Latest articles by Leonard David
Elon Musk isn't the first person to propose the use of mass drivers on the moon. He's following in the footsteps of space visionary Gerard O'Neill, who floated the idea back in 1974.
The Orion capsule's heat shield had issues during the uncrewed Artemis 1 moon mission in late 2022. Here are the steps NASA has taken to prevent them from recurring on Artemis 2.
As more satellite megaconstellations continue to be launched, researchers are exploring the odds people could be struck by falling debris from reentering spacecraft.
For nearly a quarter-century, the nonprofit B612 Foundation has helped scientists track dangerous asteroids and educated the public about the threats space rocks pose to Earth.
What actually happens to a spacecraft during its fiery last moments? That's the key question for the European Space Agency's Draco mission, planned for 2027.
The first emergency operation in the history of China's human spaceflight program ended on Jan. 19 when an uncrewed Shenzhou 20 capsule damaged by a space-junk strike came safely down to Earth.
Exploration advocates are pushing back against the planned cancellation of NASA's Mars sample return project, saying it could potentially find evidence of Red Planet life.
"The Chinese may well beat the U.S. with a grab sample."
China's ice-hunting Chang'e 7 mission is scheduled to launch to the moon later this year, helping set the stage for a lunar base that the country aims to build in the 2030s.
NASA's ESCAPADE Mars probes embarked on a 'loiter' trajectory after launch, and scientists say that extra time in space could have some consequences for the twin spacecraft.
"Some will not change behavior until something bad happens."
"The damage is real, but it doesn't have to be permanent."
"Science doesn't always go as planned. In any case, there's a lot of work to be done."
Blue Origin's upcoming NS-37 space tourism launch has special significance: One of the passengers is Michi Benthaus, who will become the first wheelchair user in space.
A mishap during the successful Nov. 27 launch of three astronauts damaged the only pad that currently supports Russian crewed orbital liftoffs. How long before things are back up and running again?
The space-debris strike on China's Shenzhou 20 spacecraft is a wake-up call, say advocates of a space rescue capability — and also a call for an organization to shape that capacity.
China's decision to delay the return of its Shenzhou 20 astronauts due to a possible space debris impact has led to discussion of space rescue planning — or lack of it.
Space agencies around the world are planning moon missions that will depend on water ice for resources, but much remains unknown about its availability of water ice on the lunar surface.
A piece of smoldering wreckage found in Western Australia is likely part of a Chinese rocket that crashed to Earth on Saturday (Oct. 18), experts say.
"The Russians and the Chinese are demonstrating more sophisticated orbital maneuvering abilities. There's no denying that."
Humanity has a new tool in the fight against space junk — "Space Armor," a multi-functional composite that could protect both spacecraft and astronauts.
A recent DARPA study laid out a step-by-step process that could enable an economic link between Earth and the moon. But how real is the promise of giving the moon an industrial makeover?
Mining the moon for helium-3: How real is the prospect, and is there a business case for such an undertaking?
