NASA receives $23.3 billion for 2021 fiscal year in Congress' omnibus spending bill: report By Elizabeth Howell The bill does not include NASA's requested funding levels for its Artemis moon lander.
China launches Long March 8 rocket on debut flight, plans for reusable booster By Elizabeth Howell China successfully launched the first Long March 8 rocket late Monday (Dec. 21), kicking off a line of boosters that will eventually be reusable.
I flew weightlessly on a Zero-G plane and it was nothing like I expected By Chelsea Gohd This October, I left the comfortable embrace of Earth's gravity, taking to the skies aboard a "zero-gravity flight."
NASA honing plans for its Mars Ice Mapper mission By Meghan Bartels President Trump's February budget request included a surprise for planetary scientists: a new mission dubbed Mars Ice Mapper, the details of which are still beginning to surface.
Europe's Solar Orbiter is headed for a holiday flyby of Venus By Meghan Bartels The Solar Orbiter spacecraft will tackle an important milestone as its operators and scientists on Earth mark the holiday season.
SpaceX launches classified US spy satellite, sticks rocket landing to cap record year By Amy Thompson SpaceX launched a clandestine U.S. spy satellite into space for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Thursday (Dec. 17), marking its 26th rocket of the year.
Astra will launch its 1st satellite mission in early 2021 By Mike Wall Astra is moving full-speed ahead after its first successful launch.
NASA SLS megarocket for the moon resumes testing after equipment hiccup By Elizabeth Howell "Green run" tests on NASA's SLS megarocket are moving forward again after problems with ground equipment earlier this month pushed the testing behind.
First 'Guardian' in space: NASA astronaut on ISS enters Space Force By Robert Z. Pearlman Col. Michael Hopkins, who has served for 27 years in the Air Force, voluntarily transferred to the Space Force while aboard the International Space Station on Dec. 18, 2020.
'Guardians' of the galaxy: Space Force personnel get a name By Mike Wall If you thought the U.S. Space Force sounded pretty sci-fi before, well, the ante has been upped.
When traditions bring the crew together on the moon — Commander's report: lunar day 10 By Michaela Musilova Commander Musilova describes the traditions the Sensoria M3 created on the moon and brought with them from Earth for the crew to bond during their simulated lunar mission at the HI-SEAS habitat.
NASA adds Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket as a launcher for future missions By Meghan Bartels Blue Origin's future New Glenn rocket will join NASA's fleet of commercial launch vehicles for flights in the mid-2020s, the agency and company have announced.
Reid Wiseman named new chief astronaut at NASA for 'exciting times to come' By Robert Z. Pearlman Reid Wiseman has been named Chief of the Astronaut Office at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
China's Chang'e 5 moon samples are headed to the lab By Leonard David The Chang'e 5 return capsule carrying lunar samples is headed for a Beijing laboratory for opening, with a research team eagerly awaiting their chance to start studying the fresh moon specimens.
India launches new communications satellite CMS-01 into orbit By Elizabeth Howell India successfully launched a communications satellite into orbit Thursday (Dec. 17) to provide service across the country's mainland and some island regions.
SpaceX aborts US spy satellite launch due to rocket booster pressure issue By Meghan Bartels SpaceX called off the planned launch of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a classified spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office due to high pressure in the second-stage booster.
Boeing reveals mission patch for second Starliner orbital flight test By Robert Z. Pearlman As final touches are being put on Boeing's next Starliner spacecraft to launch, the company has revealed a new Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) mission patch.
Trump signs Space Policy Directive-6 on space nuclear power and propulsion By Mike Wall Nuclear power will be a big part of the United States' space exploration efforts going forward, a new policy document affirms.
What it's like to watch a presidential election from 'Mars' By Chelsea Gohd I watched the contentious 2020 presidential election unfold from 71 million miles (114 million kilometers) away on the surface of Mars and it was … different.