Missions

The latest news from the spacecraft helping us explore the cosmos, and the historical missions that paved the way.

Astronomer Dr Savannah Jacklin. Backdrop: an artist's impression of the WFIRST telescope in operation. Credit: Savannah Jacklin / NASA

Interview How the WFIRST telescope will search for exoplanets

Dave Scott emerges from Apollo 9 capsule during a space walk

The Overview Effect and Apollo

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Artist's impression of the JUICE mission exploring Jupiter's moons. Credit: ESA/ATG Medialab, Getty Images

JUICE mission prepares for lift-off to explore Jupiter and its icy moons

NASA astronaut Kate Rubins is during a spacewalk on the International Space Station, 28 February 2021. Credit: NASA

What’s holding humans back in space travel?

Tim Peake pictured with the toilet onboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA/ESA

Astronauts’ toilet waste could be used as fuel, say scientists

An image of 'sun rays' or crepuscular rays on Mars, as seen by NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover on 2 February 2023. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/SSI

NASA Curiosity rover spies incredible sun rays on Mars

This is a group of galaxies known as Stephan's Quintet, one of the first images to be released by the James Webb Space Telescope.

James Webb Space Telescope See the latest images

The crew of the ill-fated Columbia Shuttle mission. Credit: NASA

The Columbia Space Shuttle disaster

Spacecraft in outer space

Radio Astronomy Podcast Is interstellar travel possible?

Boeing's CST-100 Starliner approaches the International Space Station, 20 May 2022. Credit: Bob Hines/NASA

These are the big space missions to watch out for in 2023

Virgin Orbit spaceport cornwall launch

Virgin Orbit to launch first orbital spaceflight from UK soil tonight

17 astronaut candidates were selected for the European Space Agency's Astronaut Class of 2022. Credit: ESA - P. Sebirot

UK astronauts selected as ESA unveils 17 new astronaut candidates

Artist's impression of NASA’s DART spacecraft and the Italian Space Agency’s (ASI) LICIACube just before impact at the Didymos binary system. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Steve Gribben

Was NASA’s DART mission a success?

Onlookers captured the moment NASA's Artemis I mission lifts off for the Moon from Kennedy Space Center, 16 November 2022. The launch marks the first step of a new programme that will eventually return human feet to the surface of the Moon for the first time since the Apollo missions. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

NASA’s Artemis I lifts off, beginning a new era of lunar exploration

NASA's Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft on the launchpad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, 6 November 2022. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky

NASA looks set to launch the Artemis I mission to the Moon tomorrow morning