Special Report

Future of Space Exploration

From groundbreaking launches of new telescopes to missions to the sun and other planets, Smithsonian Magazine details upcoming efforts to understand the universe.

An artist's concept of the ESA's Solar Orbiter and NASA's Parker Solar Probe as they undertake missions to explore the sun

Solar Orbiter: ESA / ATG medialab; Parker Solar Probe: NASA / Johns Hopkins APL

Construction of multiple telescopes has begun on Saishiteng Mountain—near the town of Lenghu in the Qinghai province of China. The site could be China’s first major observatory, on par with those in Hawaii, Chile, and the Canary Islands.

Why the Tibetan Plateau Might Be the Ideal Spot for the Telescope of the Future

Webb’s 18 mirror segments can lock into the largest telescopic mirror humankind has ever built.

The Five Big Ways the James Webb Telescope Will Help Astronomers Understand the Universe

This will be the first NASA mission to Venus since 1990.

With Two New Missions, NASA Announces Return to Venus by 2030

Artist's rendering of

AT THE SMITHSONIAN

From Floating Cities to Biodegradable Burial Pods and Flying Cars, the Smithsonian Envisions a Multitude of Futures

Space Travel

Members of NASA's Mars 2020 project lower the oxygen-producing instrument, called MOXIE, into the Perseverance Mars Rover in March 2019.

A Lunchbox-Sized Device Is Making Oxygen on Mars

The Space Launch System Rocket on the pad on August 17

Artemis 1 Launch Postponed Again and What Else You Need to Know About the Mission

Carlyn Kranking

A mannequin named after Arturo Campos is headed into space on NASA's now-postponed Artemis 1 mission.

How Artemis 1 Honors an Apollo 13 Hero—and a Champion for Diversity in Space

An artist’s rendering of astronauts working near NASA’s Artemis base camp, complete with a rover and RV.

Four Things We’ve Learned About NASA’s Planned Base Camp on the Moon

An illustration of a suited astronaut looking out of a Moon lander hatch across the lunar surface.

The Revolution in Moon Exploration

Smithsonian magazine