Space Time
Space Time is an Inverse series that remembers the most important moments in humanity’s exploration of outer space.
Space Time is an Inverse series that remembers the most important moments in humanity’s exploration of outer space.
Mars 3 accomplished the first soft landing on Mars. Then it died.
40 Years Ago, NASA Tested Out a Radical Rehaul of an Iconic Technology
Witness the reinvention of the humble EVA suit.
50 Years Ago, NASA Sent an Ambitious Mission to Saturn — and To Interstellar Horizons
The Pioneer 11 probe would serve as a metaphorical blueprint for the Voyager missions.
15 Years Ago, Exoplanet Astronomers Made a Breakthrough in the Hunt for Life
Detecting methane on a distant exoplanet paved the way for the hunt for organic chemistry in the cosmos.
75 Years Ago, an Astronomer Found the Weirdest Moon in the Solar System
The high cliffs of Miranda barely scratch the surface of why Uranus' moon is so unique.
5 Years Ago, SpaceX Launched Its Silliest Payload Yet — And It's Still in Orbit
The space-faring Tesla roadster set a speed record unlikely to ever fall to another car, even another Tesla.
60 Years Ago, Astronomers Cracked the Mystery of the Brightest Objects in the Universe
No one was sure what quasars were and how they connected to galaxies. Then it all changed.
65 Years Ago, America Launched Its Most Pivotal Space Mission Ever
Explorer 1 marked the entry of science into what had been a military affair.
40 years ago, NASA launched the space telescope that proved JWST could work
IRAS is a sometimes forgotten spacecraft that proved that infrared astronomy had a bright future.
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.
Inside NASA's monumental effort to deliver the first Webb Telescope images
After 20 years and $10 billion, here’s how the NASA team scrambled to make the first images happen.
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.
Go deeper
NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer Is About To Take One Small Step ... To Get Us Back To The Moon
NASA’s upcoming Artemis II mission is slated to return astronauts to the Moon no sooner than April 2026. But first, we need live measurements.
These Are The Most Exciting Space Missions Coming In 2025
When it comes to space travel, 2025 is looking up.
Dark Comets In Our Solar System Could Explain Earth’s Oceans — And So Much More
The water that makes up the oceans acted as a key ingredient for the development of life on Earth.
The Moon Might be Older — Way Older — Than We Previously Thought
A physicist, a chemist and a mathematician dive into the science behind the age of the moon.
15 Years Later, Earth’s Most Advanced Planetary Defense System Ends In A Fiery Reentry
NEOWISE contributed to planetary defense efforts with its research to catalog near-Earth objects.
This “Antiquated” Star Trek Tech Could Actually Be The Future Of Space Travel
Could giant sails be the next big breakthrough in space travel? Bet on it.
How Pseudoscience Obscures The Real Dangers Found In Meteor Showers
How a meteor shower could, one day, pose a troubling scenario.
The Webb Telescope Found A Planet Orbiting A Star 35 Light Years Away — Its Data Is Just Plain Odd
A recent study suggests an exoplanet orbiting daringly close to its small star may have a thick atmosphere, but there's reason to be skeptical.
