On This Day In Space: Feb. 9, 1913: Great meteor procession of 1913 By Hanneke Weitering last updated 9 February 23 On Feb. 9, 1913, hundreds of fireball meteors rained down on North America for no apparent reason. This strange event is known as the Great Meteor Procession of 1913.
Tiny NASA moon probe can't reach lunar orbit as planned By Elizabeth Howell published 8 February 23 After launching with SpaceX in December 2022, Lunar Flashlight ran into trouble in deep space. Now the mission is eyeing a high-Earth orbit that will allow monthly moon flybys.
Don't panic: Ingenuity helicopter reaches 42 flights on Mars By Elizabeth Howell published 8 February 23 As Ingenuity scouts for Mars sample return, NASA says the milestone flight and larger Perseverance rover mission represents 'the meaning of life, the universe and everything.'
Virgin Orbit's failed debut UK rocket launch traced to '$100 part:' report By Elizabeth Howell published 8 February 23 Virgin Orbit's debut Cornwall orbital launch ended in failure Jan. 9, and early stages of the investigation point to an inexpensive part in rocket LauncherOne.
ESA successfully unfurls sail to drag spacecraft out of orbit By Andrew Jones published 8 February 23 The European Space Agency has successfully unfurled a sail aboard a used cubesat to help drag the spacecraft down into Earth's atmosphere and out of orbit.
Russia launches cargo mission to International Space Station By Mike Wall published 8 February 23 Russia launched a robotic Progress freighter carrying about 3 tons of food and supplies toward the International Space Station early Thursday morning (Feb. 9).
Turkey earthquake devastation spotted by satellites (photos) By Elizabeth Howell published 8 February 23 The death toll from the magnitude 7.8 earthquake Monday (Feb. 6) and aftershocks is estimated to be at least 11,200 people in the region, according to reports.
Mysterious Russian satellite breaks up in orbit, generating cloud of debris By Mike Wall published 7 February 23 The mysterious Russian satellite Kosmos 2499 broke apart in early January, and the U.S. Space Force is already tracking 85 pieces of debris from the incident.
Accutron and Bulova debut new Astronaut and Lunar Pilot timepieces By Robert Z. Pearlman published 7 February 23 Two watch brands are celebrating the historic associations they had with the U.S. space program. Accutron is reviving its "Astronaut" line, while Bulova is continuing its "Lunar Pilot" series.
Intuitive Machines now targeting moon's south pole for delayed lunar landing mission By Elizabeth Howell published 7 February 23 A United States company may touch down on the moon for the first time in 2023, but who will make the debut landing is hard to predict.
Stack it up! ULA assembles 1st Vulcan Centaur rocket ahead of debut launch (photos) By Elizabeth Howell published 7 February 23 ULA's heavy-lift Vulcan Centaur rocket could launch for the first time in the next few months, if testing continues to go well.
Relativity Space stacks 3D-printed rocket on launch pad ahead of 1st flight By Elizabeth Howell published 7 February 23 The 3D-printed Terran 1 rocket from Relativity Space may make its debut flight later this month if all goes to plan, marking the first liquid natural gas booster to reach orbit.
NASA reaches 'full utilization' of the International Space Station: report By Elizabeth Howell published 7 February 23 NASA reached "full utilization" of crew time and cargo space on its side of the International Space Station. But there are options coming soon to increase available room, the agency says.
How fallen space junk could aid the fight against orbital debris By Leonard David published 7 February 23 Analysis of space junk that has fallen to Earth could help researchers design rockets and spacecraft that break up more completely during the reentry process.
SpaceX's 1st Falcon Heavy rocket launched Elon Musk's Tesla into space 5 years ago By Mike Wall published 6 February 23 Five years ago today (Feb. 6), SpaceX's brawny Falcon Heavy rocket left Earth for the first time ever, sending a car into orbit around the sun.
Turkey earthquake prompts United Nations to activate emergency satellite mapping By Brett Tingley published 6 February 23 The United Nations Satellite Centre has activated its emergency mapping service following a devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria to provide imagery that aids in disaster relief.
Senator Mark Kelly, Roy Bridges to enter Astronaut Hall of Fame By Robert Z. Pearlman published 6 February 23 The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame will induct two space shuttle pilots: Roy Bridges, who flew at the start of the program, and Mark Kelly, who helped bring it to a close, at a public ceremony in May.
SpaceX launches huge communications satellite, lands rocket at sea By Mike Wall last updated 6 February 23 SpaceX launched a commercial communications satellite to orbit on Monday (Feb. 6) and landed a rocket on a ship at sea.
SpaceX eyeing March for 1st Starship orbital flight, Elon Musk says By Mike Wall published 6 February 23 SpaceX will try to launch its huge Starship rocket to Earth orbit for the first time next month, provided the vehicle passes its remaining tests, Elon Musk said.
Space calendar 2023: Rocket launches, skywatching events, missions & more! By Daisy Dobrijevic last updated 6 February 23 Reference Keep up with all the rocket launches, astronomical events and mission milestones for 2023 with our space calendar.