Astronomy on MSN

Jan. 16, 2003: Space Shuttle Columbia's final launch

On Jan. 16, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia launched on its 28th mission, STS-107. NASA had five additional space shuttle missions planned for 2003, but STS-107 was the only one focused on scientific ...

Horrifying final seconds of Challenger astronauts killed in disaster watched by millions

The Space Shuttle Challenger was destroyed just 73 seconds into its flight 40 years ago today, killing all seven crew on ...
The Root

NASA Chief: Final Shuttle Launch Begins New Era

When the space shuttle Atlantis blasts off on Friday, it will mark the final NASA shuttle mission ever. But the shuttering of the 30-year-old program isn’t the end of American space exploration — in ...

Shuttle Challenger remembered at 40th anniversary of NASA disaster

NASA's space shuttle Challenger exploded and broke apart Jan. 28, 1986, in the sky over East-Central Florida, killing the ...

Space Shuttle Challenger pilot's devastating final two words before explosion

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986, killed all seven astronauts on board, but disturbing details later emerged suggesting some may have survived the initial breakup.

NASA’s Next Moon Rocket Runs on Shuttle Engines—Here’s the Story Behind Each One

NASA is getting ready to launch its massive, fully expendable rocket for the first crewed flight to the Moon since Apollo.
Digital Trends

SpaceX preps the final rocket launch of its blockbuster year

SpaceX’s last flight of 2025 is the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation mission for the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence, launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.