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Instant Expert: 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
Shrink-to-fit spacesuit eases astronauts' workload
NEWS: 10:00 29 November 2009 | 16 comments
Astronauts will one day get suited and booted in seconds by stepping into an overlarge, part-robotic spacesuit that contracts to fit them
New space telescope to hunt for stealth asteroids
UPFRONT: 13:16 26 November 2009 | 13 comments
NASA's WISE infrared telescope will be able to find hundreds of near-Earth objects and maybe even a faint Jupiter-sized object lurking in deep space
Dark power: Grand designs for interstellar travel
COVER STORY: 18:00 25 November 2009 | 185 comments
We could reach the stars if we built a black hole starship or a dark matter rocket – we've got the physics to do it
'Frankenstein' fix lets asteroid mission cheat death
18:37 20 November 2009 | 14 comments
The beleaguered Hayabusa asteroid probe is back on track to return to Earth after ground controllers cobbled together a working engine from two dead ones
Is this the end for human space flight?
COMMENT AND ANALYSIS: 14:25 20 November 2009 | 120 comments
Have our dreams of sailing through space run out of history? Michael Hanlon thinks they have; Ivan Semeniuk can't see them being allowed to die
NASA seeks its one true glove
14:58 17 November 2009 | 22 comments
The second Astronaut Glove Challenge for more dextrous space gloves takes place this week
NASA to restart primate irradiation testing
11:07 16 November 2009 | 83 comments
The effect of space radiation on astronauts is still a big question mark for deep space exploration – primate research is meant to cut it down to size
Impact reveals lunar water by the bucketful
19:38 13 November 2009 | 69 comments
NASA's LCROSS mission has confirmed an icy store of water at the moon's south pole
Propelled by light: the promise and perils of solar sailing
21:30 11 November 2009 | 31 comments
Despite earlier failures, the Planetary Society is gearing up to test another solar sail in space in a year – executive director Louis Friedman explains why
'Space elevator' wins $900,000 NASA prize
23:37 06 November 2009 | 109 comments
A laser-powered robot climbed 900 metres up a cable suspended from a helicopter, winning a prize that had gone unclaimed since 2005
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
