Articles by: Space.com Staff

NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi, each seen after their return to Earth on May 2, 2021.

Watch live now! SpaceX Crew-1 astronauts talk Dragon splashdown

By Space.com Staff

The four astronauts who flew on SpaceX's Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station will talk about their six months in space; watch it here courtesy of NASA.

Fifty years ago on May 5, 1961 only 23 day after Yuri Gagarin of the then-Soviet Union became the first person in space, NASA astronaut Alan Shepard launched at 9:34 a.m. EDT aboard his Freedom 7 capsule powered by a Redstone booster to become the first A

Photos: Freedom 7, America's 1st Human Spaceflight

By Space.com Staff

Alan B. Shepard, Jr., made the first U.S. manned spaceflight on May 5, 1961.

Star Wars

By Space.com Staff

A long time ago (1976, to be precise), the original "Star Wars" saga was born, quickly evolving into one of the most popular sci-fi franchises of all time. See the latest "Star Wars" news here!

Lego has an epic new R2-D2 droid, its biggest and best yet, available for May the 4th 2021.

The best Star Wars deals and gifts for 2021

By Space.com Staff

The Force is strong with Star Wars deals this May the Fourth and we've been scouring the web for all the best Star Wars gifts to give loved ones (including yourself of course).

The turbulent atmosphere of Jupiter captured by the JunoCam visible light camera on board of NASA's Juno spacecraft.

Pictures from space! Our image of the day

By Space.com Staff

Giant storms in the turbulent atmosphere of Jupiter captured by the visible-light JunoCam camera on board of NASA’s Juno spacecraft during the probe’s 32nd close pass at the gas giant.

From left, NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi are seen inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon "Resilience" spacecraft on board the SpaceX GO Navigator recovery ship shortly after splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, on May 2, 2021.

SpaceX's Crew-1 astronaut mission to the International Space Station in photos

By Space.com Staff

See photos of the SpaceX Crew-1 mission, the first operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station.

NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover and Mike Hopkins and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Soichi Noguchi will fly on SpaceX's Crew-1 mission.

SpaceX's Crew-1 astronaut mission for NASA: Live updates

By Space.com Staff

SpaceX plans to launch the first operational flight of its Crew Dragon astronaut taxi to the International Space Station on Nov. 14, 2020.

The crew for SpaceX's upcoming Crew-2 mission is all smiles as we get closer to launch. The four astronauts are set to launch to the International Space Station April 22 and there will meet up with the Crew-1 astronauts who have been living up on the orbiting laboratory. From the left is European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet, NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide.

SpaceX's Crew-2 astronaut mission for NASA: Live updates

By Space.com Staff

On 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to travel into space, launched into orbit on the Vostok 3KA-3 spacecraft (Vostok 1).

Yuri Gagarin, First Man in Space (Photo Gallery)

By Space.com Staff

On April 12, 1961, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space. See photos of the historic flight of Vostok 1.

The space shuttle Columbia, NASA's first orbiter, is showered with lights in this nocturnal scene at Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., during preparations for the first flight (STS-1) of NASA's new reusable spacecraft sys

In photos: NASA's first space shuttle flight, STS-1 on Columbia

By Space.com Staff

Photos of NASA's first space shuttle launch STS-1 aboard Columbia on April 12, 1981.

SpaceX's Starlink satellite megaconstellation launches in photos

By Space.com Staff

See photo's of SpaceX's Starlink missions to deploy thousands of small internet satellites into orbit.

Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin stands on the lunar surface during the first moon landing in 1969.

Lunar timeline: humanity's explorations of the moon

By Space.com Staff

Here are some of the highlights from four centuries of scientific study of the moon.

Best space and sci-fi books for 2021

By Space.com Staff

Space.com's editors present a reading list for space and sci-fi lovers, as well as children who are interested in astronomy and spaceflight.

Four women serving together on the International Space Station on April 14, 2010, represented the highest number of women in space simultaneously. Clockwise from lower right are NASA astronauts Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson, both STS-131

Pioneering women in space: A gallery of astronaut firsts

By Space.com Staff

Here's a run-through of the trailblazing women who achieved major firsts in space.

Asteroid Apophis seen on Jan. 9, 2013, from Slooh's remotely operated observatories in Chile and the Canary Islands.

Watch live tonight: Join Slooh's live webcast of asteroid Apophis flyby

By Space.com Staff

The Slooh online observatory will broadcast live views of the near-Earth asteroid Apophis tonight (March 5) at 8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT on Saturday).

We're giving away two prizes — this Mars 2020 rover Perseverance mission patch and a commemorative rover-landing coin — to one lucky winner.

Here's your chance to win a Perseverance Prize Pack!

By Space.com Staff

We're giving away two commemorative prizes to one lucky winner!

An artist's concept of NASA's Mars Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter on the Red Planet.

NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars: Live updates

By Space.com Staff

Perseverance is set to land inside Mars' Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021.

The Space Store is giving away an authentic U.S. Space Force silver coin!

We're giving away a commemorative US Space Force silver coin!

By Space.com Staff

One lucky winner will be walking away with a commemorative U.S. Space Force silver coin, courtesy of the Space Store!

SpaceX's Starship SN9 prototype conducted a 6.2-mile-high (10 kilometers) test flight from the company's South Texas site on Feb. 3, 2021.

In photos: SpaceX's Starship SN9 prototype soars 10 km, crash-lands in Texas

By Space.com Staff

SpaceX launched its Starship SN9 prototype on a 10-kilometer (6.2 miles) test flight that ended with a boom on Feb. 2, 2021. See photos of the epic test in this gallery.

A photo of Mars from NASA's Viking spacecraft, which launched in 1975.

The best (and worst) Mars landings of all time

By Space.com Staff, Tariq Malik

Take a look at some of the best and worst Red Planet landings of all time.

Sky Crane in aerial ballet mode during the descent of NASA’s Curiosity rover to the Martian surface.

Destination Mars: A timeline of Red Planet landings

By Space.com Staff

A look at previous missions that have attempted to land on Mars.

Solar system

By Space.com Staff

From planets and asteroids to the sun and comets, see the latest discoveries from across the solar system.

Star Trek

By Space.com Staff

"Star Trek" is a science-fiction franchise that originated with the 1960s television series created by Gene Roddenberry. See the latest news from "the final frontier" here.

Get 3 issues of your favorite space & science magazines for $3

By Space.com Staff

For a limited time only you can grab fantastic deals on annual, quarterly or monthly digital magazine subscriptions

An artist's concept of China's first Mars rover mission, Tianwen-1, at the Red Planet.

China's Tianwen-1 Mars mission in photos

By Space.com Staff

China's first Mars exploration mission, Tianwen-1, will arrive in orbit at the Red Planet on Feb. 10, and the rover is scheduled to land in May. See photos of the Tianwen-1 mission here!