Space

List of Space articles

A large full moon appears against a dark blue sky in the background of a slope near the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia on April 7.
A large full moon appears against a dark blue sky in the background of a slope near the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia on April 7.

Who Owns the Moon?

Space is set to become the new Wild West.

A rocket carrying China's second module for its Tiangong space station lifts off against a clear blue sky, rising from Wenchang spaceport in southern China in 2022.
A rocket carrying China's second module for its Tiangong space station lifts off against a clear blue sky, rising from Wenchang spaceport in southern China in 2022.

China’s Space Dream Is a Legal Nightmare

By building spaceports overseas, Beijing wants to flout the current rules, and write its own.

NASA’s Orion capsule is brought into a well deck.
NASA’s Orion capsule is brought into a well deck.

The Space Race’s Shifting Center of Gravity

The first lunar era was defined by geopolitics. The winners of the next will be those who can triumph in economic competition and rule-making.

Earth as seen from outer space, surrounded by darkness and distant stars
Earth as seen from outer space, surrounded by darkness and distant stars
People stand at the Monument to the Conquerors of Space on top of the National Cosmonautics museum in Moscow on Nov. 17.
People stand at the Monument to the Conquerors of Space on top of the National Cosmonautics museum in Moscow on Nov. 17.

Why Russia Tested Its Anti-Satellite Weapon

If regulation of space weapons is coming, Putin wants to be ahead of the pack.

bezos rocket
bezos rocket

Can the World Avoid War in Cyberspace—and in Space?

Billionaire rocket launches and ongoing cyberattacks reveal that, without norms governing conflict, there could be chaos.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket takes off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 30, 2020.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket takes off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 30, 2020.

The Crisis in Space

Falling rocket debris, space junk crowding the skies, and unregulated resource competition make this the hour of space diplomacy.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is launched.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is launched.

Tulipmania in Space

SPACs are creating a space bubble that will eventually come crashing back to Earth along with cosmic junk launched during the current frenzy.

A Long March 5 rocket carrying an orbiter, lander, and rover destined for Mars lifts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan province, China, on July 23, 2020.
A Long March 5 rocket carrying an orbiter, lander, and rover destined for Mars lifts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan province, China, on July 23, 2020.

America Needs a Supercharged Space Program

It could build entire industries, create new jobs, green the economy—and unite the country behind a common purpose.

A satellite image shows Gaza City and the Jabalia Refugee Camp in the northern Gaza Strip on July 10, 2018.
A satellite image shows Gaza City and the Jabalia Refugee Camp in the northern Gaza Strip on July 10, 2018.

Israel Can’t Hide Evidence of Its Occupation Anymore

For more than 20 years, an obscure U.S. law concealed satellite imagery of Israel’s activities in the occupied territories. Because of an abrupt reversal, satellite technology can now be used to defend Palestinians’ human rights.

Gen. Jay Raymond, chief of space operations, points to the newly designed rank insignia of a Space Force officer
Gen. Jay Raymond, chief of space operations, points to the newly designed rank insignia of a Space Force officer

Pentagon Not Ready for Space Fight, Experts Say

The Defense Department hasn’t done enough to secure satellites and prepare for greater militarization of space, experts say, as it rolls out a new strategy for the domain.

Russia's Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft carrying the members of the International Space Station (ISS) expedition 57/58 blasts off in from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on October 11, 2018.
Russia's Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft carrying the members of the International Space Station (ISS) expedition 57/58 blasts off in from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on October 11, 2018.

Russia Fires Shot in Space Arms Race

The Pentagon is concerned that Moscow is seeking to militarize space with a significant anti-satellite test.

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Thomas James
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Thomas James

‘No One Wins if War Extends Into Space’

The newly reestablished U.S. Space Command will focus on preventing, not fighting, a conflict in space.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence chairs the 6th meeting of the National Space Council.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence chairs the 6th meeting of the National Space Council.

Humanity Can’t Afford to Keep Space Pristine

Getting off this planet is more important than hypothetical Martian bacteria.

Protesters cover their right eyes as they gather in Hong Kong on Aug. 30.
Protesters cover their right eyes as they gather in Hong Kong on Aug. 30.

Our Top Weekend Reads

Arrests in Hong Kong, a proroguing prime minister, and criticism of World Bank funding in Xinjiang.

The Space Shuttle Discovery is the backdrop as U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a meeting of the National Space Council at the National Air and Space Museum's, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, in Chantilly, Virginia, on Aug. 20.
The Space Shuttle Discovery is the backdrop as U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a meeting of the National Space Council at the National Air and Space Museum's, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, in Chantilly, Virginia, on Aug. 20.

One Small Step for Trump’s Space Force

The United States officially resurrects U.S. Space Command, but the fight for a Space Force is not yet done.

A rocket lifts off from the Xichang launch center in China's southwestern Sichuan province on Dec. 8, 2018.
A rocket lifts off from the Xichang launch center in China's southwestern Sichuan province on Dec. 8, 2018.

America Is Losing the Second Space Race to China

The private sector can give the United States a much-needed rocket boost.

CK: No caption, but leave a space in caption field to ensure it works right! NASA via Science & Society Picture Library/Getty Images
CK: No caption, but leave a space in caption field to ensure it works right! NASA via Science & Society Picture Library/Getty Images

Space Research Can Save the Planet—Again

The solutions to climate change lie far, far away.

An Atlas 5 rocket carrying the U.S. Navy's second Mobile User Objective System satellite launches at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on July 19, 2013.
An Atlas 5 rocket carrying the U.S. Navy's second Mobile User Objective System satellite launches at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on July 19, 2013.

The New Space Race

The latest front in a return to Cold War rivalry is the effort to build an all-American rocket for military launches.

Freshman Congressman Michael Waltz, a combat-decorated Green Beret, represents Florida’s 6th congressional district. (Rep. Waltz's website)
Freshman Congressman Michael Waltz, a combat-decorated Green Beret, represents Florida’s 6th congressional district. (Rep. Waltz's website)

‘The 21st-Century Space Race Is On’

Michael Waltz, Congress’s first Green Beret, talks about the new Space Force and America’s budding commercial launch industry.

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