Space

Space missions have long exemplified humankind's indomitable spirit and boundless ambition. Once the reserve of nations, space is fact opening up to commercial enterprises and could soon be the must-go destination for tourists – provided the accumulation of debris doesn't turn Earth's orbit into a no-go zone. All this comes as missions beyond the Moon provide greater insights into our solar system and more powerful telescopes give us a glimpse at exoplanets light years away. New Atlas keeps you up to date with the latest space news and fantastic images from all corners of the Universe.

Space

Apollo 10: The mission that paved the way for the Moon landing

David Szondy May 18, 2019

Fifty years ago and a quarter of a million miles away, three astronauts carried out the dress rehearsal for one of the greatest events in human history. On May 18, 1969, Apollo 10 lifted off. Its mission: to return to the Moon and pave the way for the Apollo 11 lunar landing two months later.

Apollo 10 was the final rehearsal for the Apollo 11 landing in 1969

Space

Hubble captures the good side of a stunning, scarred "two-faced" galaxy

Michael Irving May 17, 2019

Hubble has been photographing the cosmos for 30 years now, but it still manages to surprise us with some absolutely breathtaking shots. Case in point, the latest image shows the two-faced galaxy NGC 4485, which still bears the stunning scars of a close call with another galaxy millions of years ago.

The galaxy NGC 4485 appears normal on the left side, but on the right it bears ...

Space Audio available

NASA's Lunar orbiter finds crash site of Beresheet lander

David Szondy May 16, 2019

A photographic search by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has discovered the crash site of the Israeli Beresheet moon lander. By making a series of comparison images, the hunt confirmed the area where the privately operated unmanned spacecraft impacted the lunar surface on April 11, 2019.

Space

NASA's Artemis mission plans to put the first woman on the Moon by 2024

Nick Lavars May 14, 2019

NASA has filled in some of the blanks concerning its return to the Moon, today giving the mission a name and declaring plans to put the first woman on the lunar surface by 2024.

The Moon as seen by the Galileo deep-space probe in 1992

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"Stellar baby boom" may have given birth to half the Milky Way's stars

Michael Irving May 13, 2019

Scientists have been poring over the Gaia galactic census of Milky Way stars for about a year. Now, a team of researchers has found evidence of a “stellar baby boom,” a short period of time in which more than half the stars in the thin disc were born.

Gaia's all-sky-view, showing the clear center of the Milky Way and the galactic disc

Space

SpaceX stacks its internet satellites inside the Falcon 9 for upcoming launch

Nick Lavars May 13, 2019

SpaceX has plans to eventually circle the Earth with thousands of satellites that will blanket the globe in high-speed internet, but it's all about baby steps for now. To that end, the company is preparing to fire a set of 60 satellite into orbit in the coming days.

Space

Shrinking Moon may be experiencing powerful quakes to this day

Anthony Wood May 13, 2019

Earth’s closest natural satellite could be producing powerful moonquakes as it cools and shrinks, according to a newly-published study. The scientists behind the research analyzed data from instruments placed by Apollo-era astronauts and more recent data collected by a NASA spacecraft.

Earth and the Moon as shot by Expedition 10 crewmembers aboard the International Space Station in ...

Space Audio available

Jeff Bezos unveils Blue Origin lunar lander and ambitious vision for space colonization

David Szondy May 10, 2019

Blue Origin has unveiled a multi-purpose lunar lander called Blue Moon and declares that it will be able to return astronauts to the Moon by 2024. At an invitation-only media event in Washington DC on Thursday, Blue Origin founder and CEO Jeff Bezos showed off a full-scale mock-up of the lander.

Jeff Bezos unveiled Blue Moon in Washington DC, along with the incredibly ambitious goal of the ...

Space

Colorful thermal images to help reveal the origins of a doomed Martian moon

Anthony Wood May 10, 2019

NASA has released new images of the Martian moon Phobos that could help reveal the origin of the enigmatic satellite. The data is also useful for scientists choosing the safest landing zones for robotic, and potentially even crewed missions to the Martian moon.

Views Mars' largest moon Phobos captured by NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter

Space Audio available

Space Sustainability Rating could help address space debris problem

David Szondy May 6, 2019

In an effort to reduce the amount of space debris circling the Earth, the World Economic Forum and its partners are working on a Space Sustainability Rating (SSR) that will indicate how well satellite operators and launchers are complying with debris mitigation guidelines.