Watch live: Europe's Vega-C rocket launching today on 1st mission since 2022

A European Vega-C rocket is set to launch today (Dec. 5) at 4:20 p.m. EST (2120 GMT) on its first flight since a 2022 failure. Watch it live here and read our preview story.

Watch live! Vega-C rocket to launch Sentinel-1C satellite in return to flight - YouTube Watch live! Vega-C rocket to launch Sentinel-1C satellite in return to flight - YouTube
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Tech

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Near Space Labs launches fleet of AI-powered balloon robots to track Earth climate risks

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

New York-based Near Space Labs has launched a new fleet of balloon-borne zero-emission robots to keep a supersharp eye on Earth.

Tech
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NASA awards $11.5 million to help design the aircraft of tomorrow

By Samantha Mathewson published

NASA has awarded $11.5 million to five organizations that will contribute to the study of new design concepts for more sustainable aircraft.

Tech
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Spaceflight

Donald "Deke" Slayton: Mercury astronaut who waited more than a decade to fly to space

By Elizabeth Howell last updated

Slayton made his first space flight in 1975 as the Apollo docking module pilot of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) mission.

Human Spaceflight
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Building blocks: How China plans to make bricks on the moon for lunar habitats

By Andrew Jones published

Chinese scientists are developing the capability to build a moon base made of bricks formed from lunar soil.

Human Spaceflight
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Science & Astronomy

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Satellites find likely cause of mysterious African elephant deaths of 2020

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

Climate extremes seem to have exacerbated toxins in the elephants' water supply.

Climate Change
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'It's like taking a picture of lightning': How astronomers raced to track the smallest asteroid ever seen

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

2022 WJ1 was only the sixth asteroid to be detected prior to striking Earth, and the smallest space rock ever seen.

Asteroids
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Meet the team

Search For Life

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Communicating with aliens one day could be much easier if we study the way AI agents speak with each other

By Olaf Lipinski published

Decoding emergent languages in AI can have many benefits.

Search for Life
An alien megastructure like a Dyson sphere doesn’t seem to be causing the weird dimming of one of the weirdest stars in our galaxy, Tabby's star.

The fastest-moving stars in the galaxy may be piloted by intelligent aliens, new paper suggests

By Paul Sutter published

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Search for Life
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Japan's priceless asteroid Ryugu sample got 'rapidly colonized' by Earth bacteria

By Robert Lea published

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Search for Life
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Skywatching

Telescopes at Walmart: Image shows man standing next to telescope looking at moon

Telescopes at Walmart in 2024: Best deals

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Astronomy Kit
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Astrophotography
The Geminid meteor shower can produce over one hundred meteors per hour. In this photograph, the Geminid meteor shower is seen above the Kubuqi Desert of Inner Mongolia, China on Dec. 13, 2020.

Geminid meteor shower 2024: When, where and how to see one of the best meteor showers of the year

By Daisy Dobrijevic last updated

Reference The Geminid meteor shower peaks the night of Dec. 13-14. Our guide tells you where and how to see them.

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Entertainment

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'Star Trek: Lower Decks' season 5 episode 8 flips the script and visits the 'Upper Decks'

By Richard Edwards published

It's time for Captain Freeman and the rest of the command crew to take center stage.

Space Movies & Shows
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By Richard Edwards published

It looks like Amblin-style adventures and galaxies far, far away were made for each other.

Space Movies & Shows
Dune Prophecy - The Machine War

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By Jeff Spry published

A brief history of the Butlerian Jihad in the world of "Dune"

Entertainment
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References

Telescopes at Walmart: Image shows man standing next to telescope looking at moon

Telescopes at Walmart in 2024: Best deals

By Ruth Gaukrodger last updated

There are several discounts on Celestron and other telescopes at Walmart, get them before they're gone!

Astronomy Kit
The Geminid meteor shower can produce over one hundred meteors per hour. In this photograph, the Geminid meteor shower is seen above the Kubuqi Desert of Inner Mongolia, China on Dec. 13, 2020.

Geminid meteor shower 2024: When, where and how to see one of the best meteor showers of the year

By Daisy Dobrijevic last updated

Reference The Geminid meteor shower peaks the night of Dec. 13-14. Our guide tells you where and how to see them.

Reference

What is the moon phase today? Lunar phases 2024

By Tariq Malik last updated

Reference See what moon phase it is tonight and find out when you can see the rest of the moon phases for 2024.

Reference
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