Astrodynamics is the research area concerned with the modeling, analysis, and control of the motion of natural and artificial bodies in space under the influence of gravitational and non-gravitational forces. It encompasses orbital mechanics, trajectory design and optimization, mission analysis, attitude–orbit coupling, and perturbation theory for multi-body environments. The field integrates celestial mechanics, numerical methods, optimal control, and spacecraft propulsion modeling to enable precise prediction and adjustment of trajectories for applications such as orbit insertion, station-keeping, interplanetary transfers, formation flying, and proximity operations, often requiring high-fidelity dynamical models and robust estimation techniques for navigation and guidance.
A commercial robotic spacecraft called LINK launched on an emergency mission to save NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which has been slowly falling toward Earth, on July 3, 2026. Over the coming weeks, LINK, built by ...
Space Exploration
Jul 22, 2026
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Private companies are reshaping India's space ambitions, building rockets and satellites as the country pushes to capture a bigger share of the global space economy.
Space Exploration
Jul 17, 2026
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13
SpaceX's mega Starship rocket came within a second or so from blasting off on a test flight Thursday, but some of the engines failed to ignite, triggering a launch abort amid billowing clouds of smoke and vapor.
Space Exploration
Jul 17, 2026
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64
Giant mirrors in space have been a staple of science fiction for decades. But so far, there's been very little work looking at the actual physics behind the concept—possibly because we're still so far from making them ourselves. ...
Planetary Sciences
Jun 29, 2026
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22
NASA is racing to save an aging telescope from falling back to Earth with a daring rescue mission.
Space Exploration
Jun 28, 2026
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80
A mission to raise the orbit of NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory is poised for launch no earlier than Tuesday, June 30, at 6:23 a.m. EDT (10:23 p.m. UTC+12), from Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Republic of the Marshall ...
Astronomy
Jun 26, 2026
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76
The European-Chinese Smile mission reached its designated science orbit on June 20, 2026. The team is now embarking on a two-month campaign to commission the spacecraft, which involves switching on and testing its toolbox ...
Space Exploration
Jun 25, 2026
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16
We think of atomic clocks as the definitive timekeepers. They are famous for being accurate down to the picosecond. Unfortunately, they are still subject to general relativity, so if you put them on a different planet, they ...
Space Exploration
Jun 16, 2026
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41
To truly understand what an asteroid is made of, we need to send a probe to it. Remote sensing from ground-based telescopes, or even orbiting observatories, can only do so much. A new white paper submitted to the U.K. Space ...
Planetary Sciences
Jun 12, 2026
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134
NASA on Friday temporarily ordered astronauts to take shelter during repairs to fix a fresh leak aboard the International Space Station.
Space Exploration
Jun 6, 2026
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