2 private lunar landers head toward the moon in a roundabout journey

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — In a two-for-one moonshot, SpaceX launched a pair of lunar landers Wednesday for U.S. and Japanese companies looking to jumpstart business on Earth’s dusty sidekick. The two landers rocketed away in the middle of the night from NASA’s Kennedy Space...

SpaceX launches a pair of lunar landers for U.S. and Japanese companies

Mission to moon carries tiny red Swedish home to space

STOCKHOLM (AP) — A Swedish artist is about to have the dream of a lifetime fulfilled: A little red model house he created will be launched into space this week and, if all goes according to plan, put on the surface of the moon. The Moonhouse, the size of a big hand, will hitch a...

Jeff Bezos' space company tries again to launch massive new rocket after last-minute postponement

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Blue Origin will try again to launch its massive new rocket as early as Thursday after calling off the debut launch because of ice buildup in critical plumbing. The 320-foot (98-meter) New Glenn rocket was supposed to blast off before dawn Monday with a...

Spacecraft buzzes Mercury's north pole and beams back stunning photos

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A spacecraft has beamed back some of the best close-up photos yet of Mercury’s north pole. The European and Japanese robotic explorer swooped as close as 183 miles (295 kilometers) above Mercury's night side before passing directly over the planet's...

Today in History: January 2, Armed militia occupies Malheur refuge in Oregon

Today is Thursday, Jan. 2, the second day of 2025. There are 363 days left in the year. Today in history: On Jan. 2, 2016, a heavily armed group led by brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, beginning a 41-day standoff to...

NASA's Parker Solar Probe survives close brush with the sun's scorching surface

NEW YORK (AP) — NASA's Parker Solar Probe has successfully made the closest approach to the sun, the space agency confirmed Friday. Earlier this week, the spacecraft passed within a record-breaking 3.8 million miles (6 million kilometers) of the scorching star. NASA received an...

Japanese space startup aborts 2nd satellite launch attempt minutes after liftoff

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese space startup said its second attempt to launch a rocket carrying satellites into orbit had been aborted minutes after liftoff Wednesday and destroyed itself again, nine months after the company's first launch attempt ended in an explosion. Space One's...

IAEA chief: Iran is poised to 'quite dramatically' increase stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Iran is poised to “quite dramatically” increase its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium as it has started cascades of advanced centrifuges, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned Friday. The comments from Rafael Mariano Grossi came...

NASA pushes back astronaut flights to the moon again

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA announced more delays Thursday in sending astronauts back to the moon more than 50 years after Apollo. Administrator Bill Nelson said the next mission in the Artemis program -- flying four astronauts around the moon and back – is now targeted for...