Space

What You Need to Know About Blue Origin’s Launch into Space with Billionaire Jeff Bezos

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The countdown has begun for Blue Origin’s first crewed spaceflight. On Tuesday, July 20, 2021, at 9:00A ET, Jeff Bezos and three crewmates are lifting off into space from Blue Origin’s Launch Site near Van Horn, Texas. Watch SPACE LAUNCH LIVE: BLUE ORIGIN & JEFF BEZOS GO TO SPACE on Discovery and Science Channels at 8:00A ET or at washingtonpost.com.

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.

When Did the First Stars Shine?

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Our universe is home to up to two trillion galaxies, with each galaxy hosting hundreds of billions of stars. That’s…a lot of stars. Each one a ball of fearsome energies, powered by the nuclear fusion of fundamental elements in their hearts. Each one pouring out light into the empty cosmos, illuminating our universe for our wonder and delight.

SpaceX Test Flight Ends in Explosion

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An experimental rocket launched by SpaceX on Wednesday, December 9 exploded after launching 8 miles into the air. Elon Musk says that this test was still a success.

Looking Down: NASA Astronauts Share Images from Space

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From "Space Selfies" and birthday celebrations, to beautiful images of Earth, NASA Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley shared tons content while up at the International Space Station.

SpaceX Crew-3 Launch for NASA to Blast Off Wednesday

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After the NASA/SpaceX launch experienced a series of delays, Crew-3 is set to lift off no earlier than 9:03 P ET from NASA's Kennedy Space Center tomorrow! Watch SPACE LAUNCH LIVE: CREW-3 LIFT OFF on Science Channel at 8 P ET Wednesday, November 10.

Red Rover, Red Rover, Send Perseverance Right Over

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A few years ago, after the successful deployment of the Curiosity rover on Mars, the folks at NASA envisioned a bold new plan to send another mission to the red planet. The mission was scheduled to depart in the then-futuristic year of 2020.

All Aboard the Starliner!

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Boeing’s Starliner capsule launched on Friday. Astrophysicist Paul M Sutter has everything you need to know about the Starliner and its mission.

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.

SpaceX vs. the Universe

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Fans of space are having a tough time picking sides over a recent controversy between SpaceX and astronomers. But what's the big debate all about? Astrophysicist Paul M. Sutter digs into both perspectives.

NASA Has a New Supersonic Jet and It’s Super-Quiet

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There’s more to NASA than space. The agency’s full acronym stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I’ve covered plenty of interesting stories in the space sector, so it’s time to the aeronautics side some love too.

Check Out NASA’s DART Mission

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It’s like “Armageddon” but in real life.

You Love Supernova, So How About Micronova?

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In space, even the smallest explosions are insanely powerful. Take for instance the newly discovered “micronova,” which sounds cute and cuddly and not at all deadly…except for the fact that it’s the explosive equivalent of a nuclear bomb a million times bigger than Mount Everest.

From the Moon to the Oval Office

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As homage to the past Apollo Missions and a nod to the upcoming Artemis Program, NASA recently loaned the White House a lunar sample that has been placed in the President’s Oval Office. You can learn more about the Apollo missions and beyond on discovery+.