Space & Spaceflight

Watch ISON Edge Ever Closer to the Sun (Updated)

Comet ISON is inching ever closer to the Sun, and it’ll get incredibly close later on today. In the meantime, though, you can watch its most recent progress in this video from NASA. In the early hours of Nov. 27, 2013, Comet ISON entered the field of view of the European Space Agency/NASA Solar and…

Space & Spaceflight Jamie Condliffe Nov 28

Watch a SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Blast Off Right Here, Right Now (Update: Nope)

In about 15 minutes At some point soon, hopefully, SpaceX is going fire off a redesigned Falcon 9 rocket with a commercial satellite attached. According to USA Today, it’s the first such launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida in four years. Watch all the action in the embedded video below. It’s going to be fiery, fast,…

Space & Spaceflight Mario Aguilar Nov 25

Watch All 37,000 of Herschel’s Scientific Observations in One Go

From its launch in 2009, the European Space Agency’s Herschel Space Observatory was a busy little satellite. Over its lifetime it made over 37, 000 scientific observations—and this video shows them all, condensed into less than one minute. Created by Pedro Gómez-Alvarez in the Herschel Science Centre Community Support Group, the animation runs from the…

Space & Spaceflight Jamie Condliffe Nov 25

Here’s Your Chance to Own a Piece of the Space Race

For as much as Richard Branson would like to convince us otherwise, regular folks like us have precious little chance of ever leaving the comfort of Earth’s atmosphere and venturing into space. But that doesn’t mean you can’t own an item that already has. Today is the final day to bid on more than 890…

Space & Spaceflight Andrew Tarantola Nov 21

The ISS, Earth’s Ultimate Outpost, Turns 15 Today

Where were you when the ISS launched its first module in November of 1998? Some of us watched, others were in school, still other weren’t even alive yet. Either way, it’s hard to believe that today is the International Space Station—the largest cooperative science project ever—is celebrating its 15h birthday today. The first crew to…

Space & Spaceflight Attila Nagy Nov 20

10 Glorious Shots of Last Night’s Rocket Launch, Taken By You

The Sequester-delayed satellite-toting rocket, Minotaur 1, soared off into space at around 8pm last night, giving much of the East Coast a brief-but-awesome light show. We asked you to upload your best shots, and there were a few gems to be found by the end of the night. Check five of them out below—we also…

Space & Spaceflight Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan Nov 20

What Are These Boxes Doing Floating Through Space?

This might look like the start of a scene from Gravity, but you’re actually looking at three nanosatellites—known as Cubesats—which have just been released in space. They were deployed from a Small Satellite Orbital Deployer attached to the Kibo laboratory’s robotic arm aboard the ISS. CubeSats are cute little things: they have a volume of…

Space & Spaceflight Jamie Condliffe Nov 20

When and Where To Watch Tonight’s Minotaur Rocket Launch

Twenty-nine tiny satellites are tightening their seat belts as they prepare to be launched into space aboard the Minotaur 1 rocket this evening. According to Space.com, the launch will create a “spectacular sight” for a huge swath of the East Coast. Where should you peep it? https://gizmodo.com/first-satellite-built-by-high-school-kids-is-heading-to-1467640783 The Minotaur 1 will be setting off from…

Space & Spaceflight Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan Nov 19

First Satellite Built by High School Kids Is Heading to Space Tonight

Your coolest high school science project probably involved some baking soda and a paper mâché volcano, right? A little chemical reaction and a big mess? Well, kids these days are smarter than you. They’re building satellites and sending them to space. Students from the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia,…

Space & Spaceflight Adam Clark Estes Nov 19

My Breathtaking Ride From Earth to the International Space Station

The rumble of power just got stronger and more insistent as we heard the countdown in Russian through our headsets and then, “Pusk.” Liftoff. It was a very different sensation than my two Shuttle launches, much more gradual and linear as the vehicle burned off enough fuel to lighten for liftoff. The initial acceleration didn’t…

Space & Spaceflight Col. Chris Hadfield Nov 18

The Red Planet’s Deep Valleys in Kaleidoscopic Color

Do not adjust your monitor: Mars hasn’t really been given a rainbow paint job. In fact, this image is a color-coded topography showing the heights and depths of the planet’s Ismeniae Fossae region. In the image, white and red show the highest terrains, while blue and purple show the deepest. Imaged by the High Resolution…

Space & Spaceflight Jamie Condliffe Nov 18

This Photo From Space Makes Earth Look Like an Oil Painting

Astronaut Mike Hopkins tweeted this picture last night, taken from the International Space Station. Pretty cool, huh? It looks more like an oil painting of a tiger than the surface of what we call a “blue” planet. Just more proof that everything looks cooler from space. https://gizmodo.com/even-the-sunrise-is-out-of-this-world-on-the-iss-1461586226

Space & Spaceflight Bob Sorokanich Nov 16

Geordi La Forge Explains NASA’s MAVEN Mission to Mars

After narrowly avoiding the chopping block during the recent government shutdown, NASA’s upcoming MAVEN mission is finally a go for launch on Monday, barring any technical or weather setbacks. Before then, take a moment as Reading Rainbow host and Star Trek: TNG staple LeVar Burton explains exactly what the interplanetary orbiter is in for. https://gizmodo.com/nasas-maven-mission-spared-cancellation-despite-govern-1441062739…

Space & Spaceflight Andrew Tarantola Nov 15

This Is What the Hottest Place on Earth Looks Like

You’re looking at a satellite image of the Dasht-e Lut salt desert in southeast Iran. If you think it looks a bit weird, that’ because it is: it’s widely regarded as the hottest place on Earth. The highest land surface temperature ever recorded—from space, by satellites—was in the Lut Desert back in 2005. It reached…

Space & Spaceflight Jamie Condliffe Nov 15

How a Superconducting Camera Could Revolutionize Astrophysics

Over the past four decades, the field of astrophysics has enjoyed a pair of massive technological advances. First, we jumped from archaic photographic plates that relied on chemical emulsions to charge couple devices (CCDs). Now, the transition from CCDs to hyperspectral imaging devices that utilize exotic superconducting materials could change how we see the stars…

Space & Spaceflight Andrew Tarantola Nov 14

NASA’s Robonaut Is Getting Some Weird-Looking Legs

NASA’s Robonaut spacefaring robot has already taken over a fair few of the ISS crew members’ more menial tasks, and next year it’s going to get even more useful, as NASA kit the guy out with a pair of giant legs. Where was this guy when Sandra Bullock needed him? Going bipedal in early 2014,…

Space & Spaceflight Gerald Lynch - Gizmodo UK Nov 11

Typhoon Haiyan Even Looks Terrifying From 22,000 Miles Away

Haiyan was probably the strongest recorded typhoon to ever make landfall when it crashed through the Philippines on November 8th—and it looks just as intimidating from 22,000 miles away. https://gizmodo.com/super-typhon-haiyan-just-broke-all-scientific-intensity-1460295415 This image, captured by the Japan Meteorological Agency and EUMETSAT, shows the storm as it raged. You can see the lights of the Philippines peep…

Space & Spaceflight Jamie Condliffe Nov 9

A Mind-Boggling Display of Earth-Like Planets

Kepler keeps finding more and more potentially habitable planets in our Universe—and it turns out that looking at them can be just as perplexing as thinking about them. https://gizmodo.com/one-in-five-sun-like-stars-have-earth-size-planets-in-h-1458356751 This video, by New Scientist, is a dizzying display of all 3538 known and candidate exoplanets that are part of multi-planet systems, as identified by NASA…

Space & Spaceflight Jamie Condliffe Nov 7

How NASA MacGyvered the Crippled Apollo 13 Mission Safely Home

When mission commander James A. Lovell uttered his gut-wrenching warning, “Houston, we have a problem,” neither he nor the army of NASA engineers back on Earth really knew if his crew would—or even could—make it back home. In the 72 hours that followed Apollo 13’s disastrous oxygen tank explosion, NASA engineers worked feverishly to find…

Space & Spaceflight David Baker Nov 6

This Aluminum Mecha Taught Apollo Astronauts How to Land on the Moon

In the early 1960s, when the Apollo missions were underway and America was hellbent on reaching the moon, NASA researchers faced a nearly endless litany of technical hurdles and engineering obstacles nobody had even dreamed of up to that point. Chief among them: Once you shoot three guys across 238,900 miles across space at an…

Space & Spaceflight Andrew Tarantola Nov 5

Watch ISON Edge Ever Closer to the Sun (Updated)

Watch a SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Blast Off Right Here, Right Now (Update: Nope)

Watch All 37,000 of Herschel’s Scientific Observations in One Go

Here’s Your Chance to Own a Piece of the Space Race

The ISS, Earth’s Ultimate Outpost, Turns 15 Today

10 Glorious Shots of Last Night’s Rocket Launch, Taken By You

What Are These Boxes Doing Floating Through Space?

When and Where To Watch Tonight’s Minotaur Rocket Launch

First Satellite Built by High School Kids Is Heading to Space Tonight

My Breathtaking Ride From Earth to the International Space Station

The Red Planet’s Deep Valleys in Kaleidoscopic Color

This Photo From Space Makes Earth Look Like an Oil Painting

Geordi La Forge Explains NASA’s MAVEN Mission to Mars

This Is What the Hottest Place on Earth Looks Like

How a Superconducting Camera Could Revolutionize Astrophysics

NASA’s Robonaut Is Getting Some Weird-Looking Legs

Typhoon Haiyan Even Looks Terrifying From 22,000 Miles Away

A Mind-Boggling Display of Earth-Like Planets

How NASA MacGyvered the Crippled Apollo 13 Mission Safely Home

This Aluminum Mecha Taught Apollo Astronauts How to Land on the Moon

A Crew of Worms on the ISS Aims to Help Scientists Unlock the Secrets of Space Travel

Galaxy Buds 3 FE (2025) Are Now Cheaper on Amazon Than Buying Direct from Samsung, but Only for Prime Members

Lego’s Big New ‘Star Wars’ Set Comes Just in Time for ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ to Replace It

The Case for Tracking Everything

Ring Small Solar Panel Makes Powering Your Outdoor Camera Easy and Affordable, Now Below Black Friday Prices

Scientists Are Using Lightning in a Bottle to Turn Methane Into Methanol

We Got to See How Unstoppable Supergirl Can Be in Her New Movie

Anker’s 240W USB-C Charging Station Hits an All-Time Low on Amazon, No Need to Wait for Prime Day

Sony Inzone H6 Air Review: A Perfect Case for Open-Back Gaming Headsets

Anker’s EufyMake E1 Finally Brings Printers Out of the Dark Ages

The Soundboks Mix Is Going to Make You the Most Popular Guy at the Park

Asus Zenbook A16 Review: Start Considering Snapdragon on PC, for Real

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

Let us help find what you are looking for...

Space & Spaceflight

Watch ISON Edge Ever Closer to the Sun (Updated)

Watch a SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Blast Off Right Here, Right Now (Update: Nope)

Watch All 37,000 of Herschel’s Scientific Observations in One Go

Here’s Your Chance to Own a Piece of the Space Race

The ISS, Earth’s Ultimate Outpost, Turns 15 Today

10 Glorious Shots of Last Night’s Rocket Launch, Taken By You

What Are These Boxes Doing Floating Through Space?

When and Where To Watch Tonight’s Minotaur Rocket Launch

First Satellite Built by High School Kids Is Heading to Space Tonight

My Breathtaking Ride From Earth to the International Space Station

The Red Planet’s Deep Valleys in Kaleidoscopic Color

This Photo From Space Makes Earth Look Like an Oil Painting

​Geordi La Forge Explains NASA’s MAVEN Mission to Mars

This Is What the Hottest Place on Earth Looks Like

How a Superconducting Camera Could Revolutionize Astrophysics

NASA’s Robonaut Is Getting Some Weird-Looking Legs

Typhoon Haiyan Even Looks Terrifying From 22,000 Miles Away

A Mind-Boggling Display of Earth-Like Planets

How NASA MacGyvered the Crippled Apollo 13 Mission Safely Home

This Aluminum Mecha Taught Apollo Astronauts How to Land on the Moon

A Crew of Worms on the ISS Aims to Help Scientists Unlock the Secrets of Space Travel

Galaxy Buds 3 FE (2025) Are Now Cheaper on Amazon Than Buying Direct from Samsung, but Only for Prime Members

Lego’s Big New ‘Star Wars’ Set Comes Just in Time for ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ to Replace It

The Case for Tracking Everything

Ring Small Solar Panel Makes Powering Your Outdoor Camera Easy and Affordable, Now Below Black Friday Prices

Scientists Are Using Lightning in a Bottle to Turn Methane Into Methanol

We Got to See How Unstoppable Supergirl Can Be in Her New Movie

Anker’s 240W USB-C Charging Station Hits an All-Time Low on Amazon, No Need to Wait for Prime Day

Sony Inzone H6 Air Review: A Perfect Case for Open-Back Gaming Headsets

Anker’s EufyMake E1 Finally Brings Printers Out of the Dark Ages

The Soundboks Mix Is Going to Make You the Most Popular Guy at the Park

Asus Zenbook A16 Review: Start Considering Snapdragon on PC, for Real

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

Let us help find what you are looking for...

Geordi La Forge Explains NASA’s MAVEN Mission to Mars