Space Science

Musk's SpaceX wins NASA's $2.9 billion moon lander contract

NASA awarded billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's space company SpaceX a $2.9 billion contract to build a spacecraft to bring astronauts to the moon as early as 2024, the agency said.
China becomes second nation after US to plant flag on the Moon

China has planted its flag on the Moon, becoming only the second nation to do so after the US, reports BBC.
Trio who lived on space station return to Earth safely

A trio of space travelers safely returned to Earth on Thursday after a six-month mission on the International Space Station.
Potential sign of life detected on inhospitable Venus

Scientists have said they detected in the harshly acidic clouds of Venus a gas called phosphine that indicates microbes may inhabit Earth’s inhospitable neighbor, a tantalising sign of potential life beyond Earth.
United Arab Emirates launches mission to Mars

The United Arab Emirates has launched its first mission to Mars as it strives to develop its scientific and technological capabilities and reduce its reliance on oil.
SpaceX’s astronaut-riding Dragon arrives at space station

SpaceX has delivered two astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA, following up a historic liftoff with an equally smooth docking in yet another first for Elon Musk’s company.
NASA resumes human spaceflight from US soil with historic SpaceX launch

SpaceX, the private rocket company of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, has launched two Americans toward orbit from Florida in a mission that marks the first spaceflight of NASA astronauts from US soil in nine years.
Annular solar eclipse on December 26

A partial solar eclipse will be visible on December 26 in Bangladesh if the sky remains clear, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department.
ISRO releases images of Earth taken by Chandrayaan 2

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) releases five images of the Earth taken by Chandrayaan 2, the country’s second unmanned lunar mission, two weeks after its launch.
Lunar eclipse marks Moon landing's 50th anniversary

Fifty years to the day since mankind launched the first mission to set foot on it, the Moon is set to treat Earthlings to a partial lunar eclipse on Tuesday.
India’s second lunar mission called off due to technical glitch

India's second unmanned mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-2, has been called off due to a technical glitch, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) says.
Israeli spacecraft crashes during moon landing

Israel's attempt at a moon landing fails at the last minute when the craft suffered an engine failure as it prepared to land and apparently crashed onto the lunar surface.
The woman behind first black hole image

The first-ever photo of a black hole is unveiled, and we have Katie Bouman to thank for that.
Hayabusa2 made history with manmade crater attempt on asteroid

Space explorer Hayabusa2’s successful operation to create a crater by striking the asteroid Ryugu with a lump of copper, when confirmed, is to mark the first such achievement in the world.
Super snow moon lights up sky today

February's full moon will brighten the skies as the biggest supermoon of the year. The supermoon occurs during this full moon because it will be closest in its orbit to Earth. The super snow moon as it is being called will cross the skies today (Tuesday).
Nasa bids farewell to lost Mars rover

During 14 years of intrepid exploration across Mars, it advanced human knowledge by confirming that water once flowed on the red planet -- but Nasa's Opportunity rover has analysed its last soil sample.
Skywatchers await 'super blood wolf moon'

Look up into the night sky on Sunday and - if it is clear - you may witness the so-called "Super Blood Wolf Moon" total lunar eclipse, which will take a star turn across the continental United States during prime time for viewing.
China moon rover wakes from nap

China's lunar rover got back to work on the far side of the moon Thursday after waking from a five-day hibernation, its official social media page announced.
NASA probe finds signs of water on asteroid Bennu

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has discovered ingredients for water on a relatively nearby skyscraper-sized asteroid, a rocky acorn-shaped object that may hold clues to the origins of life on Earth, scientists say.
Nasa spacecraft lands on Mars

Nasa's InSight spacecraft, the first robotic lander designed to study the deep interior of a distant world, touches down safely on the surface of Mars with instruments to detect planetary seismic rumblings never measured anywhere but Earth.
Bangladesh takes full control of Bangabandhu-1

Thales Alenia Space which developed Bangladesh's first geostationary communications satellite, Bangabandhu-1, yesterday handed over its transmission and operation management to Bangladesh.
Neil Armstrong's huge souvenir collection to be auctioned

Thousands of things that Neil Armstrong saved over the course of a career that saw him become the first man to walk on the moon will be auctioned off this week.
Japan space robots start asteroid survey

A pair of robot rovers have landed on an asteroid and begun a survey, Japan's space agency says, as it conducts a mission aiming to shed light on the origins of the solar system.
2 sportscar-sized satellites in orbit to measure Earth's water

A SpaceX rocket blasts off a duo of sports car-sized satellites built by the US and Germany to reveal changes in sea level rise, ice melt and drought on Earth.
SpaceX launches Bangabandhu-1 with most powerful Falcon 9 rocket

SpaceX blasts off its newest and most powerful Falcon 9 rocket, known as the Block 5, to launch the first communications satellite for Bangladesh called Bangabandhu Satellite-1, marking a leap forward in re-usability for the California-based aerospace company.
NASA plans to send mini-helicopter to Mars

The US space agency says Friday it plans to launch the first-ever helicopter to Mars in 2020, a miniature, unmanned drone-like chopper that could boost our understanding of the Red Planet.
Bangabandhu-1 on its way to orbit

The nation's dream satellite, Bangabandhu-1, is now on its way to orbit after its perfect and successful launching, making Bangladesh's debut in the global space society.
Bangabandhu-1 launch process postponed, to resume tomorrow

Satellite launching company SpaceX has postponed its process to launch Bangabandhu-1 to the orbit due to a standard ground system auto abort. It will resume the process tomorrow at 4:14pm US local time, SpaceX told in a tweet.
US invites visitors for Bangabandhu-1 launch

Kennedy Space Centre has invited visitors to witness the launching of Bangabandhu-1, Bangladesh’s first commercial satellite, at its visitor complex tomorrow.
SpaceX blasts off NASA's new planet-hunter, TESS

NASA blasts off its newest planet-hunting spacecraft, TESS, a $337 million satellite that aims to scan 85 percent of the skies for cosmic bodies where life may exist.