Missions

ESA’s Ariel Mission is Approved to Begin Construction

We're about to learn a lot more about exoplanets. The ESA has just approved the construction of its Ariel mission,…

13 hours ago

NASA's Interstellar Mapping Probe Prepares for a 2025 Launch

Engineers at NASA have completed an important milestone in developing the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) spacecraft. It's now…

3 days ago

Hubble is Offline Because of a Problem with one of its Gyros

The rich flow of scientific data—and stunning images—that comes from the Hubble Space Telescope is being interrupted by gyro problems.…

6 days ago

Aerocapture is a Free Lunch in Space Exploration

This article was updated on 11/28/23 When spacecraft return to Earth, they don't need to shed all their velocity by…

1 week ago

What’s Going on With the Mars Sample Return Mission?

Anybody with a modicum of intellectual curiosity is looking forward to the NASA/ESA Mars Sample Return Mission. NASA's Perseverance rover…

2 weeks ago

We’re Entering a New Age When Spacecraft Communicate With Lasers

In October 2023, NASA launched its long-awaited on-again, off-again Psyche mission. The spacecraft is on its way to study the…

3 weeks ago

Take a Plunge Into the Ice Giants

Our Solar System's ice giants, Uranus and Neptune, have been largely left out of the planetary probe game. While all…

3 weeks ago

ESA Has a Difficult Choice: Study Mars, Earth's Magnetosphere, or Gamma-Ray Bursts

The ESA Science Programme has narrowed down the possibilities for its next M-class mission to three concepts.

4 weeks ago

ESA’s Hera Mission is Bringing Two Cubesats Along. They’ll Be Landing on Dimorphos

In about one year from now, the European Space Agency will launch its Hera mission. Its destination is the asteroid…

1 month ago

Mars Still Has Liquid Rock Near its Core

Why doesn’t Mars have a magnetic field? If it did, the planet would be protected from cosmic radiation and charged…

1 month ago