Underfunded, aging NASA may be on unsustainable path, report warns
NASA is not focused enough on the future, fails to think strategically and has a mismatch between ambitions and budget, says a sweeping report by aerospace experts.
By Joel Achenbach
Webb telescope detects what looks like a giant question mark in space
The “Question Mark Pair” is an optical illusion created by two galaxies that astronomers have observed in deep space with the James Webb Space Telescope.
By Joel Achenbach
How NASA plans to rescue two astronauts stuck in space
Almost three months ago, two NASA astronauts flew to space in a Boeing spacecraft – and have been stuck at the International Space Station ever since. Today on “Post Reports,” what went wrong and what this could mean for the future of spaceflight.
By Ted Muldoon, Reena Flores and Sabby Robinson
Daring SpaceX Polaris mission aims for first spacewalk by private citizens
The Polaris Dawn mission is the first of three flights that Jared Isaacman has commissioned from SpaceX.
By Christian Davenport
NASA to keep Starliner crew in space until 2025, with SpaceX handling return
Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore have been on their mission far longer than originally expected.
By Christian Davenport
NASA says data will guide return of stuck astronauts, but past tragedies loom large
The political implications for the White House are unmistakable even as NASA vows engineering and data alone will guide whether two astronauts return in the troubled Starliner.
By Christian Davenport
India’s lunar lander unearths evidence the moon had a magma ocean
A new batch of data supports the molten moon scenario, delivered by a rover that India deposited last year near the lunar south pole.
By Joel Achenbach
Iran seeks China’s help with surveillance satellites, officials say
Tehran is chasing deals with two Chinese companies that specialize in small satellites with powerful cameras. Intelligence assessments worry about military applications.
By Joby Warrick and Souad Mekhennet
Starliner crew may stay in space until February as NASA weighs SpaceX option
The astronauts on the Boeing test flight were supposed to stay on the International Space Station for eight days but could end up staying eight months.
By Christian Davenport
Mars rover discovers an ancient rock with a ‘potential biosignature’
Scientists are intrigued, but caution this does not necessarily mean life on Mars because organic molecules can have non-biological origins.
By Joel Achenbach
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket suffers engine failure during satellite launch
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on X that the engine on the mission with no astronauts failed “for reasons currently unknown. Team is reviewing data tonight to understand root cause.”
By Christian Davenport
Webb space telescope keeps delivering cosmic surprises
The latest image from the James Webb telescope shows a pair of intertwined galaxies, known as Arp 142, and nicknamed the Penguin and the Egg.
By Joel Achenbach
NASA astronauts are confident Boeing’s Starliner will get them home
NASA and Boeing are continuing to conduct ground tests to see why five of the spacecraft’s thrusters stopped working during the approach to the space station.
By Christian Davenport
What would happen if Russia detonated a nuclear bomb in space?
A mysterious satellite known as Cosmos 2553 has raised concerns that Russia is conducting tests that could lead to a nuclear weapon in space.
By William Neff, Frank Hulley-Jones and Joel Achenbach
China says U.S. can’t stop it from taking ‘giant steps’ in space
China is the first country to retrieve rocks from the far side of the moon, which experts say could be a game changer in understanding lunar history.
By Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Lyric Li
Astronauts’ delayed return reflects high stakes for Boeing and NASA
Boeing desperately needs to demonstrate that it can fly astronauts safely and overcome the kinds of technical challenges that have been plaguing the spacecraft — as well as the company’s commercial aviation division.
By Christian Davenport
U.S. ‘on schedule’ in race with China to land people on moon, NASA chief says
Despite China’s many achievements in space, including landing an uncrewed spacecraft on the far side of the moon to collect samples, the United States remains on track to return astronauts to the lunar surface ahead of its chief rival, NASA administrator Bill Nelson said in an interview.
By Christian Davenport
Family whose home was hit by space debris seeks damages from NASA
No one was hurt, but a lawyer for the Florida family said the near miss could have been catastrophic. How NASA responds could set a legal precedent, the lawyer said.
By Rachel Pannett
This is what it looks like when a black hole awakens
Astronomers say a previously “inactive” galaxy lit up as the massive black hole at its center started to feast on gas and dust, creating a cosmic light show.
By Rachel Pannett
NASA delays return of Boeing Starliner spacecraft to June 26
The return leg, with a fiery plunge through the atmosphere, is a key part of the test flight that will stress the spacecraft’s heat shield with temperatures reaching about 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
By Christian Davenport