Space News - Latest Space and Astronomy News

Astronaut Peggy Whitson floats in the cupola on board the International Space Station, backdropped by the Earth below.

National Space Society's ISDC 2021 conference goes virtual — here's how to watch it live Thursday

By Elizabeth Howell

The National Space Society (NSS) will hold its flagship annual event virtually this year, starting on Thursday (June 24) — and you can watch most of it live, for free.

These Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back bedsheets are $17 off in Walmart's Deals for Days event of 2021.

Get a galactic deal on these awesome 'Star Wars' bed sheets from Walmart

By Alexander Cox

May the Force be with you at bedtime with these galactic deals.

Space Perspective's "Neptune One" balloon-borne test vehicle took this photo from an altitude of about 100,000 feet (30,000 meters) during the company's first test flight, on June 18, 2021.

Space Perspective starts selling seats for balloon rides to stratosphere

By Mike Wall

Space Perspective is taking seat reservations for its "Spaceship Neptune," a balloon-borne pressurized capsule designed to carry people about 100,000 feet into the sky. The price: $125,000 apiece.

A new batch of astronauts will join Europe's existing space farers in late 2022.

More than 22,000 apply to join European Space Agency's astronaut corps, a new record

By Tereza Pultarova

The European Space Agency has received a record number of applications for its recently closed call for new astronauts with more than 22,000 people applying.

The epic space race gets a bizarre twist in the new miniseries "Primordial" from Image Comics.

The space race takes on a bizarre twist in Image Comics' new sci-fi series 'Primordial'

By Jeff Spry

The space race of the 1950s and 1960s gets a bizarre twist in the new miniseries "Primordial" from Image Comics.

Missile defence satellite Next Gen OPIR GEO.

Lockheed Martin wins $4.9 billion contract to build advanced missile-warning satellites

By Samantha Mathewson

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $4.9 billion contract to build a triad of missile-warning satellites for the U.S. Space Force.

New observations of the NGC 1052-DF2 galaxy that appears to lack dark matter.

Pictures from space! Our image of the day

By Space.com Staff

The Hubble Space Telescope captured new images of a strange see-through galaxy named NGC 1052-DF2 that appears to lack dark matter.

Fortnite's Cosmic Summer update for Chapter 2 Season 7 will bring new summer and alien-themed challenges, rewards and character skins.

Fortnite launches a 'Cosmic Summer' update with aliens and space-themed fun

By Elizabeth Howell

Fortnite's current UFO-themed season has launched an "extraterrestrial celebration" for the summer and it should be a cosmic blast, Epic Games says.

How to calculate the odds that an alien spaceship has been spotted

By Anders Sandberg

The US military has released previously classified photos and films related to unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings, which mostly show something blurry moving strangely.

An artist's depiction of the sun and Earth as seen from another star system.

Aliens could have spotted Earth cross the sun from more than 1,700 star systems

By Charles Q. Choi

E.T. could also potentially have detected life on Earth, scientists say.

China's Tiangong space station has a modular design similar to the International Space Station.

China's Tiangong space station: What it is, what it's for, and how to see it

By Paulo de Souza

It will be built on a modular design, similar to the International Space Station operated by the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada and the European Space Agency.

The Hubble Space Telescope was originally deployed on April 25, 1990, from the space shuttle Discovery.

Hubble Space Telescope's 1980s computer glitch may run deeper than NASA thought

By Meghan Bartels

It turns out it's tricky to troubleshoot a 1980s computer that's dashing around Earth hundreds of miles over our heads.

An artist's depiction of the two gaseous planets in orbit around the bright star HD 152843.

Citizen scientists discover 2 gas giants around a distant sun-like star

By Samantha Mathewson

A pair of gas-giant exoplanets was found orbiting a distant sun-like star, thanks to the help of citizen scientists around the world.

A photograph shows the rocket-powered Bell X-1 supersonic plane during a test flight.

On This Day in Space! June 23, 1949: XS-1 rocket plane takes 117th Flight

By Hanneke Weitering

On June 23, 1949, the XS-1 rocket plane flew for the 117th time. See how it happened in our "On This Day In Space" series!

Hubble Space Telescope finds galaxy with weirdly little dark matter

By Rahul Rao

Astronomers may not know what dark matter is, but they do know that galaxies are supposed to contain a lot of the shadowy, invisible substance.

Tide has partnered with NASA to develop the first laundry detergent for use in space and to test stain removal on board the International Space Station in 2022.

Tide to develop first laundry detergent for astronauts' clothing on space station

By Robert Z. Pearlman

Future astronauts may not need to worry about moon dust and Mars soil stains, thanks to a new effort by Tide to develop a detergent for use in space.

UK company to start sending secret quantum keys with satellites in 2023

By Tereza Pultarova

U.K. startup Arqit expects to launch a worldwide service for sharing unbreakable quantum-encrypted messages using satellites in 2023.

Krispy Kreme will release a special "strawberry supermoon" doughnut on June 24, 2021.

'Strawberry Supermoon' on Thursday will get its own Krispy Kreme doughnut

By Elizabeth Howell

Krispy Kreme will release a new space-themed doughnut celebrating the June 24 supermoon.

The famous Hubble Space Telescope image Pillars of Creation reimagined as a LEGO set.

See the Hubble Space Telescope's iconic Pillars of Creation in Lego form

By Elizabeth Howell

One of the Hubble Space Telescope's most iconic pictures is now reimagined in Lego form.

This Star Trek wooden 3D puzzle is on sale for Prime Day.

These Star Trek Prime Day deals are a must to get your Trek on

By Chelsea Gohd

If you're a Star Trek fan looking to score some sweet merch this Prime Day, these deals are for you.