Space & Spaceflight

Aluminum + Ice = Rocket Fuel

I don’t know about you, but my first reaction to the title of this video was to head straight for my freezer and some Reynolds Wrap. Unfortunately, it’s a little more complicated than that. A team of scientists from Purdue, Penn State, NASA, and the Air Force have collaborated on the ALICE (ALuminum-ICE) Project, which…

Space & Spaceflight Brian Barrett

The Space Butterflies Stop Flying

The horrifying space butterflies have stopped flying, and now they are just walking around their cage, having a few space beers, and smoking a few astroturf joints. And man, they were really pissed off. https://gizmodo.com/butterflies-fly-in-space-for-the-first-time-to-creep-th-5416712 This is what happened, according to the experiment project manager Stefanie Countryman: They basically learned really quickly not to fly.…

Space & Spaceflight Jesus Diaz

World’s Largest Milky Way Image Is 120 Feet of Humbling

The world’s largest picture of the Milky Way was unveiled today in Chicago, taken by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, measuring a whopping 120 feet across. The panorama represents the combined effort of two Spitzer survey teams, who used two of the telescope’s onboard instruments, the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) and the Multiband Imaging Photometer. The…

Space & Spaceflight Adam Frucci

Space Beer Has Cleared the Tower

At last, the long awaited Space Barley—the beer made with barley grown in space—is here to take you where everyone has been before: Drunk. Fortunately, nobody can hear you shouting in space, which is good for my hangovers. https://gizmodo.com/japanese-sapporo-brews-worlds-first-space-beer-5101552 What’s so special about the Space Barley? The “space barley” used to make this beer is…

Space & Spaceflight Jesus Diaz

California Approves Orbiting Solar Panel Deal, Aims for 2016 Launch

Remember Solaren, the company that’s trying to launch those space-based solar panels, the one that signed a deal with California’s biggest power utility company? The whole plan got even closer to reality today, after getting approval from California legislators. https://gizmodo.com/california-may-get-some-power-from-solar-space-cells-by-5213197 And, like we said, there’s no reason Californians would reject the deal between Solaren and…

Space & Spaceflight Dan Nosowitz

Magnetic Shields to Protect Spaceships From Re-Entry and Klingon Attacks

Do you know why James T. Kirk is happy? Because those crazy Europeans are developing a magnetic shield that will protect spaceships when entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Well, that and because he’s thinking about doing naughty things with Uhura. The new magnetic heat shield—developed by EADS Astrium, the German aerospace center, and the European Space…

Space & Spaceflight Jesus Diaz

New Spacesuit Design is One-Size-Shrinks-to-Fit-All

My dream of being a spacegirl faded when I learned that those suits take ages to put on. But thanks to this new pneumatic muscle-powered, shrink-to-fit spacesuit which can be put on in seconds, I can dream again. Ok, so maybe the real suit isn’t quite as slinky as the one on Jane Fonda there,…

Space & Spaceflight Rosa Golijan

Butterflies Fly in Space for the First Time to Creep the Beheyzeus Out of Me

By the Holy circumcised foreskin of baby Jesus! What in the name of all that is creepy and filmed by Roger Corman is this? Larvae hatching and butterflies flying in space? If I were an astronaut, I’d be freaking out. For the first time in history, butterfly larvae—who were only six days old at launch…

Space & Spaceflight Jesus Diaz

God’s Home

This is NGC 7023. It’s also called the Iris Nebula, an immense six-light-year-across cloud of dust located in the constellation Cepheus, 1,300 light-years from planet Earth. I like to call it God’s Home. Get inside with this zoom-zoom video: I mean, if I were God, I would go live there: A well illuminated apartment, with…

Space & Spaceflight Jesus Diaz

This Is Why a Book About the Moon Costs $90,500

I included the $1,500 Moonfire book—Norman Mailer’s account of the Apollo 11—in our space gifts guide. The last 12 books of the 1969-unit edition are $90,500 each. Ninety-thousand-and-five-hundred United States doubloons, people. Here’s why. https://gizmodo.com/gifts-for-space-explorers-who-swing-among-the-stars-5411986 A funky fancy table and a lunar rock. Just that. Sure, the lunar rock sounds worthy, but when they tell…

Space & Spaceflight Jesus Diaz

Astronauts Sneak Turkey Into the Space Station

NASA didn’t plan any traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner for the astronauts at the International Space Station, but they had it anyway: Someone sneaked the real thing into the space shuttle Atlantis without anyone from ground control noticing it. A reporter asked about the lack of turkey dinner in the official NASA menu, but mission commander…

Space & Spaceflight Jesus Diaz

Space Station Is Full: No Vacancy for Space Tourists

It’s maybe ironic to hear, during the busiest travel week of the year, that nobody will be heading to space. At least no rich-ass civilians, now that the International Space Station permanent crew has doubled to six astro/cosmonauts. [AP/USNews]

Space & Spaceflight Wilson Rothman

Gifts For Space Explorers Who Swing Among the Stars

Hey you, Ground Controls and Major Toms orbiting out there! If you’re a space aficionado or know someone who’d like to blast into the cosmos, it’s time to take your protein pills. Here’s the definitive go/no-go holiday gift list. Click here to see all the gifts in a single page. https://gizmodo.com/gifts-for-space-explorers-who-swing-among-the-stars-5411986 From the Earth to…

Space & Spaceflight Jesus Diaz

Astronaut Self-Portrait

Some time during a six-hour space walk last week, astronaut Robert Satcher managed to capture this shot of himself…via himself. Today, the STS-129 will be completing their third and final space walk. [NASA] https://gizmodo.com/atlantis-at-dawn-5405725

Space & Spaceflight Mark Wilson

The Rock Explains How NASA Helps Our Rock

Cross promotions sometimes don’t make much sense. I’ve got nothing against Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for agreeing to pitch NASA to youngsters, but really, there are better ways to capture youth attention. The Rock just wants to make sure we remember that NASA’s responsible for the rubber soles on our shoes, and the (apparently humorous)…

Space & Spaceflight Chris Jacob

Spectacular Meteor Lights Up the Utah Skies

If you were hanging out outside in Utah on Wednesday night, chances are good that you witnessed a pretty rare astronomic event: a friggin’ huge meteor that lit up the entire sky. Clark Planetarium Director Seth Jarvis said the stony meteorite was probably traveling 80,000 miles an hour when it hit our atmosphere. He said…

Space & Spaceflight Adam Frucci

Gifts for Science Nerds Who Love To Experiment

Meteorites, microscopes, or mixing things to go boom. Your science nerd loves it all. Here are a couple of gift ideas for that space explorer, mad scientist, or engineer in your life. BTW, if you hate the gallery format as much as the Grinch hated Christmas, click here. https://gizmodo.com/gifts-for-science-nerds-who-love-to-experiment-5404803/ Lego: It’s not really a secret…

Space & Spaceflight Rosa Golijan

Atlantis at Dawn

Enjoy this beautiful image of the space shuttle Atlantis, ready for today’s 2:26pm EST launch, because you are not going to see it many more times: Sadly, it is Atlantis’ second to last launch. Update: Successful launch! Godspeed Atlantis! If you are having problems, you can tune to NASA TV Click to viewClick on the…

Space & Spaceflight Jesus Diaz

Wait a Second, I Have Carl Sagan Powers, Too!

Comic strip xkcd’s take on what would happen if you were bitten by a radioactive Carl Sagan , I mean, Mr. X, is spot freggin’ on. [xkcd] https://gizmodo.com/carl-sagan-auto-tuned-part-ii-featuring-feynman-tyson-5385354

Space & Spaceflight Mark Wilson

Video: Arm Chair Reaches 98,268 Feet in New Toshiba Commercial

The latest object to shoot high-def video from the edge of space is…an arm chair. To promote its REGZA SV LCD TVs (LED backlight, local dimming), Toshiba trekked into the Black Rock Desert with a helium balloon. Watch the result: https://gizmodo.com/new-high-def-home-video-from-the-edge-of-space-5366687 This is the first part of the ad. The second half for their Satellite…

Space & Spaceflight Danny Allen

Aluminum + Ice = Rocket Fuel

The Space Butterflies Stop Flying

World’s Largest Milky Way Image Is 120 Feet of Humbling

Space Beer Has Cleared the Tower

California Approves Orbiting Solar Panel Deal, Aims for 2016 Launch

Magnetic Shields to Protect Spaceships From Re-Entry and Klingon Attacks

New Spacesuit Design is One-Size-Shrinks-to-Fit-All

Butterflies Fly in Space for the First Time to Creep the Beheyzeus Out of Me

God’s Home

This Is Why a Book About the Moon Costs $90,500

Astronauts Sneak Turkey Into the Space Station

Space Station Is Full: No Vacancy for Space Tourists

Gifts For Space Explorers Who Swing Among the Stars

Astronaut Self-Portrait

The Rock Explains How NASA Helps Our Rock

Spectacular Meteor Lights Up the Utah Skies

Gifts for Science Nerds Who Love To Experiment

Atlantis at Dawn

Wait a Second, I Have Carl Sagan Powers, Too!

Video: Arm Chair Reaches 98,268 Feet in New Toshiba Commercial

National Film and Sound Archive of Australia Adds ‘Succulent Chinese Meal’ Guy

Feds Sniffing Around Polymarket After Suspicious Bets

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Don’t Get Too Attached to Any AI App

‘Paradise’ Writer Teases What’s Coming in Season 3 After That Huge Twist

Trump’s New White House App Is Mildly Concerning and Weird for a Lot of Reasons

Bloodsucking Ticks Can Survive Inside Your Home Longer Than You Might Think

The Best New Toys of March 2026

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life

Nothing Headphone A vs. Headphone 1: Which Pair of ANC Wireless Headphones Wins?

Asus ROG’s Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds Might Be Better Than Wearing a Headset

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