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Rosetta Finds Clues to Earth’s “Xenon Paradox”
Xenon measured by the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft has shed light on a long-standing mystery about the role comets played in Earth's formation. The alien surface of Comet 67P seen from...
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China Launches Its First X-ray Observatory
China's Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), the country's first X-ray observatory — not to mention its first astronomical satellite — headed to orbit last week. An artist's conception of the HXMT...
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NASA Closes Out Its Asteroid Redirect Mission
Following the release of the 2018 budget, the space agency has ordered an “orderly closeout” for the Asteroid Redirect program. NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission would have retrieved a boulder from the...
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NASA Eyes “Ice Giant” Missions in the 2030s
A recent NASA study outlines possible dedicated missions to the "ice giant' planets Uranus and Neptune. The outer solar system's "twin" planets looked very different when visited by Voyager 2 during...
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“Gecko Gripper” Tech to Clean Up Space Junk
Researchers are figuring out how to use a nature-inspired "gecko gripper" technology to solve the mounting problem of space debris. Researchers use a "gecko gripper" to move and manipulate large...
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New Satellite “Mayak” Might Light Up the Sky
Russia's first crowd-funded satellite, named Mayak (Russian for "beacon of light"), promises to be the “brightest object in the night sky next to the Moon.” An artist's conception of Mayak in orbit....
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Goodbye, LISA Pathfinder
The European Space Agency switched off its groundbreaking LISA Pathfinder mission this week. An artist's conception of LISA Pathfinder in space. ESA/C.Carreau A pioneering mission came to a quiet end...
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Breakthrough Starshot Takes to Space
Six Sprites, "the world's smallest spacecraft," have entered low-Earth orbit, a small milestone for Breakthrough Starshot's plan for interstellar voyage. An artist's conception of a Breakthrough...
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Saturn Surprises Right Up Until Cassini’s End
Saturn keeps its secrets as NASA's Cassini spacecraft heads towards its September grand finale. An alien vista stretches out before Cassini, in this false color image taken by the spacecraft's narrow...
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Chasing the Total Solar Eclipse From Orbit
While millions will watch the August 21st total solar eclipse from the ground, the International Space Station crew will have an amazing view high overhead. The umbra of the Moon as seen from the...
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New Horizons’ 2019 Target: A Binary Asteroid?
A challenging and intensive campaign by telescope-toting teams yields big-time results on the body that the New Horizons spacecraft will fly past in 17 months. The quest is on to learn everything...
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Amazing Views of the Solar Eclipse From Earth… and Space
Satellites, aircraft, and the International Space Station provided great views of yesterday's solar eclipse, near and far. The August 21, 2017 eclipse during totality as seen from onboard a NASA...
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“Clockwork Rover” for Venus Exploration
Engineers have come up with an innovative "clockwork rover" concept designed to survive the hostile environment of Venus. An artist's concept of a "clockwork rover" exploring Venus. NASA-JPL / Caltech...
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Cheers to 40 Years! Voyagers 1 and 2 Going Strong
Scientists and astronomy enthusiasts are coming together to celebrate two spacecraft, now billions of miles beyond Earth, as they head for the stars. Voyager 1 left Earth on September 5, 1977, preceded...
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Cassini Is Gone: Its Legacy and the Future
Earl Maize and Julie Webster embrace at Mission Control following the confirmation that Cassini was no more. NASA / Joel Kowski After 13 years of orbiting the Saturn system, and 4.9 billion miles...
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OSIRIS-REX to Fly by Earth on Friday
NASA's ambitious OSIRIS-REX asteroid sample return mission swings by Earth this Friday for a gravity assist en route to asteroid 101955 Bennu. An artist's conception of Friday's Earth flyby of...
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Osiris-REX Images Earth During Flyby
The asteroid-bound OSIRIS-REX mission took time during last Friday's gravity assist maneuver to look back at its homeworld.. It isn't everyday we get a postcard from a spacecraft passing our homeworld....
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James Webb Space Telescope Launch Delayed til 2019
The long-awaited James Webb Space Telescope — successor to the Hubble Space Telescope — will now launch between March and June 2019. The James Webb Space Telescope in the clean room with all 18 mirror...
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Surprising Science from Cassini’s Grand Finale
You'd think scientists would have Saturn all figured out after watching it up close for 13 years. They don't. When NASA's Cassini spacecraft eased into orbit around Saturn in July 2004, its "to-do"...
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Curiosity Tests Workaround for Its Balky Drill
Engineers are looking for a way to continue using Curiosity's drill after a 10-month hiatus, but restoring the drill will probably take several more months. Curiosity's drill in action on Mars. NASA /...
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