Spaceflight

Latest

a golden rocket stage and its four black engines are seen in a horizontal position inside a large warehouse-like facility.

Artemis 2 moon rocket now has all 4 powerful engines on board (photo)

By Elizabeth Howell published

The Artemis 2 moon rocket's core stage now has all four of its RS-25 engines mounted in place. It's a big milestone for the mission as it sails toward a launch in late 2024.

Artemis program
three men in black polo shirts float aboard the international space station.

Watch a NASA astronaut and 2 cosmonauts return to Earth after 1 year in space on Sept. 27

By Mike Wall published

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and his two Russian crewmates are scheduled to return to Earth Wednesday morning (Sept. 27) after a year in space, and you can watch it live.

International Space Station
Cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky shared this photo of the International Space Station on Twitter on Sept. 29, 2021. He and two colleagues were relocating a Russian Soyuz spacecraft from one port to another at the time.

International Space Station: Live updates

By Elizabeth Howell published

Find out what's going on at the International Space Station.

International Space Station
three men in white space suits sit by yellow railings

Accidental 1-year astronaut crew hands over command of ISS ahead of Sept. 27 landing

By Elizabeth Howell published

NASA's Frank Rubio and his one-year crew are ready to come home at last, after their return was delayed by six months. The Soyuz astronauts handed over their work on the ISS on Sept. 26.

International Space Station
The Artemis 2 moon crew during a launch simulation at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 20, 2023. They stand on the crew access arm at Launch 39B, which will one day bring them to the waiting Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. From left: NASA astronaut and pilot Victor Glover, Canadian Space Agency astronaut and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, NASA astronaut and mission specialist Christina Koch, and NASA astronaut and commander Reid Wiseman.

Artemis moon program will prioritize ethics, good of society, NASA says

By Elizabeth Howell published

NASA's Artemis program will include consideration of 'ethical and societal matters' as the agency aims for the first human moon landings in 50 years, a new report pledges.

Artemis program
This illustration, updated in April 2022, depicts NASA's Psyche spacecraft approaching the asteroid 16 Psyche.

The Psyche mission: A visit to a metal asteroid

By Adam Mann, Vicky Stein last updated

Reference Psyche is a NASA mission that will explore a 140-mile-wide (225 kilometers) metallic asteroid called 16 Psyche. To provide an insight into planetary formation.

Reference
book cover for 'the six'

Learn the true stories of NASA's 1st women astronauts in new book 'The Six' (exclusive)

By Elizabeth Howell published

Loren Grush, author of new book 'The Six,' spoke with Space.com about Sally Ride, Judith Resnik and other pioneering NASA women astronauts.

NASA
This SpaceX Merlin rocket engine and grid fin, which were used in the launch of Falcon 9 missions, will go on display at the National Air and Space Museum.

SpaceX flight-proven rocket hardware to go on display at Smithsonian

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

An engine used to launch an Israeli company's attempt at landing on the moon has landed in the Smithsonian. Along with a grid fin, it is one of the first SpaceX artifacts to join the collection.

SpaceX
Russian officials watch the harrowing Soyuz T-10-1 launch abort of cosmonauts Vladimir Titov and Gennady Strekalov on Sept. 26, 1983.

On This Day In Space: Sept. 26, 1983: Soyuz crew narrowly escapes rocket explosion

By Hanneke Weitering last updated

On Sept. 25, 2008, China's space program launched its third human spaceflight mission, Shenzhou 7.

a space station floats above earth, over an ocean or sea

NASA wants more 'space tug' ideas to deorbit the International Space Station in a fiery finale

By Elizabeth Howell published

NASA is looking for spacecraft ideas to remove the U.S. segment of the International Space Station after its expected retirement in 2030.

International Space Station
Part of the path NASA's Perseverance Mars rover took to cross the boulder field dubbed "Snowdrift Peak."

NASA's Perseverance rover sets record for longest Mars drive on autopilot

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

The autopilot on Perseverance Mars rover guided it through a particularly hazardous boulder field In July, saving weeks of precious science time.

Incredible Technology
A spacecraft fires thrusters near an asteroid in artist's depiction

After NASA's epic OSIRIS-REx capsule landing success, spacecraft heads to asteroid Apophis on new mission

By Andrew Jones published

NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe, which delivered samples of the space rock Bennu to Earth, is now on an extended voyage to study the infamous near-Earth asteroid Apophis.

Asteroids
an image showing liftoff of osiris rex from asteroid bennu with gray boulders in behind the spacecraft

OSIRIS-REx: A complete guide to the asteroid-sampling mission

By Nola Taylor Tillman last updated

Reference The OSIRIS-REx asteroid-sampling mission delivered pieces of asteroid Bennu to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023, before moving on to study asteroid Apophis in 2029.

Reference
Starlink rocket launch at night, a black and white rocket ignites against the black sky.

SpaceX launches 21 Starlink satellites into orbit from California

By Mike Wall last updated

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from California early Monday morning (Sept. 25), carrying 21 Starlink satellites to orbit.

SpaceX
Scientists take a closer look at the OSIRIS-REx capsule.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx capsule just landed with samples of asteroid Bennu. Next stop: Texas

By Robert Z. Pearlman published

Hey NASA, you've just landed your first samples from an asteroid! Where are they going next? Houston, of course.

Asteroids
a cone-shaped capsule flies through space just above Earth's atmosphere

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft releases asteroid sample capsule toward Earth in flyby, heads to Apophis

By Tariq Malik published

The first asteroid samples ever collected by NASA are closing in on Earth for a historic landing in Utah today (Sept. 24).

Asteroids
people in spacesuits on the surface of mars surrounded by metal buildings

Spending time in space can harm the human body — but scientists are working to mitigate these risks before sending people to Mars

By Rachael Seidler published

With NASA planning more missions to space in the future, scientists are studying how to mitigate health hazards that come with space flight.

Expert Voices
a woman in a baseball cap examines a mock sample-return capsule in a desert landscape.

OSIRIS-REx probe will bring pristine asteroid samples to Earth today. Watch it live

By Mike Wall last updated

NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission is set to deliver its asteroid sample to Earth on Sunday morning (Sept. 24), and you can watch the historic action live.

Asteroids
a black-and-white spacex falcon 9 rocket launches into a night sky.

SpaceX rocket launches on record-tying 17th mission

By Mike Wall last updated

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched for a record-tying 17th time Saturday night (Sept. 23), carrying 22 Starlink satellites to orbit.

SpaceX
a spacecraft zooms towards Earth

No, the OSIRIS-REx probe will not bring back asteroid space 'germs'

By Sharmila Kuthunur published

Space germs will not piggyback on bits of Bennu that NASA's OSIRIS-REx delivers to Earth this Sunday. Here's why.

Asteroids