compiled by Arlene & David Kaplan

– SpaceX

The biggest space missions in 2018
Next year is already overflowing with exciting missions to space. NASA is launching a new lander to Mars, as well as a spacecraft that will get closer to the Sun than ever before. And two of NASA’s vehicles already in space will finally arrive at their intended targets…more

Tiangong 1’s path – Aerospace Corporation

A Space Station Is Expected to Fall Out of the Sky
Sometime around the start of spring, a 9.4-ton Chinese space station is expected to come hurtling back to earth.
The space station, Tiangong 1, is predicted to make that return trip in mid-March, give or take a few weeks, according to an analysis by the Aerospace Corporation, a federally funded research and development center in California. But don’t worry: Odds are no one will be hurt…more

Universe’s oldest known galaxies – NASA

Hubble scores unique close-up view of distant galaxy
Astronomers were lucky when the orbiting observatory captured the image of a galaxy that existed just 500 million years after the Big Bang. The image was stretched and amplified by the natural phenomenon of gravitational lensing, unlocking unprecedented detail. Such objects usually appear as tiny red spots to powerful telescopes…more

UK satellite to make movies from space

UK satellite to make movies from space
A British satellite has gone into orbit on an Indian rocket to acquire full-colour, high-definition video of the surface of the Earth. The demonstrator is expected to pave the way for a series of at least 15 such spacecraft, which will be operated by the Guildford-based company Earth-i…more