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…
The most powerful solar storms to strike Earth may pack a bigger punch than scientists realized, according to a new study that suggests the impacts of extreme space weather have been underestimated.
Researchers found evidence that the apparent upper limit on Earth’s…
Is dark matter 'tuned in' to a hidden dimension?
July 17, 2026
Two major mysteries in science, the nature of dark matter and the possible existence of higher dimensions, could be linked, new research suggests. The team behind a new study proposes that dark matter may be so strange and ghost-like because it is in tune with a fifth…
Starship isn’t the only SpaceX rocket flying today.
A Falcon 9 rocket launched from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base today (July 16), carrying 21 satellites for the U.S. military’s advanced new “Tranche 1 Transport Layer” (T1TL) constellation to orbit.
Liftoff took place at 4:32 p.m. EDT (2032 GMT; 1:32 p.m. local California time).
A SpaceX Falcon 9…
SpaceX Starship Flight 13 launch updates: Scrub
July 17, 2026
2026-07-16T22:54:48.511Z
SCRUB
Starship’s onboard systems initiated and automated aboard at T-0. (Image credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX’s Starship Flight 13 is scrubbed for the day.
At T-0, the rocket’s automated flight computer initiated a hold and abort…
Every SpaceX Starlink satellite has to dodge a collision almost weekly, and experts fear the worst
July 16, 2026
SpaceX’s Starlink satellites made over 355,000 collision avoidance maneuvers throughout the past year, with each satellite now dodging debris and other spacecraft on an almost weekly basis.
The numbers are based on disclosures made by SpaceX in its latest semiannual…
SpaceX is just a day away from its first Starship test flight of the summer, and if you’re hoping to watch the world’s largest rocket lift off, you’ll need to know where and when to tune in. But don’t worry — we’ve got you covered.
The next Starship test flight, called Flight 13 (SpaceX doesn’t appear to be superstitious), is scheduled to launch from the…
