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An artist's depiction of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft firing its thrusters to head toward Earth.

NASA's asteroid-sampling mission will bid farewell to asteroid Bennu today

By Meghan Bartels

After more than two years circling a lumpy space rock called Bennu, it's finally time for NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to head back to Earth with a full load precious cargo: pieces of an asteroid.

A Long March 5B rocket launches Tianhe, the core module of China's new space station, on April 28, 2021.The rocket's massive core stage fell back to Earth uncontrolled somewhere over the Arabian Peninsula on May 8, 2021.

Huge Chinese rocket booster falls to Earth over Arabian Peninsula

By Mike Wall

The 23-ton core stage of a Chinese Long March 5B booster crashed back to Earth Saturday night (May 8), ending 10 controversial days aloft that captured the attention of the world.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 60 Starlink internet satellites launches on a record 10th flight from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on May 9, 2021.

SpaceX launches 60 Starlink satellites in record 10th liftoff (and landing) of reused rocket

By Amy Thompson

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 60 Starlink internet satellites into orbit early Sunday (May 9) and stuck a landing in a record 10th flight.

This reentry prediction plot by the Aerospace Corporation shows the estimated splashdown point of China's 21 metric ton Long March 5B rocket booster on Saturday, May 8, 2021. As of Saturday afternoon, it was estimated to fall in the northern Atlantic Ocean west of Europe give or take 4 hours.

A huge Chinese rocket will fall to Earth this weekend. Here's how to track it online.

By Elizabeth Howell

Several websites give regular updates on the Chinese Long March 5B rocket core that's uncontrollably falling to Earth, with an expected reentry late Saturday night (May 8).

A used SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Sirius XM satellite SXM-7 stands atop its launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida for a December 2020 launch. The same booster will make its 10th flight on May 9, 2021 to launch 60 Starlink satellites.

SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket on its 10th flight Sunday and you can watch it online

By Amy Thompson

SpaceX is preparing to launch one of its Falcon 9 rockets for a record 10th time to deliver 60 Starlink satellites into orbit.

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter’s fifth flight was captured on May 7, 2021, by one of the navigation cameras aboard the agency’s Perseverance rover. This was the first time Ingenuity flew to a new landing site.

NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity lands at new airfield after 5th flight

By Mike Wall

Ingenuity made its fifth Martian flight today (May 7), cruising to a new patch of ground on its first one-way trip on the Red Planet.

A Long March-5B Y2 rocket carrying the core module of China's space station, Tianhe, blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on April 29, 2021 (April 28 EDT) in Wenchang, Hainan Province of China.

A huge Chinese rocket booster is falling from space, but don't worry. It likely won't hit you.

By Elizabeth Howell

China's Long March 5B rocket core stage plummets to Earth this weekend. You have almost nothing to worry about.

Billionaire Jared Isaacman is announcing contests for two seats on his Inspiration4 private spaceflight on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft during the 2021 Super Bowl on Feb. 7, 2021.

Inspiration4: The first all-civilian spaceflight on SpaceX Dragon

By Vicky Stein

Inspiration4 will be the world's first spaceflight unsupervised by professional astronauts, using commercial equipment to launch civilian space enthusiasts into orbit.

An image of the falling Chinese rocket body published by the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, on May 7, 2021.

US Space Command is tracking China's falling rocket booster, but won't shoot it down

By Elizabeth Howell

U.S. Space Command is closely tracking a large Chinese rocket body falling uncontrollably back to Earth that is predicted to hit the atmosphere sometime on Saturday (May 8).

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image of the Ingenuity Mars helicopter (upper right) using its Mastcam-Z camera on April 30, 2021.

Perseverance rover captures sounds of Mars helicopter Ingenuity's flight in awesome first (video)

By Mike Wall

NASA's Perseverance rover captured the whirring of Ingenuity's fast-spinning rotors during the little chopper's fourth Red Planet flight, which took place on April 30.

Follow along with Space.com senior writer Chelsea Gohd on an analog astronaut mission in a new mini-documentary.

This week on the forums: Going to Mars, SpaceX giveaway and an alternate Earth!

By Mohamed Mohammed

It’s been another week of enthusiastic space chatter and we've got some highlights for you. Be sure to sign up for the Space.com forums and join the discussions today!

See scenes from Sol 9 of the Sensoria 2 Mars simulation mission at the HI-SEAS habitat in Hawaii in these views from Space.com's Chelsea Gohd.

Visit 'Mars' with me in Space.com's new 'Space Traveler' mini-documentary out now

By Chelsea Gohd

Follow along with me, Space.com senior writer Chelsea Gohd, as I become an analog astronaut in a brand new documentary.

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took this photo during its fourth flight on April 30, 2021. The image shows “Airfield B,” where Ingenuity will seek to land on its fifth flight, on May 7.

NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity will head to new airfield today on 5th flight

By Mike Wall

Ingenuity is scheduled to make its fifth Martian flight today (May 7), a jaunt that will be unlike anything the 4-lb. (1.8 kilograms) chopper has attempted so far.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk answered questions during a news conference held on April 23, 2021.

SpaceX's Elon Musk hosting 'Saturday Night Live' this weekend

By Mike Wall

SpaceX boss Elon Musk is hosting "Saturday Night Live" this weekend, on a show that features Miley Cyrus as the musical guest.

The core stage of a Chinese Long March 5B rocket, as photographed on the night of May 5, 2021, by Gianluca Masi's Virtual Telescope Project.

Falling Chinese rocket debris spotted in space as White House weighs in (photo)

By Elizabeth Howell

An astronomer spotted a huge Chinese rocket core falling uncontrolled from orbit, as the White House weighed in on the tricky international situation.

Boeing's second CST-100 Starliner spacecraft undergoes preparations for the Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) mission in the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 28, 2021. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch July 30.

Boeing, NASA target July 30 for 2nd test flight of Starliner capsule

By Elizabeth Howell

Boeing's Starliner astronaut taxi will launch on its second test flight this summer, if all goes according to plan.

An image of Mars captured by the Hope spacecraft on Feb. 26, 2021, shows Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system.

Welcome to Mars! Bill Nye and Robert Zubrin hail new Red Planet visitors.

By Elizabeth Howell

Two prominent space advocacy groups are cheering the new generation of Mars explorers.

It's been a wild night aboard the International Space Station as the crew of eleven astronauts celebrated the 45th birthday of NASA's spaceman Victor Glover. But who did the cleaning up afterwards?

How do you clean a space station? Astronaut Thomas Pesquet shares orbital spring cleaning tips

By Tereza Pultarova

ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet shares space-tested cleaning tips as he prepares for a cleaning day on the International Space Station, where special surfaces help to keep microbes at bay.

SpaceX's Starship SN15 rocket prototype launches on a 10-kilometer test flight from SpaceX's Starbase test site near Boca Chica Village in South Texas on May 5, 2021.

SpaceX launches Starship SN15 rocket and sticks the landing in high-altitude test flight

By Mike Wall

SpaceX's latest Starship prototype just aced a high-altitude test flight, marking a big step forward in the company's plans to help extend humanity's footprint beyond Earth.

SpaceX's Starship SN15 prototype, as photographed by @SpacePadreIsle.

SpaceX will try to launch its Starship SN15 rocket in Texas today (updated)

By Tariq Malik

SpaceX may launch its latest Starship prototype from its Starbase test site in Texas on Wednesday (May 5).