Exploring Venus and beyond: the next steps in space travel
Space agencies around the world are setting their sights on new frontiers, with plans to explore Venus and other distant destinations in our solar...
The challenges of designing deep space spacecraft
Exploring the far reaches of space is one of humanity’s most ambitious goals. Deep space missions, which travel far beyond Earth’s orbit to places...
The future of robots on distant moons
In recent years, scientists and engineers have turned their eyes toward the distant moons of our solar system, places like Europa, Titan, and Enceladus.
These...
How CubeSats are changing space exploration
Space exploration used to be something only the biggest and wealthiest organizations could afford. Massive satellites and spacecraft required years of design and billions...
Why we study black holes and neutron stars
Black holes and neutron stars are among the most fascinating and mysterious objects in the universe.
These cosmic phenomena form when massive stars reach the...
Could humans colonize mars in the next 100 years?
Mars has captured human imagination for centuries, with its reddish glow in the night sky and its status as Earth’s closest planetary neighbor. But...
How 3D printing is changing how we explore the universe
Space exploration is one of humanity's most ambitious ventures, but it comes with enormous challenges. Rockets and spacecraft must carry everything needed for the...
How reusable rockets are changing space travel
Space travel has always been expensive, partly because rockets were traditionally single-use. Imagine throwing away an airplane after every flight—it would make air travel...
Astronomers discover 44 ancient stars with cosmic magnifying glass
Astronomers have made an extraordinary discovery, spotting 44 stars in a distant galaxy called the "Dragon Arc," located 6.5 billion light-years away.
Using NASA's powerful...
Here’s how Pluto and Charon became a bizarre double planet
On July 14th, 2015, the New Horizons probe made history by accomplishing the first flyby of Pluto and its largest satellite, Charon.
The stunning images...