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An artist's impression of the eight planet Kepler-90 star system compared to our own (pic: Nasa/Wendy Stenzel)

First eight planet system found by Kepler telescope

A team working with data gathered by Nasa's Kepler space telescope has discovered an eighth planet in a star system previously thought to have only seven.

Science • 14 Dec 17

Man on the Moon: A brief history of lunar landings

With Donald Trump calling for US astronauts to return to the Moon, here's a look back at previous landings.

News Lens • 16 Dec 17

Buzz Aldrin walks on the Moon on 20 July 1969

Trump directs NASA to send astronauts back to the Moon

US President Donald Trump has directed NASA to send Americans to the Moon for the first time in decades, a move he said would help prepare for a future Mars trip.

World • 12 Dec 17

Lightning strikes - as seen from space

Lightning strikes, as seen from the International Space Station, feature in footage released by NASA.

News Lens • 30 Nov 17

Uber said it is the first formal services contract by NASA covering low-altitude airspace rather than outer space

Uber teams up with NASA to develop 'flying taxi' routes

Uber is taking part in a joint industry and US government push with NASA to develop software that the company aims to use to manage "flying taxi" routes that could work like ride-hailing services it has popularised on the ground.

Business • 08 Nov 17

Asteroid 2012 TC4 is forecast to fly past Earth next in 2079

Asteroid size of school bus passes close to Earth

An asteroid the size of a school bus flew remarkably near Earth today, providing scientists with an opportunity to test the warning systems that would kick in if a space collision was coming.

Science and Technology • 12 Oct 17

The spacecraft's last gasp transmissions took 83 minutes to reach Earth

NASA's Cassini craft completes plunge into Saturn

NASA's billion Cassini spacecraft has completed its death plunge into Saturn, ending a fruitful 20-year mission to explore one of the solar system's most intriguing outer planets.

cassini • 15 Sep 17

An artist's impression of Voyager 1 passing behind the rings of Saturn

NASA marks 40th anniversary of Voyager launches

NASA has marked the 40th anniversary of the launch of Voyager 1 and 2 - the farthest-travelled and longest-lived spacecraft in history.

Science • 06 Sep 17

Peggy Whitson, 57, completed a mission to the International Space Station that began in November 2016

Record-breaking astronaut Peggy Whitson back on Earth

US astronaut Peggy Whitson touched down to Earth this morning following her record-breaking 288-day stay at the International Space Station.

World • 03 Sep 17

The storm looks like a churning red knot on the planet's surface

Spacecraft to overfly Jupiter's raging red spot

An unmanned NASA spacecraft is about to fly over a massive storm raging on Jupiter, in a long-awaited a journey that could shed new light on the forces driving the planet's Great Red Spot.

Science • 10 Jul 17

Robert Lightfoot was speaking on a visit to University College Dublin

NASA chief urges Ireland to grow its space sector

The head of NASA has urged Ireland to grow its space sector, saying it is the next economy waiting to be mined by anyone who wants to get involved.

Science • 23 Jun 17

NASA's Kepler discovers ten more potential new worlds

Astronomers have added 219 candidates to the growing list of planets beyond the solar system, ten of which may be about the same size and temperature as Earth, boosting the chances for life.

News • 20 Jun 17

NASA's Kepler space telescope team has identified 219 new planet candidates (Pic: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Ten possible 'Goldilocks' planets found in Milky Way

Over 200 new planets that could be like Earth have been discovered nearby in the Milky Way by NASA's Kepler space telescope.

NASA • 19 Jun 17

NASA plans to dive Cassini into Saturn's rings 22 times

NASA prepares for Saturn probe showdown

NASA is preparing to send its long-lived Cassini probe into the unexplored region between Saturn and its rings for a scientific grand finale before the spacecraft's suicidal plunge into the planet.

Science • 05 Apr 17

Eugene Cernan, Commander of the Apollo 17 lunar mission, is welcomed back to Earth by a US Navy Pararescueman

Last man to walk on the Moon dies aged 82

Retired NASA astronaut Eugene Cernan, the last man to walk on the Moon, has died at the age of 82.

News • 16 Jan 17

John Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth and also the oldest person to go into space

Former US astronaut John Glenn dies aged 95

Former US astronaut and the first American to orbit the Earth John Glenn has died aged 95.

News • 08 Dec 16

Musk said the aim is to send flights every 26 months

Musk unveils SpaceX's vision for colonising Mars

SpaceX is developing a massive rocket and capsule to transport large numbers of people and cargo to Mars with the ultimate goal of colonising the planet, chief executive and tech billionaire Elon Musk has said.

Science • 28 Sep 16

The craft will arrive at its target in August 2018

Rocket carrying NASA asteroid probe blasts off

A NASA space probe has lifted off from the US en route to an asteroid where it will collect samples that will later be returned to Earth.

Science • 09 Sep 16

The experiment is hoped to assist in planning for a mission to Mars

Scientists emerge from year-long Mars simulation

Six people who went into isolation for a year in Hawaii to help NASA plan for a mission to Mars have emerged, saying they are happy to breathe fresh air and meet new people.

News • 29 Aug 16

It is hoped up to 200g of samples will be extracted from asteroid Bennu during the 2018 rendez-vous (Pic: NASA)

Final preparations underway for asteroid mission

NASA has raised the curtain on a landmark mission to bring samples back from a near-earth asteroid scheduled for launch on September 8th.

Science • 18 Aug 16

The picture is made from some of the first images taken by JunoCam (Pic: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS)

Juno sends back first in-orbit view of Jupiter

NASA'S Juno spacecraft sent its first in-orbit view of Jupiter since it arrived at the planet on July 4th after a five-year journey.

Science • 13 Jul 16

Juno's instruments and camera could provide insights into the history of the solar system

Space probe Juno arrives in orbit around Jupiter

The Juno space probe has arrived in orbit around Jupiter in a historic moment for astronomy after a five-year, 2.3 billion-kilometre voyage.

News • 05 Jul 16

An artist's illustration of the space probe

NASA spacecraft nears Jupiter for key mission

A NASA spacecraft will tonight have one-shot to slip into Jupiter's orbit for the start of a 20-month-long dance around the solar system's largest planet to learn how and where it formed.

News • 04 Jul 16

Juno is due to arrive at Jupiter within the next week

Spectacular new images of Jupiter captured

Stunning new images of the surface of the planet Jupiter have been published, ahead of the arrival of a probe at the planet in the coming days.

Science • 27 Jun 16

It's hoped that another attempt could be made to expand the BEAM habitat on Friday morning

Deflated NASA fails to expand space station pod

NASA has halted its attempt to inflate a temporary habitat at the International Space Station, after running into problems expanding the module to full size.

Science • 26 May 16