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NASA Engineers Help Prolong Voyager 2’s Science Mission
Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have successfully freed up power on Voyager 2, extending how long the spacecraft can continue to do
After seven years, a spacecraft company is releasing its Otters into the wild
There is always a tension that comes with seeing the first of anything fly."
NASA directive might increase the odds of contaminating Mars
The new push loosens U.S. regulations for sterilizing spacecraft bound for the Red Planet, and calls for modernizing the science of “planetary protection”
NASA’s Lucy Reveals Wobbling, Peanut-Shaped Asteroid
Even small asteroids lead complex lives. During its flyby of the asteroid Donaldjohanson last year, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft revealed the asteroid to be a
Launch of Swift Boost Mission Delayed, Teams Reviewing Data
The launch of Katalyst’s robotic servicing spacecraft LINK on Northrop Grumman’s Pegasus XL rocket was postponed Thursday.
Going the distance
The Voyager 1 spacecraft is about to reach a major milestone: one light-day from Earth
NASA Activates Roman’s Primary Instrument, Checks Out Coronagraph
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team has successfully activated the Wide Field Instrument, a 300-megapixel infrared camera that will allow scientists
New Horizons awakens after longest hibernation, resumes science mission 9.5 billion km from Earth
NASA announced on July 7, 2026, that its New Horizons spacecraft has resumed active operations after completing its longest hibernation period to date. The spacecraft emerged from a 321-day…
Why a spacecraft exploring moons where life may thrive is zipping by Earth
Sent to determine what conditions hypothetical life would face deep in the solar system, “Juice” must first make two more passes of everyone’s favorite inhabited world.
Swift Boost Mission: An opportunity for science and defense
Instead of letting a 22-year-old space telescope fall to Earth, NASA wants to rescue the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory with a robotic spacecraft designed to boost the telescope back into higher orbit.
Chinese scientists have bad news on having babies in space
Researchers use China’s Tianzhou spacecraft missions since 2017 to study how microgravity and space radiation can affect biology.
Taylor Sheridan returns to movies after five years with NASA thriller, political drama
Taylor Sheridan's "Capture the Flag" follows a NASA engineer racing to build the first reusable spacecraft for a moon mission.
War on Earth could spill over to the moon, Chinese space scientists warn
Study models how geopolitical tension could extend into orbit with rival spacecraft dogfighting, evading each other or blocking strategic routes.
We’re back: Proba-3 ready for more science
The Proba-3 mission’s Coronagraph spacecraft and its main scientific instrument, ASPIICS, are both at full health, ready to resume routine formation flying operations and deliver more breathtaking artificial eclipses.
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft wakes from its longest hibernation in good health
Following its longest hibernation period ever of nearly a year, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has emerged in good health and is ready to begin transmitting science data gathered in the distant Kuiper ...
NASA’s Psyche Mission Delivers Mars Flyby Data, Time-lapse Video
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft flew by Mars on May 15, using the planet’s gravity to gain speed and slightly tilt its trajectory. The flyby also gave the team an
OSIRIS-REx Full Mission Gallery
OSIRIS-REx is the first U.S. mission to collect a sample from an asteroid. It returned to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023, to drop off a capsule with material from asteroid Bennu. After dropping off the sample capsule through Earth's atmosphere, the spacecraft was renamed OSIRIS-APEX and sent on a new mission to explore asteroid Apophis in 2029. This is a sampling of images and videos from the entire mission.
Rescue satellite gets close to NASA's doomed telescope, even if it can't save it
A private spacecraft that was supposed to save NASA's sinking Swift Observatory has managed to come within nine miles of the doomed spacecraft and even snap pictures.
NASA selects 41 space technologies for future Moon and Mars exploration
NASA has chosen 41 commercial technology projects that could solve critical challenges for future missions to the Moon and Mars. From powering lunar outposts to protecting spacecraft from Moon dust, the innovations are designed to push both space exploration and the commercial space economy forward.
A NASA Spacecraft Is Nearing The Edge Of The Solar System. Its Instruments May Be Shut Off Due To Lack Of Funding
New Horizons' instruments may be shut off before it reaches the Solar System's "termination shock", despite it being fully functional likely into the 2050s.
Exploring the solar system through Cornell's image library
This year marks the forty-sixth anniversary of the Spacecraft Planetary Image Facility's technical research and outreach activities.
Artemis II results show how much science people can do at the moon
We’ve studied the moon with robotic spacecraft for decades. What do human observers add? Artemis II’s first science results offer some answers.
NASA's SpaceX CRS-34 Dragon returns packed with space station science
Scientists await a big splash in the Pacific Ocean as one of the most research-packed Dragon spacecraft to date returns, completing the 34th SpaceX commercial resupply mission to the International Space ...
Did Viking miss signs of life on Mars? Scientists to revisit findings at W&M
WILLIAMSBURG – Fifty years ago this summer, NASA’s Viking 1 and Viking 2 became the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars — touching down July 20 and Sept. 3, 1976, respectively — marking a milestone in the search for life beyond Earth. Scientists hoped the missions would find signs of life, but the results […]
NASA’s PRIMA Spacecraft (Artist’s Concept)
This artist’s concept depicts the proposed design for NASA’s PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics (PRIMA), which was selected by the agency in
China Deploys Rare Type of Space Junk That Pollutes Orbit for Hundreds of Years
A Chinese spacecraft that failed in a very rare Earth orbit is going to be up there for an extremely long time.
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft awakens from yearlong hibernation to do unprecedented science beyond Pluto
NASA's record-breaking New Horizons spacecraft has awoken from a 321-day hibernation in "good health" as it resumes unprecedented science at the solar system's edge.
Secretive Chinese probe snaps first photo of Earth's mysterious 'quasi-moon' — and it may pose a big problem
China's Tianwen-2 spacecraft has captured the first close-up photo of one of Earth's "quasi-moons," Kamo'oalewa. However, the image and the timing of its release suggest that it may be harder for the probe to collect samples from the space rock than originally planned.
How NASA Engineers Are Keeping the Voyagers Alive
A reworking of the spacecraft’s power systems could extend the nearly 50-year-old Voyagers’ exploration of interstellar space into the early 2030s.
Saturn’s moon offers clues in search for extraterrestrial life
With a global ocean of liquid water below a thick crust of ice, Saturn’s moon Enceladus is one of the most promising places to search for life beyond Earth. A new study suggests the moon itself may aid in that search by making some ocean compounds easier for future spacecraft to detect.
Utah Helicopter Flights Test NASA’s DAVINCI Mission to Venus
To prepare their spacecraft for Venus, NASA's DAVINCI scientists traveled to the most Venus-like place on Earth.
Dragon Undocks to Return Science Experiments to Earth
At 12:25 p.m. EDT, the unpiloted SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocked from the forward‑facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module after a command from SpaceX ground controllers. Flight controllers delayed the undocking slightly to power‑cycle a navigation sensor and restore full redundancy before departure.
NASA’s Swift Powers On Third Instrument, Restarts Automated Slewing
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has resumed use of its third science instrument and automatically repointing to examine new high-energy flashes in the sky.
At WVU, a NASA ESCAPADE researcher brings space science down to Earth
WVU researcher Chris Fowler is helping NASA’s ESCAPADE mission send satellites to Mars to study space weather and the Martian atmosphere. Back on Earth, he’s using a NASA early-career award to bring real spacecraft data and coding into rural West Virginia high schools.
Despite Setbacks, NASA Gives Boeing’s Starliner Spacecraft a Boost
A previous mission left two astronauts stuck in space for months. Still, the space agency is investing $359 million to keep the craft flying.
NASA Can’t Save Its Swift Telescope From Crashing To Earth But It’s Not Going Down Without A Fight
Restarting its science instruments means it can continue to monitor the cosmos until the bitter end.
NASA, Partners Update Launch Date for Mission to Boost Swift
The launch of Katalyst's robotic servicing spacecraft LINK is now targeted for no earlier than Friday, July 3.
NASA to Help Unlock Mysteries of Mars’ Moons in Upcoming Mission
NASA is playing an important role in JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) MMX (Martian Moons eXploration) mission, to advance our understanding of
NASA Highlights Lessons Learned From Swift Boost Mission
A commercial mission to boost NASA’s Swift observatory concluded without raising the spacecraft’s orbit, but the agency and industry vendor gained valuable experience that will benefit future in-space servicing programs.
Astronaut Health, Lunar and Earth Photography Fill Crew’s Research Schedule
Exploring astronaut health and photographing the Moon and Earth topped the research schedule for the Expedition 75 crew aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The orbital residents also kept up life support maintenance following the departure of cargo spacecraft the day before.
SpaceX Dragon Delivers Groundbreaking Science and Solar Arrays to ISS
SpaceX has delivered tiny brain models, 3D heart tissue, and artificial retina technology to the space station in a mission that could open new doors for medical research on Earth. SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft successfully arrived at the International Space Station on October 15, docking at 10:27 a.m. EDT with the space-facing port of the station’s
Smile spacecraft reaches science orbit
The European-Chinese Smile mission reached its designated science orbit on June 20, 2026. The team is now embarking on a two-month campaign to commission the spacecraft, which involves switching on and ...
NASA’s IMAP Mission Releases New Data From 7 Science Instruments
Science data from NASA’s IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) mission is now available. After its successful launch on Sept. 24, 2025, IMAP’s
Pedal to the Metal: NASA’s Psyche Heads Toward Asteroid Belt
With a successful Mars gravity assist in its rearview mirror, NASA’s Psyche spacecraft has fired up its thrusters and is accelerating to the metal-rich
Ranked among America’s best science museums in 2026: NASA’s visitor center in Houston lets you touch a real Moon rock and step inside a Space Shuttle replica
Space Center Houston: the NASA science museum where Moon rocks, spacecraft and Candlelight concerts bring space history to life.
Microbes Could Thrive Inside Enceladus And Its Geysers Could Help Us Find Them
When it comes to where it sends its spacecraft, is NASA looking for life in all the wrong places?
NASA successfully gives Voyager 2 another year of life
Engineers employed a 'Big Bang' maneuver to keep the power flowing on the 49-year-old spacecraft.
Microbiology DNA and Chemistry for Health Insights Tops Research Schedule
Microbiology dominated the research schedule aboard the International Space Station on Thursday helping doctors protect health on Earth and in space. The Expedition 74 crew also tested a new spacesuit, packed a U.S. cargo spacecraft, and kept up lab maintenance throughout the orbital outpost.
Pluto flyby mission wakes up after long sleep nearly 6 billion miles from Earth
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft recently came out of hibernation to continue its journey through an unexplored part of the solar system.
NASA’s nuclear Mars mission to cost over $2 billion
The price tag doesn't include the cost of the science mission the new spacecraft would ferry to the Red Planet.
Little Mercury may be shrinking faster than scientists expected
This composite image provided by NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington on Oct. 22, 2013, shows Mercury as it appeared to the Messenger spacecraft following a flyby of the planet. (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington via AP)By MARCIA DUNN CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A new study shows that little, wrinkly Mercury may be shrinking faster...
Live coverage: Avio to launch spacecraft to monitor plant health and ocean conditions
The mission, with the shorthand VV30, is the second launch of a Vega-C rocket managed solely by Avio without Arianespace. Liftoff from Ensemble de Lancement Vega at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana is scheduled for 10:21 p.m. local time (9:21 p.m. EDT / 0121 UTC / 3:21 a.m. CEST).
China gets closer to Jupiter mission by bringing Nasa’s StarNAV concept to life
The tech uses subtle shifts in starlight to track speed and position, allowing spacecraft to navigate deep space alone.
A New Space Telescope Opens Its Eyes to the Universe
Space news headlines feature lots of SpaceX: crewed launches to the International Space Station, satellite launches, tests of the Super Heavy booster and Starship spacecraft. The way my least favorite […]
SpaceX wants to build AI data centers in space. Will it work?
The race to build data centers in space is gaining momentum as AI drives unprecedented demand for computing power. Orbital facilities could tap into abundant solar energy and avoid many of the environmental challenges faced on Earth. Yet space remains a harsh and expensive place to operate, with major hurdles including cooling, maintenance, radiation exposure, and orbital debris.
NASA Updates Next Steps for Commercial Swift Boost Mission
NASA and Katalyst Space announced Wednesday the LINK spacecraft will not capture or boost an agency satellite to a higher altitude.
A Typography Geek Pointed Out Something About The Space Shuttle Discovery And Now I Can't Unsee It
Even though I was born in the Apollo Era, barely, the spacecraft that I think had the most influence on my childhood had to be the Space Shuttles. I remember poring over diagrams and drawings of the shuttles in National Geographic foldouts, where they even took my attention from the Forbidden Nipples seen on some of the […]
Fermi Explorer: Sending A Spacecraft On A 55,000-Mile-Per-Hour Mission To Alpha Centauri To Tackle The Fermi Paradox
The team hopes to launch to Alpha Centauri in 2029, in an attempt to tackle the Fermi paradox. The mission will not be a quick one.
NASA launches bold mission to rescue a falling space telescope before it crashes to Earth
NASA's Swift Observatory is slated to enter Earth's atmosphere later this year, but the Katalyst Space spacecraft aims to boost it higher this summer.
NASA’s Dragonfly Clears Key Tests as Titan Rotorcraft Takes Shape
NASA’s Dragonfly is starting to look less like a collection of spacecraft parts and more like the rotorcraft that will fly across the surface of Titan,
Viking Project
NASA’s Viking Project found a place in history when it became the first U.S. mission to land a spacecraft safely on the surface of Mars and return images of
Auroras appear in broad daylight in Smile spacecraft's eerie first images of Earth — Space photo of the week
The joint European-Chinese Smile satellite officially began its science operations this week, sharing a ghostly image of Earth's sunlit North Pole ringed by giant auroras.
NASA Swift Boost Spacecraft Prepares to Continue Mission
Katalyst Space uploaded a flight software update that reestablished attitude control of its LINK spacecraft, which is set to boost NASA’s Swift observatory.
NASA’s New Horizons Spacecraft Wakes from Hibernation in Good Health
Following its longest hibernation period ever of nearly a year, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has emerged in good health and is ready to begin transmitting
The ice blasting from Saturn's moon Enceladus is stranger than scientists realized
Enceladus may naturally separate and concentrate chemicals from its hidden ocean as droplets slowly freeze and shatter on their way into space. The process could explain Cassini’s puzzling ice-grain chemistry while giving future spacecraft a powerful advantage in searching for organic compounds and clues to life.
Voyager 2 is nearly 50 years old, losing about 4 watts of power every year as its plutonium power source fades — and NASA just bought it at least another year of science with an all-at-once power-system swap engineers called the “Big Bang,” performed on a spacecraft with razor-thin power margins and no possibility of physical repair.
The Big Bang swap freed almost 10 watts while preserving Voyager 2's thermal balance, keeping its three remaining interstellar instruments on for at least another year.
ESA’s Juice just used Earth as a slingshot to Jupiter
ESA’s Juice spacecraft raced past Earth on September 28, using our planet’s gravity to dramatically reshape its path toward Jupiter without burning much fuel. The flyby changed its direction by 20 degrees and increased its speed by 3.5 km/s, while also giving scientists a rare chance to test its instruments on Earth and the Moon.
How the lowly egg could help protect future spacecraft
Bioinspired designs could be sturdy astronaut allies.
Informanté on Instagram: "Namibia urged to harness growing space science opportunities Staff Reporter NAMIBIA is positioning itself to benefit from the growing space economy through new satellite infrastructure, proposed legislation and expanded education and training opportunities, with young people urged to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers. This was said by Dr Lisho Mundia, Deputy Executive Director for the Department of Higher Education, Training, Research and Innovation, who represented Education Minister Sanet Steenkamp at the official opening of World Space Week Namibia 2026 at the Windhoek High School Stadium on Monday. This year’s World Spac
1 likes, 0 comments - informante_news on October 10, 2026: "Namibia urged to harness growing space science opportunities Staff Reporter NAMIBIA is positioning itself to benefit from the growing space economy through new satellite infrastructure, proposed legislation and expanded education and training opportunities, with young people urged to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers. This was said by Dr Lisho Mundia, Deputy Executive Director for the Department of Higher Education, Training, Research and Innovation, who represented Education Minister Sanet Steenkamp at the official opening of World Space Week Namibia 2026 at the Windhoek High School Stadium on Monday. This year’s World Space Week is being held under the theme “Rocket Revolution”, reflecting the transformation of space technology from the first human-made satellite launched in 1957 to modern spacecraft, satellites, space stations and missions beyond Earth. Full story: https://informante.web.na/?p=401904 Photo: National Commission on Research, Science and Technology - (NCRST)".
Commissioning Update for Spacecraft to Boost NASA’s Swift
Over the weekend, Katalyst’s LINK servicing spacecraft experienced issues with attitude control.
NASA’s Swift telescope is back, but time is running out
NASA has brought two of Swift’s telescopes back online after technical problems derailed a commercial mission intended to rescue the aging observatory by raising its orbit. With atmospheric drag pulling the spacecraft downward faster than expected, scientists may have only another month or two before Swift falls below a critical operating altitude.
Efforts Continue to Stabilize LINK Spacecraft for NASA’s Swift Boost
Teams at Katalyst Space are making progress slowing the spin of their LINK spacecraft, which is designed to boost the orbit of NASA’s Swift.
Crew Works Health Checks, CubeSat Maintenance, and Soyuz Seat Checks
Health checks and CubeSat hardware maintenance were the prime research objectives aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. The Expedition 74 crew members also stowed spacewalking gear, transferred cargo, and checked seats in a Soyuz spacecraft.
TIME Best Inventions of 2026
NASA’s new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope was among the year’s top innovations recognized Thursday on TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026 list.
Astrophysics smallsat begins science mission
The first in a new class of small NASA astrophysics spacecraft has started operations, providing both science data and lessons for future missions.
NASA spacecraft discovers a huge new crater on the moon
Scientists have discovered a crater on the moon that's bigger than the Roman Colosseum, the result of a powerful impact two years ago.
Japan launches spacecraft to Mars' moon in mission to bring back soil samples
Five of the world's space agencies have joined forces for the five-year mission that will attempt to land a robotic prospector plus a rover on Phobos, the larger of Mars' two moons.
Advanced Health Research on Station Using Augmented, Virtual Reality Tools
Biomedical tests using augmented and virtual reality tools to advance space health dominated the research schedule aboard the International Space Station on Wednesday. The Expedition 74 crew is also turning its attention to a spacewalk at the end of the month following the departure of a U.S. cargo spacecraft.
Spacecraft burns up in atmosphere after failing to rescue NASA telescope
The robotic spacecraft that failed to rescue an aging NASA telescope has plunged back to Earth, disintegrating in the atmosphere, less than three months after launching on the bold mission.
Science begins for Smile
On 23 September, the European-Chinese Smile mission was declared ready to start revealing how Earth responds to the wind of charged particles from the Sun. This follows a busy in-space commissioning period since the spacecraft launched on 19 May and reached its target orbit for science operations on 20 June.
Pair of linked spacecraft draw closer to Mercury after nearly decadelong voyage
A linked pair of Mercury-bound spacecraft are in the homestretch of their nearly decadelong voyage to the tiny planet nearest the sun.
NASA rushed engineers out of their labs. They say it risks future space missions
NASA employees say they've lost vital equipment and staff needed to make sophisticated spacecraft amid the agency's abrupt relocations over the past several months.
Returning samples from a Mars moon: Inside the science of Japan's bold MMX mission
MMX could be the first spacecraft to ever return from orbit around the Red Planet.
Voyager 1 was launched in 1977 with a suite of 10 science instruments — as of 2026, only two remain switched on, and the spacecraft's nuclear power source loses roughly 4 watts every year, a slow drain that is now deciding what humanity still gets to learn from interstellar space
Voyager 1 is still doing science in interstellar space, but the mission has entered a stage where every watt has become a decision. The spacecraft left
Miami-based City Labs achieves a first for commercial nuclear power in space
The BOHR mission serves as a pathfinder for future nuclear-powered spacecraft."
NASA SmallSats Launch to Advance Science, Technology, Orbital Operations
Three NASA-supported small spacecraft launched at 11:22 a.m. PDT Thursday to demonstrate new propulsion technologies, study how galactic dust and high-energy radiation move through galaxies, and advance capabilities for inspecting inactive satellites.
NASA Scientists Take to Air and Space to Study Arctic Sea Ice
This month, engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California are testing a spacecraft sensor that will help measure how quickly Arctic sea
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft aces Mars flyby capturing stunning timelapse video
NASA’s Psyche spacecraft aced its Mars flyby, using the planet’s gravity to speed toward its 2029 encounter with a metal-rich asteroid. The spacecraft tested its cameras, magnetometer, and particle-detecting instruments, capturing unusual views of Mars and measuring its magnetic environment. It also detected neutrons from the planet and spotted the tiny moons Phobos and Deimos.
The Preliminary Lunar Science Report for Artemis II is out
On April 1, 2026, the crew of the Artemis II mission launched into space atop NASA's Space Launch System (SLS). Roughly 3 1/2 hours after launch, the rocket's upper stage separated from the Orion spacecraft ...
Teams Make Contact With Spacecraft Set to Boost NASA’s Swift
Teams have successfully established communications with Katalyst Space’s robotic servicing spacecraft LINK.
Scientists Propose ‘StormWall’ To Stop A $2.4 Trillion Solar Storm
A proposed StormWall spacecraft fleet could release gas to weaken solar storms, protecting satellites, power grids and technology, but potentially reducing auroras.
Is a Sea Change Coming for New Horizons Heliospheric Science?
If you visit the New Horizons mission website frequently, you'll notice that the spacecraft continues to generate excellent science as it plows its way through the Kuiper Belt. It recently woke up from its latest hibernation period in good health and is transmitting data it gathered back to Earth. The spacecraft, in addition to studying the Jupiter system in 2007, the Pluto system in 2015, and the Kuiper Belt Object Arrokoth in early 2019, has been doing some other fascinating solar system science since then thanks to two mission extensions in 2016 and 2023. Now, as a result of budget cuts at NASA, an important part of the NH science mission could end as early as October of this year.
NASA’s SpaceX CRS-34 Dragon Returns Packed with Space Station Science
Scientists await a big splash in the Pacific Ocean as one of the most research-packed Dragon spacecraft to date returns, completing the 34th SpaceX commercial
SpaceX Dragon Docks with Science, Supplies, and Roll-Out Solar Arrays
At 11 a.m. EDT, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the space-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module, delivering more than 6,300 pounds of food, supplies, and equipment for the Expedition 75 crew.
First-Ever Close-Up Revealed of Earth's Rare 'Minimoon'
The smallest object ever visited by human spacecraft?
NASA’s New Horizons Spacecraft Wakes from Hibernation in Good Health
Following its longest hibernation period ever of nearly a year, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has emerged in good health and is ready to begin transmitting
Commercial Spacecraft for NASA’s Swift Boost Continues Tech Demo
This week, Katalyst Space conducted in-space tests and maneuvers to exercise the capabilities of its robotic servicing spacecraft, LINK.
Pluto Planetary Science is the Gift that Keeps on Giving
Something's wetting the surface of dwarf planet Pluto along the northern edge of Sputnik Planitia, and planetary scientists have found a good explanation for it. A recent study of new Horizons images taken during the 2015 flyby revealed evidence that liquid nitrogen is rising up through cracks in Sputnik Planitia. That's the giant heart-shaped glacial basin we see in all the Pluto images taken by the spacecraft.
Jupiter-bound JUICE spacecraft just got an 8,000 mph speed boost from Earth: 'This is great news for science'
"All flybys are risky, requiring very careful planning and continuous monitoring."
An American Cold War-era spy satellite just exploded above Earth
The defunct USA 32 (or Farrah III) satellite, which launched in 1988, broke apart without warning on Sept. 13, around 480 miles above Earth's surface. Experts are still unsure what caused this sudden fragmentation, how many pieces it created, or how the debris might impact other nearby spacecraft.