Space Exploration - Part 2
117 reports
Automated Mini-Labs Expand Space Station Research With Less Crew Time
Redwire's ADvanced Space Experiment Processors (ADSEPs) are enabling the International Space Station to run complex biological and materials science experiments with minimal astronaut involvement, advancing pharmaceutical and fundamental research in microgravity
NASA Joins Artemis III Orion Crew and Service Modules for Lunar Mission
Technicians at Kennedy Space Center have integrated the Orion crew and service modules for Artemis III, a key milestone ahead of the mission to test lunar landing system rendezvous and docking in lunar orbit
NASA Faces Challenge of Toxic Dust for Future Mars Astronauts
NASA's Martian Dust Limit Working Group has reviewed the health risks posed by Mars dust, which contains carcinogenic silica and heavy metals, and is developing exposure standards and mitigation strategies for future crewed missions
NASA's Juno Mission Transformed Jupiter Science After 2011 Launch
NASA's Juno spacecraft, launched in 2011 on an Atlas V rocket, reached Jupiter in 2016 and has since delivered unprecedented data and images, reshaping our understanding of the giant planet's atmosphere, magnetic field, and moons
Curiosity Rover Detects Extensive Polygon Patterns in Martian Valley
NASA's Curiosity rover has imaged a vast field of honeycomb-like polygonal fractures in Mars' Valle Grande, raising new questions about the planet's surface processes and past water activity
SpaceX and Nvidia Plan Starmind AI1 Satellite for In-Orbit AI Processing
SpaceX and Nvidia have announced Starmind AI1, a satellite designed to run advanced AI workloads in low Earth orbit using Nvidia's latest space-grade processors, with ambitions for a vast orbital computing network
SpaceX Launches Three BlueBird Satellites for Direct-to-Cell Network
A Falcon 9 rocket is set to deploy three AST SpaceMobile BlueBird satellites from Cape Canaveral, expanding a low Earth orbit constellation designed to deliver broadband directly to standard smartphones.
NASA Invites Public to Identify August 2026 Satellite Image
NASA Earth Observatory has released a new satellite image challenge for August 2026, inviting the public to analyze a puzzling landform and submit their interpretations based on visible clues and scientific reasoning
NASA's PUNCH Mission Narrows Solar Storm Arrival Forecasts
NASA's PUNCH mission has enabled scientists to predict the arrival of a solar eruption near Earth with a margin of just 30 minutes, using continuous 3D imaging of coronal mass ejections as they travel through the inner solar system
NASA Tracks Falcon 9 Rocket Stage Ahead of Planned Lunar Impact
NASA and SpaceX are monitoring a spent Falcon 9 upper stage expected to strike the Moon near Einstein and Bell craters, using ground and space-based telescopes to gather data and refine tracking methods
Spirit Rover Data Reveals Widespread Ancient Water Activity on Mars
A new analysis of NASA's Spirit rover data has identified crystalline hematite and altered magnetite in Martian soil, supporting the view that liquid water once shaped large regions of Mars
Neptune's Inner Moons May Preserve Debris From Ancient Ice Worlds
Infrared observations from the James Webb Space Telescope reveal unexpected clay minerals on two small Neptunian moons, supporting a debris-origin scenario while leaving the fate of their original ice unresolved
Europa Clipper May Miss Ocean Water Rising Through Europa's Ice
Computer simulations suggest turbulent water rising through Europa's ice would freeze its pathways shut, making shallow surface pools poor indicators of the moon's buried ocean
How a Falcon 9 Upper Stage Ended Up Bound for the Moon
A Falcon 9 upper stage abandoned in a high Earth orbit is expected to hit the Moon on August 5, 2026, after gravity and solar activity gradually altered its trajectory
NASA's NavCube3-mini Heads to a Commercial Lunar Relay
NASA has handed a compact GNSS navigation payload to Intuitive Machines for installation on Altus-1, testing whether Earth-based positioning signals can support spacecraft operating near the Moon
Why Real Space Salvage Cannot Work Like Hardspace: Shipbreaker
Hardspace: Shipbreaker turns derelict spacecraft into profitable scrap, but ESA's ClearSpace-1 shows why real debris removal must avoid fragmentation, stabilize tumbling targets, and control reentry
Apollo 15's Moon Liftoff Became Television's First From Another World
On Aug. 2, 1971, Apollo 15 transmitted the first live television view of a spacecraft leaving the moon, using a rover-mounted camera that revealed both the mission's ingenuity and its limits
Stratolaunch's Talon-A passes 10-flight hypersonic milestone
Stratolaunch has completed more than 10 successful flights of its reusable Talon-A test vehicle, giving researchers a repeatable platform for examining materials, sensors and other technologies at speeds above Mach 5
Starship Captured on Video by a Starlink V3 Satellite
A camera-equipped Starlink V3 satellite recorded SpaceX's Starship upper stage after Flight 13, offering an unusual view of the vehicle's engines, thrusters and separation in space
NASA Tests Fire-Resistant Webbing for Moon and Mars Missions
NASA testing found that a natural gold-colored Kevlar(R) and PBI webbing met flammability criteria in a high-oxygen environment, though complete softgoods assemblies still require configuration and wear testing
NASA's Roman Telescope Will Carry 1.35 Million Names to L2
A memory card carrying 1,350,144 names has been mounted on NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope ahead of its planned launch to an orbit about one million miles from Earth
Apollo 15's Lunar Rover Turned Moonwalking Into Exploration
Apollo 15's Lunar Roving Vehicle gave astronauts their first way to travel extensively across the moon's surface, extending scientific exploration beyond the immediate landing site in July 1971
Playmobil's Space Sets Span Star Trek, Mars and ESA Missions
From a meter-long USS Enterprise to ESA-inspired lunar rovers and compact Mars vehicles, these 13 Playmobil sets turn space exploration into hands-on play across a wide range of ages and budgets
FAA Proposes Easing Environmental Rules for Commercial Space Launches
A new FAA proposal aims to accelerate commercial rocket launches and spacecraft reentries by waiving certain environmental regulations, raising questions about the balance between mission demand and environmental oversight
Galileo's 1610 Observation of Saturn's Rings Changed Planetary Science
In July 1610, Galileo Galilei used a newly invented telescope to observe Saturn, recording features that would later be identified as the planet's rings-a finding that reshaped our understanding of planetary systems
SpaceX Rocket Stage to Impact Moon, Raising New Scientific Questions
A spent SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage is set to collide with the lunar surface on August 5, offering researchers a rare opportunity to observe the effects of artificial impacts on the Moon using telescopes and orbital instruments
July's Buck Moon Captured Worldwide Amid Wildfires and Atmospheric Haze
Astronomers and photographers documented the July Buck Moon on July 29, 2026, as it rose through wildfire smoke and atmospheric haze, producing striking images across multiple continents and urban skylines
NASA Prepares Roman Space Telescope for Early Launch to L2 Orbit
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set for launch on August 30, aiming to deliver wide-field infrared surveys and exoplanet imaging from a stable orbit beyond the Moon
NASA Funds 18 Early-Stage Space Technology Concepts for 2026
NASA has selected 18 new Phase I projects under its Innovative Advanced Concepts program, providing $3.2 million to support early-stage studies of technologies for future space exploration and astrophysics missions
Chinese Long March 3B Rocket Struck by Lightning Survives Launch
A Long March 3B rocket was hit by lightning seconds after liftoff from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, yet continued its ascent and successfully deployed a geostationary relay satellite to support China's Tiangong space station
Part 2 of 4