China launches new mission to space station

China sent a fresh crew to its Tiangong space station on Thursday, in the latest mission for a growing space program that plans to send people to the Moon by 2030.

Crunch time for Phoebus before testing

Launching things into space is hard. Aside from the engines and software, orbital calculations and the launch pad, the tanks that hold the fuel are a masterful example of engineering in their own right. And ESA will soon ...

Q&A: The first asteroid sample returned to Earth

On Sunday morning, a capsule the size of a mini-fridge dropped from the skies over western Utah, carrying a first-of-its-kind package: about 250 grams of dirt and dust plucked from the surface of an asteroid. As a candy-striped ...

Trial by fire for the Ariane 6 upper stage

Validation testing continues for ESA's all-new Ariane 6 launch vehicle, with firing of its two upper stage engines to simulate the way they will have to operate together during a flight.

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