SPACE MISSIONS

May 24 2026SCIENCE

Breakthroughs and Doubts: Science Week Wrap-Up

A week in science brought a mix of bold claims and careful rethinking. A company working on reviving extinct species announced it successfully hatched chicken chicks using lab-made eggshells, a small step toward their bigger goals. Meanwhile, scientists launched a space mission to study Earth’s magn

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May 24 2026TECHNOLOGY

China’s Space Plans: A Year in Orbit and a Race to the Moon

China is gearing up for a major space mission this weekend, sending three astronauts to its Tiangong space station for a year-long stay. This isn’t just a routine trip—it’s a test of human endurance in space, with one crew member staying far longer than China has ever attempted before. The mission a

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May 20 2026SCIENCE

NASA Wants More Small, Cheap Space Trips

NASA’s budget for science is about the same as it was two decades ago, even after a government push to cut spending. The agency’s new administrator focuses on human missions to the Moon and plans to replace a planned lunar space station with a surface base. He also wants a nuclear‑powered probe for

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May 12 2026SCIENCE

The Moon through new lenses: what Artemis astronauts discovered beyond the backyard view

Most people see the Moon as a gray rock hanging in the sky. But four astronauts just spent ten days looking at it from a hundred miles away—and returned with stories that surprised even the scientists who trained them. Instead of seeing a flat, colorless surface, the crew noticed subtle browns, gree

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Apr 10 2026SCIENCE

NASA's future in question as budget cuts threaten key missions

The White House's 2027 budget plan proposes slashing NASA's science funding by nearly half, putting over 50 missions at risk. This includes active spacecraft like Juno, which has studied Jupiter for nearly ten years, and New Horizons, which explored Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. Even missions that just

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Jan 21 2026SCIENCE

Space Pioneers Hang Up Their Suits

Two astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, have left NASA after their last mission. This mission was special. They tested Boeing's new Starliner spaceship. It was supposed to be a short trip. But things did not go as planned. The Starliner had problems. So, Williams and Wilmore stayed on the

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Dec 29 2025SCIENCE

Mars Mission on a Budget: The Highs and Lows of ESCAPADE

NASA's ESCAPADE mission is a prime example of how space exploration is evolving. Launched in late 2025, this mission aims to study Mars' magnetic field and the solar wind's impact on the planet's atmosphere. The twin probes are part of NASA's SIMPLEx program, which focuses on low-cost, high-risk mis

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Dec 20 2025SCIENCE

A New Leader for NASA: Jared Isaacman's Vision for Space Exploration

Jared Isaacman, a successful entrepreneur, has taken the reins as NASA's new chief. His journey to this role was not straightforward. Initially nominated by President Donald Trump, his nomination was withdrawn, only to be reinstated later. Isaacman is no stranger to space. He led the first all-civil

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Dec 12 2025SCIENCE

Mars Mission on a Budget: The Highs and Lows of ESCAPADE

Mars has always been a tricky destination. Now, NASA is trying a new approach with the ESCAPADE mission. This isn't your typical big-budget space adventure. It's a cost-effective, high-risk project aiming to study Mars' magnetic field and atmosphere. Launched in late 2025, ESCAPADE is part of NASA's

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Nov 29 2025SCIENCE

Asteroid Bennu: A Cosmic Grocery Store for Life's Ingredients

Asteroids might have been like cosmic delivery trucks, bringing essential supplies for life to Earth. Scientists recently found tryptophan, an important amino acid, in samples from asteroid Bennu. This discovery adds to the growing list of life's building blocks found in space rocks. Bennu is a sma

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