Sky and Solar

Europe's Space Rider vehicle comes crashing down during drop test
22 October 2026

The full-scale prototype of Europe's Space Rider orbiter failed to deploy its parachute during a drop test earlier this month, but ESA officials hope the setback won't delay progress toward its first reusable spacecraft.
On this day in space! Oct. 22, 1992: Ashes of 'Star Trek' creator Gene Roddenberry launch into space on NASA shuttle
22 October 2026

On Oct. 22, 1992, the space shuttle Columbia launched into space with the ashes of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of "Star Trek." Here's why it mattered.
After Starshield interruption, Ukraine wants to build its own satellite communication network with ICEYE and Nokia
22 October 2026

Ukraine's military just signed a letter of intent with Nokia and the Finnish satellite maker ICEYE to look into developing a sovereign satellite-communication system for the war-torn nation.
The 2027 total solar eclipse will plunge these 10 ancient Egyptian temples and monuments into darkness
22 October 2026

The "eclipse of the century" will plunge some of ancient Egypt's most spectacular sites into darkness on Aug. 2, 2027. These temples, tombs and monuments are inside the path of totality.
Van Gogh's 'The Starry Night' depicts the sky on July 22, 1889, researchers find
22 October 2026

Researchers think they might have pinpointed the exact night sky that we see depicted in Vincent van Gogh's iconic painting "The Starry Night."

Happy New Year, Mars! The Red Planet is turning 39
29 September 2026

On 30 September the Red Planet officially begins Mars Year 39. Which is quite an achievement for a world that is actually more than 4.5 billion years old.
3I/ATLAS was born in the deep freeze
08 September 2026

Another piece of evidence suggests that this visitor formed in the bitterly cold outer reaches of a distant planetary system.
Roman Space Telescope launches on mission to survey the Universe
30 August 2026

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has begun its journey into space, starting a mission that will survey the Universe on an unprecedented scale in search of clues to dark energy, dark matter and worlds beyond our Solar System.
JWST’s ‘impossible’ early galaxies may be even more massive than we thought
24 August 2026

Faint, low-mass stars could be hiding much of the mass in distant galaxies, making the surprisingly large galaxies discovered by JWST in the early Universe even harder to explain.
How to observe the 12 August 2026 solar eclipse
07 August 2026

On the evening of 12 August 2026, the Moon will pass between Earth and the Sun, producing a striking solar eclipse. Find out how, when and where to observe it safely.
Falcon 9 lunar impact: More than a new crater
05 August 2026

Today’s impact of a spent Falcon 9 rocket stage on the Moon may sound dramatic, but it is neither the first human-made object to strike our natural satellite nor the largest.