Space

We have the means today to fly a spacecraft by an interstellar object visiting our solar system, a new study concludes — and we could have done it already with comet 3I/ATLAS. Flyby reconnaissance of interstellar objects is “feasible and affordable,” scientists with the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI), who led the study, said in a statement on Wednesday (Sept. 3). “The trajectory of…

A total lunar eclipse delighted stargazers overnight on Sept. 7-8 with a spectacular display of orbital mechanics that briefly turned Earth’s natural satellite blood red. This week’s total lunar eclipse graced the night sky as Earth drifted between the moon and sun, veiling the lunar disk in its umbral silhouette. As the moon slipped into the deepest part of our planet’s shadow — a period…

The people have spoken about SpaceX’s plans to launch its Super Heavy Starship from Florida — and they have a lot to say. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has concluded a series of public meetings as part of its draft environmental impact statement (EIS) process for approving Starship liftoffs from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Florida’s Space Coast. The hearings…

A Senate Commerce Committee hearing sounded the alarm over the U.S.-China space race, emphasizing American dominance off Earth as the backdrop for NASA’s next funding authorization. Committee Chairman Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) opened the Sept. 3 hearing, titled “There’s a Bad Moon on the Rise,” by warning that the United States risks losing the moon to China if NASA’s Artemis program…