Ukraine invasion: Russian sanctions mean ESA’s Mars rover is unlikely to launch in 2022

The European Space Agency is due to launch its Rosalind Franklin ExoMars rover on a Russian rocket this September, while satellites belonging to a company part-owned by the UK government are set to catch a Russian ride on 4 March Space 25 February 2022 By Jonathan O’Callaghan An artist’s impression of the Rosalind Franklin rover, … Read more

Sublime New Hubble Image Reveals a Thrilling Exchange Between Two Galaxies

The ongoing interaction between two galaxies 320 million light-years away has been captured in a gorgeous Hubble image. They’re collectively known as Arp 282 in Halton Arp’s Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, and they consist of a large barred spiral galaxy named NGC 169, about 140,000 light-years across, and a much smaller polar-ring galaxy named IC … Read more

2022 news preview: A round-up of the year’s most exciting space missions

By Leah Crane The Psyche spacecraft’s propulsion system undergoes inspection NASA/JPL-CALTECH IF ALL goes well, the first major space mission of 2022 will be the launch of the Space Launch System rocket in February. After many budget and schedule overruns, NASA’s colossal rocket is finally set for its first uncrewed flight, which will carry several … Read more

JWST: The James Webb Space Telescope is finally on its way into orbit

After numerous delays, the biggest space telescope ever has blasted off on Christmas Day, and will begin its science mission in mid 2022 Space 25 December 2021 By Leah Crane The James Webb Space Telescope sits atop an Ariane 5 rocket on the launchpad in French Guiana on 23 December P PIRON/ESA/CNES/Arianespa​ce The James Webb … Read more

Playmobil sends ESA astronauts on ‘Mars Expedition’ with new toy set

Two European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts are set to begin exploring Mars after they land on toy store shelves later this week. Playmobil, in cooperation with ESA, is set to release its “Mars Expedition” playset in Europe and the United Kingdom on Friday (Dec. 17). The co-branded toy includes everything that children ages 6 to … Read more