15 years ago, a spacecraft swung by Mercury to beat the Sun's gravity
The MESSENGER mission needed a few gravitational assists to enter orbit around the smallest planet.
50 years ago, NASA’s final Apollo mission left the Moon — are we ready to return?
Can the Artemis mission pick up where Apollo 17 left off?
60 years ago, one space mission crushed hopes for life around Earth's twin planet
The Mariner 2 mission proved Venus was too hot to have present-day life.
65 years ago, a street dog paved the way for human spaceflight — with a grim outcome
A Soviet street dog went up to space, but the USSR was ill-prepared for her stay in space.
55 years ago, Russia changed spaceflight forever — and lied about it a little
The Venera 4 mission sent a probe into Venus' atmosphere, but played loose with whether or not it actually survived a landing.
65 years ago, astronomy's most colorful character made a bold interplanetary claim
Did Fritz Zwicky's ballistic experiment reach solar orbit, or was it all a bunch of hot air?
65 years ago, “simple satellite” Sputnik redefined space science — and sent a sinister message
There was more to this launch than met the eye.
20 years ago, astronomers rediscovered the first exoplanet ever found
Pity the poor planet that no one quite believed in until it was too late.
10 years ago this month, a groundbreaking NASA technology changed spaceflight forever
NASA got a twofer deal with the Dawn mission.
50 years ago, one speech revolutionized the Space Age and took us to the Moon
President John F. Kennedy's words are emblazoned throughout history.
45 years ago this week, Voyager 1 began its journey into history — weeks after Voyager 2
The probe launched weeks after its sibling craft, Voyager 2.
5 years ago, scientists observed a new kind of cosmic explosion
Two neutron stars slammed into each other and created a never-before-seen event.
45 years ago, the first Space Shuttle made history without going to space
Strapped on a Boeing 747, the historic flight paved the way for everything to come.
10 years ago, the Curiosity rover arrived on Mars — and revolutionized the hunt for alien life
Armed with a suite of instruments, the rover was able to tackle the Red Planet like never before.
50 years ago, a powerful satellite overcame opposition and changed how we understand Earth forever
Landsat-1 gave us images of Earth like never before.
60 years ago, a military pilot made it to space — and set off a debate that rages today
Where does space begin?
30 years ago, one tiny space probe's comet flybys defied all scientific expectations
The Giotto probe paved the way for Dawn, Rosetta, and so much more.
15 years ago, 1,000 space experts sketched out humanity’s future on the Moon
The Global Exploration Strategy is a blueprint for understanding space policy today.
50 years ago, the U.S. and U.S.S.R. joined forces to ensure astronauts could survive in space
Could this happen today?
10 years ago, one SpaceX launch showed NASA they could work with Elon Musk
“This mission heralds the dawn of a new era of space exploration.”
