Brooks Mendenhall, Author at Astronomy.com

Robotic Spaceflight

Tianwen-2 launch: China begins 10-year mission to Kamoʻoalewa and 311P/Pan-STARRS

What's Launching This Week

Axiom 4 launch delayed again as Starlink and Blue Origin missions prepare for liftoff

This graphic shows what’s at stake in the proposed 2026 NASA budget

The Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew poses in their official flight suits against a dark blue background. From left to right: an astronaut from India, Shubhanshu Shukla; NASA astronaut and mission commander Peggy Whitson (front center); European Space Agency astronaut from Poland, Sławosz Uznański (back center); and Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu (right). Each crew member wears a navy and black suit with mission patches, national flags, and name tags.

What's Launching This Week

Axiom 4 makes history while SpaceX Starlink launches dominate the week

NASA postpones meeting to discuss proposed science budget cuts

A breathtaking cosmic field filled with bright stars and galaxies, showcasing arcs and streaks of light caused by gravitational lensing. A variety of colors, from red and orange glows to bright white spots, create a mesmerizing, warped effect around a massive galaxy cluster.

JWST gazes into the distant past through gravitational lens

President Donald Trump stands in the Oval Office holding a black folder, speaking near a display board showing a glowing shield-like graphic labeled "GOLDEN DOME FOR AMERICA" over a map of the United States. Behind him are military decorations, a portrait of Ronald Reagan, and shelves with books and golden decorative items.

Here’s how Trump’s Golden Dome would work — and why some call it “a fantasy”