China Finally Opens Up About Its Malfunctioning Mars Rover
The Chinese rover snapped a selfie on Mars next to its lander shortly after arriving at the Red Planet. Image: China National Space Administration About a year ago, China’s Zhurong…
Botched SpaceX Starship Launch Leaves Texas Town Covered in Debris and Dust
SpaceX’s Starship launch was a success in some ways and a failure in others. The largest rocket ever built blasted off the launch pad with record-breaking thrust and flew for…
The Rock Stuck in NASA’s Perseverance Rover Is Finally Free
The rock was cradled inside one of Perseverance’s six wheels. Image: NASA Mars is a lonely place, and it just got a little lonelier for one rover. NASA’s Perseverance has…
This Week in Spaceflight: A SpaceX Falcon Heavy Flies Again and the First Arab Spacewalk
The inaugural launch of SpaceX’s Starship captured our imagination, but the coming week reminds us of the company’s other heavy-lift launch vehicle: Falcon Heavy. We’re also anticipating a historic spacewalk…
Everything We Noticed During SpaceX Starship’s Explosive Debut Launch
Starship during its maiden launch, April 20, 2023.Photo: SpaceX The mission lasted for just four minutes, but the fiery debut of SpaceX’s Starship resulted in stunning visuals and an abundance…
Airbus Shows Off Space Station Design With Simulated Gravity
An illustration of an astronaut inside the science deck.Illustration: Airbus The company designed its orbital module to be stationed around Earth, the Moon, or even Mars, whether it be attached…
How Virgin Orbit Went Bankrupt
Virgin Orbit has set a deadline of May 14 for bids on its business, the bankrupt rocket-maker said in a court filing this week. Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX…
Watch Live: SpaceX Attempts First Starship Launch After Valve Mishap
A frozen valve forced a postponement on Monday, but Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX is now ready for the do-over. It’s the most anticipated launch of the year, and we’ve…
NASA’s Mars Sample Return Mission Is Already Facing a Serious Cash Crunch
NASA’s quest to return rocky samples from the surface of Mars to Earth in 2033 is already running up the bill, with the project needing a lot more money than…
NASA’s Blueprint for Sustainably Exploring the Moon and Mars Passes First Review
As NASA inches closer to returning humans to the Moon and reaching Mars for the first time, the space agency has developed a comprehensive blueprint to establish a long-term human…