Space exploration news, features and articles

an illustration of the Juno spacecraft orbiting Jupiter
An illustration of the Juno spacecraft above Jupiter's Great Red Spot. (Image credit: MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images)

The dawn is breaking on a new era of space exploration, with moon bases and Mars colonies potentially only decades away. Live Science tracks the researchers, companies and countries setting their sights on the stars to bring you the biggest stories in space. Whether it's reporting on concerns that alien organisms could hitch a ride on our spacecraft and contaminate Earth, explaining what 11 billion people means for space travel, sharing a glorious photo of Earth during a total solar eclipse snapped by Japan's lunar lander, or compiling a list of the weirdest things we have launched into space, our expert writers and editors will ignite your sense of interstellar adventure with the latest space exploration news, features and articles.

Discover more about space exploration

—Here's every spaceship that's ever carried an astronaut into orbit

—How long could a person survive in space without a spacesuit?

Latest about Space Exploration

A ghostly white spiral of light in the night sky above some trees

Ghostly 'spiral' photobombs Perseid meteors over several US states — and experts are unsure what caused it

By Harry Baker published

The ghostly light, which was triggered by a rocket reentry, sailed across the night sky as skywatchers across the U.S. looked up to see "shooting stars" streak across the heavens. However, experts are confused over which spacecraft is responsible.

Space Exploration
An artist's rendition of the spacecraft Chrysalis

Would you board a spacecraft that takes 400 years to reach Alpha Centauri?

By Elise Poore published

Poll Travelling to our nearest star system is the ultimate one-way trip — but could you live your life among the stars? Let us know in our latest poll.

Poll
Official NASA portrait of Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell.

Jim Lovell, commander of NASA's Apollo 13 moon mission, dies at 97

By Mike Wall Partner Content Created With Space. published

NASA astronaut Jim Lovell — a veteran of four spaceflights, including Apollo 8 and the near-disastrous Apollo 13 — passed away on Aug. 7, 2025 at the age of 97.

Proposed spacecraft could carry up to 2,400 people on a one-way trip to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri

By Perri Thaler published

The design for a 36 mile long spacecraft, called Chrysalis, includes libraries, tropical forests and structural manufacturing facilities, all supported by artificial gravity.

Space Exploration

SpaceX just launched disease-causing bacteria to the International Space Station

By Jessica Rendall Partner Content Created With Space. published

SpaceX just launched the Crew-11 astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA — along with an interesting bacterial experiment.

SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation is interfering with radio telescope observations

By Stefanie Waldek Partner Content Created With Space. published

Astronomers have long voiced concerns about Starlink's satellite constellation interfering with observations of the universe, and a new survey by Curtin University confirms those fears.

An aerial photo of a rocket taking off from a landing pad surrounded by smoke

After 54-year wait, Australia's first attempt at an orbital rocket crashes 14 seconds after liftoff

By Harry Baker published

Eris-1, the first rocket fully built by an Australian company, crashed back to Earth 14 seconds after taking off from a spaceport in Queensland. It was the country's first orbital launch attempt since 1971.

Space Exploration

Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' gives US Space Force $1 billion for secretive X-37B space plane

By Leonard David Partner Content Created With Space. published

U.S. President Trump's "One, Big Beautiful Bill Act," H.R. 1 includes $1 billion for the U.S. Space Force (USSF) X-37B military spacecraft program.

A 360-degree panorama as a photosphere from Chile's Cerro Pachón mountain, showing the Rubin Auxiliary Telescope and the Rubin Observatory.

Vera C. Rubin Observatory: The groundbreaking mission to make a 10-year, time-lapse movie of the universe

By Jamie Carter last updated

Armed with the world's largest digital camera, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile will take night-sky images that revolutionize astronomy.

Space Exploration

Spacecraft carrying cannabis and human remains crashes into the ocean

By Matthew Williams published

A capsule created by German aerospace startup The Exploration Company crash-landed in the ocean with a payload that included human remains and cannabis seeds.

Space Exploration
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Archives