Latest articles by Leonard David
In the not-too-distant future, "artificial astronauts" could fly as actual crew members on human missions to Mars, and elsewhere in space.
China is going full throttle in its quest to land astronauts on the moon by 2030, notching several important milestones over the past few months.
Scientists studying the famous 'Wow! signal' think they've finally pinpointed a possible origin for the baffling radio transmission detected in 1977.
Russia is readying its Bion-M No. 2 biosatellite for a planned Aug. 20 launch. The mission will send 75 mice and other specimens on a monthlong mission to Earth orbit.
A large simulated moonscape built by the Colorado School of Mines is open for business, allowing researchers and companies to test their ideas for lunar rovers, landing pads, mining gear and more.
The company is also looking at using its mothership aircraft that releases spacecraft at high altitude as a carrier platform for other customers.
China conducted takeoff and touchdown tests with its "Lanyue" moon lander on Aug. 6, 2025, as it prepares to launch a crewed lunar mission by 2030.
International oversight would reduce risks, but could be "a politically sensitive and contentious matter."
NASA currently leads the nation's planetary defense efforts, but some are calling for the Space Force to take control.
"With six helicopters, Skyfall offers a low-cost solution that multiplies the range we would cover, the data we would collect, and the scientific research we would conduct."
U.S. President Trump's "One, Big Beautiful Bill Act," H.R. 1 includes $1 billion for the U.S. Space Force (USSF) X-37B military spacecraft program.
"Can humanity enjoy the benefits of both asteroid and lunar mining without compromise, or do we have to choose one at the expense of the other?"
Private lunar landing: How Blue Ghost measured the moon's electric and magnetic fields
"Returning the scientifically selected samples that await us on Mars, as part of a balanced portfolio, will help to ensure the US does not cede leadership in deep space to other nations, such as China."
"Being off even a little bit represents hundreds or thousands of kilometers in distance on the surface of the Earth."
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has imaged the crash site of Resilience, a moon lander built and operated by the Tokyo-based company ispace.
Sen. Ted Cruz's newly unveiled legislative directives for Senate Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill would dedicate almost $10 billion to win the new space race with China.
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin has begun revealing how it plans to establish itself as a provider of hardware that will enable long-term human stays on the moon.
A number of groups and individuals say there's a need to protect lunar history before it's too late.
There are creatures here on Earth that may give us clues about how to communicate with extraterrestrial intelligence — dolphins, which are famously social and smart.
Building a sustainable economy on the moon won't be easy, but we at least have some ideas about how to get started.
The Council on Foreign Relations released a new report calling for the United States to make space a top national priority.
The chairs of several NASA analysis and assessment groups (AGs) issued a statement in response to the Trump administration's proposed budget that would gut science programs.
