The U.S. military’s secretive X-37B space plane is performing a groundbreaking orbital maneuver called aerobraking. The process uses atmospheric drag instead of fuel to gradually lower its orbit — a technique that could significantly extend mission durations and reduce operational costs. The unmanned X-37B launched on its seventh mission in December 2023, hitching a ride…

NASA’s search for life on other planets continues with the launch Monday, Oct. 14 of its mission to one of Jupiter’s moons. Europa has long been thought to have a vast underground ocean and a potentially habitable environment. Now, NASA intends to find out if that’s true. The mission, dubbed Europa Clipper, has started its long…

The U.S. military’s X-37B robot space plane blasted off on another secretive mission Thursday night, Dec. 28, this time with the help of SpaceX. The plane, resembling a mini space shuttle, has no crew on board and carries classified experiments. This was the first time the plane was launched atop SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket from…

At least a dozen people are dead after Russia launched one of its largest missile attacks on Ukraine. And the U.S. military’s space plane takes off on a secret mission with the help of a SpaceX rocket. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Dec. 29, 2023. Russia launches 110 missiles at…

SpaceX’s Starship, intended for lunar missions, launched from Boca Chica, Texas on Saturday, Nov. 18, but the launch was deemed a failure as the Super Heavy booster exploded over the Gulf of Mexico after detachment. Minutes later, the core Starship continued into space before exploding. SpaceX officials suggest that the ship’s self-destruct system was likely…

The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy launch program. Elon Musk’s largest spaceship will have no further flights pending an investigation by the federal agency. The investigation stems from the April 20 launch, when the largest rocket ever built blasted into the air, then blew up mid-flight. No crew was on…

A close call at JFK airport; California braces for more flooding and landslides; a Mafia boss is caught after 30 years; and Starbucks plans to expand in China. These stories and more highlight your daily rundown for Monday afternoon, Jan. 16, 2023. Near collision at JFK airport New audio from air traffic control reveals the…

Space is now just a little more crowded. This week, both the United States and China launched rockets as competition between the two nations intensifies. SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy launched satellites Tuesday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. China launched a module to complete its space station. Most of the details around Falcon Heavy’s payload…