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Space Travel

The three-foot-tall model has an aluminum skeleton covered in latex, foam, straw, acrylic paint and adhesive.

The Body Model Used During a Famous Scene in ‘E.T.’ Is Heading to Auction

Created by Italian special effects designer Carlo Rambaldi, the three-foot-tall prop can be seen in the film hiding among stuffed animals in 10-year-old Elliott’s closet

The Fram2 mission captured this view of polar ice from orbit.

Four Civilian Astronauts Capture Imagery of Earth’s Icy Poles on Fram2, the First Crewed Mission to Polar Orbit

The mission, funded and commanded by a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, was launched by SpaceX on Monday and has grabbed headlines for its flight path

Spectrum launched from the Andøya Space Center in Norway before plumetting into the icy sea.

First Orbital Rocket Launched From Western Europe Crashes Into Sea After Roughly 30-Second Flight

Isar Aerospace, the company behind the rocket, is still heralding the launch as a success due to the data it provided

For the first time, the "Mission MushVroom" experiment on SpaceX's Fram2 mission will attempt to grow mushrooms in space.

SpaceX Astronauts Will Try Growing the First Mushrooms in Space on Upcoming Fram2 Mission Over Earth’s Poles

Described as the “perfect space crop,” the nutritious and ready-to-eat fungus could be a key stepping stone toward fueling crew members during long-term spaceflight

How do space programs get their names?

How Do Space Programs Get Their Names? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

The Crew-9 members—Butch Wimore, Nick Hague, and Suni Williams of NASA and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov—stand inside the vestibule between the ISS and their spacecraft on February 19.

After Nine Months in Space, the Starliner Astronauts Are Finally Coming Home. Here’s How to Watch Live

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are making a 17-hour journey from the International Space Station and will splash down near Florida this evening

A "diamond ring" appears around the Earth, as seen by the Blue Ghost lander on the moon.

See Last Week’s Stunning Eclipse From the Moon in Photos Captured by the Blue Ghost Lander, Now at the End of Its Mission

The spacecraft carried out the longest commercial operation on the moon to date—and also made history during its rare chance to document this celestial event

Astronaut Ed White conducts the first U.S. spacewalk on June 3, 1965

Two Trailblazing Spacewalks in 1965 Opened the Door to Decades of Astronauts Pushing the Limits of Their Capabilities

Since those early steps, extravehicular activity has helped provide the solutions to many problems that astronauts face in space

The two astronauts have been helping with ongoing research and maintenance, assisting with experiments on everything from space agriculture to physical health studies in microgravity.

Why NASA and SpaceX’s Mission to Relieve Starliner Astronauts Is Delayed Again

After an unexpected nine months in orbit, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are waiting for the arrival of Crew-10 before they head home. That launch is now expected for Friday

The new SPHEREx telescope and PUNCH satellites took off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on March 11.

NASA’s New Space Telescope Launches to Explore the Origins of the Universe After a Series of Delays

Called SPHEREx, the instrument will map 450 million galaxies and search for water molecules that may be clinging to space dust

Researchers used a miniaturized laser mass spectrometer to identify signs of fossils in a gypsum quarry in Algeria. They suggest the same tool could find early fossils on Mars.

Scientists Hope This Tool Could Identify Tiny Fossils on Mars, Revealing Hints to Potential Early Life on the Planet

If Mars ever hosted microorganisms in its bygone oceans, their fossils might still be preserved in minerals—and now, we have a new potential way to find them

Blue Ghost captured its first lunar sunrise, marking the beginning of its operations.

See the Striking New Images From the Blue Ghost Lunar Lander, Now the Second Private Spacecraft to Touch Down on the Moon

Firefly Aerospace’s lander reached lunar soil early Sunday morning, after a 2.8-million-mile journey lasting 45 days

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Aki Hoshide uses a vacuum cleaner aboard the ISS. A new study suggests the space station's sterility may be harmful to astronauts' health.

Is the ISS Too Clean for Astronauts’ Health? New Study Finds the Space Station Lacks Microbial Diversity

Humans have evolved alongside microbes in Earth’s environment that help strengthen our immune systems. But sterile living conditions can reduce that beneficial exposure

Athena launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday.

Athena Spacecraft Launches to the Moon, as Intuitive Machines Aims for Historic Second Lunar Landing

The American company achieved the first successful moon landing by a private spacecraft last year. Now, it has sent a new mission to the south pole, carrying science instruments for NASA

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches on November 18, 2024. Debris that recently landed in Europe came from a Falcon 9 launch this month.

SpaceX Rocket Stage Burns Up Over Europe and Crashes in Poland, While Blue Origin Debris Washes Ashore in the Bahamas

The SpaceX rocket failed to deorbit properly, and the Blue Origin debris had already landed as planned in the ocean

European Space Agency astronaut John McFall tests his prosthesis fit in simulated microgravity.

The World’s First Astronaut With a Physical Disability Is Cleared for Long-Duration Space Missions

Paralympian John McFall has passed all the required medical exams and is now eligible for future travel to the ISS with the European Space Agency

Apollo Lunar Sample Container No. 1008, triple-sealed, in which the Apollo 12 astronauts transported invaluable samples of moon back to Earth.

The Otherwise Unremarkable ‘Rock Boxes’ That Brought Pieces of the Moon Back to Earth

Far from ordinary, it took a cutting-edge NASA design to safeguard these treasures during the Apollo missions

Are humans the only species to drive another to extinction?

Are Humans the Only Species to Drive Others to Extinction? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

Blue Ghost captured an Earth "selfie" from its orbit.

See the First Stunning Images Taken by the Blue Ghost Lunar Lander on Its ‘Scenic Route’ to the Moon

The lander built by Firefly Aerospace has captured incredible views as it orbits Earth. Its next phase is an engine burn that will propel it toward lunar orbit

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams in June 2024. The duo took their first spacewalk together on January 30, 2025.

NASA’s Starliner Astronauts Take Their First Spacewalk Together After Roughly Eight Months on the ISS

The nearly 5.5-hour feat set a record for astronaut Sunita Williams, who became the woman with the most time spent on spacewalks in history

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