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Félicette, the first cat to fly into space in October 1963, is seen her carrier pre-flight. A crowdfunded campaign will erect a memorial to honor the Félicette in her hometown of Paris, France.

On This Day in Space! Oct. 18, 1963: Félicette Becomes the 1st Cat in Space!

By Hanneke Weitering

On Oct. 18, 1963, a cat went to space! Félicette was a French "catstronaut" who became the first and only feline to fly to space. See how it happened in our On This Day in Space video series!

NASA astronaut Christina Koch (left) poses for a portrait with fellow Expedition 61 Flight Engineer Jessica Meir of NASA who is inside a U.S. spacesuit for a fit check for a spacewalk on Oct. 18, 2019. It will be the first all-female spacewalk in history.

The 1st All-Female Spacewalk Happening Today. Here's How to Watch It Live

By Mike Wall

NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir are scheduled to begin the first-ever all-female spacewalk today (Oct. 18) at around 7:50 a.m. EDT (1150 GMT). Watch it live at Space.com.

An artist's illustration of Dymon's little Yaoki rover and Astrobotic's larger Peregrine lander on the surface of the moon.

Japan's 1st Moon Rover to Touch Down in 2021

By Mike Wall

The tiny, wheeled robot, named Yaoki, is one of about 30 payloads flying on the first moon mission of Astrobotic's Peregrine lander.

NASA finished assembling the main structural components for the first Space Launch System (SLS) rocket core stage at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans last month.

NASA Orders More SLS Megarockets from Boeing for Artemis Moon Missions

By Elizabeth Howell

Astronauts Christina Koch (left) and Jessica Meir are scheduled to spacewalk together on Oct. 17 or Oct. 18, 2019.

Watch Live Now! Astronauts Taking 1st All-Female Spacewalk

By Space.com Staff

NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir will take the world's first all-female spacewalk today (Oct. 18) and you can watch it live here! Here's how.

An artist's depiction of simulations used in the research.

The Milky Way Stole Its Cosmic Neighbors from Another Galaxy

By Elizabeth Howell

Our home galaxy stole several dwarf galaxies that used to belong to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a galaxy near the Milky Way.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (left) and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speak to the press at SpaceX Headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif. on Oct. 10, 2019.

After Musk's Pot Escapade, NASA Paid for SpaceX's Safety Review — But Not Boeing's

By Elizabeth Howell

NASA forked out $5 million to SpaceX to help the company do a mandatory safety investigation but provided no extra money to competitor Boeing, according to a media report.

An artist's depiction of rocky material and a metallic, spherical core both orbiting a white dwarf, with an Earth-like planet in the background.

Doomed Alien Planets 'Polluted' White Dwarf Stars with Earth-Like Rocks

By Charles Q. Choi

By analyzing the disintegrated remains of distant worlds consumed by their stars, a new study found that at least some rocky exoplanets may have interiors similar to those of Earth and Mars.

There's a lot going in space in 2019. Check out our up-to-date space launch schedule and calendar here!

Space Launch Calendar 2019: Sky Events, Missions & More

By Hanneke Weitering

Here's a guide to SpaceX's launch schedule, other rocket missions, astronomical events of the next year, as well as milestones for spacecraft already in travel.

Virgin Galactic's chief astronaut instructor, Beth Moses, received her commercial astronaut wings on April 9, 2019.

Space Stories Land at NYC Explorers Club Saturday!

By Meghan Bartels

Space fans of New York City have a lot to look forward to on Saturday (Oct. 17), as the Explorers Club celebrates "Space Stories" with an all-day event.

A lidar image shows the outline of an ancient city hidden in a Guatemalan forest

Scientists Want to Make a 3D Map of the Entire World Before Climate Change Ruins It

By Brandon Specktor

A nonprofit called The Earth Archive wants to make a 3D map of the entire planet, before the climate crisis changes Earth's face forever.

The first-quarter moon rises over Earth's thin, blue atmosphere in this photo taken by an astronaut at the International Space Station. One of the six Expedition 61 crewmembers on board captured this view on Oct. 5, when the moon was waxing. It became full on Sunday (Oct. 13), and the moon will once again be half illuminated on Monday (Oct. 21) when it reaches its third quarter phase.

Pictures from Space! Our Image of the Day

By Space.com Staff

The first-quarter moon rises over Earth's thin, blue atmosphere in this photo taken by an astronaut at the International Space Station.

Human colony on an exoplanet.

Humans Will Never Live on Another Planet, Nobel Laureate Says. Here's Why.

By Yasemin Saplakoglu

Here's the reality: We're messing up the Earth and any far-out ideas of colonizing another orb when we're done with our own are wishful thinking.

Dunes on Saturn's moon Titan as seen by the Cassini probe in 2006.

A Faux Saturn Moon Titan on Earth Could Solve Solar System Mystery

By Meghan Bartels

Big, schmancy compounds keep popping up all over the solar system, and new research may help clear up confusion about how they form in so many places.

dark matter

Exotic 'Fuzzy' Dark Matter May Have Created Giant Filaments Across the Early Universe

By Adam Mann

Simulations help distinguish a cosmos containing fuzzy dark matter from one without it.

The HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter got its best view yet of the agency’s InSight lander on September 23, 2019.

NASA Spots InSight Mars Lander and Curiosity Rover from Space (Photos)

By Mike Wall

New photos give us the best-ever look at NASA's InSight lander on the surface of Mars and show the circuitous route the Curiosity rover is taking up a big Red Planet mountain.

A Rocket Lab Electron booster launches the small Palisade satellite in orbit for satellite operator Astro Digital.

Rocket Lab Launches Highest Mission Yet to Put Astro Digital Satellite in Orbit

By Mike Wall

The company's Electron booster toted a satellite to an altitude of more than 620 miles (1,000 kilometers).

Virgin Galactic Unveils Under Armour Spacesuits and 'Spacewear' for Space Tourist Flights

By Tariq Malik

Virgin Galactic Virgin Galactic lifted the curtain Wednesday (Oct. 16) on its new line of Under Amour "spacewear" for passengers on suborbital trips aboard its SpaceShipTwo vehicles.

Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity glides back to Earth after a supersonic test flight on May 29, 2018.

Virgin Galactic May Raise the Ticket Price for SpaceShipTwo Again

By Hanneke Weitering

The price of a ticket to space on Virgin Galactic's suborbital SpaceShipTwo will likely increase as the private spaceflight company gears up for its first commercial flights.

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine's testimony during a heated Congressional hearing on Oct. 16, 2019, came the day after he unveiled two spacesuits the agency is designing for the Artemis moon landing program.

Lawmakers Grill NASA Chief on Moon-by-2024 Budget, Schedule

By Meghan Bartels

A key group of congressional budgeters have big questions for NASA chief Jim Bridenstine about his moon-landing goals — and he doesn't have the answers they want.