Can scientists detect life without knowing what it looks like? Research using machine learning offers a new way

If nonliving materials can produce rich, organized mixtures of organic molecules, then the traditional signs we use to recognize biology may no longer be enough.

SpaceX launches Italian Earth-observing satellite to orbit on the 1st mission of 2026 (video)

SpaceX launched the first mission of 2026 tonight (Jan. 2), sending an Italian Earth-observing satellite to orbit.

SpaceX lowering orbits of 4,400 Starlink satellites for safety’s sake

SpaceX will soon lower the orbits of about 4,400 Starlink satellites, to decrease the threat they pose to other spacecraft and reduce space traffic overall.

Moon landings, asteroid missions and new telescopes: Here are the top spaceflight moments to look forward to in 2026

From astronauts looping around the moon to spacecraft reaching Mercury and asteroids near Earth, 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for space exploration.

11 Amazing Engineering Events in 2026
11 Amazing Engineering Events in 2026

This article is part of our special report Top Tech 2026.Brain Chip Helps Blind People SeeElon Musk says his company Neuralink is aiming to restore partial sight to fully blind patients in 2026. The company plans to test its newest and most powerful i…

Scientists are getting our robotic explorers ready to help send humans to Mars

“It’s really not a question of robotic exploration or human exploration,” Ehlmann said. “It is an ‘and’ — it’s robotic and human exploration and how we do these best together.”

NASA chief Jared Isaacman says Texas may get a moonship, not space shuttle Discovery

NASA’s new chief Jared Isaacman said controversial proposal to move the space shuttle Discovery to Texas from its current home in a Smithsonian Air and Space Museum hangar in Virginia, may end with a different spacecraft e…

Former United Launch Alliance CEO Tory Bruno joins competitor Blue Origin for national security projects

Tory Bruno, the longtime chief of the launch provider United Launch Alliance (ULA) has joined the competition at Blue Origin.

SpaceX shatters its rocket launch record yet again — 165 orbital flights in 2025

SpaceX just set a new annual-launch record for the sixth year in a row, and the numbers are getting pretty silly.