Russia and ESA clinch Mars exploration agreement

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian federal space agency, Roscosmos, have signed a formal agreement to work in partnership on the ExoMars program towards the launch of two missions in 2016 and 2018.

The battered icy Saturnian moon of Rhea

NASA's Cassini spacecraft recently captured a number of raw images depicting the battered icy Saturnian moon of Rhea.

How could life adapt to Mars?

University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers say they've established certain key features in proteins that are needed for life to function on Mars and other extreme environments.

Four in ten nearby stars may host habitable planets

There could be a lot more potentially habitable planets out there than previously thought, and some of them could be very nearby.

NASA says conditions were "once suited" for ancient life on Mars

An analysis of a rock sample collected by NASA's Curiosity rover indicates ancient Mars could have supported living microbes long ago.

'Very rare' triple quasar found

For only the second time ever, astronomers have discovered a triple quasar system - possibly part of a much larger structure.

Astronomers discover our third closest neighbor

Astronomers have found the closest solar system to our own to be discovered in nearly a century - the third-closest ever found, in fact.

Astronomers scope out alien solar system in detail

Researchers say they've conducted the first reconnaissance of a distant planetary system, collecting the spectra of four red exoplanets which orbit a star 128 light years away from Earth.

Grasshopper spacecraft makes record hop

SpaceX’s reusable Grasshopper spacecraft has managed to hop more than 24 stories into the air, hover and then land safely.

Hubble space telescope dates an ancient star

A team of astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has taken an important step closer to finding the "birth certificate" of an ancient star.

3D image reveals ancient Martian flood

NASA has created a 3D reconstruction of ancient water channels below the surface of Mars, revealing evidence of a catastrophic flood in the last 500 million years.

International Space Station prepares for new crew members

Activities aboard the International Space Station (ISS) continue to ramp up for next week’s departure of three crew members and the arrival of three new residents at the end of the month.

How to spot comet Pan-STARRS this weekend

The brightest comet for several years should become visible in the Northern Hemisphere night sky over the next few days.

Phew: Einstein right about black holes after all

Scientists at the University of York say they've dispelled the so-called firewall paradox which suggests that anything falling into a black hole would be burned up as it crossed the event horizon.

Astronomers gain new tape measure for the universe

Using binary stars as a standard for reference, astronomers have measured the distance to our neighbouring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), more accurately than ever before.

SpaceX Dragon delivers Wet Lab Kit to International Space Station

The recently launched SpaceX Dragon spacecraft has successfully delivered a Wet Lab Kit to the crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Outside chance of comet hitting Mars next year

A recently-discovered comet has a chance - albeit a small one - of hitting Mars in October next year.

Comets form 'breeding ground' for complex organics

The evidence is piling up that the building blocks of life could have been brought to Earth by comets, after emerging in the dust of interplanetary space.

Europa's deep ocean may seep to the surface

Astronomers have found the strongest evidence yet that the ocean on Jupiter's moon Europa may consist of salty water, like our own. And, they say, that salty water appears to be making its way to the surface.

Cassini spots a bright Venus from Saturn orbit

NASA's Cassini spacecraft spots the bright, cloudy terrestrial planet, Venus, as it peers over the shoulder of giant Saturn, through its rings, and across interplanetary space.