Space debris falling to Earth is a growing threat to aircraft, and experts are trying to reduce the risk.

But as more and more satellites are launched into LEO...the region's getting a bit crowded.

NASA's ESCAPADE Mars probes embarked on a 'loiter' trajectory after launch, and scientists say that extra time in space could have some consequences for the twin spacecraft.

From communications outages to a brush with nuclear war, solar events like flares and coronal mass ejections have shaped human history.

If nonliving materials can produce rich, organized mixtures of organic molecules, then the traditional signs we use to recognize biology may no longer be enough.

Earth reaches its closest point to the sun in its 2026 orbit on Jan. 3.

NASA's MAVEN spacecraft, which has orbited Mars since 2014, went quiet abruptly in early December. Efforts to reestablish a connection have been unsuccessful.

The Quadrantids are known for producing bright "fireball" meteors that can outshine the brightest planets

SpaceX launched the first mission of 2026 tonight (Jan. 2), sending an Italian Earth-observing satellite to orbit.

Don't miss January's Wolf Moon rise over the eastern horizon tonight, as the first full moon of 2026.

Astronomers have detected a "free floating" rogue planet the size of Saturn drifting through the Milky Way some 10,000 light-years from Earth.

Looking to the stars is an important part of how Pacific voyagers navigate. But deep knowledge of ocean currents, winds and waves, along with mental mapping strategies, are critical too.

Do you want to build a snowman?

In late April 2026, a long-period comet will swing through the inner solar system. It will likely be visible with binoculars, and there's a small chance it could be seen with the naked eye.

"It's really not a question of robotic exploration or human exploration," Ehlmann said. "It is an 'and' — it's robotic and human exploration and how we do these best together."

There are billions of dollars in it for companies able to kickstart mining operations, even if such returns are still years away.

NASA's new chief Jared Isaacman said controversial proposal to move the space shuttle Discovery to Texas from its current home in a Smithsonian Air and Space Museum hangar in Virginia, may end with a different spacecraft entirely landing in Houston.

Our 2026 skywatching guide includes a total solar eclipse, a "blood moon" and a festive supermoon. Here are the dates you need to know.

Catch the wolf supermoon and Quadrantid meteor shower as January’s night sky puts on a celestial double feature.

With a little guidance and a lot of practice, even you can make stone tools the way our oldest ancestors did – and learn to recognize the signs of a deliberately made tool.

Bears, stars, Battlestar Galactica

Human beings don’t have a thick coat of fur like many other mammals do. Scientists think it has to do with something else that comes out of skin: sweat.

Meteor showers, eclipses, a planetary parade and 13 full moons will be visible in the night sky in 2026. Here’s when to see them.

The test is designed to prepare satellites for one of the most complex tasks in space: safely approaching another object.

This year will conclude as the second hottest on record, surpassed only by 2024. It continues a recent trend of exceptional, unexplained warming. The last three years have been, by a wide margin, the hottest ever recorded.

From auroras at 36,000 feet to comet flybys and eclipses, these are the standout images our readers shared with Space.com in 2025.

The 2026 lunar calendar begins with a wolf supermoon, a celestial event during which the full moon appears significantly larger and brighter than average due to its proximity to Earth.

Here are the best lunar events to see in 2026, including eclipses, supermoons and conjunctions.

The Arctic endured a year of record heat and shrunken sea ice as the world’s northern latitudes continue a rapid shift to becoming rainier and less ice-bound due to the climate crisis, scientists have reported.

At first glance, it seems like our understanding of physics forbids free will.