Space probes as a research area encompasses the design, deployment, and scientific utilization of uncrewed spacecraft sent beyond Earth orbit to investigate planetary bodies, small Solar System objects, and the heliosphere, and increasingly to perform astrophysical observations from deep space. Research focuses on mission architecture, autonomous navigation and operations, radiation-hardened avionics, long-duration power systems (e.g., RTGs, advanced solar arrays), high-gain communications, and in situ and remote-sensing payloads optimized for extreme environments. The field integrates planetary science, space plasma physics, and instrumentation, emphasizing data acquisition strategies, sample return capabilities, and technology maturation for future interplanetary and interstellar exploration.
In 1949, famed mathematician and physicist John von Neumann delivered a series of addresses at the University of Illinois, where he introduced the concept of the "universal constructor." The theory was further detailed in ...
Space Exploration
Nov 5, 2025
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After acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy this month called out SpaceX for Starship delays, Elon Musk's company has come back with an update defending its progress and offering a speedier plan to get astronauts back on the ...
Space Exploration
Nov 3, 2025
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Interest in the moon has been high—just in the past two years there have been 12 attempts to send missions to the moon, nearly half of which private companies undertook. With so much activity, it's important to start thinking ...
Space Exploration
Oct 30, 2025
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China said Thursday it's on track to land astronauts on the moon by 2030 as it introduced the next crew of astronauts who will head to its space station as part of the country's ambitious plans to be a leader in space exploration.
Space Exploration
Oct 30, 2025
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All sorts of crazy things have been suggested regarding 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar object that we've discovered. Some are simply conspiracy theories about it being an alien spacecraft, while others have been well-thought-out ...
Planetary Sciences
Oct 21, 2025
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It's been more than 18 months since NASA narrowed to three the field of competitors vying to build the nation's next moon rover.
Space Exploration
Oct 20, 2025
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The search for life on Mars has taken a leap forward, as a key instrument for a major space mission begins its journey from Aberystwyth University to Italy for testing.
Astrobiology
Oct 13, 2025
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In recent years, NASA's Parker Solar Probe has given us a close-up look at the sun. Among the probe's revelations was the presence of numerous kinks, or "switchbacks," in magnetic field lines in the sun's outer atmosphere. ...
Planetary Sciences
Oct 8, 2025
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The China National Space Administration's (CNSA) Tianwen-2 probe is currently at a distance of about 43 million km (26.7 million mi) from Earth. This places it in a stable geosynchronous orbit (GSO) and almost halfway between ...
Space Exploration
Oct 8, 2025
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For more than twenty years, the Mars Express orbiter has studied the Red Planet and remains the European Space Agency's (ESA) only operational mission. In that time, it has provided the most complete map of the Martian atmosphere ...
Planetary Sciences
Oct 6, 2025
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