Space

NASA’s return to the Moon takes a massive leap forward in 2024 with the planned launch of Artemis II, the first crewed mission in the Artemis program. For the first time in over 50 years, humans will journey beyond low Earth orbit—paving the way for a new era of deep space exploration and, ultimately, a sustained presence on the lunar surface.

NASA’s ambitious OSIRIS-REx mission reached a pivotal milestone in late September 2023 with the successful return of pristine asteroid material to Earth. As the sample capsule parachuted into the Utah desert, researchers around the globe celebrated an achievement poised to redefine our understanding of the early solar system—and possibly, the origins of life on Earth.

Measuring approximately 280 kilometers (about 174 miles) at its widest point, asteroid Psyche is unlike any other object humanity has set out to study. Most asteroids are rocky or icy, but data from radar and telescopes suggest that this one is composed primarily of metallic iron and nickel—similar to Earth’s own core.