From missions to the Moon and Mars to strange signals in Earth’s magnetic field, science keeps finding things that do not fit what we thought we knew. This page collects our reports on space exploration, astronomy, planet Earth and the scientific disputes behind the headlines. Every story links to its original source, so you can read the study or the announcement yourself.
A new race to space
More than fifty years after the last Apollo landing, the Moon is a goal again. NASA’s Artemis program plans to send astronauts around and then onto the Moon, China is building its own lunar program and space station, and private companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin now launch more rockets than most countries. The United States has announced plans for a nuclear reactor on the Moon, and Japan is preparing a mission to bring back samples from the Martian moon Phobos.
At the same time, telescopes on Earth and in space look further than ever. Astronomers discover new moons in our own solar system and study planets around other stars for possible signs of life. Each claim of that kind starts a scientific debate, and we report both the claim and the doubts.
Our own planet
Some of the biggest questions are about Earth itself. NASA is tracking a weak spot in Earth’s magnetic field over the South Atlantic that is growing and slowly changing shape. Volcanoes, earthquakes and extreme weather affect millions of people, and the data behind the warnings is often public but rarely read.
Science also has its own controversies. Plans to dim sunlight to cool the planet, known as solar geoengineering, have moved from theory to outdoor experiments, while critics warn about risks and a lack of public consent. Studies on climate and sea level are debated in public, sometimes with more heat than evidence. We report what the studies actually say.
How we cover space and science
- The study, not the headline. We link the paper, the agency release or the mission page wherever there is one.
- Possible is not proven. A hint of life or a new theory is reported as a hint or a theory, with the scientists who doubt it.
- Numbers with context. We say how big a risk or a discovery really is.
Primary sources
- NASA news: missions, discoveries and official releases
- European Space Agency (ESA): European missions and science results
- U.S. Geological Survey, earthquake hazards: live earthquake data and volcano reports
- NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center: solar storms and their effects on Earth
