NASA peers inside an asteroid | Space photo of the day for March 19, 2026

NASA has used advanced imaging techniques to peer inside samples of asteroid Bennu, discovering extensive networks of cracks running throughout the rock particles.

Ryugu asteroid sample contains all five key components of DNA, scientists find

A sample collected by the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft from the spinning top-like asteroid contained the nucleobases adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, and uracil.

Russia aims to reclaim Soviet space glory with 2036 launch of ambitious Venus mission

Russia plans to launch the Venera-D mission to Venus in 2036, continuing the Soviet Union’s legacy of exploring there in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

Satellite spies an erupting volcano | Space photo of the day for March 13, 2026

A new NASA satellite image has captured a rare view of an erupting volcano, revealing its bright red lava flow as seen from space.

US lawmakers call for a permanent moon base. Will it ever happen?

The impetus for establishing a “Lunar Surface Moon Base” is that America is in a space race with China.

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is ‘bursting with methanol,’ new study finds

The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is unusually rich in alcohol — a chemical clue that could reveal how planets and icy bodies form around other stars.

Jupiter’s moons leave cold ‘footprints’ in the planet’s auroras, James Webb Space Telescope finds

Never-before-seen temperature and ion density measurements reveal that the effect of Jupiter’s moons on its aurora are more complicated than scientists thought.

Newly discovered comet could be visible in daytime skies this April

A newly discovered comet is rapidly brightening and could become visible from Earth — if it survives an extreme close encounter with the sun on April 4.

China’s 1st moon astronauts could land in Rimae Bode, a ‘geological museum’ on the lunar near side

A new study highlights the volcanic Rimae Bode region as a scientifically promising destination for China’s first crewed moon landing mission, which the nation wants to achieve by 2030.