Space News - Latest Space and Astronomy News

Students can create an Ingenuity helicopter video game with NASA's new learning guide.

Teach your kids to code a Mars helicopter game with this NASA guide

By Samantha Mathewson

NASA has shared a new learning guide for students to create their own video game to explore Mars with a helicopter like Ingenuity, which is expected to make its debut flight this week.

Frank Drake with cosmic equation to gauge the presence of intelligent life in the cosmos. The Drake Equation identifies specific factors believed to play a role in the development of civilizations in our galaxy.

On This Day in Space! April 11, 1960: 'Project Ozma' begins search for alien life

By Hanneke Weitering

On April 11, 1960, astronomers began the first scientific experiment that would search for extraterrestrial life. See how it happened in our "On This Day In Space" series!

Over a third of Antarctic ice shelf could collapse as climate change warms the Earth

By Chelsea Gohd

Over a third of the Antarctic ice shelf is at risk of collapsing as Earth continues to warm.

This photo, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, depicts a dying galaxy called NGC 1947.

Hubble telescope captures striking image of a dying galaxy

By Kasandra Brabaw

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a striking photo of a dying galaxy.

NASA's Mars Helicopter Ingenuity is seen by the Perseverance rover after unlocking its rotor blades on April 7, 2021.

NASA delays Mars helicopter Ingenuity's 1st flight to April 14

By Meghan Bartels

NASA has delayed the first flight of its Mars helicopter Ingenuity after the vehicle's last test ended earlier than planned.

NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter does a slow spin test of its blades on April 8, 2021, the 48th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. This image was captured by the Mastcam-Z on NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover.

The Mars helicopter Ingenuity is about to make history in the skies of another world

By Chelsea Gohd

NASA is about to make history on the Red Planet with the first controlled, helicopter flight on another world.

Artist's illustration of NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter flying on the Red Planet.

How NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity can fly on the Red Planet

By Mike Wall

Flying on Mars is far from a breeze, but NASA is confident that its little helicopter is up to the challenge.

NASA shows you how to build your own paper version of the Ingenuity Mars helicopter.

Make your own Mars helicopter Ingenuity out of paper with this NASA guide!

By Samantha Mathewson

NASA is preparing to fly its Mars helicopter Ingenuity on the Red Planet for the first time, and students can join in the excitement by building paper versions of the craft at home.

The cover of "Star Wars: Galactic Baking"

Exclusive: Salute 'Star Wars Day' with this mouth-watering 'Star Wars: Galactic Baking' cookbook

By Jeff Spry

Preheat the oven for more than 30 tempting "Star Wars"-themed sweets and treats

Tune in to the Yuri's Night 2021 Global Livestream on April 10, 2021.

Yuri's Night 2021: Celebrate 60 years of human spaceflight tonight with Bill Nye, astronauts, OK Go and more

By Chelsea Gohd

Tune in to Yuri's Night virtual party at 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT)!

With new processing techniques, NASA's Hubble space telescope has captured the beautiful Veil Nebula in the finest detail ever.

Space photos: The most amazing images this week!

By Doris Elin Urrutia

See the best photos on Space.com this week.

A test version of NASA's Orion spacecraft splashes into the Hydro Impact Basin at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, at 2:02 p.m. EDT (1802 GMT) on April 6, 2021.

The top space stories of the week!

By Doris Elin Urrutia

These are the top space stories this week from Space.com.

NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter performs a spin test of its blades on April 8, 2021. This image was captured by the Mastcam-Z on NASA's Perseverance Mars rover.

NASA's Mars Helicopter Ingenuity is 'go' for historic 1st flight

By Elizabeth Howell

Humanity's first helicopter on Mars has been cleared for a historic takeoff.

NASA's Artemis program is working to return humans to the moon by 2024 and establish a permanent presence there by the end of the decade.

NASA to land 1st person of color on the moon with Artemis program

By Chelsea Gohd

NASA will land the first person of color in addition to the first woman on the moon with the Artemis program, NASA's Acting Administrator Steve Jurczyk revealed today (April 9).

President Joe Biden spoke at the White House's Rose Garden on April 8, 2021.

Biden proposes $24.7 billion NASA budget in 2022 to support moon exploration and more

By Meghan Bartels

More than two months after taking office, President Joe Biden has offered a first look at his budget priorities, and the signs for NASA are generally promising.

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.

Space Chat with Space.com: Tune in Fridays for science, space and more!

By Chelsea Gohd

This Friday (April 9), Space Chat will explore SpaceX's upcoming Crew-2 mission.

NASA's Mars Helicopter Ingenuity is seen on the surface of the Red Planet by the perseverance rover on April 5, 2021.

How to watch the Mars helicopter Ingenuity's first flight online

By Elizabeth Howell

The first helicopter is expected to attempt the first-ever flight on Mars on Sunday (April 11), with NASA unveiling the results a day later, and you can follow it all online.

NASA's chief astronaut Molly Cobb (Sonya Walger) pushes her T-38 toward the edge of space in the "For All Mankind" episode "And Here's To You" on Apple TV+ on April 9, 2021.

'For All Mankind' sneak peek: Astronaut climbs to edge of space in a T-38 in 'And Here's to You'

By Elizabeth Howell

NASA's chief astronaut Molly Cobb pushes the envelope on their jet aircraft in the new episode of "For All Mankind," airing Friday (April 9).

60 years after the first human spaceflight launched cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin off of Earth, Russia launched a Soyuz named after Gagarin to the International Space Station. Today at 3:42 a.m. EDT (0742 GMT or 12:42 local time), Russia’s Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft, the "Yu.A. Gagarin," launched from site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan near where Gagarin made his historic flight April 12, 1961.

Pictures from space! Our image of the day

By Space.com Staff

60 years after the first human spaceflight launched cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin off of Earth, Russia launched a Soyuz named after Gagarin to the International Space Station.

The Perseverance rover captured this image of the Ingenuity helicopter during preflight preparations on April 9, 2021.

Watch NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity test its blades! (video)

By Meghan Bartels

NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity is warming up its rotor blades as the team's engineers undertake final preparations for the first-ever flight on the Red Planet, scheduled for Sunday (April 11).