Space & Physics

Russia may be planning to put a nuclear weapon in orbit. We have known since the 1960s why that is a bad idea

Japan’s LignoSat will test wood’s resilience in space and could lead to a new era of more sustainable, less polluting satellites

We should—and must—take careful measure of what we name cosmic objects and the terms we use throughout science

A space technology company CEO explains how growing competition in the commercial space industry may help boost climate science

The next time you snap a selfie, consider thanking an astronomer for your phone’s camera

Elon Musk’s SpaceX made a much-anticipated fourth test flight of the world’s most powerful rocket, Starship, a vehicle designed to power human flight to the moon and Mars

Failing hardware on NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope may lead to less science, officials say, but the space agency isn’t ready to pursue a private repair mission

After multiple delays, the first crewed launch of Starliner marks a milestone for U.S. human spaceflight

Molecular Bose-Einstein condensates could help to provide the answers to fundamental questions or form the basis of new quantum computers

The Chang’e 6 mission is China’s second to touch down on the lunar far side and will retrieve samples for analysis on Earth

Vaccine misinformation on social media, smartphone addiction in teens, and more are discussed in this week’s news roundup.

The shape of the cosmos could be much more complex than anyone had ever imagined