Space Exploration

Latest about Space Exploration

a white rocket lifts off from a launch pad at night.

Vulcan Centaur rocket launches 'neighborhood watch' satellites for the US military (video)

By Mike Wall last updated

Liftoff of the USSF-87 mission occurred at 4:22 a.m. ET on Thursday (Feb. 12).

Launches & Spacecraft
A white and black rocket lifts off from its launch pad into a partially cloudy blue sky.

SpaceX Falcon 9 deploys 24 Starlink satellites after California launch

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 24 Starlink satellites launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026.

Launches & Spacecraft
an orange rocket on a launch pad at sunset

Why are the launch windows for NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission so short?

By Mike Wall published

NASA's Artemis 2 mission, which will send four astronauts on a journey around the moon, can launch on just 11 days in March and April combined. Why are there so few opportunities to fly?

Artemis
The tip of NASA's Space Launch System rocket is visible with the full moon rising behind it in the black night sky. The steel framework of the launch tower dominates the right of the screen, and the crew arm is extended, bridging the gap to the rocket's white upper stage.

Artemis 2 rocket chills with the 'Snow Moon' | Space photo of the day for Feb. 11, 2026

By Anthony Wood published

Target and arrow in a single frame.

Space Exploration
The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite captured its first view of the entire sunlit side of Earth from one million miles away on July 6, 2015.

Life on Earth is lucky: A rare chemical fluke may have made our planet habitable

By Samantha Mathewson published

Life on Earth may exist thanks to an incredible stroke of luck — a chemical sweet spot that most planets miss during their formation but ours managed to hit.

Search for Life

Earth orbit is getting crowded. Can this map of 1 million routes around our planet help prevent satellite collisions?

By Julian Dossett published

Could we prevent in-orbit crashes in the future by using advanced computer models?

Satellites
four people in white flight suits pose for a picture

Who are the astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-12 mission to the ISS?

By Josh Dinner published

NASA and SpaceX are proceeding ahead of schedule with their next astronaut launch to the International Space Station, which is currently operating with a skeleton crew.

International Space Station
mechanical arms in front of a reddish, rocky surface

Did the Viking missions discover life on Mars 50 years ago? These scientists think so

By Keith Cooper published

The key to solving the mystery of the Viking results is the discovery of perchlorate on the Martian surface in 2008.

Search for Life
a white and black rocket with NASA markings on it stands poised on a launch pad awaiting its day to launch

How long will the ISS operate with a skeleton crew? SpaceX’s Crew-12 astronaut mission delayed to Feb. 13

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

NASA and SpaceX mission managers have delayed the Falcon 9 launch of the next crew to the International Space Station as they await improved weather conditions.

Launches & Spacecraft
an artist's rendering of a NASA Artemis moon base with development underway.

Can current space law handle the new space age?

By Andrew Jones published

A new proposal suggests borrowing the "Conference of the Parties" model from climate diplomacy to update space law before orbital congestion and lunar competition escalate.

Space Exploration
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