Space Exploration - Part 3
161 reports
Long March 7A Rocket Explodes 85 Seconds After Launch in China
A Long March 7A rocket carrying the Zhongxing-4B satellite exploded less than two minutes after liftoff from Wenchang, raising questions about the reliability of China's medium-lift launch vehicles and the impact on future missions
NASA Expands Student Access to Space Missions and STEM Careers
NASA is opening new opportunities for students to participate in authentic mission experiences, technical career exploration, and citizen science, as the agency prepares for major launches and ongoing lunar and space station operations
Pluto's Atmosphere Shows Signs of Collapse as It Moves Away from the Sun
Astronomers tracking Pluto's atmosphere with stellar occultation techniques report a measurable drop in atmospheric pressure, suggesting the dwarf planet's nitrogen-rich envelope is beginning to freeze out as Pluto recedes from the Sun
Luna 24's 1976 Moon Sample Return Marked End of Soviet Lunar Missions
On August 9, 1976, the Soviet Luna 24 probe launched from Baikonur, aiming to collect and return lunar soil. The mission's samples revealed traces of water and closed a chapter in robotic Moon exploration.
Crescent Moon and Mars Align Over Taurus Before Dawn on August 9
Observers in the Northern Hemisphere will see the crescent Moon pass close to Mars in the constellation Taurus before sunrise on August 9, offering a preview of the winter starscape and a rare opportunity for binocular viewing.
Sky-Watcher SolarQuest Mount Tracks the Sun for Solar Observing
The Sky-Watcher SolarQuest mount uses GPS and a solar sensor to automatically locate and track the Sun, offering a streamlined solution for small solar telescopes and eclipse viewing with minimal manual adjustment
SpaceX Outlines Plan for Robotic Factories on the Moon
SpaceX has detailed its intention to construct automated factories on the lunar surface, aiming to use robots for manufacturing satellites and key components, as discussed during the company's first quarterly earnings call as a public company
NASA Schedules Hyperwall Science Talks for IGARSS 2026 in Vienna
NASA will present a series of Hyperwall science talks at IGARSS 2026, featuring mission updates and instrument demonstrations from Earth and planetary science experts in the exhibit hall
Landspace Schedules Second Zhuque-3 Rocket Landing Attempt for August 10
Chinese launch company Landspace plans a renewed attempt to recover its Zhuque-3 orbital rocket booster, targeting liftoff and powered landing from Jiuquan spaceport on August 10 following a previous failed recovery in 2025
NASA's SkyFall Mars Helicopters to Map Subsurface Ice with Flexible Radar
NASA's upcoming SkyFall mission will deploy three mini helicopters to Mars, each equipped with lightweight, flexible radar antennas designed to detect shallow subsurface ice deposits inaccessible to orbiting spacecraft
NASA's IXPE Observes Magnetar and Tests Quantum Vacuum Theory
NASA's IXPE telescope spent over 140 hours observing magnetar 1E 1547-5408, collecting X-ray polarization data that may reveal how empty space behaves in extreme magnetic fields
NASA Extends Voyager 2 Science With Power-Saving Maneuver
NASA engineers have implemented a new power management strategy on Voyager 2, allowing the spacecraft to continue collecting scientific data for at least another year as its nuclear power source declines
NASA Astronauts Complete Spacewalk to Prepare ISS for Solar Array Upgrade
NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon spent 6.5 hours outside the International Space Station installing the final mounting hardware for new roll-out solar arrays, a step toward boosting the station's power supply later this year
Perseverance Rover Captures Earth Passing Behind Mars' Moon Phobos
NASA's Perseverance rover has recorded a rare occultation event, imaging Earth as it briefly disappeared behind Mars' innermost moon Phobos using its Mastcam-Z camera system
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
Part 3 of 6