Space Exploration

Latest about Space Exploration

a wooden podium displaying four black pebbles inside a clear lucite ball and a green, white and orange flag

Ireland's lost Apollo 11 moon rock traced from basement to fire in documents

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

New details about the small pieces of the moon gifted by the United States to Ireland in 1970 have now been unearthed. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Apollo 11 lunar samples.

Apollo
a triple-core rocket blasts off under a sunny, partly cloudy blue sky. smoke expands below next to an obscured launch tower, near a long white hanger with SPACEX written on the side. To the left, a bird flies away.

Rocket launch today: Is there a rocket launch and what time?

By Tariq Malik last updated

Follow Space.com's rocket launch blog for the latest on when the next rocket launch will be and how to follow it live.

Launches & Spacecraft
After NASA’s Orion spacecraft was recovered at the conclusion of the Artemis 1 test flight and transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, its heat shield was removed from the crew module inside the Operations and Checkout Building and rotated for inspection.

NASA's Orion crew capsule had heat shield issues during Artemis 1 − an aerospace expert weighs in (op-ed)

By Marcos Fernandez Tous published

Issues with the Orion spacecraft's heat shield on Artemis 1 have delayed the next mission, Artemis 2. So what happened?

Artemis
A mosaic of images showing auroras, a solar eclipse and SpaceX's Starship rocket catch

Auroras, solar eclipse, Starship – 3 space stories make Google's Breakout Searches of 2024 (video)

By Meredith Garofalo published

Google's "Year in Search 2024" compilation is out, and three space stories this year made the list.

Space Exploration
closeup of a huge silver rocket flying through a blue sky

Will 2025 be the year of Starship? SpaceX's megarocket is growing up.

By Mike Wall published

SpaceX could make serious strides with its Starship vehicle in 2025, perhaps launching 25 test flights of the fully reusable megarocket.

Private Spaceflight

On this day in space! Dec. 31, 2004: Cassini Spacecraft Flies by Iapetus

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

On Dec. 31, 2004, NASA's Cassini spacecraft flew by Iapetus, Saturn’s third largest moon.

Space Shuttle
a black and white rocket launches into the night sky from a launch pad in Florida

SpaceX's last launch of 2024 puts Starlink satellites into orbit (video)

By Robert Z. Pearlman last updated

SpaceX launched its last mission of 2024 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida on New Year's Eve.

Launches & Spacecraft
An Indian Space Research Organisation PSLV rocket launches the two satellites of the Space Docking Experiment mission into orbit from Satish Dhawan Space Center in India on Dec. 30, 2024.

India launches 2 SpaDeX satellites on ambitious space docking test for future moon mission, space station

By Tariq Malik last updated

The SpaDeX mission will attempt India's first-ever autonomous docking in space.

Launches & Spacecraft
artist's rendering of a large solar array under construction on the moon

New flexible 'metamaterial' inspired by nature could help us build shapeshifting space habitats and telescopes

By Paul Sutter published

Researchers have designed a flexible material that could pave the way for the development of adaptable space structures.

Tech
a person sits on the grass looking up at a starry night sky

Understanding UFOs: What has to happen in 2025 to move the UAP story forward?

By Leonard David published

What should happen in 2025 to move the UAP/UFO story forward? Are we at a dead-end? Conversely, is the coming year one of "full disclosure?"

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