Space

NASA’s flagship center for space science is under attack from within, and some of the biggest losses appear to be happening behind the curtain of the government shutdown. Throughout the summer of 2025, Space.com interviewed nearly a dozen current and former NASA workers and reviewed several internal agency communications in an investigation into allegations of unlawful activity by NASA…

Out in the cosmic landscape, planetary nebulas would offer the perfect Halloween doors to knock on. They’re spooky tricksters in their names, as they have nothing to do with planets at all and are rather the gory scenes of stars dying. The term “planetary nebula” actually comes from an accident. Long ago, astronomers using early-iteration telescopes thought these objects looked…

Earth’s moon is a treasure trove of resources. Space agencies around the world are planning missions to access and use lunar volatiles, which include hydrogen, water, helium, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide, in order to produce fuel sources, breathable air, and even drinking water  —  all with the goal of establishing long-term presences on the moon. But much is unknown about the…

Fragments of a rare type of meteorite have been found in the sample of material brought back from the lunar far side by China’s Chang’e 6 mission, and they could help shed light on the origin of Earth’s water. The meteoritic debris found among the 1,935.3 grams (68.3 ounces) of lunar regolith sampled by Chang’e 6 belongs to a class of carbon- and water-rich meteorites known…