Space news

It is by no means certain that Russia will be able to fix Site 31 soon.

China continued a surge in launch activity with a pair of missions Tuesday, adding to an opaque satellite series and launching new remote sensing satellites. The post China launches new TJS satellite, commercial Kinetica-1 lofts 9 spacecraft appeared first on SpaceNews.

The Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft is seen as it lands in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Dec. 9, 2025, with Expedition 73 NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky aboard. The trio returned to Earth after logging 245 days in space as members of Expeditions 72 […]

NASA has lost contact with a Mars orbiter that has circled the planet for more than a decade, collecting science data and serving as a key communications relay. The post NASA loses contact with MAVEN Mars orbiter appeared first on SpaceNews.

The Starlink 15-11 mission will add another 27 broadband internet satellites to the low Earth orbit megaconstellation. Liftoff from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base is scheduled for 3:40 a.m. PST (6:40 a.m. EST / 1140 UTC).

Galaxy clusters are the most massive objects in the universe held together by gravity, containing up to several thousand individual galaxies and huge reservoirs of superheated, X-ray-emitting gas. The mass of this hot gas is typically about five times higher than the total mass of all the galaxies in galaxy clusters. In addition to these […]

Two Shenzhou-21 astronauts embarked on the mission’s first spacewalk late Monday, inspecting and photographing a damaged spacecraft window which triggered an earlier emergency launch. The post Chinese astronauts inspect debris-damaged Shenzhou-20 spacecraft during spacewalk appeared first on SpaceNews.

The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has confirmed the source of a super-bright flash of light known as a gamma-ray burst, generated by an exploding massive star when the Universe was only 730 million years old. For the first time for such a remote event, the telescope provided a detection of the supernova’s host galaxy. Webb’s quick-turnaround observations verified data taken by telescopes around the world that had been following the gamma-ray burst since it onset, which occurred in mid-March.

The mission, dubbed NROL-77, is likely to be the final time SpaceX uses Landing Zone 2 to recover a first stage Falcon booster. Liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is scheduled for 2:16 p.m. EST (1916 UTC).

A NASA astronaut and two cosmonaut crewmates strapped into their Soyuz ferry ship Monday evening, undocked from the International Space Station and plunged to an on-target landing on the frigid steppe of Kazakhstan early Tuesday to wrap up an eight-month mission.

At 12:03 a.m. EST (10:03 a.m. local time), the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft made a parachute-assisted landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan.

The Soyuz spacecraft, with NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky aboard, will make a parachute-assisted landing at 12:03 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Dec. 9 (10:03 a.m. local time in Kazakhstan), on the steppe of Kazakhstan

At 8:41 p.m. EST, the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft undocked from the orbiting laboratory’s Prichal module with NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky aboard.

At 5:10 p.m. EST, hatches closed between the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft and the International Space Station in preparation for undocking and the return to Earth of NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky.

At 5:10 p.m. EST, the hatch closed between the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft and the International Space Station in preparation for undocking and return to Earth.

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky will close the hatch between the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft and the International Space Station at 5:10 p.m. EST.

Expedition 73 will swap commanders this weekend before three crew members return to Earth on Monday. Expedition 74 officially begins once the home bound trio undocks from the Rassvet module inside the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft the following day.

Three Expedition 73 crewmates will end their stay aboard the International Space Station when they undock Dec. 8 and return to Earth a few hours later. In the meantime, blood research took precedence on Thursday ensuring astronauts stay healthy while living long-term in weightlessness.

In 2025, Europe celebrated the 30th anniversary of satellite navigation on the continent, a milestone built on decades of innovation, collaboration and excellence. Three decades of challenges and triumphs that have shaped the navigation systems we rely on today: EGNOS and Galileo, and that serve as legacy to building the satellite navigation systems of tomorrow.

Space biology and physics topped the research schedule aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday to improve human health and the space industry. The Expedition 73 residents also helped three new crewmates adapt to orbital life as another trio turns its attention to returning to Earth next week.

The International Space Station’s three newest crewmembers are getting used to living and working in microgravity. The rest of the Expedition 73 crew assisted the new trio while continuing an array of space biology research and orbital maintenance on Tuesday.

For the first time in International Space Station history, all eight docking ports aboard the orbital outpost are occupied following the reinstallation of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft to the Earth-facing port of the station’s Unity module. The eight spacecraft attached to the complex are: two SpaceX Dragons, Cygnus XL, JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) HTV-X1, two Roscosmos Soyuz crew spacecraft, and two Progress cargo ships.

Expedition 73 wrapped up the work week At 10:16 a.m. EST, the hatch opened between the International Space Station and the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft.

NASA’s live hatch opening coverage is underway on NASA+, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and more. Hatch opening is scheduled to begin at 10:10 a.m. EST.

At 7:34 a.m. EST, the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft docked with the International Space Station’s Rassvet module. NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev launched at 4:27 a.m. (2:27 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft will automatically dock at approximately 7:38 a.m. EST today with the International Space Station's Rassvet module. It launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 4:27 a.m. (2:27 p.m. Baikonur time) with NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev aboard.

The crewed Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft is safely in orbit and headed for the International Space Station, following a launch at 4:27 a.m. EST (2:27 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, with NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikaev aboard.

NASA’s live launch coverage is underway on NASA+, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and more, as teams prepare for the launch of the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for 4:27 a.m. EST (2:27 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

One NASA astronaut and two Roscosmos cosmonauts are at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan counting down to a lift off on Thanksgiving Day to the International Space Station to begin an eight-month microgravity research mission. The seven-member Expedition 73 crew will expand to ten when the new trio arrives just over three hours after launch.

High intensity exercising and droplets teeming with particles were the main research topics aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The Expedition 73 crew is also preparing to welcome three new crewmates this week while another trio gets ready to return to Earth next month.

A Soyuz rocket rolled out to its launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan today to begin counting down to a Thanksgiving Day liftoff of three new crew members to the International Space Station.

In 2014, NASA awarded a Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract to Boeing to fly astronauts to and from the International Space Station with its Starliner spacecraft. As part of its contract, Boeing was awarded up to six crewed flights to the orbital complex. After a thorough evaluation, NASA and Boeing have mutually agreed to modify […]

Expedition 73 wrapped up the work week continuing to study fluid physics and stem cells, preparing for next week’s new crew arrival, and unpacking a U.S. cargo spacecraft. The International Space Station residents also serviced exercise gear, performed life support system troubleshooting, and analyzed the orbital outpost’s microbial environment.

Stem cells and CubeSat installations were the main research focus aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. The Expedition 73 crew also collected microbe samples for analysis, configured Earth observation gear, and replaced hoses on a treadmill.

The International Space Station is orbiting higher today after the Progress 93 cargo spacecraft, docked to the Zvezda service module’s aft port, fired its engines for over 14 minutes, 7 seconds at 8:04 a.m. EST on Wednesday. Back on the orbital outpost, the Expedition 73 crew focused its science activities on exercise research and fluid physics, both benefitting humans living on and off the Earth.

Life science and physics topped the research schedule aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday as the Expedition 73 crew studied heart health, stem cells, fluid physics, and spacecraft fire safety. The orbital residents also completed work on a spacesuit and inspected ventilation and electrical systems while continuing other scientific operations.

Expedition 73 kicked off the week exploring how to prevent space-caused vision problems and what happens to the respiratory system in microgravity. The International Space Station residents also worked on combustion research and Earth observation gear, organized food and cargo inventory, and serviced life support systems.

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the ViaSat-3 Flight 2 (F2) mission for Viasat, Inc., a global leader in satellite communications, lifted off on Nov. 13 at 10:04 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This mission reflects on ULA’s goals of collaborating with customers to enable the future of global connectivity.   

Cardiac research, stem cell observations, and eye checks to ensure astronaut health wrapped up the week for the Expedition 73 crew aboard the International Space Station. The orbital residents also continued working on spacesuits and unpacked a pair of resupply ships rounding out their work week.

Cardiovascular research and spacesuit maintenance topped the schedule for the Expedition 73 crew aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. The orbital residents studied how living in space affects blood circulation, swapped advanced gear on a spacesuit, and installed a new life support experiment.

A commercial United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket will launch the ViaSat-3 Flight 2 (F2) ultra-high-capacity broadband satellite, designed to be capable of transmitting throughput in excess of one Terabit of data per second (1 Tbps) to users on land, at sea or in the air.  Launch is planned for Nov. 5 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, during a 44-minute launch window that opens at 10:24 p.m. EST (0324 UTC Nov. 6). ULA is performing the launch for Viasat, a global technology company helping businesses, governments and communities transform their world through connectivity.  ViaSat-3 F2 is expected to be one of the most sophisticated and powerful communications satellites ever deployed. It is considered an engineering marvel.  From its operational vantage point in geostationary orbit approximately 22,000 miles (35,000 km) above Earth, ViaSat-3 F2 is designed to expand and enhance in-flight connectivity for commercial and business aviation passengers; exceed performance, security and resiliency for governments; enhance the ‘office-like’ and ‘home-like’ internet experience onboard vessels; and help deliver fast, reliable internet to more homes and small businesses in rural communities. Viasat designed and manufactured the state-of-the-art Ka-band payload for receiving, transmitting and processing broadband internet data to and from the satellite. The payload module was then integrated onto a 702MP+ platform built by Boeing Satellite Systems in El Segundo, California. The spacecraft is equipped with eight solar panels, which are designed to unfold in orbit to generate over 25kW of power. The mission life is expected to be at least 15 years.  The enormous capacity boost from ViaSat-3 F2 is expected to provide more than double the bandwidth of Viasat’s existing satellite fleet – a fleet that is secure, reliable and highly flexible. The satellite‘s anticipated throughput capacity of more than 1Tbps is equivalent to transmitting the contents of a two-mile-tall (3.2km) stack of books every second.  To get the highest productivity from the satellite, the agile ViaSat-3 F2 is designed with dynamic beam forming capabilities to move capacity to where the demand is, providing greater bandwidth to congested areas — even as demand changes throughout the day. This highly flexible capacity is enhanced by 1,000+ steerable spot beams that offer reliable connectivity for mobile platforms. 

Space science hardware once again topped the schedule for the Expedition 73 crew aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. Life support and electronics maintenance to keep the orbital outpost in tip-top shape filled the rest of the day for the space lab residents.

Science hardware was the focus on Monday as the Expedition 73 crew configured foam and material physics research gear and installed a space technology demonstration. Meanwhile, blood circulation studies and cargo operations rounded out the day aboard the International Space Station.

The Expedition 73 crew ended the work week exploring how living and working in space affects the sensory system and DNA. The International Space Station residents also continued researching how digestion is impacted by microgravity and unpacking a U.S. cargo craft.

Eye structure, digestion, and heart health were the top research subjects for the Expedition 73 crew aboard International Space Station on Thursday.

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the Kuiper 3 mission for Amazon’s Project Kuiper lifted off on Sept. 25 at 8:09 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This mission demonstrates the strong partnership between ULA and Amazon to accurately and rapidly launch and deliver innovation solutions for global connectivity. 

Fitness research and vision studies once again topped the science schedule aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday helping doctors ensure healthy crews. The Expedition 73 crewmates also worked throughout the day inspecting lab module hatches, installing research cables, and testing robotic communications.

The Expedition 73 crew members explored how exercise in space affects the body, conducted an eye exam, and continued upgrading computer networking gear aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The orbital residents also transferred emergency gear into the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft, maintained life support equipment, and continued unpacking a Progress resupply ship.

Expedition 73 kicked off the week with ultrasound scans for cardiac research and unloading new science experiments delivered last week aboard the Cygnus XL cargo craft. Spacesuit work and computer networking maintenance rounded out the day aboard the International Space Station.

The crew aboard the International Space Station continue to unpack more than 11,000 pounds of critical spares, food and supplies delivered Sept. 18 by a Cygnus XL commercial resupply mission.  The arrival of the Cygnus XL to the space station was delayed by one day, due to changes in the rendezvous planning resulting from the main spacecraft engine shutting down early on two burns on Sept. 16.