Nov 26 Watch 5:38 NASA hopes InSight will illuminate Mars’ unknown core By Miles O'Brien NASA has successfully landed its spacecraft InSight on Mars, after a long and challenging voyage. Scientists hope InSight will uncover details of what’s under the surface of Mars, including whether the planet’s core is liquid or solid. Science correspondent Miles… Continue watching
May 10 5 things you never knew about the New Horizons mission to Pluto By Rashmi Shivni NASA New Horizons mission leader Alan Stern and astrobiologist David Grinspoon divulge the most intimate accounts of the decades of planning needed for the Pluto probe in the new book “Chasing New Horizons.”… Continue reading
Jan 01 These tiny satellites, equipped with ion thrusters, could change how we explore space By Nsikan Akpan An engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology wants to explore the cosmos with CubeSats and ion engines inspired by static electricity. Continue reading
Jul 07 Uranus’ magnetic forces switch ‘on and off’ By Nsikan Akpan Uranus’ weirdness takes a fresh form via a new model of its magnetosphere, just as NASA mulls a return to the icy giant. Continue reading
Dec 28 Watch 7:37 The science that shaped 2016 By PBS News Hour What did 2016 mean for science? Science correspondent Miles O’Brien sits down with William Brangham to discuss some of the more remarkable discoveries, innovations and setbacks this year, including the confirmation of one of Einstein's major predictions, the global outbreak… Continue watching
Sep 07 Column: Like it or not, these billionaires are shaping the direction of discovery By Vikram Mansharamani Today’s billionaires regularly channel their wealth into traditional areas of philanthropy like education and public health. But the richest of the rich are also devoting significant resources to futuristic moonshots. Continue reading
Mar 31 China wants to mine the moon for ‘space gold’ By Vikram Mansharamani Tinkering in the heavens has emerged as an important plank of China’s geopolitical strategy. Continue reading
Mar 02 Watch 3:50 Astronaut’s record orbit concludes with safe return By PBS News Hour Astronaut Scott Kelly spent 340 days -- the longest an American has ever been in space -- on the International Space Station before descending into Kazakhstan by capsule Tuesday evening. Kelly’s extraterrestrial sojourn was part of a study on the… Continue watching
Jan 27 Space geek teacher remembers Challenger disaster By Michael Wilkinson For 29 years, fifth-grade teacher Michael Wilkinson has used space exploration to teach his students about math, science and the power of imagination. He shares his memories of the Challenger space shuttle disaster and why he never gave up on… Continue reading
Jun 14 European comet lander speaks after seven-month hibernation By Kenzi Abou-Sabe On Saturday, Philae, the European Space Agency's comet lander, communicated with its team on Earth for the first time since going into hibernation in November of last year. Continue reading