Space Travel

Great Britain's John McFall (left) won a bronze medal at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.

The First Astronaut With a Disability Is a Paralympic Bronze Medalist

The European Space Agency selected John McFall, along with 16 others, as part of its latest class of astronaut candidates

NASA streamed the Orion spacecraft's approach of the moon Monday morning, with Earth visible in the background.

See the First Stunning Photos of the Earth and Moon From Artemis 1

The uncrewed Orion spacecraft is equipped with 16 cameras that have been documenting its journey through space

Marine biologist Mike Barnette and wreck diver Jimmy Gadomski explore a large segment of the Challenger Space Shuttle, which exploded in 1986. 

Divers Accidentally Find a Piece of the Challenger Space Shuttle

A documentary film crew stumbled across a section of the destroyed spacecraft that measures at least 15 by 15 feet

The dark patches on the image of the sun captured by  NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory are trio of coronal holes. 

NASA’s 'Smiling Sun' Image Is a Reminder of the Threat of Solar Wind

Coronal holes on the sun can release jets of charged particles that may interfere with Earth's atmosphere

E.T. looks out the window with Elliott (Henry Thomas) in a scene from the 1982 movie. 

Original 'E.T.' Mechatronic Model Could Fetch $3 Million at Auction

The metallic skeleton, created by special effects pro Carlo Rambaldi in 1981, features 85 movement points

An illustration of NASA's Perseverance rover approaching Mars

‘Conan the Bacterium’ Has What It Takes to Survive on Mars

After experiments here on Earth, researchers say some hardy microbes could endure hundreds of millions of years on the Red Planet

European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Matthias Maurer on a spacewalk outside the International Space Station

Tom Cruise Might Become the First Civilian to Spacewalk at the ISS

Universal is game to send Cruise into space for a proposed action film, but plans aren't official yet

The Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble Is Slowly Falling—and SpaceX Wants to Give It a Boost

NASA and SpaceX will jointly study whether the private company could lift the space telescope to a higher orbit

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

By scaling up the technology, NASA could allow future astronauts to breathe on the Red Planet

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

NASA’s historic return to the moon will begin when the rocket takes off from Florida

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

A mannequin that will orbit the moon is named for Arturo Campos, a Mexican-American electrical engineer who worked on several NASA missions

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

Eventually the station will allow astronauts to spend up to two months on the lunar surface

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

The Revolution in Moon Exploration

In a series of in-depth features, Smithsonian magazine reports on humanity’s renewed push to understand the moon.

Nichelle Nichols as Nyota Uhura in “Star Trek”

Nichelle Nichols, Pioneering 'Star Trek' Actress, Dies at 89

She made history as one of the first Black women to appear in a leading role on television

This mosaic depicts the International Space Station as pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour in November 2021.

Russia Says It Will Leave the International Space Station After 2024

The United States and Russia jointly built and now operate the station

Aldrin's Apollo 11 inflight coverall jacket

These Objects Tell the Story of Buzz Aldrin's Career

The astronaut is auctioning off his moon-landing jacket and other space gear

A Long March-3B carrier rocket blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on October 24, 2021. 

There Is a 10 Percent Chance Someone Will Die From Falling Rocket Debris in the Next Decade

Those in the Global South face an increased risk of getting hit by falling pieces, according to a new study

CAPSTONE is currently in low-Earth orbit and will take about four months to reach lunar orbit. (Pictured: An illustration of CAPSTONE)

NASA Launches CubeSat to Orbit the Moon

The CAPSTONE mission will help the agency plan upcoming lunar missions

Boeing's Ascent/Entry Suit (AES) design was drawn up by ILC Dover, an engineering development and manufacturing company based in Delaware.

Boeing Reveals New Space Suit Design for Starliner Missions

The snazzy outfit, unveiled at the Kennedy Space Center, is expected to be worn by astronauts starting in 2023

Boeing's Starliner as it prepared for launch at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida last week.

Boeing's Starliner Reaches the International Space Station

After two and a half years of issues, the spacecraft's successful arrival is an important next step in NASA's commercial crew program

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