Space News - Articles About NASA and Space

An artist's depiction of the DART spacecraft approaching Dimorphos, with the larger Didymos in the background.

If an asteroid really threatened the Earth, what would a planetary defense mission look like?

By Meghan Bartels published 16 November 21

Someday, tucked away gathering dust in a nondescript warehouse, there will perhaps be a spacecraft waiting to be called to the launch pad, even as its builders pray it never flies.

Russian anti-satellite test a 'dangerous and irresponsible' act that threatens astronauts, US says

By Chelsea Gohd published 16 November 21

Russia conducted an anti-satellite test (ASAT), generating hundreds of thousands of pieces of debris and threatening the safety of astronauts on the International Space Station, the U.S. confirmed.

The International Space Station as seen in October 2018.

Space debris forces astronauts on space station to take shelter in return ships

By Meghan Bartels published 15 November 21

Seven astronauts were forced to take shelter due to flying space debris.

An artist's depiction of the IC 10 X-1 system, a black hole lurks in the upper left corner.

Black holes may be growing as the universe expands

By Ben Turner published 15 November 21

The hypothesis could help to explain the weird discrepancies spotted in space-time ripples from enormous black hole collisions.

The interloper 'Oumuamua continues to puzzle astronomers and astrophysicists.

Interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua wasn't a nitrogen iceberg, Harvard astrophysicists say

By Kimberly Hickok published 15 November 21

The interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua might not be a nitrogen iceberg after all. But what is it?

Researchers at Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics used the same set-up at the recent study to create superionic ice, shown here in this artistic rendering. In that instance, the ice was not stable.

Ultrahot 'superionic' ice is a new state of matter

By Ben Turner published 15 November 21

To create the ice, the scientists had to squeeze a water droplet to 3.5 million times Earth's atmospheric pressure and heat it hotter than the sun.

An artist's impression of the inside of a wormhole.

Wormholes may be viable shortcuts through space-time after all, new study suggests

By Paul Sutter published 15 November 21

Wormholes may be stable after all, a new theory suggests, contradicting previous predictions that these hypothetical shortcuts through space-time would instantly collapse.

The number of satellites orbiting the Earth is increasing exponentially.

How many satellites orbit Earth?

By Harry Baker published 14 November 21

The number of satellites orbiting Earth is skyrocketing, and this may be causing more problems than solutions in the long term.

Comet 67P, the famous target of the Rosetta mission, has made its closest approach to Earth in November 2021.

Rosetta's 'rubber ducky' comet makes closest approach to Earth, will disappear for 200 years

By Tereza Pultarova published 13 November 21

Comet 67P, which famously hosted the first-ever cometary lander in 2014, made its closest approach to Earth on Friday (Nov. 12).

Artist's impression of a person in space. Humans in space without spacesuits would not last long.

What would happen to the human body in the vacuum of space?

By Jacklin Kwan published 13 November 21

Here's what would happen to an astronaut's body if they didn't have a spacesuit protecting them in outer space.

The 'doughnut UFO' spotted over Switzerland appeared the same night as SpaceX's Endeavor capsule reentry.

'Doughnut UFO' over Switzerland defies explanation

By Brandon Specktor published 13 November 21

A photographer in Zurich, Switzerland, spotted the glowing object while four SpaceX astronauts returned to Earth thousands of miles away.

The 2021 Antarctic ozone hole reached its maximum area on Oct. 7 and ranks as the 13th-largest such feature since 1979.

See how the huge ozone hole over Antarctica has grown in 2021 in this NASA video

By Elizabeth Howell published 12 November 21

A new NASA video highlights the giant ozone hole that opened over the Antarctic this year.

A sequined sea turtle floats above Crew-3 astronaut Kayla Barron's head aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft "Endurance." The doll served as the mission's "zero-g indicator" and signaled the flight of the first members of "The Turtles" in space.

Outside of Earth's 'shell,' SpaceX's Crew-3 reveal turtle as zero-g indicator

By Robert Z. Pearlman published 12 November 21

Just moments after entering Earth orbit, SpaceX Crew-3 astronaut Kayla Barron released a sparkling sea turtle to float above her head. The "zero-g indicator" showed she and her crew were weightless.

Wormholes are still the stuff of science fiction.

What are wormholes?

By Paul Sutter published 11 November 21

Wormholes connect two points in space and time and are a staple of science fiction. But are they possible in the real universe?

An artist impression of Earth quasi-satellite Kamo`oalewa near the Earth-Moon system.

Ferris-wheel-size chunk of the moon is orbiting suspiciously close to Earth

By Brandon Specktor published 11 November 21

The ferris-wheel-sized asteroid Kamo`oalewa passes within 9 million miles of Earth every April. It may have once been part of our moon.

Don't miss the longest partial lunar eclipse of the century next week

By Ben Turner published 10 November 21

This eclipse will be the longest one of the century, and of the past 580 years.

The gravitational waves emitted by two black holes as they spiral into each other, shown in a simulation.

'Tsunami' of gravitational waves sets record for most ever space-time ripples detected

By Ben Turner published 9 November 21

The waves allow for vital glimpses of objects that don't produce much light.

A digital replica of Earth will help scientists better predict climate change.

Can a digital replica of Earth save the world from climate disaster?

By Tereza Pultarova published 8 November 21

A digital replica of Earth could help scientists better model the future of our planet and find solutions to problems wrought by climate change.

An illustration of the private Nova-C moon lander built by Intuitive Machines with NASA's Polar Resources Ice-Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) attached to the spacecraft.

NASA picks landing site at the moon's south pole for ice-drilling robot

By Elizabeth Howell published 8 November 21

NASA and Intuitive Machines announced the Shackleton Crater landing site for an ice-drilling robot.

The northern lights seen over a village near the Russian Arctic on Oct. 31, 2021.

'Cannibal CME' sun storm marks rise of new solar cycle in space weather

By Meghan Bartels published 8 November 21

The sun is waking up — and making sure we all know it.