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Introduction: Sputnik's Legacy
The launch of the first satellite, Sputnik, on 4 October 1957 forever changed the world. New Scientist delves into the legacy of the pioneering spacecraft
LATEST
NASA kills off comet hunter
22:46 25 March 2011
The Stardust spacecraft burned the last of its fuel on Thursday in an experiment designed to help engineers plan future missions
Tourists spark era of space science
18:00 09 March 2011
Scientists are salivating over the research potential of flights designed to make joy rides to the edge of space
Moon millions: Space firms chase Google's lunar lucre
13:05 09 March 2011
On your marks, get set, lift-off: everyone from garage inventors to aerospace magnates is racing for the Lunar X Prize. New Scientist surveys the field
Scientists get tickets to ride with space tourists
11:57 01 March 2011
In the first deals of their kind, a scientific institute has committed to flying its researchers on spaceships built for suborbital tourist flights
Clearing up space junk, one piece at a time
10:17 15 February 2011
As the cloud of orbiting junk shrouding the Earth grows ever denser, the most sophisticated garbage collectors of all time are taking shape
US military promotes peace in space
16:23 08 February 2011
A new strategy backed by the US military and intelligence agencies could reduce the risk of satellite damage by encouraging nations to act responsibly in space
Why space taxis might be safer than NASA's shuttle
15:35 25 January 2011 | 1 comment
On the 25th anniversary of the Challenger disaster, there are good reasons to think that the coming generations of commercial spacecraft will be safer
Stormy words over NASA's rocket deadline
13:28 19 January 2011 | 1 comment
NASA claims it can't meet Congressional demands to produce a hefty rocket by 2016, while a report points out budget waste
Fledgling space firm will use old Soviet gear
10:35 12 January 2011
Excalibur Almaz plans to use decades-old space modules to support researchers and tourists it wants to ferry into space
Apollo 13: Houston, we've had a problem
12:00 05 January 2011
Forty years after NASA's ill-fated fifth moon mission, we tune in to the astronauts' conversations thanks to newly released transcripts
HISTORIES
Whatever became of Valentina Tereshkova?
The first woman in space is a pivotal figure, but how many people remember who she was?
GALLERY
Sputnik's Legacy: 50 years and counting
Astronauts, scientists, artists and space entrepreneurs share their much-loved images
INTERVIEW
Tom Hanks and Ron Howard: Space geeks
The Hollywood actor and director talk moon missions and atom smashing