News Archive
Browse every article published on Spaceflight Now, from launch reports and mission previews to spacecraft development coverage. Use the filters to narrow by topic or search by keyword.
Matching Articles
2,119 articles
Pluto’s floating mountains, intriguing structures fascinate scientists
Nearly six months after NASA's New Horizons probe zoomed past Pluto, just one quarter of the data stored on board has made its way back to waiting scientists, revealing a surprisingly varied terrain that includes glacial flows and steep mountains of frozen water floating in a "sea" of slush-like nitrogen ice.
ESA wants to be a part of NASA’s mission to Europa
As NASA quietly works on a lander that could accompany a $2 billion flyby probe to Jupiter's icy moon Europa, the head of the European Space Agency's science program tells Spaceflight Now that Europe is ready to play a significant role in the project.
2016 manifest preview: United Launch Alliance’s busy year ahead
Some of America's most critical surveillance satellites, final members of other spacecraft series and a probe that will touch an asteroid are among 15 rocket flights planned by United Launch Alliance in 2016.
European Mars probe arrives at launch site
Three heavy-duty Antonov cargo planes flew components of Europe's ExoMars orbiter and lander from Italy to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazkhastan last week, setting up for a March 14 launch toward the red planet.
Launch of NASA’s next Mars mission delayed until at least 2018
Persistent problems with a seismometer instrument package will keep NASA's InSight Mars lander from departing for the red planet during a March launch period, and officials said they will consider shelving the $675 million project if the issues prove too costly to fix.
Progress spaceship docks with International Space Station
The first spacecraft in a new generation of Russian Progress cargo vehicles parked at the International Space Station on Wednesday, bringing a holiday delivery of more than 5,000 pounds of fuel, water and supplies for the research lab's six-person crew.
Successful spacewalk frees up robot arm transporter
Space station commander Scott Kelly and newly-arrived flight engineer Tim Kopra ventured outside the lab complex Monday and freed up a stalled robot arm-carrying transporter so it could be moved to a nearby anchor point and locked down, clearing the way for a Russian Progress supply ship to dock Wednesday.
Modernized Russian cargo ship heads for space station
Russia's Progress supply ship got an upgrade with a successful cargo launch to the International Space Station on Monday to kick off a two-day flight to the complex with more than 2.8 tons of equipment, propellant and water.
Unscheduled spacewalk on tap Monday
An unexpected, quickly-planned spacewalk is on tap Monday to troubleshoot a problem preventing the International Space Station's robot arm transporter from reaching a worksite where it can be locked down, a requirement before a Russian Progress cargo ship can dock later in the week.
Three crew members trek from Earth to space station
A Russian Soyuz spacecraft streaked into space and chased down the International Space Station Tuesday, but a problem with the ferry ship's automated rendezvous system forced commander Yuri Malenchenko to take over manual control at the last minute.