Op-Ed: What the U.S. Election Means for Space Exploration

ElectionTrumpHarrisArtemisElon Musk

Space Election

Neither candidate for president has anything resembling a space policy, and neither seems to care about NASA overall. Regardless, the key human spaceflight issues America must face in the next four years include the end of the International Space Station, and prospect of China landing taikonauts on the moon. 

The Robots That Could Breach Europa's Ice Shell

EuropaNASAJPL

After Clipper

NASA's Clipper mission will determine the habitability of Jupiter's moon Europa, a mysterious water world. And what if a life-harboring oasis is revealed beneath its thick ice shell? What comes next? Scientists and researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are experimenting with near-science-fiction concepts that can help investigate Europa's massive saltwater ocean and maybe even reveal its inhabitants.

In Photos: SpaceX Dazzles the World With Unreal Booster Catch

StarshipSuper HeavySpaceXStarbase

This is Heavy

We dispatched photographers Pauline Acalin and Tom Cross to shoot Starship's liftoff and attempt to catch the massive Super Heavy booster with Mechazilla, the launch tower's chopsticks arms. An idea that seemed outlandish up until the livestream said they were going for it, minutes after a surprisingly routine liftoff. So routine that the launch of Starship itself became an afterthought.

Burning Questions for the Lead Scientist Behind Europa Clipper

EuropaClipperJupiter

We want to understand if there is liquid water, where that liquid water exists, and whether the chemistry seem conducive to life. Do we expect redox potential in the ocean—oxidants and reductants—and where might we go to search? How might we do that search in the future, with what techniques?

NASA Deflected an Asteroid — ESA Launched a Mission to Study the Impact

AsteroidHeraESA

Aftermath

DART was the first-ever planetary defense test, one that illustrated that scientists and engineers could rearrange the cosmos to make it more habitable for humans. And this October, the European Space Agency is going to check NASA’s homework: it’s launching its own mission to Dimorphos.

Inside the Wargame Where Earth Faces a Killer Asteroid

AsteroidEarthEmergency

Nobody

While DART was on its way to Dimorphos, experts had gathered at its birthplace, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, for a role-­playing game. Everyone assumed the same character roles they had in real life. Their realm was not mythical, but terrestrial; their nemesis was not a dragon, but an Earthbound asteroid.

Polaris Dawn is Home After Mission to Advance Human Spaceflight

SpaceXPolaris DawnEVA

Humans in Space

The Polaris Dawn mission has returned to Earth safely after achieving a few unprecedented feats in orbit.

We Visited NASA's Mars-Bound ESCAPADE Probes

MarsESCAPADERocket Lab

Twins

NASA says that over billions of years, a relentless flow of particles from the Sun - solar wind - has stripped away the Martian atmosphere, causing surface water to evaporate. The agency wants to find out how this happened and utilize ESCAPADE to further interrogate if Mars was once habitable.

NASA Canceled VIPER—That’s a Good Thing

NASAViperMoon

Budgets

VIPER’s cancellation is bad for lunar science, but good for NASA. Especially in a constrained budget environment, NASA should be willing to cancel more missions, sooner. 

Astronauts Will Return Home on Dragon After Starliner Mission Fails

SpaceXBoeingNASA

Stranded

Citing the Shuttle Challenger and Shuttle Columbia disasters that resulted in the tragic deaths of 14 astronauts, NASA decided that Boeing's troubled Starliner capsule was not safe enough to bring home Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station. Starliner's crew will now hitch a ride home with SpaceX.

The Great Star Heist and the Race to Outrun Dark Energy

UniverseDark EnergySurvival

Building the Fortress Galaxy

Nothing lasts forever. Eventually, in a 100 trillion or so years’ time, the Universe will have exhausted all of its star-forming material. The last star will be born, and from thereon the Universe will face a slow death as gradually each and every star burns out.

Who Picks Up the Phone When ET Calls Earth? It's Complicated

SETIAliensFirst Contact

First Contact

It’s possible that, one day, a radio observatory pointed toward a constellation of diamantine specks glinting in that deep, dark ocean above will pick up something that will change everything.

Dutch Union Accuses ESA of Labor Law Breach

ESALaborLaws

Contractors

Contractors employed in permanent roles that are identical to jobs performed by staff members are entitled to equal treatment including salary and benefits, according to the Dutch labor regulations. That, however, is not the case at ESA, the union said.

Microlensing is Revealing a Hidden Universe

MicrolensingGravityAstronomy

Luck, Patience, and Ingenuity

When stars align, magical outcomes become possible. Microlensing, an astronomical technique based on trippy relativistic effects, is taking this lyrical sentiment to new and brilliant extremes by exposing chance alignments in the universe—and the unexplored frontiers that they reveal. 

Return To Pine Bush

Pine BushAliensUFO

Was It Really A Plane?

After the 2017 bombshell New York Times UFO report, the US Government responded with senate hearings on UAP — Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. Has disclosure fostered greater understanding toward the UFO community? We travel to Pine Bush, New York, "UFO Capital of the World," to find out.

Will Religion Survive Alien Contact?

GodReligionAliens

Contact with alien intelligence would be a breathtaking event. Depending upon what guise this contact took, the consequences for society and faith could be profound.

Falcon 9 Competitor Ariane 6 Finally Launched. But is the Race Already Over?

ESARocketAriane 6

Ariane Grande

Ariane 6 was designed to compete with early Falcon 9, now it has the Starship to contend with.

A Chinese Rocket Accidentally Launched and Exploded

TiangongTest LaunchAccident

Mislaunch

Space Pioneer’s hold-down test firing of its rocket suddenly became a real launch and ended in a non-fatal explosion.

NASA's Space Trash Hit a Florida Home. The Family is Suing.

NASASpace JunkLawsuit

Space Law?

19-year-old Daniel Otero was relaxing at home in Naples, Florida when an object discarded from the International Space Station came crashing through the roof of his home. His family is now suing NASA and the incident raises concern about future debris and relevant space laws.

In Photos: The Alien World of Pine Bush, NY

UFOAliensPine Bush

UFO Capitol

The Supercluster team returned to the UFO capitol of the world, Pine Bush, NY. This time, we were in the trenches with the true believers.

Starship Super Heavy Achieved Ocean Landings. Mechazilla is Next.

SpaceXStarshipSuper Heavy

Endless Starships

Flight 4 provided SpaceX teams with ample data, which they called the "payload" of the test, to drive improvements needed to achieve Starship's lofty goals, set by SpaceX, NASA, and the United States, to land astronauts on the Moon under the Artemis Program.

A Moving Frequency: Cosmic Art Exhibit Comes to New York

ArtPhysicsCosmos

Light

Cyrielle Gulacsy, born in Paris in 1994, is an artist whose work is currently rooted in the realm of astronomy and astrophysics, subjects of great interest to her. Gulacsy explores and interprets complex scientific concepts like spacetime, electromagnetism, and the diffraction of light, in an effort to help others appreciate the astonishing mechanisms behind reality.

Starliner Remains Parked as Boeing Faces Further Engineering Challenges

StarlinerBoeingNASA

Grounded

Boeing and its customer, NASA, are now dealing with a helium leak from one of Starliner's reaction control system thrusters in the spacecraft’s service module. Starliner was scheduled for its first crewed flight on May 6th, but was called off due to an issue with a pressure valve on the Atlas rocket's upper stage. It's not clear when this vehicle will launch astronauts.

India is Rapidly Advancing Toward Achieving Human Spaceflight

IndiaOrbitAstronauts

Spacefaring Nations

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has unveiled the country’s first astronauts with a plan to launch them in 2025, and with the ultimate hope of future Indian crews reaching the moon by 2040.

The Battle to Reverse the European Space Agency's Diplomatic Immunity

ESALawEurope

Labor (Space) Laws

A recent court decision could create a crack in ESA’s seemingly impenetrable legal shell, which has for decades protected this European counterpart to NASA from external scrutiny. The battle, however, is not yet won as the taxpayer-funded agency, with an annual budget of more than 7 billion euro, has appealed against the decision in the Paris Supreme Court.

Choctaw Students Study Indigenous Heirloom Seeds in Space

IndigenousSeedsISS

Space Farming

The Choctaw community has been collecting wild plants for over 12,000 years and has been growing agricultural plants for around 2,500 years. They developed tribal varieties of squash, corn, beans and other crops. Some of these heirloom seeds were sent to the International Space Station so they can experience space radiation and microgravity. Will the seeds survive?

We Visited the Europa Clipper Spacecraft at JPL

JupiterEuropaNASA

Gone Fishing

Supercluster Chief Robin Seemangal visits the legendary Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California for the first time to see the Europa Clipper spacecraft, the largest interplanetary spacecraft ever built by NASA.

In Photos: The Great American Total Solar Eclipse

EclipseSunMoon

Day turns to Night

In the days that lead up to the total solar eclipse, the threat of clouds loomed for excited onlookers along the path of sold out hotel rooms and Airbnbs through the heart of America. After much consideration, Erik Kuna’s ultimate choice of location proved fruitful for capturing the rare celestial event.

Space Experiment Provides Insights for Developing Cancer Drugs

CancerISSMicro Gravity

Fighting Cancer

The quest for a cure for pancreatic, lung, and colon cancer has led to space. In December 2018 researchers sent several cancer-causing proteins to the International Space Station. Their research made progress in developing a drug to prevent cancer growth.

Local Astronomy Club Keeps History Alive in French Guiana

French GuianaHistoryAstronomy

Astronomy Heritage

On Monday mornings, the voices of Guyane Astronomie can be heard by anyone tuned to Radio Péyi, a local station in French Guiana. Every week, the devoted group of astronomers and star lovers broadcast a fictional transmission from an imagined future in which “Guyanautes” recount stories of their home country.

Third Flight Test Sets the Stage for Starship's Ambitious Future

StarshipSpaceXTexas

Flight Test

The flight marked a few new milestones in Starship's development. Its Raptor engines demonstrated full-duration engine burn to orbit, the Super Heavy booster performed a boost-back burn and demonstrated re-ignition of Raptor engines in-flight, SpaceX operated Starship's payload bay, and for NASA's Artemis missions, Starship demonstrated the transfer of propellant in orbit.

The Oxygen Bottleneck: Technological Alien Worlds Need Fire

SETIAliensExoplanets

Forging Metal

Without the ability to forge metal to build radio antennas, to provide the combustion necessary to launch rockets, or the means of generating energy from burning fossil fuels and developing technology to fire lasers into the sky, any aliens on an oxygen-poor planet would be largely undetectable. There could be countless planets out there with life, even intelligent life, but lacking the oxygen to start fires.

Is the FAA Helping or Hindering SpaceX's Ambitions?

FAASpaceXStarship

The Regulators

From overseeing tens of thousands of aircraft navigating the vast US airspace to regulating space launches, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stands as the central government agency tasked with ensuring public safety both in the skies and on the ground.

Could Europa Support Life? Clipper Was Built to Find Out

EruropaLifeClipper

Searching for Life

One of the most anticipated missions scheduled for launch this year is Europa Clipper, a spacecraft filled with a suite of sensitive instruments that will help unlock the secrets of Jupiter's enticing, distant ocean moon.

Japanese Moon Startup Faces Discrimination Lawsuits

LawsuitsMoonJapan

Trouble at ispace

A pair of lawsuits filed by former ispace employees claim the startup suffers from a toxic culture rife with discrimination and harassment against non-Japanese workers. 

Daily Survival on the International Space Station

ISSLiving QuartersSurvival

Habitat

The International Space Station provides astronauts with their survival needs in terms of clean air at the right pressure and temperature, drinkable water, personal hygiene, physical fitness, and food. But how?

NASA Awards Money to Far-Out Mission Concepts

MarsVenusNASA

Science Fiction?

If you’re interested in out-of-the-box ideas for future space technology, look no further than the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program. Some of the concepts are new ideas for missions, such as a winged vertical takeoff and landing craft for Mars or a daring sample return mission to Venus.

Vulcan Flew Flawlessly. Its Lunar Payload? Not So Much.

RocketULAMoon

Half Success

ULA successfully launched the first flight of its Vulcan rocket without any issues. Its payload, Astrobotic's NASA-funded Peregrine Lunar Lander, did not share the same fate.

ULA to Debut Vulcan Rocket for Lunar Lander Mission

Maiden Flight

Partly due to the dominance of SpaceX and a changing market, ULA has focused its efforts on a new rocket — Vulcan Centaur — these past few years. The company is phasing out both its Atlas V and Delta IV rockets, the last of those two fleets, with the inaugural launch of Vulcan set for next week.

A Golden Record for the Next Generation

SETIVoyagerMETI

Message in a Bottle

The Voyager Golden Record project is now approaching its 50th anniversary and a new interstellar messaging effort called Message In A Bottle (MIAB) is taking shape with input from JPL, SETI Institute, Blue Marble Institute, and Interstellar Foundation. The goal? To propose a message for extraterrestrial or future Earth beings, and to unite humanity under a common goal.

NASA-Funded Private Moon Race Begins With Dueling Landers

MoonNASACommercial Space

Moonshots

We’re going back to the Moon, and sooner than you think. Next year, four astronauts will fly around the Moon, before our triumphant return to the lunar surface. To pave the way for these missions, NASA-funded private companies will attempt to deploy lunar landers to test out various technologies for those upcoming human missions and scout out potential landing sites at the Moon’s south pole.

Reading Between the Lines of International Space Cooperation

ArtemisNASAESA

Artemis Accords

The Artemis Accords have been hailed as a roadmap to the future of human space expansion, with statements often emphasizing the common national interests and ambitions of the participants. Signatories like the US, Japan, and the EU share interests in expansion beyond low-Earth orbit, but often missed in the signing ceremonies is the fact that national motivations related to space exploration are often not, in reality, the same — or even all that well aligned.

Spending the SETI Institute's $200 Million Gift

SETIAliensCash

Franklin Antonio, a founder of the electronic chip maker Qualcomm, died at the age of 69 in May 2022, but in his passing, he bequeathed $200 million from his estate to the SETI Institute. The gift is the gift of life, in a way: it means that SETI research at the SETI Institute is now assured a healthy existence long into the future.

SpaceX Achieves New Milestones With Second Starship Flight

SpaceXStarshipMoon

Starship reaches space

Starship achieved a maximum altitude of 150 kilometers, its highest ever. The second integrated test flight successfully demonstrated the highly dynamic stage separation system, booster boost-back burn, and all the mitigations that were in place after the first flight. 

NASA: 2023 Data Points to a Scorching Earth

NASAClimateWildfires

Hottest on record

A heating globe can create catastrophic events like torrential rain, tropical storms, intense wildfires, and droughts. In 2023, Storm Daniel caused the death of over 10,000 people in Libya, according to NOAA. In August, Hurricane Dora exacerbated a wildfire on the island of Maui in Hawaii, which then became the deadliest wildfire in U.S. history.

The Case for Mining Resources in Space

AsteroidsLunar WaterSpace Mining

Space Water

Today, demand for strategic minerals outpaces supply as humanity plunges deeper into a human-made climate crisis. We urgently need new sources of critical metals that we can access without leaving scars of environmental degradation on our planet. Lunar and asteroid mining offer new targets for resource extraction and responsible stewardship.

After ISS, Will a New Home Materialize for NASA?

ISSNASACommercial Space

Apartment Hunting

Northrop Grumman announced it would end its solo bid for a commercial space station and join a competing effort. In September, Blue Origin’s proposal for a space station was said to be in limbo as other programs, such as Blue Origin’s lunar lander for NASA’s Artemis program, took precedence.

Family of Deceased Engineer Fights ESA Diplomatic Immunity

ESADiplomatic ImmunityEuropean Union

Searching For Answers

Twelve years after his suicide, an ESA engineer's family is still fighting for justice, and looking for answers about the alleged bullying and harassment that led to this tragedy.

A New and Improved Starship Super Heavy is Ready for Flight

StarshipSpaceXStarbase

Starship Part Two

SpaceX's goals for the second flight test of Starship Super Heavy remain more or less the same — to test out the current technologies aboard the vehicle and on the launch pad, gauge how the improvements over the previous flight pan out, and ultimately get the entire launch system — the largest ever developed — to orbit.

NASA Commits to the Search for Life on Habitable Worlds

ExoplanetsHWOExtraterrestrial life

Habitable Worlds Observatory

NASA's proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory represents a dual commitment from the agency: engaging in a profound search for Earth-like worlds that may harbor life and optimizing the way flagship missions like Webb and Hubble are designed and launched.

SpaceX Set to Launch NASA Mission to Heavy Metal Asteroid

AsteroidPsycheFalcon Heavy

Asteroid hunter

Inside our planet is a core made of metal that spins to give Earth its protective magnetic field. However, we can’t see it for ourselves. But an asteroid called 16 Psyche might be the next best thing — the suspected remnant core of a planet floating freely in space.

An Increasingly Noisy Earth Is Drowning Out the Aliens

A tingle of excitement

Any potential signal from ET is assumed false, until proven otherwise. Scientifically, taking this skeptical approach is the right thing to do, but emotionally, there’s always a tingle of excitement for researchers when a candidate signal is found.

Pristine Asteroid Sample Returns with 'Daredevil' OSIRIS-REx

OSIRIS-RExAsteroidSample Return

Special Delivery

On September 24, in a highly choreographed operation, OSIRIS-REx will return to Earth and drop off regolith material for scientists to study. The samples will land in the Utah desert, while the spacecraft itself speeds off to another destination in space. 

Webb and the Great Cosmic Question Mark

JWSTCosmosUniverse

JWST Telescope

JWST data has provided new and intricate details of so many different objects in the universe: stars, galaxies, black holes, and even distant extrasolar planets, those outside our solar system. With the telescope's crisp infrared spectra, more detailed information can be garnered than ever before.

India Takes the Lead in Global Race to the Moon

MoonIndiaWater

The Moon Race

India's Chandrayaan-3 mission achieved the near-impossible, successfully landing near the lunar south pole and becoming the first spacecraft to do so. India now stands alongside Moon exploration veterans: the United States, Soviet-era Russia, and China.

Supercluster Explains: Hypergolic Propellants

ExplainerHypergolicFuel

Fuel ignition

Hypergolic propellants are great for spacecraft. To start and stop the engine, you can just start and stop the flow of the two liquids. And you can keep them in tanks on your spaceship for years.

SETI Deploys New Instruments in Search for Alien Intelligence

SETIAliensBreakthrough Listen

SETI Toolbox

The problem of distinguishing between technosignatures (true signals from alien technology) and radio frequency interference, or RFI, continues to be the major challenge for modern SETI.

Hanging Out in Japan’s Space Village

JapanTokyoJAXA

New Space Friends

In and around Tokyo, there’s a thriving ecosystem of ambitious start-ups, business networks, student organizations, and gathering spaces all working to put Japanese space operations on the map.

Organ Transplants and Sushi Delivery From Anywhere on Earth

HypersonicsAerospaceSpeed

Go faster

Ever wanted to get sushi delivered from your favorite Japanese restaurant — in Japan? How about a trip from New York to London in 90 minutes? Or a life-saving organ transplant delivered around the world?

Life Marker Phosphine Revealed Again on Venus

VenusPhosphinePlanets

Signs of life

The researchers who stunned the scientific community in 2020 when they announced the detection of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus, have now detected it again, twice. Phosphine is a potential indicator of life on our extremely inhospitable neighboring planet.

Beaming Harnessed Energy Back to Earth

EnergySunDyson

Dyson Swarm

Thanks to several technological convergences, humans may be close to building an early and rudimentary 'Dyson swarm' of satellites that could collect sunlight, convert it into either microwaves or optical laser light, and beam that energy down to Earth, the Moon, or other spacecraft.

Supercluster Explains: Spacesuits

astronautsspacesuitsspace

Don't leave home without it

The ways one could meet an untimely demise in the vastness of space can be assorted and ultimately macabre. If you’re living the dream in orbit, without a spacesuit, you’ve only got a couple of minutes to beam that selfie back to Earth.

Gravitational Lensing Discovers "Behemoth" Black Hole

Black HolesGravityEinstein

New Discovery

Earlier this year, for the first time, gravitational lensing was used to detect and measure a black hole. There are major implications for the future of astronomy.

The Science of Speed: Understanding Hypersonic Flight

HypersonicRamjetHermeus

Farther Faster

The record for fastest piloted airplane — one capable of takeoff and landing — was set by the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, way back in 1976. But now a startup called Hermeus is looking to make hypersonic flight a reality for the rest of us, with the ultimate goal of a commercial passenger aircraft called Halcyon, and a first flight as early as 2030.

Machine Learning Reveals Hidden History of Runaway Slaves

Machine LearningHistorySatellites

Juneteenth

SkyFi is an Earth imagery company with a surprising origin story — using state-of-the-art artificial intelligence tools to uncover the hidden histories of runaway slaves.

UAP Whistleblowers Make Startling Claims During DC Event

UAPSETIDisclosure

Exotic materials

Supercluster was invited to attend an event on Monday, June 12th, being held by the Disclosure Project at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The gathering was touted as a “disclosure” event where startling evidence and testimony regarding UAP coverups would be put forth by whistleblowers from the military and defense contractors. They used the word “definitive” in describing the reveals.

The Great Mauritian Satellite Dish Revolt

DIY Dishes

The Mauritian government was making it illegal to import a satellite dish, however, they hadn’t said anything about building your own. Reflecting on this little bit of legal hairsplitting, retired airline mechanic Jaques Gentil laughs, “I love a challenge. This was an opportunity for me to do something."

SETI Scientists to Devise Plan for Lunar Listening Station

All that noise

A SETI listening station on the moon was always thought to be impossible due to the obscene price tag of lunar missions. Now, commercial spaceflight is reducing the costs of bringing a payload to the moon and fueling a renaissance in lunar astronomy.

A Jungle Prison Becomes a Spaceport

French GuianaFranceESA

Penal Colony

If you wake up on the Salvation Islands, a jungle oasis off the coast of the city of Kourou, French Guiana, then you are a stone’s throw away from an active spaceport. And a rocket launch might be imminent.

A Rocket Photographer Shoots New York

NYCPhotographySkyscrapers

Skyscrapers

Following the explosive launch of Starship Super Heavy, Supercluster photographer Erik Kuna left Starbase for New York City to teach a class on photography. We asked him to shoot the Big Apple while in town.

The Glass Half-Full Starship Test

Starship Super HeavySpaceXMoon

Mission failure?

Did SpaceX fail its larger objectives during the Starship Super Heavy flight test? Yes. Did they accelerate the program by further proving flight systems and gathering critical launch data? Also, Yes.

Capturing the First Flight of Starship Super Heavy

StarshipStarbaseSpaceX

Behemoth

Supercluster photographers Erik Kuna and Jenny Hautmann capture the Earth-shaking liftoff of the largest vehicle to ever fly.

In Photos: The Spectacle of Starship Super Heavy

SpaceXStarship Super HeavyStarbase

Cold feet/valve

Our team visits the behemoth Starship Super Heavy at Starbase

X-15 and the Pioneers of Hypersonic Flight

HypersonicRamjetScramjet

The Speed of Progress

On October 14, 1947, a test pilot achieved a milestone so important that it was immediately classified as “Top-Secret.” Several months later, reports were leaked, and the world learned for the first time that a human being had flown faster than the speed of sound.

The Road Dragon Paved for Starship

SpaceXDragonStarship

Road to Mars

"The cool thing about Starship is it's kind of a blend between Falcon and Dragon,” says SpaceX's Stuart Keech in an exclusive interview with Supercluster. “We can take the lessons learned and the best parts of both—and eliminate the worst parts—and make an ultimately better and more capable vehicle.”

Middle East Nations Advance on the Space Frontier

Middle EastHuman SpaceflightAstronauts

New Space Race

When the Axiom-2 mission docks at the International Space Station this Summer, there will be 3 Arabic astronauts onboard — Crew-6's Sultan Al Neyadi from UAE and Rayyana Barnawi and Ali al-Qarni from Saudi Arabia — marking a historic first for the Arab world.

Artificial Intelligence Searches for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

SETIAIMachine Learning

SETI

A new machine-learning algorithm, written by an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, has cut through the terrestrial noise to uncover eight currently unexplained radio signals.

Norton Space Props Was El Dorado for a Burgeoning Launch Industry

The MandalorianRocket LabAntiques

Mando's Garage

Welcome to Norton Space Props. This unassuming business has been a low-key destination in the space world for more than seven decades. What looks at first glance like just another cut-rate junkyard was actually a vital bridge connecting the first space age to the current new space era.

In Photos: SpaceX Launches International Crew to the ISS

SpaceXNASAISS

Human spaceflight

On Thursday, March 2nd, SpaceX launched its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying Crew-6. Our team members Jenny Hautmann and Erik Kuna were on site to capture liftoff.

The Man Who Wrangles the Workhorse Falcon 9

SpaceXRocketsFalcon 9

Workhorse

In 2004, the words “flight-proven rocket” would have seemed absurd, as there was no such thing. That previously-flown rockets are now considered the more reliable option is a testament to how far spaceflight has come in such a short time, and a large measure of credit to that goes to Jon Edwards himself.

DARPA is Reigniting the Nuclear Engine

Nuclear EnginesDeep SpaceMars

Deep Space

NASA and DARPA plan to demonstrate a nuclear-powered rocket engine for long-duration deep space missions.

Tracking The Tiangong Space Station

The Supercluster AppTiangong

New Utilities

The Supercluster App now tracks the location, crew, and docking schedules for the Chinese Space Station, the Tiangong.

"We're Not Calling This a Rescue Soyuz"

ISSSoyuzRoscosmos

Hitching A Ride

Three space travelers need a ride home from the ISS after their spacecraft was damaged in a micrometeoroid strike.

Building the Kardashev Scale

Kardashev ScaleModel MakingProcess

Weird Science

Our Kardashev Scale short film was a model-making labor of love. Each level of technological development was brought to life with a scratch-built diorama painstakingly assembled by the Supercluster Model Maker's Club.

Falcon Heavy Blazes the Night Sky Carrying a Classified Payload

SpaceXFalcon HeavySpace Force

Sonic Booms

SpaceX launched the fifth mission of its behemoth Falcon Heavy rocket, lofting a clandestine payload to orbit for the U.S. Space Force. Twin Falcon 9 side boosters then came soaring back to Earth for touchdowns on Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral.

Rethinking the Kardashev Scale

Kardashev ScaleDyson SphereIntergalactic

Intergalactic Dreams

There’s something paradoxical about The Kardashev Scale, and it’s questionable whether it would have been proposed today, in an era facing the dangers of rampant industrialization and energy consumption.

SpaceX Nears First Flight of Starship Super Heavy

SpaceXStarshipMoon

Send it

Starship Super Heavy's first flight test is imminent. The mission is a critical milestone for SpaceX’s Mars ambitions and for their partner NASA, who needs Starship to return its astronauts to the moon.

The Threat of Space Radiation

RadiationArtemisMars

Back To The Moon

In our new space age the dread of deadly radiation still looms. And new answers are needed to establish lunar outposts and shield astronauts on potentially months-long lunar missions.

In Photos: SpaceX Launches Water-Monitoring Satellite for NASA and CNES

SpaceXNASACNES

Rising Seas

SpaceX launches the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite for NASA and CNES that will survey nearly all the water on Earth. We captured the liftoff of the critical mission.

The War in Star Wars

Star WarsBooksWars

It is political

All the ways our own history, wars, and politics have been reflected in a 45-year-old space opera. And, how those ideas and events shaped the galaxy far, far away through generations of storytellers.

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Harmed the Global Space Industry

RussiaUkraineWar

Blowback

Russia’s war in Ukraine has had huge implications for an international space industry dominated by the same giants who are actively or passively involved in the conflict.

Webb's Early Findings Are Remarkable

JWSTDARTMars

James Webb Space Telescope

A year after launch and five months into its mission, JWST has been working non-stop, peering into space and discovering the unexpected. Astronomers are able to realize the promise of this extraordinary, long-awaited telescope, decades in the making.

Launching Scottish Rockets with Recycled Plastic Fuel

ScotlandEnvironmentalismPrivate Industry

Green Rocketry

An Edinburgh-based company has developed technology to convert previously un-recyclable plastic waste into high-performance rocket fuel.

Artemis Takes Flight

ArtemisMoonOrion

NASA has successfully launched the Space Launch System from Kennedy Space Center, carrying the Orion spacecraft on a mission that will pave the way for humans to finally return to the Moon. Our photographers captured the epic liftoff.

Would Global Conflict Follow First Contact?

SETIPoliticsWar

SETI War

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence might be dangerous. But our messy geopolitics could be the real threat when making first contact.

Ukraine's First Starlink Terminal

StarlinkSpaceXUkraine

On The Ground

Engineer Oleg Kutkov shares his ongoing experiences using SpaceX’s Starlink internet in Kyiv, Ukraine throughout the Russian invasion.

Falcon Heavy Versus the Fog

Falcon HeavyFogKSCClassified

The World's Most Powerful Rocket

SpaceX launched the most powerful operational rocket in the world, Falcon Heavy, on a classified mission for the Space Force.

Babylon 5 Should be Resurrected for Today's World

Babylon 5Science FictionO'Neill Cylinders

Past Visions of the Future

Three decades since it premiered, Babylon 5 fans wait in nervous anticipation for positive news about a proposed reboot from series creator J. Michael Straczynski.

The Extragalactic Alien Hunt

SETIDeep SpaceAliens

Distant Civilizations

Back when SETI began, we expected intelligent extraterrestrial civilizations would build brilliant beacons in our galaxy. Now we're looking beyond that.

Our Best Shots from SpaceX's Crew-5 Mission

SpaceXNASAJAXARoscosmos

We captured SpaceX's launch of NASA astronauts Nicole Aunapu Mann, and Josh Cassada, JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina to the International Space Station.

Space Was Always the Plan for Hilton

Voyager SpaceStarlabLockheed Martin

Orbital Hospitality

American hospitality giant Hilton recently signed a deal with Voyager Space and Lockheed Martin to build the solar system’s first space hotel onboard the Starlab space station.

Firefly's Historic Launch in Photos

Fireflyrocketsorbit

Firefly's Alpha rocket successfully reached orbit and delivered its customer's payloads on its second-ever launch. That's pretty amazing.

Detection of Venus Phosphine Survives Heavy Scrutiny

VenusLifePhosphine

Life on Venus

Phosphine occasionally shows up in the intestinal bacteria of animals. Apparently, for some reason, it's also floating around in the atmosphere of Venus.

When Will Artemis 1 Actually Launch? We Complain on the Podcast

SLSArtemisThe Moon

Launching When?

Today on the Supercluster Podcast Robin and the crew talk Endless SLS scrubs and when NASA's giant new rocket might finally leave Earth.

Fuel Leak Delays NASA's Artemis 1 Mission

SLSArtemisNASA

SLS

Why did NASA scrub the test flight of the Space Launch System twice?

The Starlink Revolution

SpaceXStarlinkInternet

Internet Satellite

Is SpaceX delivering on its promise to bring internet connectivity to areas and people in need?

One Man’s Quest to Investigate the Mysterious "Wow!" Signal

The truth might be out there

If SETI had a mythology, then the Wow signal would be its number one myth. And while it has never been forgotten by the public, the academic side of SETI has, by and large, dismissed it.

The Road Ahead for Webb

JWSTBrown DwarfsDark Matter

New Chapters

JWST researchers are finally doing the science they’ve wanted for decades.

Space Update

NewsBreakingUpdates

Latest in Space

Buzz Aldrin sells off his prized Apollo 11 gear. Congress makes it easier to report UAPs.

SETI in the Age of UAP

SETIUAPNASA

Bracewell probes

SETI needs to embrace searches for Bracewell probes in the Solar System just as it does searches for techno signatures beyond our Solar System. Put them front and center, and let them be SETI’s answer to the UAP craze.

Mattel Will Create SpaceX Toys and Collectibles

SpaceXStarshipMattel

Play Things

Next year, kids and collectors can get their hands on SpaceX toys thanks to a recent deal the aerospace company inked with Mattel.

Humans Advance into a Profound Study of the Universe

WebbAstronomyTelescopes

First light

The first full-color images and data from the James Webb Space Telescope have now been shared with the world, allowing humanity to peer deeper into the known universe than ever before.

Seeing the Universe in a New Light

WebbTelescopeDiscovery

First light

Webb's astonishing first color images and exoplanet data will soon be shared with the world.

Contenders Line Up to Challenge Falcon 9

SpaceXULABlue Origin

Space Race

Falcon 9 is America's record-breaking, work-horse rocket. But many companies are close to adopting new reusability techniques to challenge SpaceX's dominance.

Mike Massimino is Blessed by the Pope

AstronautSpace ShuttleNew York City

City Astronauts

Astronaut Mike Massimino was gifted a baby Jesus for good luck when flying to space.

We Defeated The Vandenberg Fog

SpaceXRocketsMarine Layer

Vandenberg, SpaceX, Fog

Not this time fog!

Controversy Surrounds Effort to Signal Extraterrestrial Civilization

SETIMETIThe Dark Forest

METI

Designing and transmitting messages into space is a field called ‘METI’ — Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence. A debate has emerged around what the consequences of making contact could be.

Capturing SpaceX's Egyptian Satellite Launch

SpaceXNilesatSpace Coast

Nilesat

SpaceX launched Egypt-based Nilesat's newest satellite, Nilesat-301, into a geostationary transfer orbit with their workhorse Falcon 9 rocket.

The Fate of Falcon Heavy

Falcon HeavyStarshipSpaceX

The Next Generation

The emergence and success of SpaceX's fleet of Falcons transformed the space industry. Where does Starship, the heir apparent, leave them?

Puppies and Pringles Get Webb Oriented at Lagrange Point 2

James WebbThe UniversePuppies

Deep Concepts

The Webb team helps clarify the unique advantages of Lagrange point 2. Using puppies and Pringles potato chips.

The Severed Head and the Soviet Space Plane

USSRBuranRoscosmos

International Relations

Once a crown jewel of the Soviet space program, the Buran became a neglected, graffitied wreck.

The Curse of the Vandenberg Fog

NROL

Evil Marine Layer

We rolled the dice on Vandenberg launch coverage. The fog wasn't having it.

Reaching for the High Frontier

O'Neill CylinderHigh FrontierSpace Station

Our Future in Space

A group of researchers is taking a fresh look at 1970s O’Neill habitats. And there is a growing optimism — that maybe our technology has finally caught up.

Satellites Investigate Climate Peril Over Himalayas

LandsatNASAGlobal Warming

Eye in the sky

Landsat helps scientists monitor global warming in the most inaccessible places on Earth

NASA Unveils the Behemoth Space Launch System

NASAMoonRocket

Artemis-1

NASA rolls out the Artemis-1 Space Launch System to the pad for a wet dress rehearsal and more tests.

The Sad but Expected Death of InSight

NASAInSightMars

Life and Death on Mars

InSight, the first fully-fledged geophysicist on Mars, is in trouble. The amazing robot will soon lose power. Unfortunately, it had to be this way.

Artificial Intelligence and Space Exploration

MarsArtificial IntelligenceMachine Learning

Tech Editor Sage Lazzaro explains how Artificial Intelligence will be a critical tool in autonomous space exploration.

Hubble’s Flaw Informs Webb’s Perfection

HubbleJWSTNASA

NASA Webb

If not for that famous flaw in Hubble’s mirror, Webb’s design could be very different from what it is today.

Super Heavy Rises From the Sands of Boca Chica

SpaceXStarshipBoca Chica

Super Heavy

Supercluster photographers Deven Perez and Jenny Hautmann head to Boca Chica to document the rise of Starship Super Heavy.

Elon Raises the Stakes on Starship

StarshipElonSpaceX

The Future

Supercluster's Joey Roulette heads to Starbase, Texas, for an existential update on humanity's future amongst the stars.

The Italian Space Agency Flies SpaceX

SpaceXSatelliteItaly

Wayward cruise ship

Our team captures the COSMO-SkyMed mission launched by SpaceX

Bringing More Black Excellence to Aerospace

PGSFNew GenerationBlack History Month

PGSF

39 Exceptional Undergrads Earn Prestigious Patti Grace Smith Fellowships, Bringing More Black Excellence to Aerospace.

The Enduring Myth of Boba Fett

Science FictionFandomStar Wars

Bounty Hunters

In 1983 Boba Fett disappeared into the Sarlacc Pit, and that could have been the end of that. But the “fans have never let him die.”

Wall Street and Hollywood Cope with Space Risk

BusinessHollywoodVenture Capital

Space Business

Robin is joined on the Supercluster Podcast by CNBC Space Reporter Michael Sheetz for a roundup of business news and to unpack Wall Street and Hollywood's presence in the spaceflight industry.

Tonga and the Sight that Orbit Grants Us

VolcanoSatellitePhotography

Eyes in Orbit

The Tonga blast generated a shockwave that quickly traversed the planet three times. Satellite photography reveals the power with striking clarity.

Ten Round Trips to Space

SpaceXRocketsFlorida

Transporter-3

The Transporter-3 Falcon 9 launch and landing was captured by our team at Cape Canaveral

Sleuthing Through History for Alien Artifacts

SETIProbesMegastructures

Not the History Channel

A new branch of SETI is searching for alien technology in our own backyard

The Rise and Fall of UFO Communism

CommunismUFOsCold War

Intergallactic Trots

Trotskyist revolutionary J. Posadas had no doubt UFOs existed. And if we found them, they'd be communists.

The Ringworlds of Halo

RingworldHaloBig Dumb Object

Combat Evolved

Why are alien megastructures like Ringworlds so captivating and pervasive in science fiction? We asked science.

SpaceX Launches DART for NASA

AsteroidsSpaceXArmageddon

Without Bruce Willis

Planning for an asteroid apocalypse

Communicating the Apocalypse

HollywoodNEOWISEComets

Space Rocks

Dr. Amy Mainzer, science advisor for Netflix's Don’t Look Up, on how best to communicate technical (and terrifying) scientific findings to the public.

Visiting NASA's Colossal Space Launch System

SLSArtemisNASA

Orange Rocket Big

NASA is preparing to send humans back to the moon

Creating the Exoplanet Playing Cards

ExoplanetsPioneer WorksCosmology

In The Shop

Over a year in the making, our Exoplanet Playing Cards are finally here, a deep collaborative process between artists, an astronomer, and a theoretical cosmologist.

The Overview Effect

The Overview Effect

Philosophy

The Overview Effect is approaching middle age, and, instead of a midlife crisis, it seems to be just now hitting its stride.

Rolling the Dice with Cheaper Missions to Mars

MarsNASARocket Lab

Exploration on a budget

A small sliver of NASA's overall budget is now going toward higher-risk, high reward concepts, to see whether recent innovations can make lower-cost missions viable for the future.

Global Warming is Making Days Longer

Global WarmingGPSTime and Space

Climate Catastrophe

The NASA GRACE experiment highlights a strange effect of global warming on the movement of our wobbling earth.

Behind the Lens of Netflix's Inspiration4 Series

SpaceXInspiration4Netflix

Documenting History

The mind behind the acclaimed documentary on Michael Jordan is a pro when it comes to sports coverage, but jumping into the space industry? That would be an entirely different ballgame. 

NASA Continues a 50-Year Legacy with Landsat

LandsatNASAEarth

Earth Observation

ULA launches the Landsat 9 Earth-observation satellite for NASA and U.S Geological Survey

A Fast-Moving Star Could be as Good as a Spaceship

Interstellar TravelSETIFermi Paradox

Stellar Hitchhiking

A new model shows hitching rides with passing stars is the quickest way to explore the galaxy.

The Inspiration4 Mission Through the Eyes of Our Team

SpaceXInspiration4Dragon

Launch to landing

SpaceX has completed the first privately-crewed orbital mission in history. Our team was there to capture it.

World's Leading Geneticists Aim to Resurrect Woolly Mammoth

HypergiantMammothCRISPR

Colossal

The development of sophisticated gene-editing technologies has opened up the possibility of bringing the woolly mammoth back to life and rewilding it in its former Siberian stomping grounds.

We Choose to Nuke the Moon

MoonCold WarNukes

Good Ideas

After Soviet Russia launched Sputnik 1, some in the US Military wondered: "You know what? Why not nuke the moon."

Utah's Public Parks Offer an Escape to the Milky Way Galaxy

Milky WayUtahAstrophotgraphy

Local Galactic Neighborhood

The vistas of Utah offer an escape to our own cosmic neighborhood

Would We Recognize an Extraterrestrial Message If We Received One?

SETIOZMAEUROPA

Talking to Aliens

Psychologist Jack Baird raises a disturbing possibility — the reason we haven’t heard from aliens is due to fundamental limits of the human mind.

SpaceX Stacks the Starship Super Heavy

SpaceXStarshipStarbase

S20

The world's largest rocket is taking shape before its orbital flight

Can the United Kingdom be a Gateway to Space?

Space RaceUKEurope

Heating Up

As soon as 2022, the UK might start launching rockets to space. Here’s how it’s going to happen.

SpaceX Unveils its New Falcon Catcher

SpaceXScience FictionRockets

SpaceX Fleet

Falcon 9 boosters will land on a new droneship in the Atlantic

Space Tourism Has Arrived — For the Second Time

BransonBezosMusk

Billionaire Rockets

The people who decided to build their own rocket ships will be some of the first to fly. That's a good thing — for the rest of us.

Wally Funk Finally Gets Her Flight to Space

Wally FunkBlue OriginMercury 13

Equality in Space

This year ‘Wally Funk,’ will make history. She was a member of the Mercury 13, and at the age of 82, she will become the oldest person to have traveled to space.

Webb: The Space Cathedral

James Webb Space TelescopeCosmos

JWST

We visited the James Webb Space Telescope

NASA is Supporting the Search for Alien Megastructures

SETINASABreakthrough Listen

Dyson Spheres

For the first time in history, America’s space agency is officially sponsoring a search for alien megastructures.

One Woman's Fight for Space Exploration in Pakistan

PakistanEducationScience

Science Education

Yumna Majeed is fighting to promote the advancement of space technology in Pakistan, a nation she describes as still placing “more importance in astrology than astronomy.”

In Search of Contact

SETIContactJill Tarter

Are We Alone?

Jill Tarter, the inspiration behind Ellie Arroway in Contact, describes SETI as "searching a 9 dimensional haystack for a needle which may not exist."

Ties Run Deep Between Disney and Space Exploration

DisneySpace TourismWernher von Braun

Tomorrowland

A 1955 Disney series helped spark public imagination in space. The connection is stronger than ever.

A Champion Race Car Driver Will Pilot Axiom’s Second Crewed Mission

AxiomSpace StationDragon

Private Spaceflight

Record-holding veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson and John Shoffner, a pilot and race car driver, will lead Axiom Space’s Ax-2 mission to the International Space Station.

Scientists Simulate Alien Volcanoes Here on Earth

VolcanoesExoplanetsFerrovolcanism

Heavy Metal

Scientists suspect molten iron erupts from volcanoes somewhere in the galaxy. But ferrovolcanism, as it’s technically known, has never been spotted.

A Nuclear Energy Company Sets Its Sights on Deep Space

Nuclear PropulsionMarsNASA

Nuclear Engines

X-energy is working on an advanced nuclear reactor that could open the solar system to crewed exploration.

Crew-2 Falcon 9 Illuminates the Night Sky

SpaceXNASAAstronauts

Human Spaceflight

The art of launching humans to space

Joel Kinnaman & Mike Massimino Talk For All Mankind

Cold WarFor All MankindAstronauts

Real Astronaut / Play Astronaut

Space Shuttle veteran Mike Massimino is joined by For All Mankind star Joel Kinnaman to talk the Cold War and Humanity's future in space.

Weekends in Space

ISSWork-Life BalanceSkylab

Zero G R&R

Just like us mere Earthlings, Astronauts work regular hours, and when the weekend rolls around, it's time to unwind.

The Algorithm to Mars

MarsRoverArtificial Intelligence

Intelligent Rovers

Amidst all the metal and mechanics of our Mars rovers exists the growing presence of artificial intelligence.

From Outer Space to Congress

PoliticsCongressMark Kelly

Astronaut Politicians

In November, Mark Kelly became the fourth astronaut to be elected to Congress — nearly as unlikely as the average American landing on the moon.

Tracking Traffic at the International Space Station

ISSUtilityHuman Spaceflight

New Utility

Track every spacecraft currently docked to the International Space Station, arrival and departure times, current crew, location in orbit, and ongoing experiments.

Starship Comes Home to Live Another Few Minutes

SpaceXStarshipStarbase

Prototypes

SN10 sticks the landing then exits the stage with a bang.

The Strange Case of the Misplaced Cotton Candy World

ExoplanetGas GiantCotton Candy

Fantastic Worlds

Scientists have been puzzled by puffy gas giant "cotton candy" worlds for years. Then came WASP-107b, the world that shouldn’t exist.

The Euphoria of Touching Mars

MarsPerseveranceJPL

Perseverance

Where the rover leads, humans will follow—sooner than any of us think.

The History and Future of the Term "Astronaut"

AstronautCosmonautTaikonaut

Star Sailors

Why American, European, Canadian, and Japanese space travelers are called 'astronauts' is a little mystifying — and a little lost to history.

It Might Be Aliens

ETOumuamuaSETI

Extraterrestrial Visitors

Oumuamua is the first known interstellar object to enter our solar system. Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb suggests it could be the remnants of an alien solar sail.

Analyzing Data from 5 Million SETI@home Users

SETIETCitizen Science

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

In March of 2020, SETI@home went quiet. But after twenty years, the project is only just beginning.

The Ugly Bargain Behind NASA’s SLS Rocket

SLSNASAArtemis

Space Launch System

In 2008, of all NASA’s programs, the one most troubling to Lori Garver was Constellation. Billed in 2004 as "Apollo on steroids," the program was a long-term, station-moon-Mars plan for human spaceflight.

A 4.5-Billion-Year Journey to the White House

MoonApolloWhite House

Moon Rock

The moon rock that now sits in President Biden's Oval Office has a (very) long and storied history.

South Texas is Where Starships are Born

SpaceXElon MuskMars

Road to Mars

SpaceX is preparing the Starship SN9 prototype for launch

Citizen Scientists Help Find Rare Black Holes

Black HolesCitizen ScienceGalaxies

Citizen Science

Spiral Graph is a citizen science project hunting distant spiral galaxies for a mysterious and rare species of black hole.

The ISS's Platform for Cooperation Will Outlive the Station Itself

ISSCommercial CrewSpace Race

The Future of International Cooperation

Construction on the ISS marked the end of another era: The Space Race.

NASA's Unsung Heroes: Biomedical Engineers

NASAISSBIOMEDICAL

Managing Human Health Off-World

When things go sideways, NASA turns to its biomedical engineers, who are responsible for developing systems that safeguard our space explorers in orbit.

David Oyelowo & Astronaut Alvin Drew Share their Space Adventures

SpaceMoviesAstronauts

Astronauts

Two-time Space Shuttle astronaut Alvin Drew is joined by Selma and Lincoln alum David Oyelowo to discuss space exploration, culture, and David's new Netflix movie, The Midnight Sky.

The Great Conjunction

SaturnJupiterMoons

Christmas Star

The Saturn and Jupiter Systems converge in the night sky.

The Station

ISSShuttleSoyuz

Our Home

From pulp science fiction, to political squabbles, to grand visions and human tragedy, the Station is our short documentary on the history and future of the ISS — our improbable, fantastical home amongst the stars.

Felicity Jones & Astronaut Nicole Stott Compare Space Notes

Nicole StottFelicity JonesAstronauts

Felicity Jones and Nicole Stott

Actress Felicity Jones and Astronaut Nicole Stott share a love for space and discovery.

The First Flight of the New Cargo Dragon

SpaceXNASAISS

Photo essay

SpaceX launches its 21st resupply run to the international space station for NASA.

The Myth and Wonder of the Moon Endures

Over The MoonCultureArt

Lunar Dreams

Cathy Ang, star of Netflix’ Over the Moon, on what drew her to a story of lunar goddesses and garage-built rocket ships.

What it Means to Lose Arecibo

AreciboSETIFAST

Arecibo Collapse

We haven’t just lost a great observatory. We’ve lost an iconic structure in the midst of mountains and jungle, from where we first reached out to the Universe to say hello.

We Were Promised Cosmic Cocktails

AlcoholISSMars

Booze in Space

A brief history of boozing in low Earth orbit.

SpaceX Lands in California After Ocean Satellite Launch

SpaceXNASAESA

West Coast

SpaceX Launches an ocean-monitoring satellite for NASA and its European partners.

The Flight of Resilience

Crew-1NASASpaceX

Crew-1

SpaceX performs the first privately-flown crew rotation to the International Space Station.

Supercluster Explains Season One

OrbitsRocketsAerodynamicsLagrange PointsMachine Learning

How Things Work

Supercluster Explains is our ongoing series of experimental animated shorts. Each episode tackles one of our favorite mind bending space concepts in 60 seconds or less.

NASA's Kathy Lueders Oversees a New Era of Human Spaceflight

ISS20th AnniversaryKathy Lueders

Humans in Space

Going to space changes the way people view Earth. The more people who can have that experience, the better.

Meet Leah Cheshier, Host of the Crew-1 Launch Livestream

Crew-1NASALaunch America

Crew-1

Johnson Space Center Communications Specialist Leah Cheshier heads to SpaceX headquarters to host a livestream of NASA's next crew launch to the space station.

The Occult History Behind NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

JPLJack ParsonsAleister Crowley

Secret History

Jack Parsons was one of the most influential figures in the history of the American space program. He was also a Marxist, stood accused of espionage, and held a deep fascination with the occult.

Falcon 9 Soars Over Florida's Space Coast

SpaceXGPSSpace Force

Fire in the sky

SpaceX launches a fourth GPS-III satellite for the U.S Space Force from Cape Canaveral

The Bisti Badlands of the Milky Way Galaxy

BadlandsMilky WayMars

Cosmic Vistas

Supercluster's spaceflight photographer Erik Kuna hits the road to New Mexico and discovers an otherwordly vista.

Every Living Thing to Leave Planet Earth

AstronautsSupercluster AppHuman Spaceflight

The Astronaut Database

The Astronaut Database is the most complete, interactive record of every living thing to leave planet Earth. It wasn't easy to build.

Falcon 9 Transits the Sun While Mars Watches On

Starlink 13MarsOf Course I Still Love You

Mars in Opposition

A stunning sunrise liftoff of the Falcon 9 ends a rough stretch of launch scrubs and delays on Florida's historic space coast.

Hypergiant Seeks the Future We Once Imagined

HypergiantFuturistUFOs

The Future is Nigh

Scrolling the homepage of Hypergiant.com, you might feel like the future is finally here, while not really knowing exactly what you’re looking at.

Keeping ISS Astronauts Safe at 4.76 Miles per Second

Mission controlNASAISS

ISS Turns 20

Meet Pooja Jesrani, NASA's first South Asian female flight director, tasked with keeping ISS astronauts safe from back here on planet Earth.

Europa Clipper Inches Forward, Shackled to the Earth

EuropaSLSJupiter

The Search For Life

Europa is not easily explored. It is a pitiless Thunderdome, setting humanity’s best engineers against the solar system’s most vexing planetary system.

The Case for Building a SETI Observatory on the Moon

SETIMoonFrancis Drake

Lunar Listening Base

Our planet has become so “loud” in the part of the radio spectrum observed by SETI that it threatens to drown out any signal sent from an extraterrestrial civilization

Space Unites on the Soccer Field

New SpaceSpaceXSoccer

Sports And Space

There’s a soccer team that brings space engineers from around the country together on the field. Not as adversaries in a race to the moon or Mars, but as a team — united.

We Don't Talk Enough About Ron McNair

ChallengerRon McNairAstronauts

Heroes

Ronald McNair was just 35 years old when he died aboard the Challenger Space Shuttle. That tragedy ended a brilliant life spent conquering adversity.

Surviving the Earth Like an Apollo Astronaut

ApolloSurvivalHand Crafted

In The Shop

The Survival Goggles, Sun Bonnet, and Quilt are a painstakingly handmade homage to the Apollo survival missions of August, 1964.

How (Not) to Design a Space Station

ISSSpace LabNASA

Space Habitats

The International Space Station is a modern marvel of engineering. Designing it was a nightmare.

SpaceX Launches a Polar Orbit Mission for Argentina

SAOCOM–1BMicrowavesArgentina

Photo Essay

SpaceX launches the first Polar Orbit mission from Cape Canaveral since the 1960s.

The Space Age Museum

Space AgeHistoryFuture

The Space Age

Space Age Museum holds the largest archive of this unique moment in popular culture, during a time that radically transformed our perspective.

Cold War Politics Shaped the International Space Station

Cold WarISSShuttle

Space Politics

A global surge of nationalism and the commercialization of space means the ISS may be the first — and last — space station of its kind.

SpaceX Passes New Milestone for Rocket Reusability

StarlinkFalcon 9Reusability

Reusable Rocket

A Falcon 9 rocket has now launched and landed a record six times

A Trip Through The Universe

ArtPsychedelicsSpace

Blotter Art

There’s a deep connection between psychedelic culture and space art. The earliest blotters advertised their possibilities with crescent moons, swirling nebulas, and starscapes.

India's Role in Discovering Water on the Moon

MoonWaterISRO

Lunar Resources

India’s first lunar mission, Chandrayaan 1, confirmed the existence of water on the Moon. It was a groundbreaking achievement for Mission Director Srinivasa Hegde.

The Perseverance Rover Launches to Mars

MarsPerseveranceHelicopter

Mission to Mars

Mars is hard. The global success rate of Mars missions is just 48%, yet NASA has a seemingly impossible 88% success rate. Perseverance hopes to raise the bar even higher.

Trekking to Mars with ULA Chief Tory Bruno

ULAMars 2020Perseverance

Mars 2020

ULA has launched every NASA mission to Mars — and Perseverance, their most important mission, will carry the first flying machine to the surface of another planet.

NASA's First Puerto Rican-born Director Aims for a Moonshot

NASAArtemisMoon

Big Moves

Marla Pérez-Davis now heads NASA Glenn and will help ensure that the first woman arrives safely on the surface of the moon.

China's Massive Telescope is the Next Great SETI Hope

FASTSETIChina

Intelligent Life

Embedded within towering limestone mountains, the giant Five-hundred-meter F.A.S.T. is the world’s most powerful radio telescope. It’s also the next great hope in SETI.

Driving Cars on the Moon

RoversApolloMoon

Crazy Ideas

Supercluster's own Jamie Carreiro and Eric Collins discuss the outlandish engineering that made it possible for humans to drive on another world.

How to Destroy the Big Bang

Big BangCosmologyDeep Time

Change The World

A new book outlines how to upend the most dominant theory in cosmology. Good luck actually doing it.

Peace and Progress Aboard the International Space Station

Nicole StottISSAstronauts

The International Space Station

This year the International Space Station turns 20. Astronaut Nicole Stott reflects on her time aboard the station, what it means for science, and what it means for humanity.

Wiley Post and His Adventures at the Edge of Space

Wiley PostPodcastSpacesuits

New Episode

Join us for this special episode of the Supercluster Podcast as we look back into aviation history to bring you the incredible story of legendary American aviator Wiley Post.

Crew Dragon in Photos

SpaceXDM2Crew Dragon

Crew Dragon

Crew Dragon's stunning launch, and Falcon 9's triumphant return from its first human mission.

A Computer Game is Helping Make Space for Everyone

KerbalRocketryGaming

Kerbal Space Program

Kerbal’s Developers built a space program for the rest of us.

Keeping Millions of People Connected to the Space Station

ISSSocial MediaDM-2

Social Media In Space

With 3.1M following the ISS Twitter account, Leah Cheshier and her team at Johnson Space Center have a massive audience that depends on them for the latest space news

SpaceX Will Return Human Spaceflight to American Soil

Crew DragonArtSpaceX

Why We Look Up

Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley stand on the precipice of history, like so many space explorers before them.

Space Fan Stuck At Home Survival Kit

WallpaperZoom BackgroundsGreatest Hits

Digital Care Package

It's not a ticket on Starship, but hopefully this library of wallpapers, zoom backgrounds, and a collection of greatest hits reminds you what life will be like when we're back under the stars.

Learning to Live and Work off Planet

MarsRobotsHabitat

THE ISS IS A PROVING GROUND

Experiments at the International Space Station have paved the way to Mars and beyond

The Significance of Baking Cookies in Space

FoodISSNASA

Chocolate Chip

Satiating astronauts’ deepest food desires—from freshly baked cookies to crisp apples—is an exciting frontier for those whose jobs it is to prepare and launch more palatable foods to space.

Earth Day at Kennedy Space Center

SpaceXStarlinkEarth Day

Starlink 7

During this year's Earth Day, SpaceX successfully launched a new batch of Starlink satellites on a reusable Falcon 9 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

The Search for Rare Species of Aurora

AurorasaurusSTEVEArcs

STEVE isn’t your ordinary aurora

From China and Japan to Scandinavia and beyond, people from all over the planet have their own supernatural interpretations of the aurorae.

Virgin Orbit's Final Dress Rehearsal

AirlaunchVirgin OrbitCosmic Girl

final development test

Virgin Orbit performed their final development test while manufacturing ventilators in the fight against COVID-19. Supercluster's Pauline Acalin was there.

A Group of Scientists Studying Distant Galaxies Needs Your Brain

Citizen ScienceBlack HolesGalaxies

Help science find black holes

You can learn a lot about a galaxy by tracing its arms. Like how fast it spins, how much dark matter it contains, or even whether a rare black hole lurks at its core.

What Astronomers Really Think of Astrology Apps

AstronomyAstrologySkepticism

Searching For Meaning

Astrology is a 2 billion dollar business, and the most popular apps crunch data directly from NASA. So what do astronomers think of these high tech horoscopes?

The First Space Force Mission

Space ForceULAAtlas V

Atlas V

On Thursday, March 26th at 4:18 pm Eastern time, ULA fired off the Atlas V from Cape Canaveral on its first mission for the newly established Space Force. Supercluster was there.

Every Rocket Launch, All Over The World, In Your Pocket

LaunchesApplicationsLivestreams

Everything Leaving Earth

The Supercluster launch tracker is now available for iOS and Android. Get mission info, countdowns, livestreams, viewing locations and customized launch alerts

Spreading Our Ashes Through The Cosmos

CelestisFalcon HeavyMemorial

The story of Celestis, featuring CEO Charles Chafer.

The story of Celestis, a company that offers a different kind of memorial — launching the ashes of your deceased love ones into space. Featuring Celestis CEO Charles Chafer.

Fighting to Preserve Human History on the Moon

MoonSpace LawHuman History

Space Law

Could space tourism pose a threat to the Apollo landing sites?

Listening for Aliens with Laser Light

SETIVERITASLasers

Search For Life

In the shadow of Mount Hopkins, four giant, segmented mirrors stare at the night sky.

From NASA's Archives: The Crash in the Desert

NASAexplosionsBoeing

Explosive results

In late 1984, NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration intentionally crashed a remote-controlled Boeing 720 passenger jet (filled with crash-test dummies) in the Mojave Desert.

Bill Nye Loves LightSail 2

Bill NyeSolar SailsCarl Sagan

Sailing on Starlight

Solar Sail technology fascinated Bill Nye for decades. Now, with Planetary Society, he is helping to make it a reality.

Saying I Do Among the Stars

ValentinesWeddingsZero Gravity

Star Crossed Lovers

A literally star-studded wedding might sound romantic, but it’s not without its legal challenges.

Star Trek’s Most Significant Legacy: Diversity

Star TrekPop CultureRepresentation

Everyone Prospers

Star Trek has changed the pop culture landscape in many ways since it first aired in 1966. It’s hard to pinpoint any other franchise that has so fundamentally impacted our world.

'90s Disaster Movies Might Actually Save The Planet

AsteroidsBruce WillisHale-Bopp

Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing

The year before Armageddon came out, Hale-Bopp whizzed past earth. I remember standing barefoot on the deck behind our ranch-style house in the suburbs, watching the comet's glow.

The Cold War Plan to Build Earth's Largest Telescope

Sugar GroveCold WarMoon

Small Town Secrets

There is little evidence the Sugar Grove telescope ever existed. The only clues that construction ever began are a few steel struts rising from an anonymous concrete pad.

How to Catch a Fish From Space

FishingSatellitesMaxar

How Space Is Helping an Unlikely Industry: Amateur Fishermen

Satellite fishing maps take much of the guesswork out of the where-to-go-to-find-fish equation.

NASA Enlists Brave Rodent Avatars to Further Space Travel

SpaceXAvatarsMousetronauts

The squad of mice will be flying with SpaceX to the ISS

SpaceX flew 40 Mice to the ISS for NASA. The group will help us further understand the effects of space travel on human physiology and biology.

The Handshake in Space

ApolloUSSRNASA

Our Greatest Stories

The amazing story of the Apollo Soyuz Test Project, the first time the USA and Soviet Union worked together on a cooperative mission in outer space.

Habitable Worlds Require Prime Galactic Real Estate

MetallicityGalactic MotionStellar Density

Galactic Habitability

In the 1970s astronomers started asking “Why is our Solar System in this part of the Milky Way, and not somewhere else?”

Demystifying Space Force

Space ForceMilitaryStar Trek

War in Space

A closer look at the latest addition to America's armed forces ― which, no, will not resemble Star Trek.

The Battle For Mauna Kea

Mauna KeaJason MomoaThirty Meter Telescope

Culture and Science Clash

Ancient Hawaiian law prohibited anyone but tribal leaders from ascending Mauna Kea. But today you'll see hardhats, bulldozers, and protesters decrying the desecration of native land.

Ruins of The Space Coast

NASASpace CoastCape Kennedy

Space History

America’s rocket launch program began at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in the 1950s. We were given the chance to visit these launch sites and explore 60+ years of the base's rich history.

Studying the Cosmic Dark Ages With Parts From Your Hardware Store

The Big BangAstronomyTelescopes

Deep Questions

Shining a light on the Cosmic Dark Ages, with plumbing parts and chicken wire.

The Road to Mars Passes Through Boca Chica

SpaceXStarshipMars

Humans to Mars

Boca Chica, Texas exists in some nexus between the United States, Mexico, and now, Mars.

Elon Musk Reveals Starship in Boca Chica, Texas

SpaceXStarshipMars

Humans to Mars

Elon Musk reveals a Starship prototype in Texas: a massive rocket, seemingly inspired by the Tintin cartoons from the 1950s, that SpaceX will use to launch humans to deep space.

Your Travel Guide to Raiding Area 51

AliensRoad TripsConspiracy

Bad Ideas

It's probably not a great idea to launch a citizen's raid on Area 51. However, if you do, don't leave home without the Supercluster Area 51 Guide.

How to Explore The Cosmos from Your Own Backyard

AstrophotographyAstronomyTelescopes

Astrophotography

You don’t need government funding to take a great photo of the cosmos.

How Star Trek Predicts Our Future

Star TrekCultureFuture

New Episode

A discussion on the mythology of Star Trek and its impact on human space exploration.

The Supercluster Podcast: Water Bears Might Now Occupy the Moon

TardigradesMoonBeresheet

New Episode

Tardigrades––tiny but extremely tough creatures––were snuck aboard the Beresheet Israeli lunar lander and may have survived their crash landing on the moon.

Can Intelligent Machines Find Intelligent Aliens?

SETIAliensArtificial Intelligence

First Contact

When aliens call, will artificial intelligence pick up the phone?

The Supercluster Podcast: Last Week in Space 08/09

SpaceXULACape Canaveral

Double Header Launches

This week: Supercluster's Robin Seemangal is down at Cape Canaveral with contributor and launch expert Chris Gebhardt to recap a busy week of launches around the world.

This Cape Canaveral Startup is Attempting to Revolutionize Rocketry

Rocket scienceHybrid enginesDARPA

Environmentally friendly rockets

A few miles drive from NASA Kennedy Space Center, the world’s premier space port, a young company is quietly attempting to revolutionize rocketry.

Meet the Founder of Launcher, Brooklyn's Hidden Rocket Startup

RocketsStartupBrooklyn

Spaceflight in Brooklyn

A fateful visit to Kennedy Space Center would eventually inspire Max Haot to pursue space exploration.

Last Week in Space: Apollo 50th Edition

Apollo 11Washington MonumentHyperloop

New Episode

This week: Our Chief of Content Robin Seemangal is joined by Supercluster contributor and launch expert Chris Gebhardt to discuss the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 launch.

The Supercluster Podcast: Why Everyone is Talking About UFOs

Bob LazarJoe RoganElement 115

Invade Area 51

In the past 18 months UFO theories have passed from tin-hat support groups to the hallowed pages of the New York Times and Washington Post. Why?

Celebrities & Pop Culture Are Suddenly Obsessed With Space. Why Now?

Aaron PaulAriana GrandeNASA

Star Power

Stars, planets, and the thought of exploring them has taken a leading role in everything from film and apparel to internet and celebrity culture. But why, and why now?

When We Blast Our Dead Loved Ones to Space

DeathGene RoddenberryCelestis

Space Funerals

There is a growing trend toward space-based memorial services. Startups are competing to send the remains of our loved ones to the edge of space, the moon, or endless earth orbit.

The Supercluster Podcast: Last Week in Space 7/12

Richard BransonLauncherOneArianespace

LauncherOne

This week: NASA gets a huge leadership shakeup while Arianespace suffered a loss of its Vega rocket and payload during a launch from French Guiana. 

How Dolphins on LSD Shaped the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

AliensDolphinsLSD

SETI

We thought dolphins on acid could help us talk to aliens.

Documentary: Life in Pine Bush, A Century of UFO Sightings

UFOPine BushDocumentary

Strange Lights in the Sky

We travel to the town of Pinebush, NY, UFO capital of the world, to search for signs of life.

The Amateur Astronomers Who Hunt Spy Satellites

SatellitesClassifiedDIY

Satellite Hunters

Inside the global network of astronomers searching the skies for classified government satellites.

The Human Effort to Sail the Cosmos on Sunlight

Solar SailsCarl SaganBill Nye

The Planetary Society

Carl Sagan dreamt of navigating the cosmos on sails pushed by gusts of sunlight, streaming out from our star. 

The Supercluster Podcast: Falcon Heavy and the New Space Coast

SpaceXCape CanaveralFalcon Heavy

Cape Canaveral

On a special edition of The Supercluster Podcast, our Chief of Content Robin Seemangal travels down to Cape Canaveral, Florida to prepare for the SpaceX Falcon Heavy STP-2 launch.

The Strangest Ways We’ve Said Hello to the Universe

GaussCatsPythagoras

Nuke the Moon

Light the desert on fire! Put a giant mirror on the Eiffel Tower! Blow up the Moon!

The Supercluster Podcast: Last Week in Space 6/14

CaliforniaTexasMars

Robin Seemangal is joined by seasoned aerospace photographers Tom Cross and Pauline Acalin, who were on the road last week visiting SpaceX’s mysterious facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

Meet the Town of Pine Bush, UFO Capital of the World

UFOsAliensSmall towns

UFO Parade

Nothing brings a small town together like an alien invasion.

The First Women Trained To Conquer Space

Women in SpaceUSSRSpace History

Humans In Space

They were selected from hundreds, trained for a mission of national importance.

Did Mars Once Harbor Life? Percy Will Investigate

Mars 2020ExplorationRobots

Road to Mars

PHD candidate Macey Sandford is crafting an instrument for the Mars 2020 rover to help unlock the Red Planet’s greatest mystery: did life once exist here?

The Supercluster Podcast: Blasting Our Dead Loved Ones to Space

DeathGene RoddenberryCelestis

Space Funerals

Vice Reporter Samantha Cole discusses her new feature for Supercluster on the business of sending your dead loved ones to space.

The Complex Relationship Between Mental Health and Space Travel

mental healthhuman space flightoverview effect

Mental Health

Astronauts are real-life superheroes. Their daring feats in space defy all expectations.

The Supercluster Podcast: Last Week in Space / May 24th

SpaceXStarlinkNASA

Last Week in Space

SpaceX launches 60 of its experimental broadband satellites to orbit from Cape Canaveral.

The Giant Eye Seen from Space

Space ArtTom Van SantLANDSAT

Space Art

Tom Van Sant, a sculptor from California, set out to create one of humanity’s single largest pieces of art: a giant human eye, visible only from space.

The Supercluster Podcast: Last Week in Space / May 17th

StarlinkNASAMoon

Last Week in Space

SpaceX's plan to bring the internet everywhere.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Ourselves

Lucian of SamosataStar TrekAlf

Aliens

Humanity has a complex relationship with extraterrestrials. Sometimes they come shooting, sometimes they come probing.

The Supercluster Podcast: Last Week in Space / May 10th

Blue OriginSpaceXNASA

Blue Moon

Every week Supercluster keeps you up to date on what just happened in space.

Launching a New Era

SpaceXFalcon HeavyKennedy Space Center

Falcon Heavy

On April 11th 2019, for the first time in history, three separate boosters returned to Earth for reuse.

Meet the Daring Young Women Striving for a Life in Space

Casey HonniballAbigail FlomWomen in STEM

Women Astronauts

Abigail Flom and Casey Honniball are among the next generation of young women prepared to take the plunge.

The Supercluster Podcast: Crew Dragon Anomaly

SpaceXNASASpacecraft

SpaceX Troubles

What caused the SpaceX Crew Dragon to explode?

Can We Rescue the Opportunity Rover?

OpportunityMarsRescue

Rescue Mission

Opportunity and its twin, Spirit, touched down on opposite sides of Mars in 2004, tasked with a common goal: find evidence of water (and perhaps even life) on the red planet.

The Supercluster Podcast: Falcon Heavy

podcastfalcon heavy

Podcast Liftoff

The World's Most Powerful Rocket.

In The Shop: Falcon Heavy Launch Poster and Viewing Guide

PhotographyNASAShuttle Program

Falcon Heavy Viewing Guide

Falcon Heavy is twice as powerful as the next most powerful rocket.

How Space YouTubers Are Keeping Astronaut Ambitions Alive

YouTubeKidsExplainers

Endless Knowledge

Kids used to want to be astronauts, now they want to be YouTubers.

Mars Ethics: Justice on the New Frontier

Martian ColonySpace JusticeThought Experiments

Space Laws

Humans will face brutal questions and decide what it means to be humane as we expand our footprint into the solar system.

Hunting Mummified Worlds in Deep Space

Uncharted SpaceBrian MayCelestial Bodies

Beyond Pluto

Out in the icy depths of the solar system, far from the warmth of our star, drifts a tiny frozen world shrouded in perpetual twilight.

Cheap Rockets Grow The Human Space Family

SatelliteCubesatCommunications

Space Economics

Changes in rocket ship price tags mean a rapidly growing community of nations in space.

The Fall and Rise of Florida's Space Coast

FloridaSpacexBlue Origin

Photo Essay

With the rise of private space exploration companies, Florida's Space Coast is undergoing a second renaissance.

Supercluster Launch Tracker: Now Online

SuperclusterRocketLaunch

Supercluster's launch tracking toolkit is now online and available to use. Learn how it works and track rockets around the world.

Not Safety Rated For Vacuum

New Threads

Space apparel and artifacts designed for an oxygen rich atmosphere.