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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.

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Opportunity still silent on 15th anniversary of its Martian landing

David Szondy January 24, 2019

NASA's Opportunity rover celebrated a bittersweet anniversary marking 15 years since the rover arrived on Mars. On January 24, 2004, the robotic explorer set down on the Red Planet, but continues its radio silence that began on June 10, 2018 when it was engulfed in a global dust storm.

An artist's concept portrays Opportunity on the surface of Mars

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Astronaut scans reveal rapid white matter changes and brains that float higher

Nick Lavars January 24, 2019

How the space environment impacts the human body is the source of much intrigue for scientists at NASA and beyond. A fascinating new study has sought to provide answers, uncovering some thought-provoking changes in the brains of astronauts before and after missions into space.

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Europe explores possibility of 2025 lunar mining mission

David Szondy January 23, 2019

ESA has indicated it's interested in mining the Moon by 2025. To help achieve this, the space agency has awarded a one-year contract to ArianeGroup to look into the feasibility of a mining mission to the lunar surface to support a manned outpost as well as producing fuel for deep space missions.

The lunar mining would support missions like the conceptual 3D-printed Moon base

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Tenth successful rocket test flight for Blue Origin

David Szondy January 23, 2019

The number of Blue Origin rocket flights went into double digits today as the company's New Shepard booster completed its 10th suborbital mission (NS-10). At 9:05 am CST, the rocket lifted off and reached an altitude of 350,775 ft (66 mi, 107 km) during the 11-minute flight.

The 10th Blue Origin test flight gets underway

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Sharper images of a supermassive black hole reveal new secrets

Michael Irving January 23, 2019

A team of astronomers has used a global array of telescopes to peer through the fog and capture some of the clearest radio images yet of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. And it may indicate that the object just happens to be pointing directly at Earth.

An artist's rendition of a supermassive black hole, such as the one at the center of ...

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DARPA turns to space startup Rocket Lab for experimental satellite launch

Nick Lavars January 22, 2019

It hasn’t been an entirely smooth sailing so far for Rocket Lab, but the New Zealand-based startup is starting to turn some important heads in the space scene. The company has today announced its next launch will be used to lift a satellite into orbit for DARPA.

Rocket Lab plans to produce one of its Electron rockets every week

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Astronomers capture stunning planetary nebula with dying star at its heart

Anthony Wood January 22, 2019

The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) has captured a beautiful image of the planetary nebula ESO 577-24. The ionized mass of gas and dust is only expected to be visible for another 10,000 years – no time at all from a cosmic perspective – before fading from view.

ESO 577-24 is located roughly 1,400 light-years from Earth

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"Planet Nine" may be a distant, dusty disc of rock and ice

Michael Irving January 22, 2019

In recent years astronomers have found evidence that there might be a huge “Planet Nine” lurking on the fringes of the solar system. A new study has now poured some cold water on the idea, instead pitching the possibility that a dusty disc is causing all the weirdness out there.

An artist's rendering of the hypothetical Planet Nine

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Automation speeds up production of nuclear space fuel

David Szondy January 20, 2019

To help power American's deep space probes, The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has automated key steps in the process to make plutonium-238 (PU-238) nuclear fuel for radiothermal generators (RTG).

Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists have automated part of the process of producing plutonium-238, which is ...

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How long is a Saturnian day? Now we know

David Szondy January 19, 2019

Reset your interplanetary watches because data from NASA's Cassini probe has finally answered the question of how long a day on Saturn is. Using the planet's giant rings as a natural seismograph, a team of scientist calculated that Saturn rotates once every 10 hours, 33 minutes and 38 seconds.

Data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft has allowed astronomers to calculate the length of a Saturnian day