:focal(800x602:801x603)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/1d/10/1d10ad86-c334-457a-abae-b1a5bb02aa85/solar_orbiter_and_parker_solar_probe_web.jpg)
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 APLSpecial 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.
:focal(2106x1751:2107x1752)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/29/ff/29ffdb0a-21c3-4330-b46e-e5f4585848db/lenghu_observatory_licai_deng.jpg)
Why the Tibetan Plateau Might Be the Ideal Spot for the Telescope of the Future
A team in China has identified a location that could give the Eastern Hemisphere its first major observatory
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/e2/b1/e2b1ec8c-edab-4084-9771-c1ee2e556ecd/jwt-standingtall_image-credit-nasadesiree-stover_websocial.jpg)
The Five Big Ways the James Webb Telescope Will Help Astronomers Understand the Universe
The highly awaited observatory is set to break new ground in many areas of astronomical research
:focal(487x112:488x113)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/b1/1a/b11ab1b2-49f8-47a1-bcd6-944a0b940cd7/imagesvenus20191211venus20191211-16.jpg)
With Two New Missions, NASA Announces Return to Venus by 2030
The projects, DAVINCI+ and VERITAS, will explore the planet's past and Earth's similarities with its sister planet
:focal(588x320:589x321)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/40/3b/403b8ab8-a497-4961-b6a5-6c74194b7a77/futures_social.jpg)
From Floating Cities to Biodegradable Burial Pods and Flying Cars, the Smithsonian Envisions a Multitude of Futures
The Arts and Industries Building will reopen this November with a thought-provoking exploration of what lies ahead for humanity
Space Travel
:focal(750x500:751x501)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/31/eb/31ebdfc9-0df0-4f8b-9103-77d6dfdb4483/smithsonian_feature_images_15.png)
The BepiColombo mission, by the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, is only the third to study our smallest planetary neighbor
:focal(350x237:351x238)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/1a/72/1a72d8cc-970c-48cf-83f6-b16e605ff5c0/low-res_f26-plastic-cookies-hr.jpg)
A team of researchers programmed yeast to turn broken-down plastic and agricultural waste into sweet treats called µBites. They might come in handy during deep-space missions or in disaster zones, although some critics say the food is impractical
:focal(1920x1280:1921x1281)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/79/a9/79a9e04c-1860-4a1f-a292-60fe29cf44bc/3840px-venus_and_starlink_satellites.jpg)
By 2035, Reflect Orbital aims to launch up to 50,000 satellites equipped with mirrors to provide sunlight to Earth-based solar panels. Critics are concerned about impacts on wildlife, astronomy research and human health
:focal(640x366:641x367)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/57/11/571185ff-f5cd-4e40-88b6-844235ebc798/1280px-nasas_voyager_probe_speeds_through_space_artists_concept_pia26353.jpg)
Scientists swapped three of the probe’s heating devices for ones that use less energy, and they might do the same with Voyager 1. Both spacecraft launched almost 50 years ago
:focal(1500x643:1501x644)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/a6/97/a697ef66-129f-436e-ab62-74aa4a66d55d/hpbhqirbwaefbhu.jpeg)
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute captured before-and-after images of the impact site, and a telescope in Chile detected signs of the plume. However, no one was able to watch the collision live