Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. .The first helicopter on Mars is officially on Martian soil. NASA's touched down on the surface of the Red Planet after being dropped by its mother ship, the , the space agency announced late Saturday (April 3). The helicopter's first flight is just over a week away."#MarsHelicopter touchdown confirmed! Its 293 million mile (471 million km) journey aboard @NASAPersevere ended with the final drop of 4 inches (10 cm) from the rover's belly to the surface of Mars today,"...…Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. .The first helicopter on Mars is officially on Martian soil. NASA's touched down on the surface of the Red Planet after being dropped by its mother ship, the , the space agency announced late Saturday (April 3). The helicopter's first flight is just over a week away."#MarsHelicopter touchdown confirmed! Its 293 million mile (471 million km) journey aboard @NASAPersevere ended with the final drop of 4 inches (10 cm) from the rover's belly to the surface of Mars today,"...WW…

Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. .SpaceX test fired its latest rocket prototype Friday morning (March 26) but did not attempt a launch from its fog-shrouded pad at the company's Starbase facility in South Texas.The just after 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT) ahead of what was expected to be a 6.2-mile (10 kilometers) launch later in the day. "Standing down SN11 until probably Monday," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk . "Additional checkouts are needed. Doing our best to land & fully recover."Video: SpaceX's Starship...…Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. .SpaceX test fired its latest rocket prototype Friday morning (March 26) but did not attempt a launch from its fog-shrouded pad at the company's Starbase facility in South Texas.The just after 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT) ahead of what was expected to be a 6.2-mile (10 kilometers) launch later in the day. "Standing down SN11 until probably Monday," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk . "Additional checkouts are needed. Doing our best to land & fully recover."Video: SpaceX's Starship...WW…

Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. .It looks like a scene from science fiction: Two gleaming silver rocket ships standing side-by-side under the Texas sun awaiting their turn to fly. But the shiny, finned rockets — Starship SN9 and SN10 prototypes — actually exist and met at the pad for the first time Friday (Jan. 29) at the company's South Texas facility near Boca Chica Village. The SN10 vehicle, SpaceX's latest in a line of new reusable prototypes, rolled out to the pad as its SN9 counterpart awaits...…Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. .It looks like a scene from science fiction: Two gleaming silver rocket ships standing side-by-side under the Texas sun awaiting their turn to fly. But the shiny, finned rockets — Starship SN9 and SN10 prototypes — actually exist and met at the pad for the first time Friday (Jan. 29) at the company's South Texas facility near Boca Chica Village. The SN10 vehicle, SpaceX's latest in a line of new reusable prototypes, rolled out to the pad as its SN9 counterpart awaits...WW…

Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. .The will peak overnight tonight and you can watch it live online if bad weather spoils your view. Billed as the best meteor display of the year, the will be at its most active late tonight and early Monday (Dec. 13-14). The Geminids occur each year in December when the Earth passes through a dust trail from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. "Realistically, the predicated rate for observers in the Northern Hemisphere is closer to 60 meteors per hour," NASA officials ....…Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. .The will peak overnight tonight and you can watch it live online if bad weather spoils your view. Billed as the best meteor display of the year, the will be at its most active late tonight and early Monday (Dec. 13-14). The Geminids occur each year in December when the Earth passes through a dust trail from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. "Realistically, the predicated rate for observers in the Northern Hemisphere is closer to 60 meteors per hour," NASA officials ....WW…

Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. .An Vega rocket suffered a major failure shortly after launch on Monday (Nov. 16), leading to loss of satellites for Spain and France.The four-stage lifted off from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana at 8:52 p.m. EST (0152 Nov. 17 GMT) and appeared to fly smoothly during the early mission phases. But eight minutes into flight, something went wrong. "We can now confirm that the mission is lost," Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël said during a launch...…Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. .An Vega rocket suffered a major failure shortly after launch on Monday (Nov. 16), leading to loss of satellites for Spain and France.The four-stage lifted off from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana at 8:52 p.m. EST (0152 Nov. 17 GMT) and appeared to fly smoothly during the early mission phases. But eight minutes into flight, something went wrong. "We can now confirm that the mission is lost," Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël said during a launch...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Update for 3:30 pm ET: Rocket Lab is now targeting today's launch for 5:21 p.m. EDT (2121 GMT).Original story:A booster will launch 10 new Earth-imaging satellites into orbit from New Zealand today (Oct. 28) and you can watch it live online. The U.S.-based launch provider will loft an carrying nine SuperDove imaging satellites for the company Planet and telescope-toting microsatellite for Japan's Canon Electronics Inc. Liftoff is set for 5:21p.m. EDT (2121GMT)...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Update for 3:30 pm ET: Rocket Lab is now targeting today's launch for 5:21 p.m. EDT (2121 GMT).Original story:A booster will launch 10 new Earth-imaging satellites into orbit from New Zealand today (Oct. 28) and you can watch it live online. The U.S.-based launch provider will loft an carrying nine SuperDove imaging satellites for the company Planet and telescope-toting microsatellite for Japan's Canon Electronics Inc. Liftoff is set for 5:21p.m. EDT (2121GMT)...WW…

TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.The planet Mars has been a target for space exploration for decades, but 2020 stands out with three different missions from the U.S., China and UAE now headed to the Red Planet. The International Mars Society will celebrate those missions, the search for life and more in a virtual convention this week and you can tune in live.  is underway now and will run through Oct.18, with over 150 speakers over four days. The daily schedule is based on a U.S. Pacific...…TrendingSpace is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.The planet Mars has been a target for space exploration for decades, but 2020 stands out with three different missions from the U.S., China and UAE now headed to the Red Planet. The International Mars Society will celebrate those missions, the search for life and more in a virtual convention this week and you can tune in live.  is underway now and will run through Oct.18, with over 150 speakers over four days. The daily schedule is based on a U.S. Pacific...WW…

Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. .is ready to return its first NASA astronaut crew to Earth, but a potential tropical cyclone brewing in the Atlantic could cause delays. The SpaceX spacecraft, called Endeavour, is scheduled to splash down off the Florida coast on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 2). Its crew, NASA's and , is wrapping up a historic two-month test flight, the first orbital trip by astronauts on a commercial spacecraft. Their splashdown will also mark the first water landing by American astronauts...…Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. .is ready to return its first NASA astronaut crew to Earth, but a potential tropical cyclone brewing in the Atlantic could cause delays. The SpaceX spacecraft, called Endeavour, is scheduled to splash down off the Florida coast on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 2). Its crew, NASA's and , is wrapping up a historic two-month test flight, the first orbital trip by astronauts on a commercial spacecraft. Their splashdown will also mark the first water landing by American astronauts...WW…

Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. .An amazing that thrilled early-morning stargazers earlier this month is now visible in the evening sky, and it's a sight you won't want to miss. After all, this comet won't be back for 6,800 years, NASA says.  can now be seen just after sunset for observers in the Northern Hemisphere, according to NASA. (Sorry, Southern Hemisphere skywatchers, it's not visible there.) The comet made its closest approach to the sun July 3 but was only visible before dawn until now."If...…Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. .An amazing that thrilled early-morning stargazers earlier this month is now visible in the evening sky, and it's a sight you won't want to miss. After all, this comet won't be back for 6,800 years, NASA says.  can now be seen just after sunset for observers in the Northern Hemisphere, according to NASA. (Sorry, Southern Hemisphere skywatchers, it's not visible there.) The comet made its closest approach to the sun July 3 but was only visible before dawn until now."If...WW…

Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. .The launch of NASA's next Mars rover has been delayed to no earlier than July 22 due to a contamination issue with ground support equipment, the space agency said today (June 24).NASA's was scheduled to launch toward the Red Planet on July 20 from a pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. But a problem cropped up as engineers worked to encapsulate the rover in the nosecone of its , which was built by United Launch Alliance. "NASA and United Launch...…Space is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. .The launch of NASA's next Mars rover has been delayed to no earlier than July 22 due to a contamination issue with ground support equipment, the space agency said today (June 24).NASA's was scheduled to launch toward the Red Planet on July 20 from a pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. But a problem cropped up as engineers worked to encapsulate the rover in the nosecone of its , which was built by United Launch Alliance. "NASA and United Launch...WW…