Extraterrestrial LifeNovember 15, 2024
The Arecibo Message, Earth’s First Interstellar Transmission, Turns 50
In 1974 we beamed a radio transmission into space that changed the way we think about our place in the cosmos
Stories by Nadia Drake
Nadia Drake is a freelance science journalist who specializes in covering space science and space exploration. She is a former contributing writer with National Geographic and was the interim physics editor at Quanta magazine. Her work has appeared in, among other publications, the New York Times, the Atlantic and Scientific American, for which she covered NASA’s Artemis I mission.
Extraterrestrial LifeNovember 15, 2024
Reflecting on the Arecibo Message, Our First Attempt to Speak with the Stars
On the 50th anniversary of the “Arecibo message,” we present a reflection on humankind’s first attempt to send a transmission to intelligent life in the cosmos.
Extraterrestrial LifeOctober 14, 2024
NASA’s Europa Clipper Spacecraft Aims for Jupiter’s Most Intriguing Moon
For the first time, we are sending a spacecraft to explore an alien ocean world—a moon that might host life today
OpinionAugust 2, 2024
NASA Losing VIPER Rover Defangs the Science from Planned Moon Landings
A former space agency official argues that cutting a robotic explorer pulls the scientific teeth from the Artemis program
Space ExplorationMarch 14, 2024
Voyager 1’s Immortal Interstellar Requiem
NASA is reaching across more than 15 billion miles to rescue its malfunctioning Voyager 1 probe—but this hallowed interstellar mission can’t live forever
Space ExplorationDecember 11, 2022
NASA’s Artemis I Mission Successfully Returns from the Moon
After a 26-day journey that took it to lunar orbit and back, the uncrewed Orion spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Sunday afternoon, paving the way for future astronaut voyages to Earth’s satellite
Space ExplorationNovember 16, 2022
Artemis I Launches U.S.’s Long-Awaited Return to the Moon
The first flight test of the world’s most powerful rocket will send an uncrewed spacecraft to lunar orbit and back
Space ExplorationSeptember 20, 2022
NASA’s Artemis Delays Fuel Controversy over Rocket Design
The first test flight of the space agency’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft is plagued by delays decades in the making
Space ExplorationAugust 25, 2022
The ‘Program Is Precarious’: Lori Garver on NASA’s Artemis I Moonshot
A former NASA deputy administrator speaks candidly about the troubled history and radical potential of the space agency’s lunar return
Space ExplorationAugust 24, 2022
NASA’s Artemis I Moon Mission Is ‘Go’ for Launch
The U.S. is preparing to send astronauts to the moon for the first time in 50 years
AstronomyJuly 14, 2022
Maunakea’s Controversial Telescopes Are Getting New Management
Starting in 2023, control of the summit will shift from the University of Hawaii to an 11-member oversight authority that includes Native Hawaiian voices
Space ExplorationMarch 14, 2022
NASA Criticized for Ending Pronoun Project
More than 100 employees at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center were surprised when a test project allowing them to add their pronouns to their agency identifiers was abruptly canceled
Planetary ScienceFebruary 17, 2022
What We Learned from the Perseverance Rover’s First Year on Mars
Despite some unexpected challenges, team members are setting lofty goals for the rover in 2022
The SciencesMay 5, 2020
‘Magnetic Star’ Radio Waves Could Solve the Mystery of Fast Radio Bursts
The surprise detection of a radio burst from a neutron star in our galaxy might reveal the origin of a bigger cosmological phenomenon
Public HealthMarch 10, 2020
How the Coronavirus Is Hampering Science
Research meetings are being canceled left and right over epidemic fears, slowing the work of scientists—especially those who are early in their career
Space & PhysicsJanuary 15, 2020
Mysterious, Dusty Objects Are Swarming the Milky Way’s Core
Swirling around our galaxy’s central supermassive black hole, these objects share properties with both stars and gas clouds
Space & PhysicsApril 18, 2019
How Old Are Saturn’s Rings? The Debate Rages On
Pinning down the ring system’s age has profound implications for the entire Saturnian system
Space & PhysicsJanuary 24, 2019
In a First, Earthlings Spot a Meteor Strike the Eclipse-Darkened Moon
A flash of light during last weekend’s total lunar eclipse sparks a search for a new lunar crater
Space & PhysicsJanuary 18, 2019
U.S. Astronomers Ponder Science Priorities for the 2020s and Beyond
The Astro 2020 Decadal Survey kicks off amid turmoil and uncertainty
EnvironmentNovember 3, 2015
Indonesia Blazes Threaten Endangered Orangutans
Fuelled by El Niño and land-management blunders, fires consume precious habitat.
March 22, 2011
Stealth percussionists of the animal world