Infographics

On Jan. 31, 1958, the United States launched its first successful satellite: Explorer 1. See how the historic mission worked here.

Alien life may be lurking right in Earth's cosmic backyard. Some of the icy moons of Saturn and Jupiter are known to harbor subsurface oceans that could provide habitable environments.

See how John Glenn's Mercury mission put the first American in orbit in 1962 in this SPACE.com infographic.

In August 2016, astronomers announced that a potentially Earth-like planet orbits Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the sun. Learn about the exciting discovery in this infographic.

On May 9, 2016, Mercury crosses the face of the sun in a solar transit. See how Mercury transits work in our full infographic here.

Paul Allen's Stratolaunch Systems plans to build a giant carrier vehicle in order to air-launch rockets to Earth orbit.

Postage-stamp-sized space probes could make a flyby of planets around Alpha Centauri within 20 years after launch.

Learn all about the X-ray astronomy satellite Hitomi, a satellite built by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency that launched in February 2016 and fell silent just over a month later.

Bigelow Aerospace's BEAM expandable module will enhance the living area of the International Space Station.

Moon Astronomy Lesson: See the moon phases, and the difference between a waxing and waning crescent or gibbous moon, in this Space.com infographic about the lunar cycle each month.

The European Space Agency's ExoMars project involves an orbiter, lander and rover, launched on two separate Proton rockets.

The British company Reaction Engines Ltd. hopes to manufacture Skylon, a runway-to-orbit space plane using hybrid air-breathing rocket engines.

XCOR aims to take paying passengers on a suborbital weightless hop to the edge of space.

DARE is a proposed lunar satellite that would study the early era of the universe when the stars first starting turning on.

Mini-Neptunes outnumber other types of planets found by astronomers.

Chart details the causes of the destruction of Challenger on Jan. 28, 1986.

Researchers say an anomaly in the orbits of distant Kuiper Belt objects points to the existence of an unknown planet orbiting the sun.