Space Technology - Space Exploration Technologies

An artist's illustration of NASA's Orion crew capsule heading to the moon.

NASA still aiming for 2024 moon landing despite SLS megarocket delays

By Doris Elin Urrutia

The first launch of NASA's back-to-the moon program has slipped into the second half of next year, but 2024 remains the target for the first crewed lunar landing since the Apollo days.

The official U.S. Space Force seal was unveiled Jan. 24, 2020, by President Trump.

Elon Musk approves of the US Space Force, eyes 'Star Trek' potential

By Mike Wall

SpaceX's billionaire founder and CEO said he's onboard with the sixth branch of the U.S. military, which President Donald Trump officially established in December 2019.

Photographs taken by MarCO-B as it approached Mars in November 2018.

RIP, MarCO! The world's first cubesats to Mars are gone for good

By Meghan Bartels

In September 2019, NASA started the second half of an epic game of Marco Polo; early this month the agency declared it over for good.

Artist's illustration of Relativity Space's Terran 1 rocket lifting off.

Relativity Space will 3D-print rockets at new autonomous factory in Long Beach, California

By Mike Wall

The company aims to revolutionize rocketry via 3D printing and intelligent automation.

The Earth is a stunning backdrop to the Intelsat 901 communications satellite in this view from the MEV-1 satellite serving spacecraft during docking operations on Feb. 25, 2020.

Two private satellites just docked in space in historic first for orbital servicing

By Elizabeth Howell

In a historic first for satellite operations, one spacecraft "helper" docked with a working satellite to provide life-extension services.

An artist's depiction of machinery working in a permanently shadowed crater on the moon.

NASA picks moon catapults, lasers, electricity and other wild lunar projects for student contest

By Elizabeth Howell

NASA has awarded nearly $1 million to student teams looking to deploy robots, towers and other small vehicles alongside moon-roving astronauts.

Artist’s concept of DARPA's Glide Breaker anti-hypersonic-weapon system.

DARPA's hypersonic 'Glide Breaker' could blast missile threats out of the sky

By Elizabeth Howell

Aerojet Rocketdyne will develop "enabling technologies" for DARPA's Glide Breaker program under a newly announced contract, which is worth up to $19.6 million.

Two CubeSats, part of a constellation built and operated by Planet Labs Inc. to take images of Earth, were launched from the International Space Station on May 17, 2016.

Hackers could shut down satellites — or turn them into weapons

By William Akoto

A conceptual image illustrating space debris orbiting Earth.

Satellite 'license plates' and re-igniting rocket fuel could head off space junk crashes

By Mindy Weisberger

In low Earth orbit's growing "space junkyard," new technologies could reduce the risk of collisions.

Trump's 2021 NASA budget request supports X-59 experimental supersonic jet development

By Chelsea Gohd

NASA renews funding support for their Lockheed Martin-built experimental supersonic X-plane, which the agency says will make its inaugural flight in 2022.

The official U.S. Space Force seal was unveiled on Jan. 24, 2020, by President Donald Trump.

Space Force gets $15.4 billion in 2021 budget request

By Mike Wall

That's about 60% of what the White House allocates to NASA.

An illustration of the X-59 supersonic plane landing on a runway.

NASA's experimental X-59 supersonic jet could be built by the end of 2020

By Chelsea Gohd

NASA's experimental, supersonic X-plane is on a fast track to flying.

A fuel tank for SpaceX's Starship prototype is destroyed during a cryogenic pressure test at the company's South Texas facility, on Jan. 28, 2020.

SpaceX just destroyed a huge tank for its Starship on purpose. Here's the video!

By Hanneke Weitering

A prototype of SpaceX's Starship Mars-colonization spacecraft blew its lid in a crucial pressure test late Tuesday night (Jan. 28).

NASA robots called Assemblers could help build the infrastructure needed to land astronauts on the moon in 2024.

'Assembler' robots could build solar arrays and more on the moon

By Elizabeth Howell

Could robots help power NASA's quest to return humans to the moon?

JPL technicians perform final checkout of NASA Mars 2020 rover. Note the on-the-floor onlooker wearing sunglasses.

NASA's Mars 2020 rover photobombed by mysterious 'High Bay Bob' in sunglasses

By Leonard David

The ESA's Technology Development Element (TDE) recently signed a contract to begin a new initiative known as Trailer, which will test a pair of rovers and how they might work collaboratively on the lunar surface.

These twin rovers might explore the moon together one day

By Chelsea Gohd

Astronauts aren't the only ones who will have to work together on future crewed missions.

A Boeing satellite orbits the Earth. In February, a similar satellite named Spaceway-1 will likely explode as soon as its batteries kick on.

A TV satellite is about to explode following 'irreversible' battery damage

By Brandon Specktor

A Boeing satellite is being hastily moved into "graveyard orbit" following a devastating "anomaly" that turned its batteries into bombs.

An artist's depiction of the Exodus Space Corp.'s AstroClipper space plane separating after launch.

Fancy a ride on a space plane? Maybe AstroClipper will be what you're looking for.

By Elizabeth Howell

Startup Exodus Space Corp. plans to build a space plane to ferry cargo around Earth. Eventually, that cargo could include people, if the spacecraft is deemed safe enough.

Boeing's Phantom Express XS-1 space plane design is shown in launch position in this artist's concept. The autonomous spacecraft is designed to launch vertically, deploy a second stage payload into orbit and return to Earth for a runway landing.

DARPA scraps XS-1 military space plane project after Boeing drops out

By Mike Wall

Boeing has withdrawn from Experimental Spaceplane, a U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program designed to increase the nation's access to space.

Artist's illustration of Tethers Unlimited's "Terminator Tape" de-orbit module, which interacts with the space environment to rapidly drag a satellite out of orbit.

'Terminator Tape' did its job in space-junk test — and it will be back

By Mike Wall

One technique that could help alleviate the space-junk scourge just passed a key off-Earth test.