We've already sent probes to land on Mars. The challenge now is to get people there and bring them home again.
Over the last 50 years, a lot has changed in rocketry. The fuel that powers spaceflight might finally be changing too.
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An update of 50-year-old regulations has kickstarted research into the next generation of rockets. Powered by nuclear fission, these new systems could be the key to faster, safer exploration of space.
An artist’s conception of WASP-18b, a giant exoplanet that orbits very close to its star.
X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/I.Pillitteri et al; Optical: DSS
Sometimes it is difficult to take a photograph of an exoplanet because the star illuminating it is too bright. Now there is a new 'deluminator' telescope that can block out the extra light.
Spaceports close to the equator are ideal for low-orbit launches. Currently there are only two, both in South America.
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India may soon follow in the footsteps of Asian space giants China and India, after the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) announced a plan to build a spaceport in Papua.
China is the NBA’s second-biggest market.
AP Photo/Ng Han Guan
The National Basketball Association's difficulty dealing with a tweet in support of Hong Kong protesters shows the challenges of having values and expanding into new markets.
In the future, people may be able to go to Mars.
Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.com
While the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing is an opportunity to celebrate a remarkable technological achievement, it's worth reflecting upon the creative vision that made it possible.
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission.
Neil Armstrong/NASA
Michael Milford, Queensland University of Technology and James Mount, Queensland University of Technology
They're back! Pacific Rim Uprising sees more giant robots with humans inside, fighting giant monsters. But does the rocket science add up in this action-packed blockbuster sequel?
The ability to land rocket boosters makes them reusable, substantially reducing the cost of launches.
SpaceX
Automatic feedback control is what enabled the Falcon Heavy rocket boosters to land. It also drives most of our technology – and even describes the fundamentals of how humans and animals behave.
A statue of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky in Moscow, Russia.
Shutterstock/VLADJ
In the early 20th century a Russian scientist – regarded as the father of rocketry – made some novel predictions on where we would be in space in the 21st century. So how accurate was he?
To get us to Mars and beyond, a team of students from around the world has a plan involving lunar rovers mining ice and a space station between the Earth and the moon.
We're on the cusp of being able to consistently launch and land rockets, greatly reducing the cost of space travel. But how long before there's a Millennium Falcon in every garage?
What does it feel like to prepare for a journey to space? Space scientist Monica Grady followed astronaut Tim Peake around for a few days before his launch to find out.