NASA advances lunar ambitions with Artemis III while space exploration faces scrutiny over crew diversity; scientific discoveries reshape understanding of Earth systems and celestial mechanics.

NASA administrator Jared Isaacman responded to criticism over the all-male Artemis III crew selection, emphasizing that women play prominent roles throughout the space agency despite the crew composition drawing public attention.

NASA provided a progress update on Artemis III, its test flight aimed at returning humans to the moon, though experts caution the timeline remains ambitious and the agency faces challenges in staying on track for the mission.

SpaceX has transformed from a far-fetched concept into a $2 trillion company, with founder Elon Musk revealing he initially gave the rocket company less than a 10 percent chance of success before its remarkable ascent.

Russia appears poised to finally address longstanding and serious structural cracks in the International Space Station, signaling renewed focus on space station maintenance and safety concerns.

A San Francisco company purchased the solution to an unsolved code in Kryptos, a famous cryptography sculpture on CIA grounds, for nearly $1 million and plans to release it as an online challenge.

Scientists studying a medieval manuscript found evidence suggesting a flying monk may have observed Halley's Comet twice, though experts note the historical claims remain complicated and require further verification.

Starwatch observers can witness a delightful twilight conjunction this week as a three-day-old crescent moon aligns with the bright planet Venus in the constellation Cancer, positioned about one moon-width apart.

Recent astronomical research indicates Earth's sun will remain habitable for longer than previously thought, providing good news about the extended timeline before solar evolution becomes critical for life on the planet.

A major study reveals subterranean fungal networks span more than 100 quadrillion kilometers globally, representing the first comprehensive global mapping of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi that sustain plant life worldwide.