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Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore left Earth on June 5. The two astronauts were expecting a short flight on NASA’s new Starliner spacecraft. They’d fly to the International Space Station, or ISS (see “Space Station”). Successfully docking there would certify…
When Heman Bekele was 6, he got a chemistry set for Christmas. He used it to mix up “potions.” Back then, only his parents paid attention. Now, at 15, Heman is used to a lot more people watching his work.…
Sixty-six years ago, there was one human-built object in Earth’s orbit. It was Sputnik, the world’s first satellite, launched in October 1957. Try to guess how many human-made objects are circling the planet now. Ready? Your answer is wrong, unless…
Nicole Mann, a member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes, treasures the dream catcher her mother gave her when she was a girl. This small hoop with a feather is said to offer protection. Mann believes it helped her when…
Mission managers at NASA spent $330 million to send a refrigerator-size craft 7 million miles into space and punch an asteroid in the nose. We should all be very glad they did, because Earth now feels a little bit safer.…
For 26 years, the NASA scientists behind the James Webb Space Telescope have been asking for three things: patience, time, and money. In 1996, a group of astronomers proposed a space telescope that would be able to peer 13.6 billion…
Temperatures can drop to -225°F on Mars, and the air is unbreathable. But around 4 billion years ago, the planet had oceans and seas, and a thick blanket of air. These conditions could have supported life. For the past nine…
How do you fly a SpaceX Crew Dragon? Climb aboard, strap yourself in, close the hatch, and fly into space. The Dragon takes care of everything, so relax and enjoy the ride. Unless something goes wrong. And in space, something…
Three people will work alongside Jared Isaacman on the Inspiration4 mission. Find out below how they were chosen to make the journey and what they hope to achieve. Sian Proctor Sian Proctor, 51, is a geosciences professor at South Mountain…
On February 18, NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars. Its mission: to seek evidence of past microbial life. Something may have thrived on the planet billions of years ago. An easy landing was not guaranteed. The rover’s 300 million–mile journey…
