Space Exploration

Latest about Space Exploration

An artist's illustration of NASA's Explorer 16 satellite, which launched on Dec. 16, 1962 to study the micrometeoroid environment in space.

On this day in space! Dec. 16, 1962: NASA launches 1st meteoroid mission, Explorer 16

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

On Dec. 16, 1962, NASA launched the Explorer 16 spacecraft to study micrometeoroids near Earth.

Space Shuttle
Polaris Dawn commander Jared Isaacman.

Who is Jared Isaacman, Trump's pick for NASA chief?

By Andrew Jones published

Donald Trump has nominated billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. What do we know about the potential next administrator of America’s space agency?

Private Spaceflight

There's a weird, disappearing dark spot on Saturn's moon Enceladus

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Enceladus' ice plumes might be the reason why a dark spot on the moon is disappearing. But what is the spot in the first place?

Search for Life
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 22 Starlink internet satellites to orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Dec. 13, 2024.

SpaceX launches 22 Starlink internet satellites from California, lands rocket at sea (video)

By Mike Wall last updated

SpaceX launched 22 more of its Starlink internet satellites from California's central coast on Friday (Dec. 13).

Launches & Spacecraft
through an oval window, thousands of stars and several wispy clouds of light can be seen above a round, green blur of light with a thin red upper layer

NASA astronaut uses homemade star tracker to take incredible deep space photo from ISS

By Stefanie Waldek published

NASA astronaut Don Pettit's latest photography from the International Space Station showcases not only his visual prowess, but also his engineering skills.

International Space Station
a black bellied chrome spaceship stands on a concrete pad with a winding creek giving way to a sunset in the distance.

SpaceX rolls 7th Starship spacecraft out for testing ahead of next launch (photos)

By Josh Dinner published

SpaceX has readied its next Starship vehicle for testing ahead of the megarocket's 7th test flight.

Launches & Spacecraft
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 24 Starlink internet satellites to orbit from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Nov. 26, 2024. It was the 400th successful Falcon 9 mission.

SpaceX launching mysterious RRT-1 mission today after delay

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX plans to launch the mysterious RRT-1 mission from Florida's Space Coast today (Dec. 16), after high winds scuttled a previous attempt.

Launches & Spacecraft
All About Space issue 130 take a look at chaos theory.

Extraterrestrial life may look nothing like life on Earth − so astrobiologists are coming up with a framework to study how complex systems evolve

By Chris Impey published

We have only one example of biology forming in the universe – life on Earth. But what if life can form in other ways?

Search for Life
Artist's illustration of space junk orbiting Earth.

'Tragedy of the commons' in space: We need to act now to prevent an orbital debris crisis, scientists say

By Mike Wall published

Humanity needs to address the growing space junk problem now, before it gets completely out of hand, scientists stress.

Satellites
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its right-front navigation camera to capture this first view over the rim of Jezero Crater on Dec. 10, 2024, the 1,354th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The camera is facing west from a location nicknamed “Lookout Hill."

Up and over! NASA's Mars rover Perseverance reaches rim of its Jezero Crater home (video)

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Perseverance rover has summited the rim of Mars' Jezero Crater, a climb of 1,640 vertical feet that took about 3.5 months.

Mars Rovers
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