Results for: Space Exploration

SpaceX’s Crew-8, comprised of NASA astronauts and a Roscosmos cosmonaut, has finally begun its journey home after nearly eight months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their homecoming was delayed due to weather and issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The crew set a new record for the longest time spent in orbit by a Crew Dragon capsule, surpassing their own previous record set during the Crew-2 mission. Follow along with NASA’s livestream as Crew-8 splashes down off the coast of Florida.

SpaceX has moved its Super Heavy booster to the launchpad at Starbase, Texas, signaling the upcoming sixth test flight of its Starship spacecraft. The upcoming mission will see both the Super Heavy booster and Starship spacecraft undergo rigorous ground testing before launching to orbit. This flight aims to further refine SpaceX’s reusable Starship system, which will play a crucial role in future missions, including NASA’s Artemis III lunar landing mission.

Astronomers have uncovered compelling evidence for the existence of an exomoon, a moon orbiting a planet outside our solar system. This potential exomoon, located around the gas giant WASP-49 b, appears to be a volcanically active world, similar to Jupiter’s moon Io. The discovery, based on observations of a sodium cloud, suggests a hellish, volcanic landscape that could eventually lead to the moon’s disintegration.

Luxury fashion house Prada has joined forces with Axiom Space to design the spacesuits for NASA’s Artemis III moon mission, marking a groundbreaking collaboration between fashion and space exploration. The sleek white suits, featuring innovative features and a subtle Prada touch, are set to make a stylish splash on the lunar surface in 2026.

NASA’s Perseverance rover is making its way up the rim of Jezero Crater on Mars, facing challenging steep and slippery terrain. The rover is documenting its progress and showcasing the ancient martian crust it encounters, aiming to explore areas that might hold clues to past life on the red planet.

A mesmerizing image from the Hubble Space Telescope reveals a ‘stellar volcano’ in action, showcasing the dramatic activity of a binary star system. The star, known as R Aquarii, is a symbiotic variable star, composed of a red giant and a white dwarf, which exhibit a spectacular dance of gravitational interaction. The Hubble observations provide unprecedented insights into the violent eruptions, swirling material, and vast scale of this cosmic phenomenon.

SpaceX has achieved a groundbreaking feat by successfully catching the world’s most powerful rocket booster, Super Heavy, after launch. This remarkable accomplishment marks a significant step towards rapid reusability for Starship and positions SpaceX closer to its goal of human Mars missions. The successful catch was captured on video, offering a glimpse into the breathtaking spectacle of this technological achievement.

Vast Space has unveiled its ambitious plan to replace the aging International Space Station (ISS) with a new, more modern facility called Haven-2. The proposed station would be modular and built over several years, offering a clutter-free environment for astronauts and a potential launch date of 2028. This article explores the key features of Haven-2, Vast Space’s strategy, and the potential impact on space exploration.

China has announced plans to launch a manned lunar mission, build a lunar space station, and explore habitable planets and extraterrestrial life, showcasing its ambitious vision for the future of its space program. This ambitious roadmap outlines a three-phase plan spanning from 2024 to 2050, with a focus on lunar exploration, planetary science, and the search for life beyond Earth.

SpaceX achieved a significant milestone in its Mars colonization ambitions with the successful landing of Starship’s Super Heavy booster on the Mechazilla launch tower during its fifth flight. This landmark achievement marks a crucial step towards rapid reusability for the world’s most powerful rocket and brings SpaceX closer to its goal of sending humans to the Moon and Mars.