Space News

CNES Publishes Call for New Rocket Launch Tracking Turrets for French Guiana

The French space agency CNES has issued a call for new automated optical tracking systems for the Guiana Space Centre. The new system will need to be capable of tracking launch vehicles to altitudes of up to an altitude of 100 kilometres. Published on 24 September, the initiative aims to replace aging and partially obsolete […]

Under the Microscope: NASA-Made Material for Moon Manufacturing

Photos taken using a microscope reveal the colorful, kaleidoscope-like crystal structure of a new NASA-made material that could be used for manufacturing during future space missions. Developed at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, the material could be created directly on the Moon or Mars, allowing NASA to pack fewer supplies — saving weight and […]

If AI cannot be trusted in a classroom, why should it be trusted in orbit?

On September 9, 2026, Evan Hubinger, Anthropic’s alignment science lead, said on social media that he personally believed there was a greater than 10% chance that artificial intelligence could kill […]

ESA investigates potential future European-led orbital outpost

As part of the preparation for the end of utilisation of the International Space Station (ISS), the European Space Agency (ESA) awarded a contract to two European industrial consortia to conduct preliminary studies assessing the feasibility to develop a future European-led orbital outpost. These studies are part of the options currently explored by ESA for the post-ISS era, building on Europe's industrial capabilities and expertise in human spaceflight.

Galaxies in a cosmic house of mirrors

This NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month features galaxies in great detail that have been warped and multiplied like they’ve stepped into a house of mirrors. The brilliant golden galaxies splashed across this image belong to a galaxy cluster called MACS J0454.1-0300. The orange galaxies concentrated on one side of the cluster are not actually part of the cluster and are much farther away from us.

APOD: 2026 September 29 – Sh2-188: The Shrimp Nebula

Fire Cloud with a Pileus on Top

Scientists captured rare observations of an ephemeral pileus cloud hovering over a smoke-infused cloud that rose above a wildfire in Montana.

Next Crewed Boeing Starliner Flight Not Until 2028

Two years after Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft landed in the New Mexico desert without NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, Boeing and NASA said today it will not be ready to […]

Mars Has Its Charmes

Written by Athanasios (Thanos) Klidaras, Ph.D. candidate at Purdue University Sept. 21, 2026 After a long hiatus, the Perseverance rover updates page is back. A lot has happened on Mars in the meantime, and with regular updates now resuming, there is plenty to catch up on — Perseverance has been busy. The rover has spent […]

NASA plans unpiloted Starliner test flight at end of year

If the unpiloted test flight goes well, NASA and Boeing hope to launch a piloted Starliner flight in mid 2028, officials said Monday, incorporating redesigned propulsion system valves, more robust subsystems and other modifications expected to prevent the sort of failures that occurred in 2024.

October’s Night Sky Notes: Spooky Stargazing

The Ghoul Located within the constellation Perseus lies a star called Algol, also known as ‘Demon Star’ or ‘The Ghoul’. You can spot this star during the autumn months, along with Cassiopeia and Andromeda in the northeastern sky, beginning after 9 PM. In Greek mythology, this star represents the ‘blinking eye’ of the gorgon Medusa. […]

Boeing "incredibly excited" to serve as nation's only astronaut transportation

"We couldn't provide detailed pricing to the CLD suppliers."