Space Exploration
Latest about Space Exploration
![A far-away photograph of silver space debris](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zJXk658Q54NQR7KawFtEdn-320-80.jpg)
Japan captures 1st image of space debris from orbit, and it's spookily stunning
By Joanna Thompson published
A new Japanese mission to photograph space junk from orbit marks a milestone in orbital debris cleanup efforts.
![KH-9 satellite](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SWYRQRGLXkcGLdDz4oK8f-320-80.jpg)
'Lost' satellite finally found after orbiting undetected for 25 years
By Meredith Garofalo published
The Infra-Red Calibration Balloon (S73-7) satellite had gone off the grid from radar not once but twice — once in the 1970s and then again in the 1990s. After 25 years missing in orbit, it has finally been rediscovered.
![A view of the Milky Way from Einstein's Probe's perspective. There are various squares overlain on the image and bright purple spots of X-ray activity.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/drrC5UZHzGcsZwUPw95P7-320-80.jpg)
China's 'lobster eye' Einstein telescope releases 1st batch of trippy space images
By Keith Cooper published
Flaring stars, black hole outbursts and gamma-rays are just some of the cosmic exotica that Einstein Probe will hunt for.
![A detail of a geological map of the moon released by Chinese scientists in 2022. An even more detailed moon 'atlas' is now available, revealing more than 12,000 lunar structures.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LcmYN2h9jhMaXNKFg69fvY-320-80.jpg)
China reveals most detailed geological map of the moon ever created
By Ben Turner published
Chinese astronomers have shared the most detailed geological map of the moon ever created, revealing more than 12,000 structures. The new atlas will be essential for picking out landing locations and resource sites for future lunar missions.
![A faint red blob of light in the night sky](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hN4Kdwpk38MPiEPCFpMu4F-320-80.jpg)
Dying SpaceX rocket tears blood-red 'hole' in the sky over Texas — again
By Harry Baker published
On April 10, a bright red atmospheric "hole" was spotted in the night sky above Texas shortly after SpaceX launched 23 Starlink satellites into space. It is the latest example of an increasingly common phenomenon caused by the company's dying rockets.
![Artist impression of NASA's Voyager 1 probe traveling through interstellar space.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ikjVRXhJaJriyA9SCabvrj-320-80.jpg)
After months of sending gibberish to NASA, Voyager 1 is finally making sense again
By Sascha Pare published
NASA's Voyager 1 probe has resumed sending usable data back to Earth after engineers fixed a computer error that caused the interstellar spacecraft to only transmit gibberish for five months.
![A photo of Ingenuity on the Martian surface](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Rz87kL4zwov28vKPFCViQ4-320-80.jpg)
NASA's downed Ingenuity helicopter has a 'last gift' for humanity — but we'll have to go to Mars to get it
By Harry Baker published
NASA's stranded Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has beamed back its final signal to Earth from the Red Planet, which included a farewell message for mission scientists. It will continue collecting data on Mars until it dies but will not transmit this data to Earth.
![The International Space Station jettisons a 2.9-ton pallet carrying used batteries on March 11, 2021. This photo was posted on Twitter by NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3DeBVn78iPCAmJtTdFK2jk-320-80.jpg)
Object that slammed into Florida home was indeed space junk from ISS, NASA confirms
By Mike Wall published
An object that smashed through a Florida home was part of a pallet jettisoned from the International Space Station along with 5,800 pounds of aging batteries back in March 2021.
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