European space in a time of transition

Europe is entering not just a new year but also a new era in space, with changes ranging from the UK's departure from the European Union to a new head of the European Space Agency. Jeff Foust reports on this ongoing transition in European space programs.

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What will space security look like in 2021?

Last year saw a number of developments in space security, from the rise of the US Space Force to tests of antisatellite weapons. Nayef Al-Rodhan examines the implications of these and other activities for the coming year.

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Arecibo telescope's fall is indicative of global divide around funding science infrastructure

The collapse of the giant radio telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico in December was a loss for astronomy. Raquel Velho argues it also illustrates the financial challenges and other controversies that scientific facilities face.

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Review: Extraterrestrial

In 2017, astronomers discovered an object passing through our solar system which most concluded was the first interstellar asteroid. Jeff Foust reviews a book by a Harvard astronomer who tries to make the case that the object is instead an alien artifact.

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Can space bridge a widening partisan divide?

Some in the space industry hope that a new Congress, which convened this week, will pick up where the last one left off on legislation like a NASA authorization bill. Jeff Foust reports that may be difficult given a growing partisan divide that may affect even the traditionally bipartisan issue of space policy.

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Catalonia's space ambitions

In the fall, the government of the Spanish region of Catalonia announced it would form its own space agency, leading to headlines about the "Catalan NASA". Marcal Sanmarti discusses what is driving Catalonia's interest in space.

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Why I'm flying to space to do research aboard Virgin Galactic

NASA announced in October it was for the first time funding the flight of a scientist on a commercial suborbital spacecraft. Alan Stern, that scientist, explains why the selection is a breakthrough for researchers like him.

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Review: Stephen Hawking: A Memoir of Friendship and Physics

Stephen Hawking was one of the most famous scientists in the world for decades, but few people got to the opportunity to truly know him well. Jeff Foust reviews a memoir by one physicist who collaborated with him on books and, in the process, got to truly appreciate him.

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From TACSAT to JUMPSEAT: Hughes and the top secret Gyrostat satellite gamble

In the late 1960s, Hughes was becoming a major player in satellite communications, but was looking to get into intelligence satellites. Dwayne Day and Nicholas Watkins describe how the company leveraged its technology for one project to combine signals intelligence and infrared missile tracking payloads.

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Twilight for Trump space policy

The Trump Administration is in its final weeks, but its efforts in space policy have not been slowing down. Jeff Foust reports on the release this month of both a new national space policy and a national strategy for space nuclear power and propulsion.

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