November 26, 2025
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Breaking News
  • [ November 24, 2025 ] NASA, Boeing pivot Starliner-1 mission from 4-person astronaut flight to cargo-only News
  • [ November 23, 2025 ] SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg on brand new Falcon 9 rocket Falcon 9
  • [ November 21, 2025 ] Falcon 9 rocket continues Starlink deployments with launch from Cape Canaveral Falcon 9
  • [ November 20, 2025 ] Falcon 9 Starlink mission marks 100th launch of the year from Florida’s Space Coast Falcon 9
  • [ November 18, 2025 ] SpaceX resumes early evening launches after FAA restrictions lifted News

Planetary Science

Mission Reports

UAE’s Hope orbiter on course for arrival at Mars

February 8, 2021 Stephen Clark

The first interplanetary probe from the United Arab Emirates is set to enter orbit around Mars on Tuesday, the first of three robotic missions taking aim on the Red Planet this month.

Mission Reports

NASA gives up on salvaging InSight Mars lander’s ‘mole’

January 19, 2021 Stephen Clark

NASA managers tried for the last time earlier this month to coax the InSight lander’s long-stuck subsurface heat probe into the Martian soil, but after seeing no more progress, ground teams decided to end their efforts and focus on the mission’s other science objectives.

Mission Reports

NASA mission extension enables first flybys of Jupiter’s moons in 20 years

January 11, 2021 Stephen Clark

In a pair of mission extensions, NASA has cleared the way for more seismic observations on Mars with the robotic InSight lander and approved plans for the Juno spacecraft to alter its orbit and perform close flybys of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, Ganymede, and the volcanic moon Io.

Mission Reports

Chinese sample return capsule lands on Earth after round-trip flight to moon

December 16, 2020 Stephen Clark

A capsule containing moon rocks landed in a remote, snow-covered corner of China Wednesday, bringing home the first samples from the lunar surface in 44 years and completing the Chinese space program’s most challenging robotic mission to date.

Mission Reports

Chinese spacecraft heading back to Earth with lunar samples

December 15, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Chinese spacecraft ferrying rocks drilled from the moon’s surface is on course to land back on Earth Wednesday and deliver the first fresh lunar samples to scientists since the 1970s.

Mission Reports

Scientists thrilled with asteroid treasure returned by Japanese spacecraft

December 15, 2020 Stephen Clark

Japanese space agency officials said Tuesday they found a “large number” of pitch black rock and dust particles after opening a capsule returned to Earth earlier this month by the Hayabusa 2 mission, giving eager scientists their first significant specimens ever brought back from an asteroid.

Mission Reports

Chinese mission accomplishes first-ever robotic docking in lunar orbit

December 5, 2020 Stephen Clark

The Chinese Chang’e 5 mission accomplished the first robotic docking between two spacecraft orbiting the moon Saturday, when a lunar ascent spacecraft linked up with an Earth return vehicle and transferred a container of moon rocks to bring home in mid-December.

Mission Reports

Japanese capsule carrying asteroid rocks lands in Australia after six-year mission

December 5, 2020 Stephen Clark

An armored re-entry capsule carrying pristine specimens from an asteroid streaked into Earth’s atmosphere and parachuted to a landing in the Australian outback Saturday, bringing home extraterrestrial rocks that could hold clues to the origin of life on Earth.

Mission Reports

Live coverage: Hayabusa 2 asteroid sample return capsule lands in Australia

December 5, 2020 Stephen Clark

Japan’s Hayabusa 2 mission returned to Earth Saturday after a six-year mission to collect samples from asteroid Ryugu. The mission’s sample return capsule landed in in the Australian outback around shortly before 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT) Saturday.

Mission Reports

Japanese asteroid sampling mission on course for return to Earth

December 5, 2020 Stephen Clark

Six years after departing Earth, Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft released a spinning capsule Saturday containing pristine asteroid material for a scorching re-entry and landing in the remote Australian outback, where teams are standing by to retrieve the specimens for analysis.

Posts pagination

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News Headlines

  • NASA, Boeing pivot Starliner-1 mission from 4-person astronaut flight to cargo-only
    November 24, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg on brand new Falcon 9 rocket
    November 23, 2025
  • Falcon 9 rocket continues Starlink deployments with launch from Cape Canaveral
    November 21, 2025
  • Falcon 9 Starlink mission marks 100th launch of the year from Florida’s Space Coast
    November 20, 2025
  • SpaceX resumes early evening launches after FAA restrictions lifted
    November 18, 2025
  • SpaceX launches joint NASA-European sea level monitor
    November 17, 2025
  • SpaceX Falcon 9 to launch international satellite to keep watch on rising sea levels
    November 17, 2025
  • SpaceX completes second fastest turnaround between Falcon 9 launches from Cape Canaveral
    November 14, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 29 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
    November 14, 2025
  • Blue Origin launches twin Mars probes for NASA as New Glenn makes first landing
    November 13, 2025
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