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ELSA-d released and successfully captured its experimental piece of space junk for the first time.

Astroscale's space junk removal satellite aces 1st orbital test

By Tereza Pultarova

Astroscale's ELSA-d spacecraft has successfully captured a simulated piece of space junk in orbit.

Stealth Transit's system detects approaching satellites and uses an active shutter to interrupt exposure to protect astronomical observations from unwanted effects of the passing satellites.

Russian startup tests technology that filters SpaceX Starlink passes from astronomical observations

By Tereza Pultarova

A Russian startup is testing a technology that filters out disruptive passes of SpaceX's Starlink satellites from astronomical observations.

NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter acquired this image during its 12th Red Planet flight, on Aug. 16, 2021.

Soar over Mars with NASA's helicopter Ingenuity on its 12th flight (video)

By Mike Wall

NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity keeps giving us great bird's-eye views of otherworldly terrain.

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An Australian 'space command' could be a force for good — or a cause for war

By Cassandra Steer

Having a dedicated space command will bring Australia into line with Canada, India, France and Japan, all of which recently created similar organisations within their armed forces.

An artist's depiction of the metal-rich asteroid Psyche, which a NASA spacecraft will visit later this decade.

What can we do with a captured asteroid?

By Paul Sutter

Asteroids are packed with gold and other valuable resources. And the best way to harvest those metals may be to bring space rocks to Earth.

The near side of the moon, as seen by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft.

NASA awards $500,000 to develop moon-mining tech

By Mike Wall

NASA has awarded a total of $500,000 to 13 different teams via its Break the Ice Lunar Challenge, a competition designed to nurture the development of moon-mining tech.

Lego Education Spike Essentials is designed to help educators teach STEAM concepts to young students.

Lego Education unveils Spike Essentials to teach kids STEAM subjects

By Alexander Cox

Lego Education has unveiled Spike Essentials as part of its Lego learning system to help teachers and encourage students in STEAM subjects.

An artist's illustration of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites in orbit.

SpaceX Starlink satellites responsible for over half of close encounters in orbit, scientist says

By Tereza Pultarova

SpaceX's Starlink satellites are involved in about 1,600 close encounters between two spacecraft in low Earth orbit every week, according to available data. That’s about 50% of all such incidents.

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter captured this image of the Perseverance rover during its 11th flight on the Red Planet, on Aug. 5, 2021.

NASA's Mars helicopter spots its Perseverance rover pal from above in an epic view (video)

By Hanneke Weitering

While flying over the Red Planet for the 11th time last week, the little helicopter caught a view of its "mothership" — NASA's Perseverance rover

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket similar to the one seen here will launch a Canadian satellite that will beam ads from space in 2022 as part of a separate mission bound for the moon.

Elon Musk's SpaceX may launch a tiny Canadian satellite that will livestream ads from space: report

By Elizabeth Howell

SpaceX plans to launch a Canadian advertisement-beaming satellite into space that will eventually accept payments in Dogecoin, according to a media report.

This image taken by one the hazard cameras aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover on Aug. 6, 2021, shows the hole drilled in what the rover science team calls a “paver rock” in preparation for the mission’s first attempt to collect a sample from Mars.

NASA's 1st attempt to collect Mars samples with Perseverance rover comes up empty

By Mike Wall

Perseverance drilled its first sample-collecting hole on Friday (Aug. 6), but data beamed back to Earth by the rover indicate that no Mars rock or dirt made it into the sampling tube.

NASA's Perseverance rover acquired this image of the Ingenuity Mars helicopter on the floor of Jezero Crater.

Ingenuity Mars helicopter gearing up for 11th Red Planet flight

By Mike Wall

NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity is getting set for its 11th off-Earth flight, which could happen early Thursday morning (Aug. 5).

Space-based solar power could be a clean and efficient solution to the problem of humanity's growing energy needs, advocates say.

Space solar power project got off the ground with billionaire's $100 million donation

By Mike Wall

Real estate mogul Donald Bren's donation could help seed an energy revolution.

GOES-17 recovered from a glitch that appeared July 22 in less than 24 hours and has been hard at work observing wildfires on Earth.

GOES-17 satellite bounces back from glitch while monitoring California wildfires

By Chelsea Gohd

A weather satellite has recovered from a brief anomaly and is back to studying Earth and its ongoing wildfires.

Two companies recently beamed a recording of Debussy's "Clair de Lune" to and from the International Space Station, minting the recording as a non-fungible token (NFT).

Music masterpiece 'Clair de Lune' beamed to space station in NFT 1st

By Mike Wall

Last week, two companies teamed up to beam a recording of Debussy's piano masterpiece "Clair de Lune" to and from the International Space Station, then minted the file as a non-fungible token (NFT).

Chinese scientists released this image of a cotton plant germinating in its tank on the moon’s far side aboard the Chang'e 4 lander. The photograph was taken Jan. 7, 2019.

China will send student experiments into deep space on 2 upcoming missions

By Andrew Jones

China's upcoming exploration mission to the lunar south pole will carry one of more than 500 experiments designed and submitted by students across the country.

The crew of China's Shenzhou-12 astronaut flight to the country's new space station waves to reporters in a press conference at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on June 16, 2021. They are (from left): Tang Hongbo, Nie Haisheng and Liu Boming.

Tiangong: astronauts are working on China's new space station — here's what to expect

By Gareth Dorrian, Ian Whittaker

Three astronauts on China's new space station have performed the country's first spacewalk and are busy configuring the module for future crews.

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter during its tenth and so far the most complex flight on July 24.

Watch NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity explore intriguing Raised Ridges in new video

By Tereza Pultarova

NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter explores the "intriguing" Raised Ridges during its latest and most complex flight to date.

The winners of the 2021 American Rocketry Challenge pose for a team photo.

American Rocketry Challenge sees Portland school take 2021 championship

By Elizabeth Howell

A Portland-area high school came out on top in a new "distributed" version of this year's American Rocketry Challenge that was optimized for pandemic safety.

Hybrid rocket motors such as those used in Virgin Galactic's rocket planes emit a lot of soot.

The rise of space tourism could affect Earth's climate in unforeseen ways, scientists worry

By Tereza Pultarova

Scientists worry that growing numbers of rocket flights and the arrival of space tourism could harm Earth's atmosphere and contribute to climate change.