Space Exploration

Latest about Space Exploration

an astronaut in the foreground on the right looks at a clipboard checklist as her underlings in the background maneuver turquoise machinery to move supplies around the lunar surface. A starry sky and the Earth hang above a horizon that rolls over a moon hangar.

NASA just gave these 9 companies $24 million to dream up Artemis moon mission tech

By Julian Dossett published

A bevy of space companies will lend a hand to NASA's moon goals under new contracts centered around the agency's upcoming Artemis missions.

Artemis
HTC Vive XR Elite headset on a purple background with a 'Space Deals' badge

Save $300 on the VIVE XR Elite, one of the best VR headsets on the market

By Kimberley Snaith published

Deals In this unmissable VR deal, the VIVE XR Elite can be yours for just $800, a $300 saving on its $1100 MSRP.

Deals
Artist's illustration of Atmos Space Cargo's hardware in Earth orbit.

German company Atmos launching 1st cargo-return capsule on upcoming SpaceX mission

By Mike Wall published

Atmos Space Cargo will fly its first Phoenix cargo-return capsule on SpaceX's Bandwagon 3 rideshare mission, which is scheduled to launch this spring.

Tech
On Feb. 6, 1971, Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard became the first person to play golf on the moon. He smuggled a makeshift golf club head onto the spacecraft inside a sock. The first ball he hit veered into a nearby crater, but with a solid second swing, the next ball soared for miles and miles and miles in the moon’s microgravity. Here, Shepard stands by the Modular Equipment Transporter, a cart for lugging equipment on the lunar surface.

On this day in space! Feb. 5, 1971: Apollo 14 lands on the moon

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

On Feb. 5, 1971, two Apollo 14 astronauts landed on the moon!

Space Shuttle
NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg images her eye with a fundoscope (an instrument used to examine the inner eye) aboard the International Space Station during the Expedition 37 mission in 2013.

Astronauts on the ISS experience vision changes — should Mars travelers be worried?

By Victoria Corless published

Scientists are trying to find a solution to microgravity-induced vision changes to ensure future long-duration space travelers remain in healthy condition.

Human Spaceflight
The first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket heads back to Earth for a landing on Feb. 4, 2025 (left), while the upper stage (right) carries Maxar Technologies' WorldView Legion 5 and 6 satellites to orbit.

SpaceX launches 2 Maxar Earth-observing satellites to orbit (video, photos)

By Mike Wall last updated

SpaceX launched two Earth-imaging satellites today (Feb. 4), further building out Maxar Technologies' sharp-eyed WorldView Legion constellation.

Launches & Spacecraft

Hubble Space Telescope spots a spectacular Bullseye in deep space (image)

By Victoria Corless published

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope spotted a cosmic Bullseye galaxy, revealing evidence of a rare kind of galactic collision.

Hubble Space Telescope
a gold-foil-covered cube-shaped satellite with a white panel and dual three-paneled solar panels floats in black space high above the grey rocky curve of the moon.

SpaceX to launch water-hunting moon probe 'Lunar Trailblazer' on Feb. 26

By Leonard David published

NASA's Lunar Trailblazer probe has made it to Florida's Cape Canaveral to prep for its launch to the moon, which could occur as soon as Feb. 26.

Satellites
a four-wheeled robot in a cleanroom under UV lights

VIPER back from the dead? NASA asks US companies to partner on ice-hunting moon rover

By Mike Wall published

NASA is asking U.S. companies for proposals to move forward with the ice-hunting VIPER moon rover, a $450 million project the agency canceled last summer.

Moon Rovers
a squat white rocket with a domed top lifts off from the desert floor

Blue Origin mimics moon gravity on 1st-of-its-kind New Shepard research rocket launch (video)

By Mike Wall published

Jeff Bezos' spaceflight company Blue Origin simulated lunar gravity conditions today (Feb. 4) during the 29th launch of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle.

Human Spaceflight
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