rEvolution - Step by Step

Hale-Bopp was an unusually bright comet that flew by Earth, reaching its closest approach to the planet in 1997. It was most spectacular in the Northern Hemisphere and visible to the naked eye for about 18 months.

Hale-Bopp was an unusually bright comet that flew by Earth, reaching its closest approach to the planet in 1997. It was most spectacular in the Northern Hemisphere and visible to the naked eye for about 18 months.

Traditionally, the most frequent reasons for scrubbing rocket launches are technical problems and weather — and NASA would like your help keeping it that way.

After leaving the International Space Station last week, a Japanese cargo spacecraft dropped a small capsule of science experiments into the Pacific Ocean before falling to its fiery demise in Earth’s atmosphere.

This Thursday, crystallizing proteins from the Michael J. Fox Foundation, a dizzying virtual-reality system, ultratiny membranes and the “Refabricator” — a device that turns waste into 3D-printing filament — will all be shooting into space.

Tonight (Nov. 12), National Geographic’s “Mars” series returns for a second season with a captivating premiere. This first episode reflects the real-life issues that may arise when private corporations try to turn a profit on the Red Planet.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine marked Veterans Day 2018 with a video message to honor the dedication and sacrifice of all military veterans and servicemembers in the U.S. Armed Forces.

In November 2018, the private spaceflight company Rocket Lab successfully launched its first commercial mission using its Electron booster. The rocket “It’s Business Time” launched six small satellites into orbit. See photos of the milestone launch here.

On Nov. 12, 2014, a European spacecraft named Philae tried to land on Comet 67P. To say it was a bumpy landing would be an understatement. See how it happened in our On This Day in Space video series!

NASA astronaut Rusty Schweickart’s career-defining moment came thanks to a camera problem, but he’s used his out-of-this-world experience to try to unite the people of Earth.

Read an excerpt from the second book in Mary Robinette Kowal’s Lady Astronaut series, “The Fated Sky.” The book opens as mathematician-turned-astronaut Elma York is beginning to look for her next adventure.

In the opening pages of Mary Robinette Kowal’s novel, “The Calculating Stars,” an asteroid slams into the ocean near Washington, D.C., wiping out the federal government of 1952.

Before that happens, we need to recognize that a very real possibility exists that the first human steps on the Martian surface will lead to a collision between terrestrial life and biota native to Mars.

An extraordinary account of the impact space weather had on military operations in Vietnam in 1972 was found buried in the U.S. Navy archives, according to a newly published article in Space Weather.

As wildfires continue to burn in California, new satellite photos show the sheer scale of the deadly Camp Fire that has devastated the state’s northern town of Paradise.

On Nov. 11, 1966, the Gemini 12 mission launched. Gemini 12 was the last mission of the Gemini program. See how it happened in our On This Day in Space video series!

If the weather is clear in your area on Sunday evening on through late next week, you will have an opportunity to see what probably are for most people the three “most asked for” objects to look at through a telescope.

National Geographic’s “Mars” returns for a second season on Monday (Nov. 12), bringing a blend of extraterrestrial drama and real-life insights about humanity’s future on the Red Planet.

The moon may be the next space destination for American astronauts, but the frontier of Mars still beckons, NASA chief Jim Bridenstine says.

In National Geographic’s “Mars” docudrama series, a group of pioneers build the first colony on Mars, complete with rovers, helicopters and other tech inspired by NASA, SpaceX and other “big thinkers” in the space industry.

Spaceflight startup Rocket Lab launched its first operational mission Saturday night, successfully lofting six small satellites as well as a technology demonstrator.

California is burning again, and satellites are showing the scope of the damage.

The spaceflight startup Rocket Lab will launch its first fully operational commercial mission Saturday night (Nov. 10), and you can watch the landmark liftoff live.

A newfound asteroid will zip past Earth Saturday (Nov. 10), and you can follow the interloper’s trek live online.

On Nov. 10, 2013, Europe’s gravity-mapping GOCE satellite fell to Earth. See how it happened in our On This Day in Space video series!

NASA’s efforts to restore its Apollo-era Mission Control has given new meaning to “We’re go, Flight!” The call, which 50 years ago was in reference to the flight director, could now also apply to the consoles that flew aboard NASA’s Super Guppy aircraft.

NASA’s efforts to restore its Apollo-era Mission Control has given new meaning to “We’re go, Flight!” The call, which 50 years ago was in reference to the flight director, could now also apply to the consoles that flew aboard NASA’s Super Guppy aircraft.

While the Taurid meteor shower doesn’t have a lot of shooting stars to offer, the few that will streak across the sky may be bright and spectacular.

In mid-November, the fickle Leonid meteor shower hits Earth once again. The annual shower will peak Nov. 17.

European astronaut Alexander Gerst was surprised to see a circular, rainbow-like gleam — a phenomenon known as a glory — in the clouds below the International Space Station on Sept. 14, 2018.

SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket can now launch NASA’s most expensive and highest-priority science missions.

Natalya Bailey was always interested in space, but it wasn’t until she was sitting in a university class on propulsion that she realized what she wanted to do with her life.

Early morning risers who head out to work and school before sunrise should notice a very bright, star-like object in the east-southeast sky.

A purple-pigmented molecule could have been the first to turn sunlight into metabolic energy.

Vega, historically one of the most-studied stars, is under scrutiny in modern times because it may have planets.

On Nov. 9, 1967, NASA launched the powerful new Saturn V rocket on its maiden voyage. See how it happened in our On This Day in Space video series!

After suffering a couple technical glitches that put NASA’s Curiosity rover off its duties on Mars, the robotic explorer is back to work, having driven to a new site and drilled a sampling hole, according to NASA statements.

After suffering a couple technical glitches that put NASA’s Curiosity rover off its duties on Mars, the robotic explorer is back to work, having driven to a new site and drilled a sampling hole, according to NASA statements.

NASA is back to one of its favorite hobbies — otherworldly cloud gazing — thanks to the Juno spacecraft currently in orbit around Jupiter.

Pegasus has some interesting galaxies and deep-space objects.

Rocket Lab aims to make space far more accessible via its Electron booster, which is designed to launch small payloads to orbit for about $5 million per liftoff. See photos of Electron in action here.

In 2018, three astronauts flew the 57th mission to the International Space Station, a trip that included much science, dazzling views and a harrowing launch abort for other crewmembers. See photos of the mission here.

As neutrinos pass through the planet, they offer new information on what it looks like inside.

NASA went back and looked at how that weirdly rectangular iceberg formed. What they found surprised them.

The source of some of Earth’s first water may be gas left over from the sun’s birth.

Breakthrough Initiatives, which already scans the heavens for possible signals from faraway alien civilizations, is considering looking for E.T. closer to home — in our own solar system.

Here are Space.com writers’ and editors’ picks for photo collections and astrophotography books that will transport you to other worlds.

In ‘Out There’ (Grand Central Publishing, 2018), Space.com senior writer Mike Wall tackles the search for alien life from many different angles and discusses humanity’s drive to get off its natal rock. Read an excerpt from the new book here.

The diamond-shaped asteroid Bennu has a bouldery “witch mole” and a whole lot of other lumps and bumps, a gorgeous new video by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft reveals.

The Leonids take place every year in November. Once a generation, it is possible for a storm of meteors to occur with a peak of about 1,000 an hour – or even more.

Mariner 9 was the first spacecraft to orbit another planet. It arrived at Mars in 1971 and subsequently our perceptions of the Red Planet.

The bull is hard to miss as it charges through the northern winter sky. It’s one of the most prominent and visible of all of the constellations.

By aiming for Mars, 21-year-old Abigail Harrison hopes to inspire young women on Earth to pursue their own dreams.

Astronomers think they have identified a star they believe to be about 13.5 billion years old, which would place its birth just after the Big Bang — and it’s surprisingly close to us.

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe phoned home Wednesday (Nov. 7), confirming that it survived its first record-breaking sun flyby in good condition.

The stereotypical image of an astronaut is shaped by their spacesuit, with its puffy, white body and boxy backpack holding the life-support system.

The striking diamond shapes of the space rocks Ryugu and Bennu — the targets of the sample-return missions Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx, respectively — apparently result from the near-Earth asteroids’ rubble-pile composition.

On Nov. 8, 2005, Europe launched its first mission to Venus. The spacecraft was called Venus Express. See how it happened in our On This Day in Space video series!

Retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has released a photobook, “Infinite Wonder,” chronicling his 340 days on the International Space Station. Here are some selections from Kelly’s time there.

After spending nearly a year on the International Space Station during a record-breaking mission, retired astronaut Scott Kelly knows a thing or two about orbiting the Earth.

Retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has released a photobook, “Infinite Wonder,” chronicling his 340 days on the International Space Station. Here are some selections from Kelly’s time there.

After spending nearly a year on the International Space Station during a record-breaking mission, retired astronaut Scott Kelly knows a thing or two about orbiting the Earth.

Retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has released a photobook, “Infinite Wonder,” chronicling his 340 days on the International Space Station. Here are some selections from Kelly’s time there.

Here are the best telescopes for the money. Our top picks include recommendations for city dwellers, hobbyists and gift -givers, as well as budget picks. Our editors have selected a few of the best options in each of five categories.

“Space Stations: The Art, Science, and Reality of Working in Space” (Smithsonian Books) is a stunning new book that combines striking images with captivating space history to tell the tale of space stations throughout history.

The chairman of the House appropriations committee that funds NASA lost his reelection bid Nov. 6 as Democrats won a majority in the chamber, while a leading Senate Democrat on space policy appeared to lose his race for another term.

A new life-support system that can recycle breathable air is being installed at the International Space Station, promising to dramatically decrease the amount of water that needs to be brought to the orbital outpost to make oxygen.

Three-term Florida Senator and former astronaut Bill Nelson is trailing in ballot tallies for yesterday’s (Nov. 6) election against Republican challenger Rick Scott, who currently serves as the state’s governor.

SpaceX aims to start flight-testing key design components of its Mars-settling spaceship next year, company founder and CEO Elon Musk said.

SpaceX aims to start flight-testing key design components of its Mars-settling spaceship next year, company founder and CEO Elon Musk said.

Scientists are one step closer to understanding why some comets have strange dust bands in their tails. The main culprit in this cosmic mystery? Our own sun.

The Kepler mission officially ended on Oct. 30, when NASA announced that the spacecraft had run out of fuel and would receive its last commands this week or next — but its legacy will stretch far beyond just the planets it happened to spot.

A supercomputer that “thinks” like a brain can simulate neural activity in real time.

Sometimes, boring is best — and that’s certainly true when you’re trying to set a lander down on the surface of Mars, where any eventfulness is likely bad news.

A NASA mission to loft a satellite from an airplane to probe Earth’s atmosphere at the edge of space has been delayed at least one more day due to a glitch with its rocket that was detected just before launch early Wednesday (Nov. 7).

A robotic Japanese cargo ship cast off from the International Space Station Wednesday (Nov. 7) for a weekend date with oblivion to wrap up a successful resupply mission.

An eerie, marmalade-colored light show made Earth look like a gigantic orange lollipop early this morning (Nov. 7), prompting an astronaut aboard the International Space Station to snap a photo of it to share with Earthlings down below.

For the first time, astronomers have observed the final stages of galactic mergers, peering through thick walls of gas and dust to see pairs of supermassive black holes drawing closer together and the black holes’ rapid growth.

The Neil Armstrong biopic “First Man” is a distortion of the personalities involved in the Apollo 11 mission and a less-than-convincing account of the U.S. space program of the 1960s, according to historian and space-policy expert John Logsdon.

The odd interstellar object that zoomed through the inner solar system last October might be an alien reconnaissance spacecraft, a new study suggests.

The odd interstellar object that zoomed through the inner solar system last October might be an alien reconnaissance spacecraft, a new study suggests.

Humanity could advertise its presence to potential intelligent aliens in our cosmic neighborhood via a powerful laser beacon, a new study suggests.

Humanity could advertise its presence to potential intelligent aliens in our cosmic neighborhood via a powerful laser beacon, a new study suggests.

Being under a starry sky has fascinated me since I was a child, especially when I tried to “reach for the stars,” setting my feet on the floor, just extending my arm while thinking about how there is nothing separating us from outer space.

Being under a starry sky has fascinated me since I was a child, especially when I tried to “reach for the stars,” setting my feet on the floor, just extending my arm while thinking about how there is nothing separating us from outer space.

The first known interstellar visitor to the solar system, ‘Oumuamua, highlights how life could also spread between the stars, and perhaps even across the galaxy, two new studies find.

The first known interstellar visitor to the solar system, ‘Oumuamua, highlights how life could also spread between the stars, and perhaps even across the galaxy, two new studies find.

It’s not every day you meet a bona fide genius — much less become one. But that’s exactly what happened to Sarah Stewart, a planetary scientist at the University of California, Davis, when she became one of the MacArthur Foundation’s 25 fellows for 2018

Europe’s latest Earth-observation satellite blasted off into orbit today (Nov. 6) on a mission to improve weather forecasts and monitor changing climates around the globe.

MetOp-C, the third and final spacecraft of the European Meteorological Operational satellite program (MetOp), launched into orbit on Nov. 6, 2018. See photos of the mission here!