Space.com Staff

On Oct. 4, 1957, the former Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik 1, the first human-made object to enter Earth's orbit.

See photos of Venus, a cloud-covered planet with an ultra-hot surface.

Feed and inspire a kid's thirst for space with these book picks by Space.com's writers and editors.

Here's your chance to have your astronomical questions answered by astrophysicist Joe Pesce in our Space.com Forums!

See photos of Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE, which is bright enough to spot with the naked eye, seen from Earth and space.

Here are Space.com writers' and editors' picks for photo collections and astrophotography books that will transport you to other worlds.

Here are Space.com writers' and editors' picks for spaceflight and space history books that dazzle.

Space.com's editors present a list of the astronomy books worth a read-through.

Europe's newest space truck will be named after science great Albert Einstein.

See photos of SpaceX's Demo-2 mission, the first crewed test flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station.

In January 2014, a team of scientists ventured to the Utah desert for a two-week Mars mission simulation. See what the mock Mars mission was like for SPACE.com contributor Elizabeth Howell.

See photos of the newly discovered Comet C/2020 F8 SWAN.

Astronauts drank recycled urine water to celebrate the working recycling system aboard the space station.

See photos of Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, and her iconic spaceflights.

See photos of Northrop Grumman's amazing Antares rocket launch that sent the Cygnus NG-13 spacecraft to the International Space station on Feb. 15, 2020.

Take a look at Solar Orbiter, a spacecraft launched Feb. 9, 2020, on a mission to observe the sun in incredible, scorching detail.

The astronauts of Expedition 61 have tackled some historic spacewalks at the International Space Station, including the first all-woman spacewalk and four of the most challenging spacewalks ever.