There are at least 19,000 pieces of space debris in Earth's orbit, not including active satellites, that the U.S is monitoring.

Regulators have slowed the pace of Starship launches over environmental concerns, but that may be about to change.

Scientists are reconsidering old information about Uranus. NPR's Scott Simon explains the problem with photos taken of the planet 38 years ago.

The next supermoon — which appears larger and brighter than a regular full moon due to its proximity to Earth — will not be visible for nearly a year.

A similar hearing last year brought extraordinary moments, including a retired intelligence officer alleging that the U.S. government has recovered nonhuman "biologics" from crash sites.

As global warming continues and space technology improves, there is more and more talk about the growing possibility of a sci-fi future in which humans become a multiplanetary species. Specifically, that we could live on Mars. Biologist Kelly Weinersmith and cartoonist Zach Weinersmith have spent the last four years researching what this would look like if we did this anytime soon. In their new book A City On Mars, they get into all sorts of questions: How would we have babies in space? How would we have enough food? They join host Regina G. Barber and explain why it might be best to stay on Earth. Kelly and Zach Weinersmith's book A City On Mars is out now.Have another space story you want us to cover on a future episode? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you!

The North and South Taurids occur every year in September, October, and November. They may have originated from a comet that broke up about 10,000 years ago.

A pivotal week in Corey Gray's life began with a powwow in Alberta and culminated with a piece of history: The first-ever detection of gravitational waves from the collision of two neutron stars. Corey was on the graveyard shift at LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory in Hanford, Washington, when the historic signal came. This episode, Corey talks about the discovery, the "Gravitational Wave Grass Dance Special" that preceded it and how he got his Blackfoot name. (encore)

How did life start on Earth? The answer is a big scientific mystery scientists are actively investigating. After talking with many scientists, host Regina G. Barber found that an abundance of water on Earth is most likely key, in some way, to the origin of life — specifically, in either deep sea hydrothermal vents or in tide pools. It's for this reason some scientists are also exploring the potential for life in so-called "water worlds" elsewhere in the solar system, like some of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. This episode, Regina digs into two water-related hypotheses for the origin on life on Earth — and what that might mean for possible alien life. Have another scientific mystery you want us to cover on a future episode? Email us at [email protected] — we might feature your idea on a future episode!

China declared a “complete success” after it launched a new three-person crew to its space station early Wednesday as the country seeks to expand its exploration of outer space.