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U.S. Vice President Mike Pence spoke with three NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station during his visit to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, on Monday (Sept. 25). Pence asked NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, the space station’s current commander, and Mark Vande Hei and Joseph Acaba, who both arrived two weeks ago […]

[embedded content] Adam Hadhazy, writer and editor for The Kavli Foundation , contributed this article to Space.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights . Snow-blown tundra. Bone-dry deserts. Desolate mountaintops. These are the kind of places you will find astronomers hard at work unlocking the secrets of the universe. Far from the beaten paths of civilization, astronomers seek the […]

I came away from the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery with two polarizing feelings. First: As a sci-fi/action drama, Star Trek: Discovery is nearly unparalleled. The story is intense, the writing is engaging, the cinematography is gorgeous, the special effects are top-notch, the cast is convincing and the pacing is brisk. Second: As a Star […]

With the lack of an international accord to mitigate the growth of orbital debris, countries are relying on bilateral and international partnerships on issues like space situational awareness. WASHINGTON — International cooperation in dealing with the growing problem or orbital debris is essential, a panel of experts argued, but said not to expect a comprehensive […]

The partner agencies of the ISS program said Sept. 25 they were in no rush to decide on the stations future beyond 2024. ADELAIDE, Australia — The partner space agencies of the International Space Station said Sept. 25 they have had discussions about the future of the station beyond 2024 , but indicated no urgency in […]

British astronaut Tim Peake’s Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft is going on tour of the UK through mid-2019. You now have a chance to land the Russian spacecraft that flew the UK’s first professional astronaut to and from the International Space Station, both virtually and, possibly, physically. The Science Museum Group in London, which acquired British astronaut […]

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid-sampling spacecraft captured this photo of Earth on Sept. 22, 2017, shortly after performing a speed-boosting flyby of our planet. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft memorialized last week’s brief swing by Earth with a nice photo of its home planet. On Friday (Sept. 22), OSIRIS-REx zoomed 10,711 miles (17,237 kilometers) above Antarctica, acing a “gravity-assist” flyby […]

One iteration of the “cosmic welcome mat” developed by experimental philosopher Jonathon Keats, in consultation with space archaeologist Alice Gorman. The mats are designed to let aliens know they are welcome here on Earth. Maybe E.T. has just been waiting for an invitation. That potential solution to the Fermi Paradox is getting a test this […]

Australia, one of the few major countries without a national space agency, has decided to establish an agency to support the country’s space industry. ADELAIDE, Australia — The government of Australia announced Sept. 25 that it plans to formally establish a national space agency , a milestone sought for decades by the country’s space industry and […]

Snapshot from a computer simulation of the formation of large-scale structures in the universe, showing a patch of 100 million light-years and the resulting coherent motions of galaxies flowing toward the highest mass concentration in the center. Cosmology is a branch of astronomy that involves the origin and evolution of the universe , from the […]

NASA’s Earth-observing satellites can track the forces that create malaria outbreaks, and their data will soon help local communities make big strides toward warding off the deadly disease.  The Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS) project allows satellites from far above the Amazon rainforest in South America  to track environmental factors (such as rainfall) and human […]

Cassini scientists have nicknamed features of Saturn after cats. If you know anything about Saturn, you probably know that it’s a planet surrounded by rings. But did you know that it’s also surrounded by cats? NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which plunged into Saturn  on Sept. 15, has discovered at least 60 “kittens” orbiting in Saturn’s F ring. […]

During early evenings every September, the constellation Lyra occupies a position almost directly overhead, ideal positioning for skywatchers to view its delicious showpiece, the Ring Nebula (inset). In a backyard telescope, this stellar corpse resembles a tiny smoke ring. The constellation’s very bright star Vega makes it easy for skywatchers to find Lyra. An astronomical […]