This newly reprocessed image released on April 18, 2025, provides a new view of an enormous, 9.5-light-year-tall pillar of cold gas and dust. Despite its size, it’s just one small piece of the greater Eagle Nebula, also called Messier 16. ... Continue Reading »

Two NASA astronauts will venture outside the International Space Station, conducting U.S. spacewalk 93 on Thursday, May 1, to complete station upgrades. NASA will preview the upcoming spacewalk during a news conference at 2 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 24, ... Continue Reading »

Back to ECF Home Transformational Advanced Energetic Propulsion Power Systems to Enable Small System Operations in Permanently Shadowed Lunar Regions Continue Reading »

ECF 2024 Quadchart Yang.pdf Shuolong Yang University of Chicago This effort will leverage the latest developments in superconductors to build a power transmission cable that can operate in the extreme cold temperatures found on the Moon with very low electrical ... Continue Reading »

ECF 2024 Quadchart McGuirk.pdf Christopher McGuirk Colorado School of Mines This project will investigate and develop improved storage methods for the fuels needed to generate electrical power in places where sunlight is not available. The effort will focus on particularly ... Continue Reading »

ECF 2024 Quadchart Boles.pdf Jessica Boles University of California, Berkeley This project will develop piezoelectric-based power conversion for small power systems on the lunar surface. These piezoelectric systems can potentially offer high power density to significantly reduce size, weight, and ... Continue Reading »

ECF 2024 Quadchart Arya.pdf Manan Arya Stanford University This grant will design and develop lightweight, low-cost modular solar reflectors that can be stowed for transport in a compact volume. These reflectors can potentially be used to reflect and concentrate sunlight ... Continue Reading »

ECF 2024 Quadchart Underwood.pdf Thomas Underwood University of Texas, Austin This project will demonstrate a fusion propulsion system based on z-pinch which is a method of compressing plasma by running electrical current though it. The z-pinch will compress and heat ... Continue Reading »

ECF 2024 Quadchart Oguri.pdf Kenshiro Oguri Purdue University This project will investigate one of the key fundamental challenges associated with directed-energy light-sailing technology, similar to solar sails but powered by a laser beam pointed at the sail instead of by ... Continue Reading »

ECF 2024 Quadchart Ilic.pdf Ognjen Ilic University of Minnesota This effort will aim to demonstrate the feasibility of directed-energy propulsion through a combination of computational simulations and prototype testing. The project will model the interactions between lightsail material and a ... Continue Reading »

Could Mars volcanoes have supported ancient life on the Red Planet? Well, maybe  SpaceMars Kept a Secret for 3.5 Billion Years – NASA’s Curiosity Rover Finally Dug It Up  SciTechDailyNASA rover finds fresh evidence of the warm and wet past of Mars  ReutersCarbonates ... Continue Reading »

Scientists detect signature of life on distant planet, are ‘deeply (skeptical) of our own results’  East Idaho NewsAstronomers Detect a Possible Signature of Life on a Distant Planet  The New York TimesScientists find promising hints of life on distant planet K2-18b  BBCPossible signs ... Continue Reading »

Annual Lyrid meteor shower peaks overnight Monday  NBC NewsLyrids meteor shower expected to be visible in Northern California. How to watch  KCRAMeteor shower to light up Maine skies next week  WGMEThe Lyrid meteor shower will soon peak. Here’s when and how to see ... Continue Reading »

Hubble Spies Cosmic Pillar in Eagle Nebula  NASA (.gov)View Full Coverage on Google News Continue Reading »

Musk’s SpaceX is frontrunner to build Trump’s Golden Dome missile shield  Honolulu Star-AdvertiserExclusive: Musk's SpaceX is frontrunner to build Trump's Golden Dome missile shield  ReutersThe Pentagon is working to make Trump’s vision of a U.S. 'Iron Dome' a reality  NBC NewsSpaceX doesn’t want ... Continue Reading »

Is Katy Perry An Astronaut? No, Says The Secretary Of Transportation  TODAY.comKaty Perry’s Blue Origin space mess shows the world is fed up with entitled celebs who think they are owed adoration  YahooWendy's praises Katy Perry after 'can we send her back' ... Continue Reading »

Watch NASA astronaut Don Pettit and 2 cosmonauts return to Earth today  SpaceAn astronaut’s awe-inspiring views from life in space  CNNNASA Sets Coverage for Astronaut Don Pettit, Crewmates Return  NASA (.gov)NASA astronaut Don Pettit to return from ISS on 70th birthday  ABC NewsNASA astronaut ... Continue Reading »

"New and Intriguing" Mars Discoveries Made by NASA's Perseverance Rover are "All We Had Hoped for and More  The DebriefNASA's Perseverance rover hits the Mars rock gold mine: 'It has been all we had hoped for and more'  SpaceOrigins Uncertain: ‘Skull Hill’ ... Continue Reading »

Space Force publishes warfighting framework, outlines path to ‘space superiority’  Federal News NetworkSpace Force's new 'warfighting framework' says 'space superiority' is basis of US military power  Breaking DefenseSpace Force releases vision for fighting in space  Defense OneNew Space Force ‘warfighting framework’ sharpens weaponization ... Continue Reading »

'Take care of our station. It's our everything.' Russian cosmonaut hands control of ISS over to Japanese astronaut (video)  SpaceCrew Swaps Command on Friday Before Soyuz Departure and Dragon Launch  NASA (.gov)Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi handed over command of the ISS  Euronews.comOnishi Becomes ... Continue Reading »

Ted Cruz leads push to bring NASA headquarters to Houston  ChronStates bid to host a revamped NASA headquarters  SpaceNewsWhy Texas lawmakers are pushing to bring NASA HQ to Houston  KHOU'Smart move for the nation:' Florida Council of 100 backs NASA HQ move to ... Continue Reading »

A Mission to Take Sick Images of the Sun Got Its First Test Shots Back  GizmodoNASA's sun-studying PUNCH mission captures its 1st-light images. Everything looks great so far  SpaceNASA’s PUNCH Mission Captures First Images of Sun, Space  NASA (.gov)PUNCH mission instruments collect first ... Continue Reading »

Luke Skywalker's planet orbited two stars. How about brown dwarfs instead?  ReutersTatooine-like planet outside the solar system may orbit two failed stars, scientists say  AP NewsScientists discover bizarre double-star system with exoplanet on a sideways orbit (video)  Space"Big surprise": astronomers find planet in ... Continue Reading »

The ISS Is in the ‘Riskiest Period of Its Existence,’ NASA Safety Panel Warns  GizmodoNASA safety panel warns of increasing risks to ISS operations  SpaceNewsNASA Safety Panel Raises Red Flag: ISS Entering Most Dangerous Phase Yet  The Daily GalaxyNASA 'deeply concerned' over ISS ... Continue Reading »

Iconic Sombrero Galaxy shines in reprocessed Hubble Telescope view (image)  SpaceHubble Provides New View of Galactic Favorite  NASA Science (.gov)Hubble Space Telescope Revisits Messier 104  Sci.NewsHubble offers a new view of Sombrero galaxy  European Space AgencyA New Version of the Sombrero Galaxy, Taken by ... Continue Reading »

New ‘Spinning Universe’ Theory Could Explain a Decades-Old Cosmological Mystery  The DebriefUniverse may revolve once every 500 billion years — and that could solve a problem that threatened to break cosmology  Live ScienceA slowly spinning universe could solve the Hubble tension  Phys.orgA 500-Billion-Year ... Continue Reading »

Bill Nye on NASA budget cuts & key space issues  SpaceNewsNASA Science Faces an “Extinction-Level Event” with Trump Draft Budget Proposal  eos.orgNASA’s Next Major Space Telescope Is Ready to Launch. Trump Wants to Kill It and Other Vital Science  Scientific AmericanMusk calls Trump’s ... Continue Reading »

Rare Planetary Alignment To Form "Smiley Face" In The Sky Next Week. Check Details  NDTVTwo planets will form a 'smiley face' with the moon on April 25. Here's where to look.  Live Science‘Smiley face’ in space to appear overhead, here’s when  KSNT 27 ... Continue Reading »

No rest for the rocketry as NASA's Easter weekend heats up  theregister.comDouble sonic booms: SpaceX doubleheader rocket launch from Cape Canaveral set for April 21  Florida TodayELVIS to enter orbit: Pioneering imaging system to enhance space biology and life detection beyond Earth  Phys.orgNASA’s ... Continue Reading »

In a city of stars, Los Angeles astronomy club makes sure to keep looking up  NBC News Continue Reading »

More states are lining up in a bid to host NASA’s headquarters, but the prize they seek may turn out to be smaller than they expect. The post States bid to host a revamped NASA headquarters appeared first on SpaceNews. Continue Reading »

In the Senate hearing considering the confirmation of Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator, he and Senator Ted Cruz engaged in extensive dialogue about China. They strongly expressed the view that […] The post Moon, Mars — China leads to both appeared ... Continue Reading »

Members of a NASA safety panel said they were “deeply concerned” about the safety of the aging International Space Station, citing long-running issues and funding shortfalls. The post NASA safety panel warns of increasing risks to ISS operations appeared first on ... Continue Reading »

Even as NASA and its partners on the ISS shift to commercial space stations, NASA’s former deputy administrator believes there will still be a role for multilateral coordination. The post Multilateral coordination will be needed for commercial space stations appeared first ... Continue Reading »

In this week's episode of Space Minds, Bill Nye, CEO of the Planetary Society sits down with host David Ariosto. The conversation starts with Bill's journey but quickly pivots to the proposed science budget cuts at NASA. The post Bill Nye ... Continue Reading »

L3Harris announced a $125 million expansion at its space manufacturing site in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The post L3Harris expands space manufacturing as companies vie for position in ‘Golden Dome’ appeared first on SpaceNews. Continue Reading »

A key player in the European DeepTech market and a leading Polish space technology company, Creotech Instruments S.A., has signed the largest contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to […] The post Creotech Instruments secures €52 million ESA contract to ... Continue Reading »

The document, titled “Space Warfighting: A Framework for Planners,” outlines how U.S. forces might assert control of the orbital high ground The post U.S. Space Force lays out battle plan for space in new ‘warfighting’ guide appeared first on SpaceNews. Continue Reading »

The Texas Space Commission has awarded more than $26 million to five companies in the latest round of awards designed to stimulate the state’s space industry. The post Texas Space Commission awards $26 million to five companies appeared first on SpaceNews. Continue Reading »

A team behind the rescue of two lunar satellites left stranded by a launch anomaly have revealed the challenges they faced in salvaging the mission. The post Mission team details complex rescue of Chinese lunar spacecraft appeared first on SpaceNews. Continue Reading »

GPS is not only a cornerstone to our military superiority, it is foundational to our national and global economic stability. In fact, analysts warn that GPS outages could cost our […] The post Why Resilient GPS (R-GPS) Matters for US Military ... Continue Reading »

The mission, designated NROL-174, lifted off at 3:33 p.m. Eastern from Space Launch Complex 8 (SLC-8) at Vandenberg. The post Minotaur IV rocket launches spy payloads for National Reconnaissance Office appeared first on SpaceNews. Continue Reading »

Boeing announced April 16 it has built the ground-based twin for a mission aiming to demonstrate quantum networking in space, marking a key milestone ahead of launching a small satellite called Q4S next year. The post Ground twin built for Boeing’s ... Continue Reading »

“Based on the risk tolerance of the payload, the government determines which amount of mission assurance is most appropriate for that mission" The post Space Force eases entry for commercial firms with layered launch standards appeared first on SpaceNews. Continue Reading »

Join us on April 16 for a timely discussion on those challenging Starlink and the push for multi-orbit and multi-operator solutions. The post Webinar: Competing with the (Space)X Factor (replay) appeared first on SpaceNews. Continue Reading »

An increase in the demand for better in-flight connectivity is inevitable: people don’t want to be incommunicado anymore when they travel. The in-flight connectivity (IFC) market is transitioning from niche […] The post In-flight connectivity – where national policy and global ... Continue Reading »

The bipartisan co-chairs of a congressional caucus have criticized proposed cuts in NASA’s science programs, marking the first Republican opposition in Congress to the plans. The post Bipartisan caucus criticizes proposed NASA science budget cuts appeared first on SpaceNews. Continue Reading »

German launch vehicle startup Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) has replaced its chief executive as it works towards a second chance for its first launch. The post Rocket Factory Augsburg replaces CEO appeared first on SpaceNews. Continue Reading »

Rep. Mike Rogers claims victory in long-running dispute over Space Command's home The post Space Command headquarters battle reignites appeared first on SpaceNews. Continue Reading »

Astranis has signed a $115 million deal to deliver Taiwan’s first dedicated communications spacecraft, amid an issue with a separate small geostationary satellite launched late last year. The post Astranis clinches $115 million Taiwan deal despite satellite setback appeared first on ... Continue Reading »

Katalyst and LMO are planning an in-space demonstration in GEO orbit in 2026 The post Startups to demonstrate new spacecraft docking technique appeared first on SpaceNews. Continue Reading »

Members of Maryland’s congressional delegation expressed confidence that Congress will ultimately reject sharp cuts in NASA science programs proposed by the White House, citing competition with China as one factor. The post Maryland congressmen vow to block proposed NASA science budget ... Continue Reading »

Tournear will return to the Space Development Agency on April 17 after a three-month administrative leave The post Derek Tournear to return as Space Development Agency director after investigation appeared first on SpaceNews. Continue Reading »

SpaceNews produced the official Show Daily for all three exhibit days of the 38th Space Symposium at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, April 17-20, 2023. The post Catch up on all of SpaceNews’ Space Symposium 2025 coverage appeared first on ... Continue Reading »

ESA's Strategy 2040 Read the Five Goals Continue Reading »

Biomass ESA's forest mission Continue Reading »

Video: 00:06:15 EnglishFrom 7 to 11 April, ESA's Centre for Earth Observation in Frascati, ESRIN, hosted the 2025 edition of ESA School Days, welcoming almost 1400 young students.The event kicked off with primary school students (4th and 5th grades) visiting during the ... Continue Reading »

Image: This very high-resolution image captures the Egyptian city of Giza and its surrounding area, including the world-famous Giza Pyramid Complex. Continue Reading »

Satellite observations show that sea-surface temperatures over the past four decades have been getting warmer at an accelerated pace. Continue Reading »

Registrations are now open for the European Space Agency’s Living Planet Symposium (LPS) – one of the largest Earth observation conferences in the world. The event will take place on 23–27 June 2025 in Vienna, Austria. Continue Reading »

Each year, cutting-edge technologies developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) for its complex missions and scientific discoveries find new life in applications used to benefit Earth and improve our daily lives.From 9–13 April, ESA was guest of honour at ... Continue Reading »

Image: Sombrero Galaxy Continue Reading »

With the launch of ESA’s Biomass satellite scheduled for 29 April, preparations at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, have reached a key milestone. The satellite has now been sealed inside the protective fairing of the Vega-C rocket – now ... Continue Reading »

On Episode 157 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and ... Continue Reading »

New episode "Lux" reveals that characters talking directly to the audience ... Continue Reading »

NASA astronaut Don Pettit and two cosmonaut colleagues will return to ... Continue Reading »

Using NASA's Perseverance rover to analyze Martian rocks, researchers suggest that ... Continue Reading »

Landing off the coast of the Bahamas offers SpaceX new rocket ... Continue Reading »

Russia's Alexey Ovchinin handed the keys of the International Space Station ... Continue Reading »

NASA's PUNCH sun-studying mission has seen first light — and the ... Continue Reading »

The Mandalorian's next chapter will blast into theaters in 2026, and ... Continue Reading »

These solar binoculars offer lots of magnification for observing sunspots and ... Continue Reading »

Astronomers have stumbled upon yet another ghostly galaxy that appears to ... Continue Reading »

A new portrait of a pillar of gas and dust in ... Continue Reading »

We've seen Darth Maul, the horned Sith lord, die, resurrect, and ... Continue Reading »

A fire at a Northrop Grumman facility in Utah sent a ... Continue Reading »

Two commercial satellites have completed an undocking maneuver high above Earth, ... Continue Reading »

Lego's 2,970-piece Ultimate Collector Series set arrives in time for May ... Continue Reading »

Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy is visiting the galaxy far, ... Continue Reading »

Space.com caught up recently with Dave Cavossa, president of the Commercial ... Continue Reading »

Nightdive Studios' port of the classic point-and-click sci-fi adventure to modern ... Continue Reading »

A new record has been set for the most paid at ... Continue Reading »

Scientists are developing an advanced quantum sensor for low Earth orbit ... Continue Reading »

"What should I do with my sideburns?" asked the ISS commander ... Continue Reading »

NASA released a set of photos highlighting the newly arrived HALO ... Continue Reading »

NASA just unveiled a new image of the iconic Sombrero Galaxy, ... Continue Reading »

Scientists have found further evidence of possible biosignature gases on the ... Continue Reading »

This is a high-quality deep-sky camera that experienced astrophotographers won't outgrow. ... Continue Reading »

This “unmissable treat” for 'Star Wars' fans arrives June 12 for ... Continue Reading »

Alexander Skarsgård plays a security android with a penchant for soap ... Continue Reading »

On April 16, China rolled out the rocket and crew capsule ... Continue Reading »

Using the Hubble and Gaia space telescopes, astronomers have discovered that ... Continue Reading »

"The next set of solar cycles will be more active." ... Continue Reading »

If you're planning to stay in this Easter or you need ... Continue Reading »

AI can bridge the growing gap between new and old solar ... Continue Reading »

The solar eruption set Earth's skies ablaze, with vibrant auroras visible ... Continue Reading »

Here's how and where to see the Lyrid meteor shower in ... Continue Reading »

A fog of long-wavelength infrared light could be produced by dusty, ... Continue Reading »

The militaries of the U.S. and the U.K. have selected Rocket ... Continue Reading »

A Minotaur IV rocket sent multiple classified payloads skyward for the ... Continue Reading »

In response to reports of the Trump administration aiming to slash ... Continue Reading »

NASA's next moon rocket is stacking higher and higher at the ... Continue Reading »

An anomaly has forced the Japanese asteroid-sampling spacecraft Hayabusa2 into protective ... Continue Reading »

One of the first two modules that will form NASA's Gateway ... Continue Reading »

Astronomers have discovered the weirdest planetary system ever seen, consisting of ... Continue Reading »

Scientists have developed a cosmic car radio that could tune into ... Continue Reading »

Netflix's award-winning dystopian anthology from twisted British creator Charlie Brooker is ... Continue Reading »

NASA's Perseverance rover is reveling in a scientific bonanza on Mars ... Continue Reading »

A Q&A with Lindley Johnson, a pioneer in blueprinting warning and ... Continue Reading »

The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted the most distant spiral ... Continue Reading »

The night sky will dazzle this week as the Lyrid meteor ... Continue Reading »

Germany's armed forces are planning to build their own constellation of ... Continue Reading »

The Meta Quest 3 is one of the best VR headsets ... Continue Reading »