Astronomy

As part of its exploration of Mars's boxwork landscape, Curiosity found itself in a fork-in-the-road

China took a step closer to the Moon, with the first short test for their crewed lunar lander. The test was completed on Wednesday, August 6th at a facility in China’s northern Hebei Province, and lasted just under 30 seconds. The tethered test successfully demonstrated the integration and performance of key systems, simulating descent, guidance, control and engine shutdown. This marks the first test for a China’s Manned (crewed) Space Agency (CMSA’s) human-rated lander.

Taking a walk is great for inspiration. There have been numerous studies about how people think more clearly on walks, and how new ideas come to them more frequently while doing so. That’s part of the reason some of the most famous minds in history included a daily walk in their schedule. Just such an inspiration must have happened recently to Nicholas Heinz, a scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. On a hike in Arizona he found a rock that could be used as an analog of a unique one found by the Perseverance rover on Mars - and decided to take it back to his lab to study it.x

Climate change isn't just transforming weather on Earth's surface, it’s also fundamentally altering how space weather affects the thousands of satellites orbiting our planet. New research reveals that rising carbon dioxide levels will dramatically change how geomagnetic storms impact the upper atmosphere, creating both opportunities and challenges for the satellite industry in the decades ahead.

Texas may have declared its measles outbreak over, but rising cases elsewhere and the return to school mean it could easily resurge

Save the world and our lunar history in Lunar Strike, the 2026 sci-fi narrative adventure game that was just announced at the Future Games Show.

Previous research in macaques suggests that part of the brain reorganises itself when a limb is removed, but now a study in people has turned that idea on its head

Previous research in macaques suggests that part of the brain reorganises itself when a limb is removed, but now a study in people has turned that idea on its head

Edible microbeads made of vitamin E and seaweed helped rats lose weight by absorbing excess fat in their guts

Edible microbeads made of vitamin E and seaweed helped rats lose weight by absorbing excess fat in their guts

A deep partial solar eclipse will grace the Southern Hemisphere on Sept. 21, 2025, with the best views from remote seas and New Zealand's dawn skies.

One-off cases of malaria in the U.S. may become more common as warming temperatures lead to booming mosquito populations

If there's one thing astronauts know, it's "practice, practice, practice."

This quiz will explore the science behind the scenery, the facts behind the familiar, and the wonders that make Earth a living planet.

The U.S. Space Force's X-37B space plane will test a potential alternative to GPS that makes use of quantum science as a tool for navigation: a quantum inertial sensor.

Join us as director Valerie Weiss breaks down this 'Trekiest' episode of the sci-fi series yet.

Space is getting dangerously crowded. More than 50,000 pieces of debris larger than 10 centimetres are currently hurtling around Earth at breakneck speeds, turning Earth orbits into veritable minefields. Dead satellites, rocket fragments, and collision debris pose such a serious threat that the International Space Station regularly performs emergency manoeuvres to dodge potential impacts. Now, an international team of researchers thinks they've found an elegant solution to this growing crisis and it's inspired by a humble house gecko's amazing ability to walk on walls.