Solar System

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China's Mengzhou crew capsule aced a key abort test on Feb. 10, 2026. The Long March 10 rocket that launched the test successfully steered itself to an ocean splashdown as well.

China aces test of next-gen lunar capsule and rocket in effort to land humans on moon before NASA (video)

By Mike Wall published

China just took another step toward landing astronauts on the moon, acing a key abort test with its Mengzhou crew capsule and pulling off a soft splashdown with the returning rocket.

The moon
A rendering of a silver spacecraft with two solar panel wings (spacecraft looks like a cube) above a rocky grayish surface.

Asteroid samples NASA brought to Earth suggest life's building blocks may be widespread in the universe

By Keith Cooper published

The discovery is just the latest to come from the asteroid sample, which dates back to the dawn of the solar system.

Asteroids
bright white and blue dots of light on a black background, with clouds of faint light surrounding them

Could the remains of a 'dead' comet still be in the solar system? Astronomers are still searching 6 years later

By Kiona N. Smith published

The fate of a comet that was predicted to pass close to Earth remains a mystery five years after its dramatic breakup in the inner solar system.

Comets

What is the moon phase today? Lunar phases 2026

By Tariq Malik, Daisy Dobrijevic last updated

Reference See what moon phase it is tonight and find out when you can see the rest of the moon phases for 2026.

Reference
An orbital view of northern Italy showing a mountainous region to the north, dominated by the vein-like lines of mountain tops bordered by flat green terrain to the south.

Italy's 2026 Winter Olympic venues from space | Space photo of the day for Feb. 10, 2026

By Anthony Wood published

ESA marked the opening of the 2026 Winter Olympics by capturing the venue from low-Earth orbit.

Earth
Artist's illustration of SpaceX's Starship vehicle on the moon during an Artemis astronaut mission for NASA.

A city on the moon: Why SpaceX shifted its focus away from Mars

By Mike Wall published

Just 13 months after declaring the moon "a distraction," Elon Musk has announced that Earth's nearest neighbor is now the focus of SpaceX's settlement plans. What changed?

The moon
A white light of the comet 3I/ATLAS is surrounded by a blue glow against a black background

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS survived its flyby of the sun — and gave up some secrets in the process

By Paul Sutter published

Interstellar comets are the original cosmic explorers, and by studying their metallic whispers, we are learning the secrets of worlds we may never see directly.

Comets
An illustration showing a floating spacecraft with a blue search beam looking down at the reddish bumpy surface of Venus with Earth in the far distance

Venus may have an underground tunnel carved by volcano eruptions

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

Scientists analyzing decades-old NASA's Magellan data have identified only the second reported lava tube on Venus.

Venus
A series of adobe red buildings on a hillside with snowy mountains in the background

What Americans lose if their National Center for Atmospheric Research is dismantled

By Carlos Martinez published

Five ways dismantling NCAR will cost the American people, and two ways to save it.

Earth
earth as seen from space

The way Earth's surface moves has a bigger impact on shifting the climate than we knew

By Ben Mather, Adriana Dutkiewicz, Dietmar Müller, Sabin Zahirovic published

New research reveals the source of this carbon – and the driving forces behind it – are far more complex than previously thought.

Earth
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