The Polaris Dawn Spaceflight Was More Than Just a Billionaire Joyride
The most ambitious private spaceflight to date was a total success—and it blazed a trail for others to follow.
The Tiangong Space Station Makes China a Major Space Power
With the station's completion, the country now has a long-term platform in orbit.
Researchers Made Ultracold Quantum Bubbles on the Space Station
NASA’s Cold Atom Laboratory runs super-low-temperature experiments in near-zero gravity that would be impossible to accomplish on Earth.
How to Deal With Rocket Boosters and Other Giant Space Garbage
As an errant SpaceX rocket booster careens toward the moon, here are some of the ways space agencies and companies are trying to deal with huge pieces of debris.
The Next Big Challenge for Lunar Astronauts? Moon Dust
NASA is trying out sonic waves, electrostatic devices, and extra-slick coatings as ways to repel pesky space dirt.
NASA’s Lucy Mission Gets Ready to Fly by the Trojan Asteroids
The spacecraft will provide the first up-close look at these building blocks of the early solar system.
Satellites Can Help Detect When a Volcano’s About to Blow
Researchers used thermal radiation data to find patterns in recent eruptions—providing another metric to help get ahead of a potentially deadly blast.
NASA Gets a Quick Peek at a Mysterious Layer of the Sun
A new map of the chromosphere’s magnetic field could help us predict solar weather patterns—and anticipate flares that wreak havoc on the power grid.
SpaceX Is Going All In on Its South Texas Starport
New documents show the company has grand plans for its Boca Chica launch site, providing more evidence that Elon Musk is bullish on SpaceX's future there.
February’s Gonna Be a Big Month for Mars
On the 9th, the first of three spacecraft will arrive at the Red Planet and inaugurate a new era of Martian exploration.