Missions
Cool New Mission Trailer for Rosalind Franklin Rover
ESA's Rosalind Franklin Mars rover has been delayed twice due to problems with its parachute deployment and Russia's invasion of…
Psyche Gives Us Its First Images of Space
NASA's Psyche mission began eight weeks ago when it launched from the Kennedy Space Center. While it won't reach its…
What Would a Modern “Golden Record” Include?
Now that several decades have passed since the launch of Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 in 1977, we look back…
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,…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…