The early universe is absolutely so far outside our understanding of how the world works it's hard to describe in words. Back then, the cosmos wasn’t filled with stars and galaxies but with a boiling soup of quarks and gluons, with a few microscopic black holes thrown in, occasionally detonating like depth charges. That’s the early universe theorized by a new paper, available in pre-print from arXiv, from researchers at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and MIT anyway.
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April's full 'Pink Moon' rises tonight — just as NASA readies its Artemis 2 moon mission
The "Pink Moon" will rise on the same day Artemis 2 is due to launch a crew of 4 to lunar space.
Satellite spies SpaceX Starlink before it breaks apart | Space photo of the day for April 1, 2026
SpaceX Starlink spacecraft was seen prior to breaking up in orbit by a satellite.
Saturn's magnetic field is curiously warped, and one of its moons may be to blame
"A better understanding of Saturn’s environment is especially urgent now as plans for our return to Saturn and its moon Enceladus start to be developed."
NASA set to launch Artemis 2 moon mission today, the 1st crewed lunar flight since 1972
NASA plans to make history today (April 1) with the launch of Artemis 2, the first crewed moon mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Christine Klein takes up duty as acting Director of Controlling, Finance and Operational Procurement
Christine Klein took up duty as acting Director of Controlling, Finance and Operational Procurement (D/CFO) at the European Space Agency on 1 April 2026. She will lead the newly established directorate during its consolidation.
Géraldine Naja takes up duty as Director of Space Transportation
Géraldine Naja took up duty as Director of Space Transportation (D/STS) at the European Space Agency on 1 April 2026. She will continue to serve as head of her former directorate, now called the Commercialisation and Industry Partnership directorate (D/CIP), as acting director.
Mercury Scout Mission Concept with Solar Sail Propulsion
The planet Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, and also the most difficult for spacecraft to visit and explore. This is because as spacecraft get closer to Mercury, the Sun’s enormous gravity pulls in the spacecraft, greatly increasing its speed and making it hard to slow down without large amounts of fuel. But what if a spacecraft could both travel to and explore Mercury without fuel? This could drastically reduce mission costs while delivering impactful science.
KYTHERA Mission Concept Targets 200-Day Mission to Venus Surface
The planet Venus is often called “Earth’s twin” due to the similar sizes, but the reality couldn’t be farther from the truth. Unlike Earth, which is hospitable to an estimated billions of lifeforms, Venus is not hospitable to life as we know it, at least on its surface. This is because the surface of Venus not only experiences an average temperature of 464 degrees Celsius (867 degrees Fahrenheit), but it also has crushing pressures approximately 92 times of Earth, or equivalent to approximately 1 kilometer (3,000 feet) below the ocean. These extreme surface conditions are why the longest spacecraft to survive on the Venusian surface is just over two hours.
Live coverage: NASA to launch Artemis 2, its first Moon-bound mission with astronauts since 1972
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft stand at Launch Complex 39B on Tuesday, March 31, ahead of the planned launch of Artemis 2. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now
For the first time in more than 53 years, NASA is preparing to send humans beyond low Earth orbit. As soon as Wednesday evening, four astronauts will embark on an a more than nine-day mission with the goal of flying around the Moon and back.
Optical Fiber Arrays May Unlock Mysteries Of The Moon’s Deep Interior
With tomorrow’s launch of the Artemis II mission to the moon, NASA’s focus on our natural satellite is again gaining traction. To that end, two recent papers in the journals Earth and Space Science* and Icarus* point out how ordinary fiber optic technology could be deployed on the lunar surface to detect our ancient neighbor’s seismic activity.
Orbits of the Planets
Introduction to Planetary Orbits
The paths that planets take as they revolve around the Sun are known as orbits. In our solar system, all eight planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—follow distinct, elliptical (oval-shaped) paths around the Sun. This motion is governed primarily by the law of universal gravitation, as famously described by Sir Isaac Newton, and the geometrical laws of planetary motion formulated by Johannes Kepler.
This star-forming galaxy is blowing out powerful winds topping 2 million mph
NASA's XRISM X-ray spacecraft has clocked 2 million mph winds ripping out of a distant galaxy bursting with star formation.
Yes, NASA's launching Artemis 2 astronauts to the moon on April Fools' Day. It's not a joke.
NASA is hoping for a historic moon launch, not a punchline on April 1.
Comet MAPS faces a make-or-break moment as it dives toward the sun on April 4 — could it shine in the daytime sky?
Comet MAPS is about to face its ultimate test as it sweeps just 101,000 miles above the sun's surface.
A New Theory Connects Early Cosmic Inflation and Quantum Gravity
Modern cosmology is built upon three theoretical pillars: special relativity, Newtonian gravity, and quantum mechanics. Each is supported by a wealth of experimental evidence, but each describes the physical world in a way that contradicts the other two.
What will happen if Artemis 2 astronauts get hit by a solar storm during NASA's ambitious moon mission?
"If an event is particularly bad, there are some places in the capsule, such as storage bays and down by the toilet, that the crew can go to."
How to use your Unistellar smart telescope to track the Artemis 2 rocket light curve in the name of science
Unistellar co-founder tells Space.com about how citizen scientists are using smart telescopes to engage in planetary defense.
Tales of Two Comets: A1 MAPS and R3 Pan-STARRS Both Make a Showing in April
Early April could be an exciting time for sky watchers, as two comets take center stage: R3 Pan-STARRS and sungrazer A1 MAPS.
'Forbidden Planet' at 70: Why the original sci-fi blockbuster is still out of this world
The movie that took Shakespeare to the stars, and wrote the blueprint for movie space opera.
Here's what the Artemis 2 astronauts will be doing on each day of NASA's historic moon mission
The crew's 10-day mission will be filled with science, spacecraft tests, medical checks, survival training and more.
