Small fragments of rock can reveal a lot when they're analyzed with powerful laboratory instruments. New research into tiny fragments of the asteroid Ryugu sampled by JAXA's Hayabusa2 mission showed that water flowed through it more than one billion years after it formed. This new insight overturns the previous understanding that asteroids only experienced water activity in the very earliest stages of solar system formation.
Space News & Blog Articles
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Spaceflight as a Model for Studying Age-Related Muscle Decline
How does spaceflight influence sarcopenia, which is a common age-related muscle decline, specifically for elder adults? This is what a recent study published in Stem Cell Reports hopes to address as a team of researchers investigated how microgravity influences muscle cell function. This study has the potential to help scientists, mission planners, astronauts, and the public better understand the long-term health impacts of microgravity on muscle decline and the steps that can be taken to mitigate it.
Live coverage: SpaceX to launch NASA, NOAA missions exploring the impacts of the Sun
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 23, 2024, ahead of the planned launch of NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) spacecraft and two other rideshare missions. Image: John Pisani / Spaceflight Now
A trio of Sun-studying, marquee missions for both NASA and the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) is set to take off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket shortly after sunrise on Wednesday.
Russian 'Noah's Ark' probe carrying 75 mice and 1,500 flies lands back on Earth
A Russian biological research satellite toting more than 30 experiments landed on Sept. 19 in the steppes of the Orenburg region after spending 30 days in Earth orbit.
Hubble Space Telescope watches dying star chow down on a Pluto-like world filled with ice
Scientists didn't expect to find the remnants of an icy world around this extremely dense white dwarf star.
SpaceX fires up Starship spacecraft ahead of 11th test flight (video)
SpaceX performed a full-duration static fire test with its latest Starship spacecraft recently to help gear up for the 11th test flight of the massive rocket.
'A front-row seat to history': NASA's Artemis 2 moonshot could launch as early as Feb. 5
NASA's ambitious mission to return astronauts to the moon for the first time this century is on track to launch no later than April 2026, but it just might fly sooner if all goes well.
Bright Nova Flares Near Alpha Centauri
An Australian amateur has discovered a binocular nova on the first day of fall, visible to viewers in the Southern Hemisphere.
Psyche asteroid probe uses lasers to phone home from 218 million miles away
Final tests of NASA's laser beam communication technology offer a promising new way to keep in touch with astronauts and spacecraft venturing into deep space, including future missions to Mars.
Catch the crescent moon make a fleeting appearance with Mars at sunset on Sept. 24
See the crescent moon shine with Mars at sunset on Sept. 24.
'The Fantastic Four: First Steps': Julia Garner dons the Mo-Cap suit in this exclusive bonus clip (video)
Here's a peek at the Silver Surfer's CGI creation for the digital and home video release of "The Fantastic Four: First Steps."
Virgin Galactic to launch 'Purdue 1' human spaceflight in 2027
Purdue University, known as the "cradle of astronauts," will send a six-person crew to suborbital space with Virgin Galactic in 2027.
TV & film's greatest visitors quiz: From xenomorphs to Yoda
In this quiz, you'll match iconic extraterrestrial characters to the TV shows and films that made them famous.
Astronomers Spot Rare Einstein Cross — and a Massive Clump of Dark Matter
The discovery of a rare Einstein Cross — five images of the same galaxy — reveals a trillion-solar-mass dark matter clump.
How do particle colliders work?
As the name suggests, particle accelerators involve accelerating subatomic particles to incredibly high speeds and smashing them into tiny targets.
NOAA GOES-19 satellite captures partial eclipse | Space photo of the day for Sept. 23, 2025
September's partial solar eclipse was not just caught by eager skywatchers on Earth but also by satellites orbiting high above.
Annular solar eclipse 2026: Everything you need to know about the 'ring of fire'
The next annular solar eclipse will occur on Feb. 17, 2026.
ESA selects WIVERN as 11th Earth Explorer mission
After meticulous preparation and rigorous evaluation, ESA’s Member States have selected WIVERN to become the 11th Earth Explorer mission to be implemented through the agency’s prestigious FutureEO programme.
This new NASA astronaut candidate has already been to space
Anna Menon, one of NASA's 10 new astronaut candidates, already has a spaceflight under her belt — SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission to Earth orbit in September 2024.
A geologist, a former SpaceX launch director and a commercial astronaut; meet NASA’s 10 new astronaut candidates
NASA’s 2025 Astronaut Candidate join together after being announced to the public on Sept. 22, 2025. From left to right, Erin Overcash, Katherine Spies, Cameron Jones, Ben Bailey, Adam Fuhrmann, Rebecca Lawler, Imelda Muller, Yuri Kubo, Anna Menon, Lauren Edgar.
With its eyes on creating a persistent human presence on the Moon and pushing closer to crewed exploration of Mars, NASA announced its newest class of astronaut candidates.
Is our dream of finding ocean-covered exoplanets drying up?
New simulations suggest sub-Neptune planets may be drier than thought, challenging the "water world" hypothesis and reshaping the search for life beyond Earth.
