Space

The history of space exploration is full of firsts: first animal in space, first human on the moon, first probe to reach mars. But as they say, you've got to look before you leap. So what was the first telescope launched into space?

By Kate Kershner

GPS is great, but it's kind of Earth-centric. If we have our hearts set on traveling to distant planets and faraway stars, then it's time to come up with a new navigation system. NASA, of course, has an idea.

By William Harris

Leash your cheetah, buckle your seatbelt and tell Usain Bolt to take a knee. We're about to power through some of the speediest stuff this universe – both in the real world and in fiction – has to offer.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus & Kate Kershner

On Earth, we have a constant supply of fresh air. But what happens in the tiny, confined cabins of spacecraft, like the space shuttle or space stations? How is oxygen supplied to the people on board?

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

In the confined cabins of spacecraft, like the space shuttle or space stations, carbon dioxide, which is toxic, poses a problem for astronauts. Keep reading to see how that CO2 is eliminated.

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

Exoplanets, planets beyond our solar system, have been found in their thousands in the last two decades. Before that, we barely knew about the variety in outer space.

By Kathryn Whitbourne

If you consider throwing down a welcome mat on the porch of the International Space Station the same as living "elsewhere," then yes. But what about the moon and destinations beyond?

By William Harris

We've been cruising to and from the International Space Station since 2000. Isn't it about time we started moving on to other space destinations and establishing human outposts?

By Patrick J. Kiger

It's tough to wrap your mind around a time when the Earth wasn't here. So how do Earth and the rest of the planets out there get their start in the universe?

By Robert Lamb

We can't defy the odds of an asteroid taking a turn for Earth forever, so the world's astronomers watch the sky. What happens once they spot something?

By Robert Lamb

Humans in space may age just a bit more slowly than the rest of us, but they also experience rapid muscle and bone mass loss. Why does this happen, and do astronauts recover?

By Jessika Toothman

When you think about space travel, you probably don't take the time to wonder how astronauts go to the bathroom. However, the annals of aeronautic history abound with space bathroom tales. Here are 10 of our favorites.

By Stephanie Watson

NASA's Spot the Station feature will text or email you when the ISS is about to be overhead. And you won't even need a telescope to see it!

By Laurie L. Dove

The sun's atmosphere is actually hotter than its surface, even though you'd assume the surface is what generates all that heat. How does that work?

By Patrick J. Kiger & Yara Simón

Saturn's largest moon Titan is the only other celestial body we know of that has liquid lakes on its surface. NASA has just captured some amazing footage of clouds.

By Christopher Hassiotis

Outer planets in our solar system have atmospheres made up of flammable chemicals that can cause explosions on Earth. Could a rocketship, or electric spark, ignite them?

By Patrick J. Kiger

Elton's always maintained that Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids. Is he right?

By Julia Layton

The space telescope's ultraviolet observations come days before the Juno space probe will arrive to orbit the gas giant's polar regions.

By Christopher Hassiotis

The annual Leonid meteor shower is back, and peaks in the late-night hours of November 17. It's made up of tiny bits of debris from the comet Tempel-Tuttle. Here's how to see it.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Neither massive planets nor tiny stars, brown dwarfs are entirely different substellar curiosities that possess qualities of both.

By Ian O'Neill, Ph.D.

In space, poop is often a problem. Maybe it will be part of the solution, thanks to a study showing waste can become protein and fat.

By Nathan Chandler

Arcturus is 113 times brighter than our sun, even though it's only a little bigger. What else should we know about this red giant?

By Valerie Stimac

Showering every day is likely something you take for granted. But for astronauts on the International Space Station, it's not an easy task.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

Surely you've watched tons of sunsets in your lifetime. But have you ever seen the sunset and the moonrise simultaneously? Is that even possible?

By Sharise Cunningham

Humans have made it to the moon a number of times so we know how long the journey should take.

By Valerie Stimac & Austin Henderson