Space Exploration

Alien life likely can't survive on exoplanets smaller than Mars, scientists say

By Kiona N. Smith Published 21 July 26

For a world to maintain an atmosphere long enough for life to gain a foothold, it seems it needs to be at least as big as Mars.

SpaceX targets July 23 for crucial Starship Flight 13 test launch after abort

By Mike Wall Last updated 21 July 26

SpaceX is now targeting Thursday (July 23) for Flight 13 of its giant Starship rocket, after the first launch attempt aborted at the last second on July 16.

Space Force orders 36 more Golden Dome missile-tracking satellites, for $1.75 billion

By Josh Dinner Published 21 July 26

The Space Development Agency announced partnerships with two companies worth up to $1.75 billion total, to develop 36 satellites for the Trump administration’s Golden Dome missile-defense initiative.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket sends Starlink satellites to orbit a day after rare launch abort

By Robert Z. Pearlman Published 21 July 26

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 24 Starlink satellites launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Tuesday (July 21), a day after aborting its first liftoff attempt.

Artemis III astronauts will beam 4k video from Orion to Earth using SpaceX Starlink lasers

By Josh Dinner Published 21 July 26

Expect some of the sharpest live views of Orion in space that we've ever seen.

Twice in a row: SpaceX rocket aborts launch at last second again (video)

By Mike Wall Published 20 July 26

SpaceX suffered its second last-second abort in a row this morning (July 20), this time during an attempted Falcon 9 launch of Starlink broadband satellites.

Four astronauts, 3 spacecraft, 2 weeks in orbit: Artemis III will be NASA's most complicated mission ever

By Josh Dinner Published 20 July 26

NASA's Artemis III mission is shaping up to be NASA's most complex mission in history, coordinating the launch and rendezvous of three different spacecraft.

Artemis II was an incredible reminder of our shared humanity just when we needed it most (op-ed)

By Aparna Venkatesan Published 20 July 26

The Artemis II astronauts reminded us that they considered it the honor of a lifetime to go to the moon for us - and as us - while transmitting daily that they couldn’t wait to come home to us.

Rocket launch costs have dropped 96% since 1960. How low can they go?

By Charles Q. Choi Published 20 July 26

The costs of space launch have fallen 96% in the past six decades and have the potential to plummet by nearly as much by 2040, a new study finds.

An artificial 'Saturn's ring' of satellites could soon fill the sky, astronomers warn

By Tereza Pultarova Published 20 July 26

A bright Saturn's ring of satellites will encircle Earth if plans to launch a million orbiting data centers and tens of thousands of space mirrors will come to pass.