining power, the team successfully reoriented Voyager 1 towards Earth by warming a dormant thruster … Continue reading NASA’s Voyager 1 probe swaps thrusters in tricky fix as it flies through interstellar space

Tech billionaire Jared Isaacman completed the first private spacewalk on Thursday, emerging from a SpaceX capsule 460 miles above Earth. This marks a significant milestone in commercial spaceflight, previously limited to professional astronauts. Isaacman, testing SpaceX’s new spacesuits, performed the spacewalk briefly, lasting less than two hours. SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis also conducted a brief spacewalk. The mission, part of Isaacman’s Polaris program, was designed … Continue reading Tech billionaire pulls off first private spacewalk high above Earth

NASA has approved the launch of the Europa Clipper spacecraft, scheduled for October 10 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. After addressing concerns about the spacecraft’s transistors and their ability to handle Europa’s intense radiation, NASA confirmed that the spacecraft is ready for its $5 billion mission. The Europa Clipper will spend six years traveling to Jupiter, conducting close flybys of Europa to investigate its … Continue reading NASA spacecraft to study Jupiter moon’s underground ocean cleared for October launch

SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission, a groundbreaking journey into Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts with a four-person civilian crew aiming to conduct the first commercial spacewalk, successfully launched at 5:23 a.m. ET. SpaceX livestreamed the event, with ground controllers offering encouragement to the crew, including the first SpaceX employees to go to space. The mission, delayed by weather, requires careful timing for the crew’s five-day return, … Continue reading SpaceX launches Polaris Dawn crew

NASA is exploring the possibility of using commercial services for Mars exploration due to the high costs and challenges of sending missions to the Red Planet. The agency is considering buying services like imagery, transportation, and communications from private companies to reduce costs and enhance scientific research. This approach could enable more frequent and cost-effective missions. NASA’s Mars Exploration Program is currently conducting feasibility studies … Continue reading NASA charts path toward commercial services for Mars

On September 8, the European Space Agency (ESA) successfully deorbited the first Cluster satellite, “Salsa,” performing a controlled reentry over the South Pacific to minimize debris risks. This “targeted reentry” was a first, allowing ESA to precisely control the satellite’s reentry time and location, thanks to its highly elliptical orbit. The operation is part of ESA’s Zero Debris approach, aiming to eliminate space debris by … Continue reading ESA performs targeted reentry of Cluster satellite

A team led by Chris Martin at Caltech has used the Keck Cosmic Web Imager to capture the first detailed image of the gas halo surrounding a galaxy. This “shroud” extends 100,000 light years into space and contains up to 90% of the universe’s normal matter, primarily hydrogen and helium. The breakthrough was achieved using an ultra-faint spectrograph to observe a seemingly empty region of … Continue reading New measurements reveal the enormous halos that shroud all galaxies in the universe