Russia’s Space Program Is in Big Trouble
A set of Soyuz spacecraft coolant leaks hints that Roscosmos is struggling as the space agency loses international partnerships and funding.
How a Beam of Pellets Could Blast a Probe Into Deep Space
Researchers seek to develop advanced propulsion systems that can transform long-distance space exploration.
The World’s First 3D-Printed Rocket Is About to Launch
Relativity Space’s attempt to reach orbit heralds the increasing use of 3D printing in the space sector.
Tiny, Explosive ‘Jetlets’ Might Be Fueling the Solar Wind
Scientists investigated a weird feature in Parker Solar Probe data—and may have discovered what drives the plasma that pervades the solar system.
What Will Ethical Space Exploration Look Like?
Astrophysicist and ‘Off-Earth’ author Erika Nesvold maps out the questions we need to ask before living on other planets.
A Tiny Sun in a Jar Is Shedding Light on Solar Flares
This new lab experiment explores the physics involved in our star’s tumultuous interior regions—by creating a sphere of plasma.
Rovers Are So Yesterday. It’s Time to Send a Snakebot to Space
The student winners of a NASA competition designed a serpentine bot that could sidewind across lunar regolith or roll down hills.
Citizen Scientists Show Light Pollution Erases Stars From the Sky
More than a decade of eyewitness data shows that fainter stars disappear as artificial light brightens the night sky.
The Secret Lives of Neutron Stars
Astrophysicists are using gravitational waves and light to trace the genealogies of dead stars and reveal the history of the universe.