Space Exploration

A moon lander has reached lunar orbit, heading for an attempt at the first US touchdown on Earth's nearest celestial neighbour in more than 50 years.

A Queensland-built rocket will strive to reach orbit from the northern town of Bowen in what company bosses say is the first locally made craft to lift-off from Australian soil.

Space is often described as the Wild West, but this is changing with commercial operators now charging people to send human ashes of loved ones to the Moon. But there are ethical implications around whether this should be allowed.

The launch further enhances the country's space credentials, following the historic "pinpoint" moon landing of Japan's SLIM spacecraft last month.

Only five countries have scored a successful lunar landing and no private business has done it yet. 

Oleg Kononenko is expected to reach a total of 1,000 days in space on June 5, and by late September he will have clocked 1,110 days.

From colourful smidges to striking streaks and captivating swirls, the latest gallery of interstellar snapshots has it all.

One month into the new year and the James Webb Space Telescope is offering scientists fresh insights on star formation, galactic structure and evolution through a series of images. 

A change in the sunlight's direction is believed to helped Japan's SLIM lunar probe regain power more than a week after it ran out.

Japan's space agency says it hopes a shift in the sunlight's angle will hit the solar panels of its 'Moon sniper' in a way that can restore its functions.

The Australian Space Agency says it monitored the re-entry to make sure it posed "no threat to people or property".

Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander was recorded firing its thrusters on its way to re-entry above Australia on Friday, January 19, 2024.

Emily McLaren needs $12,000 to go to an American space camp. Recycling about 60,000 containers will help her save for half of it. 

Japan is planning to land a car-sized spacecraft on the Moon this week. If SLIM succeeds, it will make history and pave the way for building landers that can explore the Solar System's  planets and moons.

An environmental expert says noise and rocket launches run a "very high risk" that the endangered southern emu-wrens will "disappear" from the area.

Broken Hill's wettest January day on record leaves a clear view of the cosmos in its wake, exciting tourists and locals keen to catch a glimpse.

A space company with plans to launch 50 rockets a year from the remote NT has dismissed fears about missiles being launched from the site, but still has ambitions to work with defence.

The US space agency pushes back Moon flights due to safety and technical issues, after the Peregrine lander suffered a major blow.

A high school art teacher from Wollongong is among 30,000 creators from around the world whose art has been digitised for a commercial mission to the moon. 

A private company's Peregrine lander appears unlikely to complete its original mission after running into issues on its way to the Moon.

The fate of a time capsule loaded with thousands of artworks, including pieces by Australians, hangs in the balance as attempts are made to get it back on course. 

Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology aims to be the first private company to successfully land on the Moon, something only four countries have accomplished.

The spacecraft has reached its home for the next five years, an orbit from where it will study the Sun and its influence on space weather. 

Two private companies in the US are attempting the country's first Moon landing since its Apollo program ended more than five decades ago.

Alex Gilbert discusses the space missions scheduled for 2024, saying Japan is on track to the become the fifth country to soft land on the moon.