SUNSET: 
Saturn Surprises Right Up Until Cassini's End
Saturn keeps its secrets as NASA's Cassini spacecraft heads towards its September grand finale.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
Breakthrough Starshot Takes to Space
Six Sprites, "the world's smallest spacecraft" have entered low-Earth orbit, a small milestone for Breakthrough Starshot's plan for interstellar voyage.
Source of Mars Trojans Might Be Mars Itself
A new study proposes a possible source for the mysterious Mars Trojan asteroids: the Red Planet itself.
Goodbye, LISA Pathfinder
The European Space Agency switched off its groundbreaking LISA Pathfinder mission this week.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
New Satellite "Mayak" Might Light Up the Sky
Russia's first crowd-funded satellite, named Mayak (Russian for "beacon of light"), promises to be the “brightest object in the night sky next to the Moon.”
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
By Jove! Juno Images Jupiter's Great Red Spot
NASA's Juno Spacecraft delivers stunning closeup views of Jupiter's famous swirling Great Red Spot storm.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
"Gecko Gripper" Tech to Clean Up Space Junk
Researchers are figuring out how to use a nature-inspired "gecko gripper" technology to solve the mounting problem of space debris.
NASA Eyes "Ice Giant" Missions in the 2030s
A recent NASA study outlines possible dedicated missions to the "ice giant" planets Uranus and Neptune that might leave Earth as early as 2030.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
NASA Closes Out Its Asteroid Redirect Mission
Following the release of the 2018 budget, the space agency has ordered an “orderly closeout” for the Asteroid Redirect program.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
China Launches Its First X-ray Observatory
China's Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT) headed to orbit this past weekend.
Rosetta Finds Clues to Earth's “Xenon Paradox”
Xenon measured by the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft has shed light on a long-standing mystery about the role comets played in Earth's formation.
KELT-9b: Hottest Hot Jupiter Exoplanet Yet
Astronomers announce the discovery of bloated gas giant KELT-9b, the hottest "hot Jupiter" exoplanet known orbiting a short-lived massive star.
New Clues on Fate of Schiaparelli Mars Lander
The European Space Agency has released its investigation into the crash of the Schiaparelli Mars lander in October 2016.
Juno: Surprises in First Science Results
From its dynamic atmosphere to its hidden depths, the Juno spacecraft has Jupiter as never before — surprising NASA scientists with unexpected complexity.
Amazing New Views of Near-Earth Asteroid
Large asteroid 2014 JO25 cruised past Earth on April 19, and Goldstone and Arecibo radars were at the ready to capture what turned out to be yet another twin-lobed asteroid.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
Cassini Traverses "Big Empty" on First Grand Finale Pass
The Grand Finale is underway, as NASA's Cassini spacecraft sails through a clear gap between Saturn and its rings.
Cassini Survives First "Grand Finale" Dive
Cassini's Grand Finale has begun, as the spacecraft threaded the needle between Saturn and its rings, following several fantastic moon passes and a final glance back at Earth.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
LISA Pathfinder: From Gravitational Waves to Space Dust
LISA Pathfinder, the technology testbed mission for a future gravitational-wave detector, turns out to be a surprisingly good micrometeoroid hunter.
Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson
Welcome to LHS 1140b: A Super-Earth in the Habitable Zone
The MEarth exoplanet survey nabs LHS 1140 b, a rocky planet transiting its host star just 41 light-years distant.
Cassini's Grand Finale Orbits Set to Begin
NASA's Cassini mission nears its final act — the spacecraft will enter the first of its Grand Finale Orbits later this month.
