Missions

Russia’s War in Ukraine Threatens Joint Missions to Mars, Venus and the Moon

by

In the weeks since Vladimir Putin sent Russian troops storming into neighboring Ukraine, blowback from that invasion has erupted around the world—and off-world, too. As the crisis deepens, it is increasingly disrupting international cooperation on present and planned projects for space science and exploration, potentially jeopardizing their future. Much like nesting matryoshka dolls of diminishing … Read more

Scientists hail ‘the decade of Venus’ with 3 new missions on the way

by

As planetary scientists resumed meeting in person, Venus experts had something special to celebrate. For decades, the Venus community has been crying out for missions: Only one dedicated spacecraft is currently studying our next-door neighbor, and NASA’s last robotic Venus visitor ended its mission in 1994. Within just a couple weeks in 2021, however, Venus … Read more

Lego rolls out Artemis toy sets ahead of new NASA moon missions

by

Lego rolled out its version of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) on Tuesday (March 1), two weeks before the space agency was scheduled to do the same with the real moon-bound rocket. The toy company released the SLS and three other sets inspired by NASA’s Artemis program as part of an expansion to its long-running … Read more

Mars missions: A brief history

by

Mars missions have been launching from Earth with regularity since the 1960s, bent on exploring our planetary neighbor. With its potential for liquid water — and therefore, life — Mars is an alluring target.  But it’s a difficult journey, and only about half of all Mars missions successfully make it to the Red Planet, according … Read more

Ax-1, 1st all-private crewed flight to ISS, aims to blaze trail for future missions

by

Axiom Space aims to set a standard for future crews with its pioneering mission to the International Space Station (ISS) next month. Axiom’s Ax-1, the first all-private crewed mission to the orbiting lab, is scheduled to launch on March 30 and last for 10 days. Ax-1’s four spaceflyers — three paying customers and Axiom’s Michael López-Alegría, … Read more

Ukraine invasion: Russian attack leaves European space missions in doubt

by

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

China Plans Asteroid Missions, Space Telescopes and a Moon Base

by

China has had a bumper few years in space exploration, and its ambitions are about to get bolder. The China National Space Administration has released an overview of its plans for the next five years, which include launching a robotic craft to an asteroid, building a space telescope to rival the Hubble and laying the … Read more

Cosmonaut brains are ‘rewired’ by space missions, scientists find

by

Our brains change as we age and grow here on Earth. But what happens to the human brain after being in space for a long time? In a new study, a collaborative effort between the European Space Agency and Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, researchers have explored how cosmonauts’ brains change after traveling to space and … Read more

NASA opens Nighttime Precision Landing Challenge to help future moon missions

by

NASA wants your help to safely land future lunar spacecraft in the dark, including permanently shadowed craters that may be icy. The agency’s new Nighttime Precision Landing Challenge No. 1 plans to award as many as three prizes of up to $650,000 each. The challenge asks applicants to create sensors able to detect hazards from … Read more