Earth Orbit

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  NASA Finalises Crew for Axiom Space's Fourth Private Astronaut Mission in 2025

  Axiom Space, in collaboration with NASA, has finalised the crew for its fourth private astronaut mission, scheduled for launch in spring 2025. The crew will spend up to 14 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This mission will mark a significant milestone, with the first-ever ISRO astronaut onboard, as well as the first Polish and Hun...

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  SpaceX Falcon 9 Deploys 21 Starlink Satellites, Enhancing Mobile Connectivity

  SpaceX launched 21 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral on January 27, 2025, at 5:05 p.m. EST. Among these, 13 satellites feature Direct-to-Cell technology designed to enhance mobile connectivity. The Falcon 9 rocket used for the mission was powered by a first-stage booster completing its 20th successful flight. This booster...

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  NASA Astronaut Shares Stunning Photos Of Maha Kumbh Mela From Space

  The ISS, orbiting at 28,000 km per hour and 400 km above Earth, captured the grand religious event using its high-powered cameras.

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  SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 23 Starlink Satellites, Sets Booster Record

  SpaceX launched 23 Starlink satellites on January 24, 2025, from Vandenberg Space Force Base, marking its 11th Falcon 9 mission of the year. The booster achieved its record 23rd flight and successfully landed on the drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean, bringing SpaceX's total orbital-class booster recoveries to 401. The sat...

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  Kidney Bean-Shaped Sand Dunes Spotted On Mars Could Hold Clues To Life

  Unlike the dunes on Earth which are constantly in motion, the kidney bean-shaped dunes on Mars appear surprisingly motionless.

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  SpaceX Successfully Launches 131 Satellites on Transporter 12 Mission

  SpaceX’s Transporter 12 mission, launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, deployed 131 satellites into low Earth orbit on 14 January 2025. Among the payloads were 37 satellites from Planet Labs, including the AI-powered Pelican-2, designed for high-resolution imaging and real-time data analysis. The mission also saw the Falcon 9 booster success...

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  Mars Satellite Images Reveal Giant 'Kidney Beans,' Sparking Hints of Water and Life

  NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured images of frozen sand dunes in Mars' northern hemisphere, revealing unique formations halted by carbon dioxide frost during winter. Unlike Earth's desert dunes, which shift with wind, these Martian dunes remain stationary until spring thaw releases their icy grip. Scientists study these features to unders...

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  Bezos's Blue Origin Set To Launch 'New Glenn', Challenger To Musk's SpaceX

  Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin is set for an inaugural launch of its giant New Glenn rocket on Sunday, a long-awaited first leap to Earth orbit that sets up one of the biggest challenges yet to industry dominance enjoyed by Elon Musk's SpaceX.

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  First Wooden Satellite Deployed Into Earth's Orbit, May Transform Space Exploration

  The world's first wooden satellite LignoSat was among the five CubeSats deployed into the Earth's orbit last month, above 400 km above the planet.

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  SpaceX Launches 24 Starlink Satellites to Expand Global Internet Coverage

  SpaceX successfully launched its first Starlink mission of 2025 on January 6, sending 24 satellites into orbit to expand its global internet network. The Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage returned to Earth, landing on the droneship "Just Read the Instructions," marking the 17th successful landing for this particular booster. The Starlink constellatio...

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  India Delays First Space Docking Test of SpaDeX Satellites Until January 9, Requires 'Further Validation'

  ISRO has postponed its first-ever space docking attempt under the SpaDeX mission, now scheduled for January 9, 2025. The delay is due to the identification of an abort scenario during ground simulations, which requires further validation before proceeding. The mission involves the automated docking of two satellites in low Earth orbit and is a crit...

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  ISRO Successfully Launches SpaDeX Mission For "In-Space Docking"

  Two spacecraft that would aid ISRO in demonstrating space docking, a critical technology for future space missions got separated successfully and were placed into the desired low earth orbit late on Monday night, ISRO said.

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  Rocket Lab Delays Launch of Synspective's Earth-Imaging Satellite

  Rocket Lab's scheduled launch of Synspective's Earth-imaging satellite, "Owl The Way Up," was postponed on December 20, 2024. The delay, announced by the company, was due to the need for further analysis of sensor data. The mission aims to deploy one of Synspective's Strix radar-imaging satellites, part of a broader plan to establish a 30-satellite...

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  Study Explores Sun’s Magnetic Field Changes and Solar Wind Acceleration

  A study published in The Astrophysical Journal has shed light on how the Sun’s magnetic field influences solar wind acceleration. Using data from the Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter, researchers observed that sharp magnetic switchbacks smooth out into gentler waves as they travel further from the Sun. This relaxation process transfers magnet...

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  A World-First Discovery - Twin Stars Trapped Orbiting Galactic Black Hole

  At the centre of the Milky Way is a supermassive black hole called Sagittarius A*. It is roughly 27,000 light years from Earth and 23.5 million kilometres in diameter.