Athena, Next U.S. Commercial Moon Lander, Is Set for Spectacular Lunar Science
In partnership with NASA, the Intuitive Machines lander Athena will send a water-seeking drill, a pogo-sticking crater probe and other novel technologies to the moon
Why Elon Musk’s ‘Fork in the Road’ Is Really a Dead End
Elon Musk’s Fork in the Road isn’t just a sculpture—it’s a monument to the tech world’s obsession with civilizational survival, which has its roots in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence
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Newfound Asteroid May Hit Earth in 2032, Scientists Say
The possibility of the asteroid 2024 YR4 impacting our planet might not be ruled out until 2028, raising the prospect we’ll need to prepare for the worst
Asteroid Bennu Is Packed with Life’s Building Blocks, New Studies Confirm
Material retrieved from the asteroid Bennu by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft shows that all the basic building blocks of life were astonishingly widespread in the early solar system
Why 2025 Is an Exciting Year in Heliophysics
From space weather to science missions, there’s a lot to be excited about in heliophysics this year.
Earth Sings with Mysterious Chorus Waves—And Deep Space Does, Too
Peculiar bursts of energy called chorus waves have been detected in deep space far from our planet, suggesting they could pose problems for long-distance space travel
A Mixed Bag for Private Spaceflight, a New Spider Species and the Health Risks of Alcohol
We discuss a big week for commercial spaceflight, a red dye ban and a scary spider species in this news roundup.
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Was Never Meant to Look at the Sun. Astronomers Tried It Anyway
A little-known chapter of the Hubble Space Telescope’s history is a reminder of the risks of looking at the sun
Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Finally Takes Flight
The heavy-lift New Glenn rocket soared to success, reaching orbit on its highly anticipated inaugural flight but failing to land its booster on an ocean barge
Blue Ghost, a Private U.S. Lunar Lander, Launches to the Moon
A Texas-built lander named Blue Ghost marks another test of NASA’s new lunar delivery initiative
NASA’s Mars Sample Return Program Faces Stark Choices
NASA sees two paths for saving its beleaguered plan to retrieve materials from the Red Planet but won’t choose between them until 2026
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Preps for Record-Breaking Christmas Eve Flyby
The Parker Solar Probe will swoop just 6.1 million kilometers above the sun’s surface on Christmas Eve. Scientists are thrilled at what we might learn