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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

Scott Kelly was on board the International Space Station a record 340 days

US astronauts return after record stint in space

Astronauts return to earth after nearly a year on International Space Station

Astronauts return after record stint in space

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko turned to earth today after nearly a year on the International Space Station, the longest US space mission on record, intended to pave the way for human travel to Mars.

News • 02 Mar 16

Soyuz rocket blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome

Soyuz rocket blasts off with new crew for ISS

A Russian Soyuz rocket carrying a three-man crew bound for the International Space Station has blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

News • 23 Jul 15

This picture, released yesterday, was taken as New Horizons approached the dwarf-planet (Pic: NASA/JHUAPL)

NASA releases first images of Pluto

NASA has released the first high quality images of Pluto and two of its five moons, captured during the flyby of the dwarf-planet by the New Horizons probe yesterday.

News • 15 Jul 15

The study suggests there may be millions more supermassive black holes in the universe than previously thought (Pic: NASA/ESA)

Astronomers find five supermassive black holes

Five monster black holes that were previously hidden by dust and gas have been uncovered by astronomers.

News • 06 Jul 15

SpaceX rocket explodes after launch

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded minutes after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida, following what was meant to be a routine cargo mission to the International Space Station.

News • 29 Jun 15

The Expedition 43 crew members were originally due to leave the space station on 12 May

Astronauts return from International Space Station

Three astronauts have landed safely back on Earth after their flight home was delayed by a Russian rocket failure.

News • 11 Jun 15

The test vehicle weighs 3,088kg and is 30 metres in diameter

NASA postpones test of parachute in flying saucer

High waves forced NASA to postpone until tomorrow the first test of the largest parachute ever deployed, during a flying saucer launch that will try out new technologies for landing on Mars.

News • 03 Jun 15