Spacecraft

Chinese astronauts' return delayed to Earth after debris hits spacecraft

China’s space agency said that the delay was to ensure the astronauts’ safety and health and has not yet announced alternative dates for Dong, Zhongrui, and Jie’s return.

Astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie attend a see-off ceremony for the Shenzhou-20 spaceflight mission at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China April 24, 2025.
The spacecraft is on its way to crash into the asteroid’s moon

How the world won’t be destroyed: NASA found a solution to a worrying problem

 A large screen shows news footage of a Chinese national flag carried by Chang'e-6 probe's lander on the far side of the moon, in Beijing, China June 4, 2024

Beijing tests lunar lander tasked with putting first Chinese on the moon

Eight views of the sun's south pole obtained by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft are seen in this image released by the European Space Agency on June 11, 2025

Solar Orbiter spacecraft obtains first images of the sun's poles


Uncontrolled reentry of Soviet-era spacecraft Kosmos 482 expected in May

Experts say the Venus-bound probe's durable design could allow it to survive reentry, posing a small risk to populated areas.

 Uncontrolled reentry of Soviet-era spacecraft Kosmos 482 expected in May.

Going where no spacecraft has gone before: NASA shuts down cosmic ray instrument on Voyager 2

The decision comes as the Voyager spacecraft face diminishing power supplies due to the gradual decay of their radioactive plutonium.

 Going where no spacecraft has gone before: NASA shuts down cosmic ray instrument on Voyager 2. Illustration.

Elon Musk launches mobile communication satellites

Billionaire Elon Musk will launch the Falcon 9 rocket, deploying 21 satellites for direct mobile communication in unconnected areas, aiming to fund a Mars mission.

 Falcon 9 in a launch, deploying communication satellites

NASA's Lucy spacecraft captures first images of asteroid Donaldjohanson

Flyby of Donaldjohanson will test Lucy's navigation before mission to Jupiter Trojans.

 NASA's Lucy spacecraft captures first images of asteroid Donaldjohanson.

Mapping 2 billion stars: How Gaia transformed our view of the Milky Way

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Gaia spacecraft concluded its sky-scanning mission after mapping the Milky Way for more than 10 years.

 The Gaia Space Telescope.

One step closer to a lunar base: China sends lunar bricks to space station for testing

The bricks are designed to withstand the extreme conditions on the Moon, including drastic temperature fluctuations ranging from -190 °C to +180 °C.

 Mockups of the New Generation Launch Vehicles of Long March Family are on display at the 12th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition.

Russia says it is considering putting a nuclear power plant on the moon with China

In the backdrop of comments denying the plan to put nuclear weapons in space, Russian officials are now considering placing a nuclear power plant on the moon in cooperation with China.

 A Soyuz-2.1b rocket booster with a Fregat upper stage, carrying Russian the Meteor-M spacecraft and 18 Russian and foreign additional small satellites, blasts off from a launchpad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, February 29, 2024.

Jeff Bezos thinks humans should colonize space, live in cylindrical space stations

Envisioning the future, Bezos said he would “love to see a trillion humans living in the solar system.”

FILE PHOTO: Founder, Chairman, CEO and President of Amazon Jeff Bezos speaks during an event about Blue Origin's space exploration plans in Washington

Iran aims to test astronaut-ready space capsules by March

Iran hopes to send an astronaut into space in the next five to six years.

 A first military satellite named Noor is launched into orbit by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, in Semnan, Iran April 22, 2020

Space is full of 200 tons of garbage. Now what?

Space is filled with deadly rocket debris and tons of human waste.


Chandrayaan-3 lands on moon in historic moment for India

The successful landing marks its emergence as a space power as the government looks to spur investment in private space launches and related satellite-based businesses.

 A view of the moon as viewed by the Chandrayaan-3 lander during Lunar Orbit Insertion on August 5, 2023 in this screengrab from a video released August 6, 2023.