Swelling from a razor-thin crescent into a cratered world before fading back into the darkness, Mars gave NASA’s Psyche spacecraft both a spectacular view — and a 1,000-mph boost toward its namesake asteroid.
A new time-lapse video released by NASA, stitched from images taken throughout May, captures the probe’s month-long encounter with Mars. On May 15, Psyche swooped within 2,864…
Metal spheres found in Australia show how little we still know about falling space debris, experts say
July 23, 2026
Once again, the “Land Down Under” is on the apparent uptick for falling space debris.
In early July, the Australian Space Agency reported that objects recovered, dubbed “space balls,” are likely pressure vessels from a space launch vehicle. Six…
SpaceX launches satellite repair drone with 10-foot robotic arms to Earth orbit (video)
July 22, 2026
SpaceX launched a trailblazing satellite-servicing mission today (July 21).
A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station today at 5:15 p.m. EDT (2115 GMT).
SpaceX called today’s launch MRV-MEV, because it’s sending up a…
A massive crater was spotted on Google Earth. It could be a scar from an ancient meteorite impact
July 22, 2026
An amateur astronomer’s plans for a camping vacation two years ago transformed into a possible crater find in Canada’s north.
Amateur astronomer Joël Lapointe, using Google Maps to figure out his route for the 2024 vacation, saw some odd terrain in Quebec’s Côte-Nord region centered on Lake Marsal. Lapointe suspected it was an impact crater from a meteorite, and made a report…
Galaxy cluster's magnetic field reconstructed for 1st time with record-breaking astronomy map
July 22, 2026
For the first time, astronomers have reconstructed the magnetic field of an entire cluster of galaxies, from its central nucleus to its outer limits.
The record-breaking achievement is the product of the deepest-ever observations of the galaxy cluster Abell 2255, located…
The costs of space launch have fallen 96% in the past six decades and have the potential to plummet by nearly as much by 2040, a new study finds.
However, such an improvement might get hampered by a number of challenges, such as the rise of space debris in orbit or a single…
In looking back and commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Viking missions to Mars, one is struck by the bold and audacious undertaking.
Twin spacecraft missions — each consisting of a lander and an orbiter — made their way to Mars and into the history books. The Viking 1 lander planted its legs on the terrain of Chryse Planitia 50 years ago today, on July 20, 1976, while its Viking 2…
A bright “Saturn’s ring” of satellites could circle the night sky if plans to launch a million data center spacecraft and tens of thousands of space mirrors come to pass. This ring, traversing the sky for hours after dusk and before dawn, would outshine…
Look up! The Perseid meteor shower is finally active, bringing the potential for gorgeous shooting stars and fireballs as Earth plunges into the trail of debris shed by the icy comet Swift-Tuttle. Here’s what you need to know.
The Perseid meteor shower 2026 is set to…
Astronauts just launched on a Soyuz rocket with an energy-drink ad on it, continuing a Russian tradition
July 20, 2026
Astronauts just flew to Earth orbit space atop a rocket emblazoned with an energy-drink ad.
The Soyuz MS-29 launch to the International Space Station on Tuesday (July 14), from the Russian-run Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, used a Soyuz rocket festooned with ads for Лимонад (“Lemonade”) LIT ENERGY. The ads are visible in shots of the rocket’s rollout on July 11…
