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News•Feb 28, 2026
Is It Legal to Own, Buy, or Sell Apollo Mission Moon Rocks and Lunar Samples?
Apollo moon rocks remain U.S. government property, making their purchase or sale illegal under federal law. A 2002 theft of 8 kg of lunar material resulted in an eight‑year prison term, underscoring the seriousness of the offense. NASA’s Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility, which houses 842 pounds of Apollo samples, recently opened a sealed Apollo 17 core for the first time in 50 years. The agency permits limited access through a certified loan program for qualified researchers and educators.
By Space.com
News•Feb 23, 2026
China's Mysterious Shenlong Space Plane Recently Launched on Its 4th Mission. What Is It Doing up There?
China’s reusable Shenlong space plane lifted off from Jiuquan on Feb 6, 2026, marking its fourth orbital mission. The vehicle’s prior flights ranged from a two‑day test to multi‑year stays, each releasing one or more satellites. Unlike the U.S. X‑37B, Shenlong...
By Space.com
News•Feb 23, 2026
Satellite Spies Northern Lights over Iceland and Canada | Space Photo of the Day for Feb. 23, 2026
On Feb 16, 2026 a minor G1 geomagnetic storm lit up the night skies over Iceland and eastern Canada. The VIIRS sensor aboard NASA’s Suomi NPP satellite captured grayscale images of the auroral displays across the Denmark Strait and Canadian provinces. The storm,...
By Space.com
News•Feb 21, 2026
What's the Point of a Space Station Around the Moon?
The Lunar Gateway, a planned orbiting space station, is a cornerstone of NASA’s Artemis program, intended to support crewed lunar missions, scientific research, and technology testing for future Mars trips. Although most international hardware has already been built and is...
By Space.com
News•Feb 20, 2026
Could One of Europe's Most Important Wetlands Really Vanish? Satellites Show It May Happen in Our Lifetime
Doñana National Park, Spain’s flagship wetland, is losing surface water at an accelerating pace, according to ESA Sentinel‑2 satellite analysis. Researchers using machine‑learning classification found a marked decline in wet area, volume and depth since 2005, projecting potential desiccation within...
By Space.com
News•Feb 18, 2026
Elon Musk Wants to Put a Satellite Catapult on the Moon. It's Not a New Idea
Elon Musk told xAI staff he wants a Moon‑based factory to produce AI‑focused satellites and launch them with a massive electromagnetic catapult. He believes that within two to three years space‑based compute will be the cheapest way to run AI...
By Space.com