Space exploration

NASA is planning to launch a tiny satellite aboard one of the most powerful rockets ever constructed, to hunt for ice hiding deep inside craters on the Moon’s surface that are bathed in perennial shadow.

The introduction of 26 thousand new megaconstellation satellites could have a significant effect on ground-based astronomy, according to a new study commissioned by the European Southern Observatory.

On November 18, 2019, from aboard the International Space Station (ISS) 250 mi (400 km) above the Earth, ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano took control of the prototype Analog-1 rover for a half-hour spin around its obstacle course in the Netherlands.

NASA has integrated the first RS-25 engine with the core stage of its upcoming super heavy Moon rocket – the Space Launch System (SLS). The engines are refurbished units that were built to power the now defunct Space Shuttle program.

ESA has released a tool that lets space enthusiasts track probes in real time as they communicate with ground stations on Earth.

With an annual budget of US$21.5 billion, over 17,000 employees and who knows how many geniuses, you'd think NASA could pretty much solve any problem. But NASA not only needs outside help, it encourages it, announcing 19 partnerships with US businesses to benefit the entire US space sector.

Almost 50 years to the day since Neil Armstrong uttered the words "the Eagle has landed" Lego will launch its Eagle Lunar Module set to celebrate the anniversary. Developed in cooperation with NASA, the set will be available from June 1 at a price of just under US$100.

On Sunday, July 20, 1969, the first thing ever written by a human while on a celestial body that wasn't our own planet Earth was jotted onto a page. That page was within a book known as "The Timeline Book" which is set to be auctioned at Christie's New York later this year.

To help put the first generation of space colonists on the right footing, Purdue University's Resilient ExtraTerrestrial Habitats (RETH) Institute is building a one-quarter-scale space habitat similar to ones that may one day be built on the Moon and Mars.

​The idea of using centrifugal force to create a sensation of gravity in space originated as early as 1903 - but a group of space enthusiasts believes its time has come. Check out Gateway's vision for the Von Braun Rotating Space Station.

Forty years ago, two explorers set out to shed light on the mysteries of the Solar System, getting up close and personal with our distant neighbors. Today both pioneers are still operating and heading out of our solar system to explore further than any spacecraft ever launched.

To prepare for space exploration, the ESA has been testing techniques and training astronauts in cave systems on Earth. The group's latest tool is a crash-proof drone that could one day help Martian settlers explore lava tubes on the Red Planet by mapping out tight spots humans can't reach.