2:24
NASA reveals Artemis III crew for next step toward the Moon
NASA has officially revealed the crew for Artemis III, the next major step in humanity's return to deep space. Scheduled for 2027, the mission will remain in Earth orbit and perform critical rendezvous and docking tests needed for future lunar landing missions. Leading the crew is commander Randy Bresnik, joined by pilot Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency, and mission specialists Andre Douglas and Frank Rubio. The test flight will help validate key systems and procedures ahead of Artemis IV, currently targeted to become the first crewed mission to the lunar South Pole in 2028.
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2:16
Artemis I recap: NASA’s return to the Moon after 50 years
On November 16, 2022, NASA's Space Launch System rocket — the most powerful rocket ever built — lifted off from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center, carrying the Orion spacecraft on humanity's first deep space mission since Apollo 17, exactly 50 years earlier. This was Artemis 1 — an uncrewed test flight designed to answer one critical question before putting humans on board: does everything work? The primary goals were to demonstrate Orion's systems in a deep space environment and ensure a safe re-entry, descent, splashdown, and recovery — ahead of the first crewed flight on Artemis 2. Three instrumented mannequins — Moonikin Campos, Helga, and Zohar — occupied the seats, measuring radiation and acceleration data that would keep future astronauts safe. Over 25.5 days, Orion performed two lunar flybys, coming within 80 miles of the lunar surface. On flight day 13, Orion reached its maximum distance of 268,563 miles from Earth — farther than any spacecraft built for humans had ever flown — 30,000 miles beyond Apollo 13's record from 1970. Returning to Earth on December 11, 2022 — the 50th anniversary of Apollo 17's lunar landing — Orion stayed in space longer than any spacecraft built for astronauts ever has without docking to a space station. It successfully completed a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean and was recovered by USS Portland off the coast of San Diego. Artemis 1 set new records of performance, exceeded efficiency expectations, and established new safety baselines for humans in deep space. Every system worked. The seats were empty this time. Not next time. Mission Stats: 🚀 Launch: November 16, 2022 — 1:47 AM EST 🌕 Closest lunar approach: 80 miles above the surface 📏 Maximum distance from Earth: 268,563 miles ⏱️ Mission duration: 25.5 days 🌊 Splashdown: December 11, 2022 — Pacific Ocean 📦 Recovered by: USS Portland What came next: Artemis 2 — April 2026 — four humans orbit the Moon Credits: Image Courtesy: Apollo 17 Mission image — Lunar Module, Flag, CDR, LRV — NASA/JSC Video Courtesy: NASA's Artemis I Moon Mission: Launch to Splashdown Highlights — https://youtu.be/jrDv0OdMt5s?si=rMjtO3bvGkmkz428 Artemis I Launches to the Moon (Official NASA Recap) — https://youtu.be/mYTvg2abusc?si=pv-Ht3LdDoM5RpF_ To the Moon and Back: The Journey of Artemis I — https://youtu.be/8dHwQq0GrAA?si=UT_tAf-f9s-V8Q3b All NASA footage and imagery is public domain and used in accordance with NASA media usage guidelines.
1:38
The next Artemis crew announcement is almost here
A major Artemis announcement is coming. On June 9, NASA will provide a fresh update on the Artemis III mission and unveil the astronauts assigned to the highly anticipated test flight. The live event from Johnson Space Center in Houston could offer the clearest look yet at the next steps in NASA’s journey back to the Moon. Artemis III will test the critical rendezvous and docking operations between the Orion spacecraft and a commercial human landing system, capabilities essential for future Moon missions and the long-term vision of a lunar base. Building on the success of Artemis II, which flew astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft launched by NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), Artemis III will help pave the way for the next era of human lunar exploration. Stay tuned to Starlust as the next chapter of Moon exploration unfolds.
0:48
Watch the first-ever video of a spacecraft landing on Mars
On February 18, 2021, NASA's Perseverance Rover landed on Mars and for the first time in history, a spacecraft's descent and landing on another planet were captured in continuous video from multiple onboard cameras. Earlier Mars missions had recorded only still images during descent, which could be assembled into stop-motion sequences. Perseverance's footage provided the first continuous, high-definition, multi-angle video of a Mars landing. The mission also carried microphones that produced the first successful audio recordings from the Martian surface. (Video Credit: NASA)
1:16
Space has been sending us the same signal every 1.4 hours for years — scientists now know why
For years, astronomers were picking up the same powerful burst of radio waves from deep space—repeating every 84 minutes—and had no idea what was causing it. They called these objects long-period radio transients. About a dozen had been discovered, but none had been explained. Now, a team from the University of Sydney has solved one of the mysteries. The signal was coming from two stars locked in a tight orbit—a white dwarf and a red dwarf—whose magnetic fields collide every single orbit, producing the exact burst astronomers had been puzzling over for years. It's the first confirmed source of a signal like this ever identified. Visuals & Credits: ASKAP Telescope Photograph — Alex Cherney / CSIRO NICER Catches Milestone X-ray Burst — Visualization by Chris Smith / NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center T Coronae Borealis Nova Animation — Visualization by Adriana Manrique Gutierrez / NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Study Illustration — University of Sydney / Nature Astronomy
2:30
This year, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft will hit a huge "light-day" milestone
In November 2026, NASA's Voyager 1 will reach an incredible milestone: one light-day from Earth, meaning its signals will take a full 24 hours to travel back home. Nearly 50 years after launch, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 remain the most distant human-made objects ever created, still exploring the vast region beyond the heliopause and the edge of the Solar System. This video looks back at the remarkable journey of the twin spacecraft, from their historic flybys of Jupiter and Saturn to Voyager 2's visits to Uranus and Neptune, and how these pioneering space probes continue to send back data from interstellar space decades after they were expected to retire. Video edited using footage owned by NASA. Royalty free music from Hook Sounds.
0:28
Exact moment bright meteor streaks past erupting volcano in the Philippines
A rare fireball lit up the skies above Mayon Volcano in the Philippines on May 25, 2026, creating a stunning scene. Initially thought to have struck the volcano, PHIVOLCS later confirmed that the meteor disintegrated in the atmosphere before reaching the ground. The event was special because it also featured Mayon's ongoing eruption, bringing together two powerful natural phenomena - from space and Earth - in a single frame. Video source: (1) AfarTV YouTube Channel (All rights reserved) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRntP5h3AqI https://www.afar.tv (2) PHIVOLCS-DOST| X Background music by HookSounds
1:12
Scientists finally know exactly when a star becomes a black hole
Scientists have identified the critical threshold where a neutron star can no longer resist its own gravity and collapses into a black hole. The boundary lies between 2.2 and 2.3 solar masses. Below this limit, a neutron star survives. Above it, gravity wins—and a black hole forms. Credits: Video Courtesy: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS)/ Visualizations by Walt Feimer and Luciano Rezzolla
0:53
China Just Launched a New Reusable Rocket in Secret — And Nobody Saw It Coming
China successfully launched the Long March-12B rocket on its maiden flight, sending satellites into orbit and marking an important step in the country's next-generation launch capabilities. While the mission received relatively little attention outside the space community, it represents a significant milestone for China's growing space program. The Long March-12B is designed as a reusable launch vehicle and could play a major role in future commercial and constellation missions. 🚀 Rocket: Long March-12B (CZ-12B) 📅 Launch Date: June 1, 2026 🛰️ Payload: Qianfan (Spacesail) constellation satellites Source: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)
1:45
NASA confirms cause of mysterious boom heard across the Northeastern U.S. on May 30
NASA and NOAA data helped scientists quickly solve the mystery behind a powerful boom heard across the northeastern U.S. on May 30. The culprit was a meteor that exploded high above the Boston region, creating a shockwave heard across multiple states. Radar data suggests meteorites may have survived the blast and fallen into Cape Cod Bay, turning a brief atmospheric event into a potentially recoverable meteorite fall. Read full article on Starlust: https://starlust.org/like-300-tons-of-tnt-meteor-explosion-over-u-s-rattles-residents/ Representative footage courtesy of Getty Images / Pexels / Pixabay.
2:01
June 2026 skywatching guide: Every major celestial event to watch this month
A complete 2-minute guide to the night sky in June 2026. Watch the stunning Venus-Jupiter conjunction, a rare Mars-Moon-Saturn alignment, Mercury at its greatest elongation, the June Bootid meteor shower, and the full Strawberry Moon. In this quick guide, we break down every major celestial event happening throughout the month and tell you exactly when to look up. Stay tuned to Starlust for more updates on skywatching, astronomy, and beyond.
0:54
NASA explains why a Moon Base can't rely on a single rover, habitat or lander
Speaking at the Moon Base event at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Jared Isaacman explained why NASA is moving away from relying on a single all-in-one system for future lunar exploration. Instead, the agency is pursuing a step-by-step approach that uses multiple landers, rovers and habitation modules to build a sustainable presence on the Moon under the Artemis program. Companies such as Astrolab, Lunar Outpost, Firefly and Blue Origin are developing key technologies that could support future Moon Base operations, astronaut mobility, logistics and autonomous activities on the lunar surface.
1:13
Blue Origin's New Glenn suffers catastrophic explosion during a test at launch pad in Florida
A New Glenn rocket belonging to Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin blew up during a static-fire test at Launch Complex 36 (LC-36) in Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at around 9 pm on May 28, 2026, shaking nearby homes and briefly painting the sky orange. Blue Origin said no one was hurt at the launch pad. “It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it,” Bezos said via X. “Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.” New Glenn had to be grounded in April when it deployed a satellite in the wrong orbit because of engine failure. It was only the third flight of the rocket that Blue Origin intends to use to launch Blue Moon landers to the moon for NASA, including the landers that will take astronauts to the lunar surface. Just a few days before the blast incident, NASA had awarded Blue Origin a contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars to launch a pair of moon buggies in the coming years as part of the Artemis program. The rocket was supposed to launch next week with internet satellites that are part of the Amazon Leo constellation in orbit. Video courtesy: @JConcilus