Spacecraft

Watch Live: SpaceX Attempts Second High-Altitude Launch of a Starship Prototype

SpaceX is scheduled to launch Starship prototype SN9 later today, in what will be the second high-altitude test of the company’s next-gen rocket. You can watch the action live right here. Update: 4:36 p.m. ET: Today’s launch has been scrubbed due to high winds. No word yet if SpaceX will try again tomorrow. The window…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Jan 25

Here’s What Biden Should Prioritize at NASA

Despite the ongoing pandemic, there’s much to be excited about in space this year. NASA’s Perseverance rover is less than a month away from landing on Mars; the James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to launch on Halloween; and the Space Launch System—NASA’s most powerful rocket ever—could see its inaugural launch later this year. And…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Jan 22

China Launched and Landed a Secret Reusable Spacecraft While You Weren’t Looking

In recent days, China has quietly launched a secret reusable spacecraft, left it in orbit for two days and safely landed it back on Earth. And although the spacecraft is top secret—we’re not even privy to its design—there are some things that China apparently wants the world to know about it. According to Xinhua, China’s…

Tech News Jody Serrano Sep 7

The Solar Orbiter Has Entered a Thrilling New Phase of Its Journey to the Sun

The Solar Orbiter project, a collaboration between the European Space Agency and NASA, has begun a critical new stage of the mission after the probe’s first close encounter with the Sun. Earlier today, the Solar Orbiter completed its first close approach of the Sun, or perihelion, coming to within 48 million miles (77 million kilometers)…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Jun 15

NASA, SpaceX Still Aiming to Launch Manned Crew Dragon Demo-2 Test as Early as May

NASA and SpaceX are still planning on conducting the first manned commercial crew program launch to space as early as May, indicating that the timetable for the mission has not shifted despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. A NASA media invitation posted on Wednesday and first reported on by TechCrunch said that SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Demo-2…

Space & Spaceflight Tom McKay Mar 18

LightSail 2, Pushed by Sunlight, Raises Its Orbit by 10,500 Feet in Just Two Weeks

Two weeks after entering solar sailing mode, the Planetary Society’s LightSail 2 spacecraft has managed to raise its orbit by nearly 2 miles, in an important test of this promising new means of propulsion. LightSail 2 unfurled its 32-square-meter (344-square-foot) solar sail on July 23, around one month after it was deposited into low Earth…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Aug 6

Strong Texas Winds Hit Elon Musk’s Starship Prototype and Down It Goes

Elon Musk’s prototype of the Starship spacecraft—the payload of a system formerly known as the Big “Falcon” Rocket, and the vessel that may one day shuttle SpaceX colonists to their likely deaths on Mars—fell over in strong winds at its facility in Boca Chica, Texas on Tuesday. The craft sustained serious damage to its fairing,…

Space & Spaceflight Tom McKay Jan 23

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Captures Stunning View of Asteroid Bennu Ahead of Arrival

More than two years after its launch, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has beamed back what the space agency is calling a “super-resolution” view of the asteroid Bennu. OSIRIS-REx is NASA’s exciting mission to near-Earth asteroid 101955 Bennu, which the spacecraft is set to reach in about a month, to collect and bring back a sample to…

Space & Spaceflight Catie Keck Nov 1

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Just Smashed Two Records in a Single Day

NASA’s historic mission to “touch the Sun” just reached two important milestones: It now holds the record for the closest approach to the Sun by a human-built object—and also the record for the fastest spacecraft ever sent into space. Launched on August 12, 2018, the Parker Solar Probe is now entering into the first stages…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Oct 30

SpaceX Reboots Plan to Send Tourists Around the Moon—and It’s About to Name the First Passenger

In a tweet posted late yesterday, SpaceX said it has signed a passenger to fly around the Moon aboard its next-generation launch system. Details are scarce, but the announcement suggests the Elon Musk-led rocket company is still intent on delivering private individuals, rather than just cargo and professional astronauts, into space. That SpaceX has revived…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Sep 14

Hayabusa2’s First Practice Attempt to Land on Ryugu Asteroid Didn’t Go So Well

Japan’s Hayabusa2 project experienced a (hopefully) minor setback yesterday when the spacecraft failed to complete a practice session during preparations for its much-anticipated touchdown on the Ryugu asteroid. Launched by JAXA in December 2014, the Hayabusa2 spacecraft will attempt to extract material from the surface of Ryugu, a 3,000-foot-wide (900 meters) asteroid located approximately 180…

Space & Spaceflight George Dvorsky Sep 13

How Juno’s Breathtaking Jupiter Images Are Made

Amateur astronomers, software developers, and artists have all contributed to the creation of these gorgeous images.

Science Ryan F. Mandelbaum Apr 19

Tiangong-1 Is Now Predicted to Hit Earth at 7:30pm ET Sunday, Give or Take Up to Seven Hours [Updated]

Forecasts from the European Space Agency’s Space Debris Office and the US-based Aerospace Corp. predict that China’s falling space station, the Tiangong-1, will most likely plummet to Earth on Sunday night at around 730pm ET. [See update below.] The craft was originally thought likely to crash as early as Saturday . Per Space.com, estimates of…

Space & Spaceflight Tom McKay Mar 31

Researchers Just Launched a Prototype of Humanity’s First ‘Interstellar Spacecraft’

Last year, extraterrestrial exploration venture Breakthrough Initiatives announced an ambitious plan to send tons of tiny spacecraft to our nearest neighboring star system, Alpha Centauri. The project, called Breakthrough Starshot, is focused on launching lightweight ‘nanocraft’ to the stars at rip-roaring speeds. Recently, the project took a big leap toward achieving its ultimate goal by…

Space & Spaceflight Rae Paoletta Jul 27

Saturn’s Moon Titan May Have the Perfect Landing Spot For Spacecraft

Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is a giant nightmare beach. While its electrically charged sand wouldn’t make for a relaxing vacation, new research suggests the planet might not be as hostile to robotic visitors as we think. Although its lakes are full of ultra-cold liquid methane and ethane, they could be placid enough for future space…

Space & Spaceflight Rae Paoletta Jul 6

SpaceX to Fly a Recycled Spacecraft for the First Time Tonight

SpaceX is gearing up to get its proverbial ass to Mars. For the first time tonight, the aerospace company will launch an already-used Dragon cargo ship to the International Space Station (ISS), carrying 6,000 lbs (2,721 kilograms) of supplies and science experiments. The spacecraft will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space…

Space & Spaceflight Rae Paoletta Jun 1

This Is Our First ‘Sound’ From the Creepy Void Inside Saturn’s Rings

Today, Cassini prepares to once again boldly go where no spacecraft has gone before: into the gap between Saturn and its rings. While we’re all excited to see the the results of Cassini’s second dive, astronomers are still parsing through the findings from her first. And some, including a soundscape generated from the emptiness, are…

Space & Spaceflight Rae Paoletta May 2

Saturn Looks Haunted in Cassini’s First Grand Finale Photos

Good morning, Cassini! Today, at about 3:00am EDT, NASA’s Deep Space Network Goldstone Complex in California’s acquired the orbiter’s signal for the first time since it began its series of Grand Finale dives. The photos it took from the space between Saturn and its rings, which have just been released, are nothing short of breathtaking.…

Space & Spaceflight Rae Paoletta Apr 27

Small Satellites Could Be Playing a Dangerous Game of Bumper Cars in Space

Space is full of all sorts of garbage that can cause problems, including some of the stuff we send up there with good intentions. Take CubeSats. These nanosatellites, which weigh less than three pounds, were first sent into space in December 2006, and have become increasingly popular in the years since as a cost-effective option…

Space & Spaceflight Rae Paoletta Apr 18

Most Relatable Spacecraft in the Solar System Is Taking a Nap

Naps are empirically great. Sadly, our gig economy world frowns upon R&R; as an adult, it’s not socially acceptable to curl up and take a nap at work, no matter how tired or hungover or burdened with ennui you are. Instead, we reward children, who do little besides breathe and create turmoil, with the gift…

Space & Spaceflight Rae Paoletta Apr 11

Watch Live: SpaceX Attempts Second High-Altitude Launch of a Starship Prototype

Here’s What Biden Should Prioritize at NASA

China Launched and Landed a Secret Reusable Spacecraft While You Weren’t Looking

The Solar Orbiter Has Entered a Thrilling New Phase of Its Journey to the Sun

NASA, SpaceX Still Aiming to Launch Manned Crew Dragon Demo-2 Test as Early as May

LightSail 2, Pushed by Sunlight, Raises Its Orbit by 10,500 Feet in Just Two Weeks

Strong Texas Winds Hit Elon Musk’s Starship Prototype and Down It Goes

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Captures Stunning View of Asteroid Bennu Ahead of Arrival

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Just Smashed Two Records in a Single Day

SpaceX Reboots Plan to Send Tourists Around the Moon—and It’s About to Name the First Passenger

Hayabusa2’s First Practice Attempt to Land on Ryugu Asteroid Didn’t Go So Well

How Juno’s Breathtaking Jupiter Images Are Made

Tiangong-1 Is Now Predicted to Hit Earth at 7:30pm ET Sunday, Give or Take Up to Seven Hours [Updated]

Researchers Just Launched a Prototype of Humanity’s First ‘Interstellar Spacecraft’

Saturn’s Moon Titan May Have the Perfect Landing Spot For Spacecraft

SpaceX to Fly a Recycled Spacecraft for the First Time Tonight

This Is Our First ‘Sound’ From the Creepy Void Inside Saturn’s Rings

Saturn Looks Haunted in Cassini’s First Grand Finale Photos

Small Satellites Could Be Playing a Dangerous Game of Bumper Cars in Space

Most Relatable Spacecraft in the Solar System Is Taking a Nap

Southwest Is About to Limit Power Banks on Flights

Damn, the ‘Power Rangers’ Reboot Could’ve Had Four Movies

The Live-Action ‘One Piece’ Team Wants to Go the Distance

‘Lee Cronin’s The Mummy’ Will Please Gross Horror Fans

Somehow Paramount’s ‘Avatar’ Movie Has Leaked, Too

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

OpenAI Says Elon Musk Is ‘Injecting Chaos’ with Recent Legal Maneuver

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