Researchers have uncovered compelling new evidence of complex organic chemistry emerging from the hidden ocean of Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus, offering fresh clues in the search for extraterrestrial life. A newly published analysis of NASA Cassini mission data reveals a diverse suite of organic molecules—some never detected before—embedded within ice grains blasted out from the moon’s subsurface sea.
NASA is entering a critical new phase of preparation for its return to the lunar surface, as astronauts begin intensive underwater training and engineers complete a major milestone in testing the next-generation moonwalking suit that will support the Artemis III mission. The Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) — developed by Axiom Space under NASA’s xEVAS (Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services) contract — is steadily progressing toward full qualification, combining decades of lessons from Apollo and the International Space Station with modern engineering and improved safety features.
SpaceX successfully delivered 140 payloads to orbit on Friday, marking a major milestone for the company’s growing Smallsat Rideshare program. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 10:44 a.m. PST (1:44 p.m. EST / 1844 UTC), two days after a scrub caused by a ground-systems issue halted an earlier launch attempt.
China is preparing to attempt its first-ever orbital launch and booster recovery this weekend as commercial launch company Landspace readies its methane-fueled Zhuque-3 rocket for liftoff. The mission, scheduled on Monday, December 1, 2025, at 04:00 UTC, will take place from Landspace’s facilities within the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Airspace closure notices filed by the Civil Aviation Administration of China point to a planned downrange landing site roughly 390 kilometers southeast in Minqin County, signaling a clear attempt to recover the rocket’s first stage after reaching orbit.
A critical launch infrastructure used for sending all Russian crews into space sustained significant damage today following the successful liftoff of the Soyuz MS-28 mission. While the spacecraft reached orbit and docked with the International Space Station (ISS) without issue, the launch pad beneath it — the historic Site 31 at Baikonur Cosmodrome — suffered an unexpected structural collapse moments after the rocket departed.
The United States is running out of time to secure its place as the first nation to return humans to the Moon in the 21st century. NASA’s official schedule remains unchanged — Artemis III, the mission intended to achieve the next crewed lunar landing, is still listed as “no earlier than mid-2027.” But that target, roughly three years ahead of China’s publicly stated 2030 goal, is becoming increasingly difficult to defend.
In a significant restructuring of its Commercial Crew Program, NASA announced Monday that it is reducing the number of contracted Boeing Starliner missions to the International Space Station (ISS) and converting the spacecraft’s next planned flight from a crewed rotation to a cargo-only mission.
After nearly a decade of design work, engineering trials, and countless ground tests, NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft soared into the sky for the first time on Oct. 28, marking a landmark achievement for the agency’s Quesst mission and the future of commercial supersonic flight.
Just one week after the triumphant launch and landing of its New Glenn booster—which successfully deployed NASA’s ESCAPADE mission on a trajectory to Mars—Blue Origin is already looking to the future. On November 20, the aerospace company announced a significant evolution of its launch vehicle family, including immediate performance boosts for its current rocket and plans for a massive new variant: the New Glenn 9x4.
China appears to be preparing a critical launch later this month to send a replacement spacecraft to the Tiangong space station, after a debris strike left its current return vehicle damaged and unusable.
The Federal Aviation Administration has lifted temporary restrictions on commercial space launches that had been implemented as a result of the recent U.S. government shutdown.
United Launch Alliance (ULA) executed a smooth late-night launch Thursday, sending a powerful communications satellite into orbit for California-based Viasat aboard one of its final Atlas V rockets. Liftoff occurred at 10:04 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 41, marking another milestone for the workhorse rocket as it heads toward retirement.
