Space

Countdown to the Mars Rover Landing

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The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover and Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity, are closer to Mars than ever before as touch down at the Jezero crater is scheduled for February 18, 2021. Let’s take a look back at its launch and learn how it will land on the Red Planet.

Countdown to Launch: NASA and SpaceX Crew-2 Mission

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Liftoff set for Friday, April 23, at 5:49A EDT marks the second operational flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. Four space explorers are heading to the International Space Station for a six-month stay. It will take them 23 hours to reach their destination.

Expedition 65 to Launch on April 9

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On April 9 at 3:42A ET, Expedition 65 will launch with three space travelers aboard a Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station.

NASA’s DART Mission Launches: Defending our Planet from an Asteroid

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NASA’s first mission to test asteroid deflection technology launched yesterday. DART, or Double Asteroid Redirection Test, is a mission to slam a rocket into an asteroid… hopefully altering its path.

James Webb Space Telescope Successfully Reached Its Final Destination

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Nearly a month after the James Webb Space Telescope launched from French Guiana on December 25, the telescope has reached its final destination–almost a million miles from Earth.

This Year, James Webb will Take a Close Look at a Lava World

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The James Webb Space Telescope is gearing up to be an exoplanet extraordinaire. Among many other missions and targets, astronomers plan to use the observatory, now in its final stages of preparations to study…well, a world where it might rain lava.

NASA’s Giant Rocket Test Fails (Sort Of)

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It was all supposed to be great. On January 16th, NASA performed its first major test run in a long, long time. It was a test for the core stage of its upcoming Space Launch System (SLS), a beast of a rocket that will carry astronauts to the Moon, Mars, and more.

What Is a “Super Earth” and Why Do We Care?

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Super Earths are super cool, and you should really know about them. In short, they are planets slightly bigger than the Earth (hence the name). And the cool part? They might be a home for life, and they’re way easier to study than regular Earths.

The Head of NASA Believes in Aliens

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“Are we alone? Personally, I don’t think we are,” Bill Nelson, former astronaut and Chief of NASA, said in a video interview.

November: What's New in Space Exploration This Month?

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It’s a November to remember in space. Here are some exciting space exploration highlights to look forward too!

Celebrating 20 Years of Food in Space on the ISS

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This year marks the 20th anniversary of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station. Do you ever wonder what the astronauts have been eating for the past 20 years in zero gravity? Let’s find out!

Looking Ahead to 2021 in Space

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As the year 2020 comes to close, it’s time to look ahead to 2021 and what’s to come in space exploration. From crewed launches to the ISS and Perseverance landing on Mars, it’s shaping up to be a busy year in space. Let’s take a look!

William Shatner Becomes Oldest Man to Travel to Space After Successful Blue Origin Space Flight

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On the morning of October 13, William Shatner joined the crew of New Shepard for its second crewed flight, NS-18. Due to a few holds, the scheduled 10A liftoff was delayed by about 50 minutes from Blue Origin's Launch Site One in Texas. Despite the delays, liftoff and touchdown went off without a hitch, making Star Trek star William Shatner the oldest man to go to space.

NASA is Going Back to Venus. Here’s Why You Should Care.

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Recently NASA announced two brand-spanking new missions to our sister planet, Venus. This is the first time in over 40 years that Americans have led a mission to that enigmatic planet. What do they hope to find? Clues to our past…and answers to our future.

Jupiter Makes Its Closest Approach to Earth in Nearly 60 Years

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The last time Jupiter appeared this large and bright in the sky was in October 1963.

How Common are Water Worlds in the Galaxy?

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If Kevin Costner wanted to make a sequel, he’s got plenty of opportunities. Water is by far the most common molecule in the universe. It’s made of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. Hydrogen is element number 1 (both on the period table and in abundance), and has been hanging around since the first 15 minutes of the Big Bang. Oxygen is forged in the hearts of sun-like stars, and spreads around when those stars die and turn themselves inside out. And since sun-like stars are also very popular, oxygen gets quite a boost.