The Mars ascent vehicle (MAV) will be very different from the ascent stage of the Apollo Lunar Module, the only craft ever to carry humans off the surface of another planetary body.

Given the success of the five-nation ISS partnership, the new director-general of the European Space Agency is hopeful any successor to the orbiting outpost will be founded on international cooperation. To this end, he has proposed a free-flying science lab that would continue ISS micro-gravity research in low Earth orbit while advancing technologies for orbital-debris mitigation. He has also floated a so-called “Moon Village” mission on the dark side of the lunar surface, offering the potential to further research and technology development in a low-gravity environment using humans, robots, or both.

Pentagon postures for a reality where satellites are threatened or even attacked.

Finding adds urgency to space agency’s quest to find life on other planets.

Spurred by consumer demand, enabled by consumer electronics, cubesats are becoming more capable and commercially viable, says Scotland-based developer Clyde Space.

This week's top aerospace and defense stories, including Norway's first F-35A and Boeing's bulk Chinese aircraft order.

Without a new spending bill by Sept. 30, the U.S. government could be forced to shut down.

The closure of Ex-Im leaves only one U.S. spacecraft builder able to obtain export financing: Palo Alto-based Space Systems/Loral, whose Canadian parent company can tap financial backing from Export Development Canada, even if construction of the satellite is performed in the U.S.