Are We There Yet?

NASA’s mega-rocket the Space Launch System has left the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center and made its way to a launch pad, ahead of an uncrewed mission around the moon and back later this year. It’s the first time a moon-class rocket has seen Launch Complex 39B since the days of Apollo and marks the start of NASA’s newest moonshot missions called Artemis.

Next week, Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket is set to take 6 people to the edge of space and back. Central Florida married couple Sharon and Marc Hagle will be on the flight from West Texas. Sharon Hagle is the founder and CEO of SpaceKids Global, a non-profit organization aimed at getting kids, especially girls, interested and excited about STEM learning. She hopes to share her experience in space with future explorers -- and highlight all the different career paths that lead to space.

It seems like a lot more people are going to space these days. Commercial companies are not only sending NASA astronauts into space, they’re giving ordinary people with the right amount of cash the chance to fly in space, too.

Tensions between the U.S. and Russia are high as the U.S. imposed strict sanctions in the wake of the Russian military’s invasion of Ukraine, but some 150 miles above Earth an important partnership between the U.S. and Russia remains: the International Space Station. Historically, the partnership between the two countries has transcended political tension here on Earth. But how long will that last?

Dr. Sian Proctor was one of four civilians to head to space last year thanks to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule. The mission called Inspiration 4 sent the crew on a three-day orbital trip and back.

NASA’s Perseverance rover is celebrating one year on Mars. The robot explorer arrived last year after a seven month journey from Cape Canaveral in Florida. It’s on the hunt for evidence of ancient life on Mars and is tasked with selecting and preparing samples of Martian rocks to send back to Earth.

NASA’s Orion space capsule will soon head on a mission to the moon and back, launching from Kennedy Space Center later this year. There won’t be a crew on board, but there will be a familiar voice. Lockheed Martin partnered with Amazon to install Alexa voice assistance on the capsule.

This past year, all eyes have been on NASA’s Perseverance rover as it explores Mars during its first year on the red planet. But a robotic explorer that landed there nearly a decade ago has made a curious finding -- carbon.

Back in 2006, a science organization changed the classification of Pluto as a planet, sparking a debate in both the astronomical community and pop culture. More than 15 years later, a new paper is reigniting that debate.

NASA is focusing on climate change -- specifically, observing our changing climate from space. But NASA’s focus on climate isn’t new. It has been observing the Earth’s climate for more than 50 years.

It was a very busy year for space exploration. In 2021 we saw the arrival of three missions to Mars, multiple human launches -- from suborbital space flights to commercial NASA missions -- two missions to asteroids and a massive space telescope took flight. And there’s no signs of slowing down in 2022. From moon missions to a busy launch schedule, there’s a lot to look forward to when it comes to space exploration.

NASA’s Mission Control Center is responsible for the safety of its astronauts and space hardware.It takes a special kind of person to take on that responsibility.

After decades of development, the James Webb Space Telescope takes flight. Scientists have been thinking about this moment since the 1990s -- a new set of eyes that will see father into our universe than ever before.

Meet new astronaut candidate Luke Delaney and hear from "Main Engine Cut Off" host Anthony Colangelo about the new commercial rockets in development.

What's ahead for space policy under a Biden administration? And how can we ethically explore space?

NASA’s DART mission is set to launch tonight from Vandenberg in California, on a 10-month mission that ends when it smashes into a tiny rock in space. The spacecraft is part of NASA’ planetary defense plan -- figuring out ways to save our own Earth should an asteroid threaten to hit us.

Astrophysicist, author and science communicator Neil deGrass Tyson says space enthusiasts are delusional. Exploration is aspirational, and the reality of geopolitics, economy and culture are huge challenges keeping us planted firmly on the ground.

Blue Origin sued NASA over its selection of SpaceX to build the agency's next moon lander. With the lawsuit behind it, what's ahead for NASA's Artemis program?

NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars and Juno spacecraft at Jupiter are helping us better understand our solar system.

Astronaut Nicole Stott spent more than 100 days in space. Her view of the planet up there changed the way she thinks about it now that she’s down here. We’ll talk with Stott about her motivation to write the book, and her rules for us here on this planet to treat it like our own spaceship and what we can do to be better crew mates.