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The Lucy spacecraft enclosed in its fairing being lifted onto its rocket in preparation for launch.

NASA's daring Lucy asteroid mission is ready to launch

By Meghan Bartels

NASA's newest asteroid mission, a spacecraft targeting space rocks that orbit ahead of and behind Jupiter, is ready to begin its journey.

China's next-generation spacecraft, which flew once to space in May 2020, is seen on display for the first time at the Airshow China 2021 in Zhuhai City in the Guangdong province on Oct. 1, 2021.

China just put its next-generation spaceship on display

By Leonard David

Making its public debut is China's next-generation crewed spacecraft.

William Shatner was moved to tears by his flight to space on Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft on Oct. 13, 2021.

William Shatner moved to tears by space launch with Blue Origin

By Chelsea Gohd

William Shatner's flight to space moved him to tears.

Venus as seen by the Galileo spacecraft on Feb. 14, 1990. This image has been colorized with a blue hue to note cloud details.

Life on Venus may never have been possible

By Mike Wall

Venus may not be such a tantalizing target for alien hunters after all.

A Blue Origin New Shepard rocket carrying actor William Shatner and a crew of three launches on a suborbital spaceflight from West Texas on the NS-18 mission on Oct. 13, 2021.

William Shatner and crew of 3 launch to the final frontier on Blue Origin rocket

By Hanneke Weitering

William Shatner has boldly gone where no 90-year-old has ever gone before with a Blue Origin launch into space on New Shepard.

An electron microscope image of a micron-sized silicon carbide stardust grain extracted from the Murchinson meteorite.

Ancient meteorites preserve building blocks of early solar system

By Tereza Pultarova

Scientists have used a new method to analyse the composition of ancient grains in meteorites with unprecedented accuracy to shed light on their mysterious origin.

big bang, expansion of the universe.

What if the universe had no beginning?

By Paul Sutter

The scanning tunnelling image of the graphene sheet shows the honeycomb imprint of the 'electron ice' underneath it.

Scientists capture image of bizarre 'electron ice' for the first time

By Ben Turner

Wigner crystals have been theorized for more than 80 years, but this is the first time the elusive crystals have been captured in an image.

The Blue Origin New Shepard rocket that will launch William Shatner and three others to space is seen atop Launch Site One in West Texas during launch preparations on Oct. 13, 2021.

Blue Origin will launch William Shatner into space today! Here's how to watch it live.

By Hanneke Weitering

William Shatner and three other passengers will launch into space today (Oct. 13) on the second crewed flight of Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, and you can watch all the action live online.

Audrey Powers, Blue Origin's vice president for mission and flight operations, will be the company's first employee to launch on its New Shepard spacecraft when she flies with William Shatner and two other passengers on Oct. 13, 2021.

Blue Origin's Audrey Powers is 'proud and humbled to fly' in space

By Elizabeth Howell

Senior executive says she has diversity firmly in view as she embarks on a spaceflight.

An aurora spotted from the International Space Station. An Oct. 11 geomagnetic solar storm created auroras that stretched as far south as New York.

Solar storm hits Earth, bringing northern lights to New York

By Chelsea Gohd

A solar storm hit Earth and brought with it a spectacular light show visible as far south as New York.

William Shatner (second from right) will fly along with three other private citizens as part of a Blue Origin suborbital spaceflight. They are (from left): Glen de Vries, vice chair for life sciences and healthcare at the French software company Dassault Systèmes; Audrey Powers, Blue Origin vice president of mission and flight operations; and Chris Boshuizen, co-founder of the Earth-observation company Planet.

What time will William Shatner launch into space on Blue Origin's New Shepard?

By Hanneke Weitering

After a 24-hour delay due to high winds, the New Shepard rocket is now scheduled to lift off at 10 a.m. EDT (9 a.m. local time; 1400 GMT).

A cargo ship carrying NASA's James Webb Space Telescope arrived in French Guiana on Oct. 12, 2021, after a 16-day sea voyage. Webb is scheduled to launch from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on Dec. 18.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope arrives in French Guiana ahead of Dec. 18 launch

By Mike Wall

A cargo ship carrying the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope arrived in French Guiana on Tuesday (Oct. 12), wrapping up a 16-day ocean voyage that covered 5,800 miles (9,300 kilometers).

"Star Trek" actor William Shatner (second from left) poses for a crew photo with his NS-18 crewmates and their Blue Origin New Shepard rocket ahead of a planned Oct. 13, 2021 launch. His crewmates are: (from left) Audrey Powers of Blue Origin; Planet Labs co-founder Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries, co-founder of Medidata Solutions.

Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket 'go' to launch William Shatner and crew to space

By Elizabeth Howell

Blue Origin's NS-18 crew, starring "Star Trek" captain William Shatner, is officially "go" for a real-life spaceflight on Wednesday (Oct. 13).

Astra's Launch Vehicle 0006 slid sideways after launching on an orbital test mission on Aug. 28, 2021.

Astra knows what caused its rocket launch failure in August and will try again soon

By Mike Wall

We now know what caused that memorable power slide during Astra's most recent launch.

"Star Trek" star William Shatner, 90, is ready to launch into space on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket on Oct. 13, 2021.

William Shatner of 'Star Trek' says he's ready to go to space for real

By Elizabeth Howell

The 'Star Trek' star speaks about the final frontier on Twitter, in a Blue Origin video.

William Shatner will launch to space with an upcoming Blue Origin suborbital mission on Oct. 12, 2021.

William Shatner hopes for no 'gremlins' on Blue Origin launch (video)

By Tariq Malik

Famed "Star Trek" actor William Shatner is hoping to see magnificent views of Earth from space on his launch with Blue Origin this week. He just hopes the gremlins stay away.

"Orbital Planes: A Personal Vision of the Space Shuttle" by Roland Miller documents the end of the space shuttle program through the eyes of a photographer.

Photographer offers visual slant on space shuttle in 'Orbital Planes'

By Robert Z. Pearlman

For more than 30 years, Roland Miller has used photography to bring new light to the space program. Now, Miller is preparing to release his third collection, this one focused on the winged orbiters.

William Shatner, seen here preparing for his spaceflight with Blue Origin, revealed the limits put on the crew's carry-ons.

Spaceflight companies set limit on carry-ons: souvenirs not for sale

By Robert Z. Pearlman

"You can't sell it," says William Shatner.

Observing through beginner telescope

Best telescopes for beginners 2021: Top budget-friendly picks for viewing the planets, galaxies and more

By Gemma Lavender

Buying Guide Looking for the best beginners telescope but unsure where to start? Space.com has made the search easier with our top pick of great reflectors, refractors and computerized telescopes

Buying Guide