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Space Travel

During a training exercise in Houston in January 2025, the Artemis 2 crew practiced configuring the Orion spacecraft for orbit and its return to Earth.

The Revolution in Moon Exploration

It’s Almost ‘All Systems Go’ for Artemis 2 to Take the Next Giant Leap Toward Stepping on the Moon Again

Scheduled to launch this week, NASA’s Artemis 2 is part of the bold 21st-century vision for returning astronauts to the lunar surface

Astronauts Neil Armstrong (left) and David Scott (right) greet well-wishers at Naha Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, shortly after the Gemini 8 spacecraft spun out of control.

These Never-Before-Seen Photos Show Astronaut Neil Armstrong Relaxed and Smiling After He Almost Died in the Gemini 8 Emergency

Few members of the media were at the unexpected arrival site. Military police officer Ron McQueeney was one of the few photographers who documented the occasion

Mars' surface as captured by NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter in 2023. The agency's new Mars helicopters will be modeled on this device.

NASA Aims to Launch the World’s First Planet-Hopping Spacecraft Powered by Nuclear Fission

The agency wants the mission to head to Mars by the end of 2028

The mice spent about a month aboard the International Space Station.

These Space-Faring Mice Are Helping Scientists Figure Out How to Keep Astronauts’ Muscles Working Properly

A new study suggests a gravity threshold for maintaining muscle function

Some scientists suspect that microorganisms can hop between planets by jumping aboard debris kicked up by asteroid strikes.

Could Life on Earth Have Descended From Microbes That Traveled From Mars Long Ago?

Scientists demonstrated that an Earthly extremophile might withstand being ejected from the Red Planet on debris spewed into space due to an asteroid strike

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and other officials announced major changes to the Artemis program.

Why NASA’s Artemis 3 Mission Isn’t Sending Astronauts to the Moon Anymore

The mission’s goals have changed, and Artemis 4 will be the first lunar landing attempt. Four missions are tentatively scheduled within the next three years

Starliner leaving the ISS in September 2024. 

NASA Report Reveals the Failures That Left Two Astronauts ‘Stranded’ on the International Space Station

NASA’s administrator blames both the agency and Boeing for Starliner’s infamous problems

Luna 9's landing was a pivotal moment in history.

Scientists Say They May Have Found a Long-Lost Lunar Lander—the First to Successfully Touch Down on the Moon 60 Years Ago

Data from a NASA lunar orbiter has helped researchers deduce two potential locations for a defunct Soviet spacecraft called Luna 9

Shenzhou-15 spacecraft debris streaked across the sky above California in April 2024. 

Sonic Booms and Earthquake Sensors Can Help Researchers Track Space Junk as It Plummets to Earth

Falling debris can travel at about 30 times the speed of sound, creating sonic booms that shake the ground

An artistic illustration of the MAVEN orbiter and Mars

NASA to Resume Search for Missing Mars Orbiter, but Prospects of Re-establishing Communication With It Seem Slim

Scientists haven’t heard from the MAVEN orbiter since December 6. It had been studying the Martian atmosphere for over a decade

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide

Spaceflight Temporarily Changes the Position and Shape of Astronauts’ Brains, MRI Data Suggests

The biggest changes happen in brain regions involved with processing sensory information and coordinating movement, according to a new study

Humans have continuously lived and worked aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since November 2000.

NASA to Bring ISS Crew Home Early Because of an Astronaut’s Health Issue, Marking the First Medical Evacuation of the Spacecraft

The unnamed crew member is in stable condition after an undisclosed incident on Wednesday, but the agency is bringing them back to Earth for medical testing

Michaela "Michi" Benthaus in the center with her five crewmates

This Aerospace Engineer Just Became the First Wheelchair User to Travel to Space

A brief commercial flight with space tourism company Blue Origin made Michaela “Michi” Benthaus’ childhood dream come true

Time passes by faster on Mars than on Earth.

How to Keep Time on Mars: Clocks on the Red Planet Would Tick a Bit Differently Than Those on Earth

On average, Martian time ticks roughly 477 millionths of a second faster than terrestrial clocks per Earth day. But the Red Planet’s elongated orbit causes the time difference to vary as Mars travels around the sun

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The Astronomical Problem of Space Junk

Chunks of satellites and pieces of debris falling from space are causing trouble down here on Earth

The moss spores germinated after enduring space outside of the ISS.

Moss Spores Survived Nine Months Outside the International Space Station. Then, They Grew Normally on Earth

While lunar gardens are still out of reach, the study sheds more light on terrestrial biology that may not be limited to our planet’s surface

The mysterious object found in Western Australia may be part of a Chinese rocket, experts suggest.

Cool Finds

Miners Discovered a Mysterious Smoking Object in Western Australia. Experts Think It’s Likely Unexpected Space Debris

Some theorize that it’s a piece of a rocket—and part of a growing pile of orbiting space junk

SpaceX's Starship test flight launches from Texas.

SpaceX Successfully Launches Giant Starship Rocket’s 11th Test Flight

The company will soon begin testing the third version of its rocket

A coronal mass ejection erupts from the sun in 2013.

How Prepared Are We for a Rare and Powerful Solar Event?

A coronal mass ejection could knock out power and disrupt communication on Earth

Jim Lovell while training for the Apollo 13 mission

Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 Commander Who Thrived Under Pressure, Dies at 97

The space explorer was determined throughout his life, says Teasel Muir-Harmony, the curator of the Apollo Collection at the National Air and Space Museum

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