Now playing Next Travel News In pictures: NASA's top Earth photographs of 2020 Here's a selection of the best photographs of our planet from 2020, taken by astronauts at the International Space Station. 12/01/2021
Now playing Next China First lunar soil samples collected in 44 years arrive in Beijing Chinese scientists have laid their hands on a very precious container. Inside are the first samples of soil taken from the surface of the moon in 44 years. 19/12/2020
Now playing Next world news NASA recruits companies to collect moon rock for as little as $1 The contracts are primarily intended to set a legal precedent for the exploitation of extraterrestrial resources by the private sector going forward. 04/12/2020
Now playing Next USA US-European ocean monitoring satellite launches into orbit Sea-surface heights are affected by heating and cooling of water, allowing scientist to use the altimeter data to detect such weather-influencing conditions as the warm El Nino and the cool La Nina. 21/11/2020
Now playing Next USA SpaceX capsule with 4 astronauts reaches space station The Dragon capsule pulled up and docked late Monday night, following a 27-hour, completely automated flight from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. 17/11/2020
Now playing Next Eco-Innovation NASA launches new satellite to monitor rising sea levels The spacecraft is the latest initiative by the space agency to gather data about changing sea levels. 06/11/2020
Now playing Next world news NASA spacecraft leaking asteroid samples into space NASA's Osiris-Rex spacecraft has collected too much material from the asteroid Bennu, millions of miles from Earth, and it is now spilling its contents into space. 24/10/2020
Now playing Next world news Astronaut and cosmonauts return after mission launched during pandemic An American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts returned to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) after a six-month mission in space, launched in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak. 22/10/2020
Now playing Next world news Spacecraft touches asteroid's surface in mission to grab rock sample Flight controllers declare success in NASA mission to collect material from an asteroid 200 million miles from planet Earth using the Osiris-Rex spacecraft 20/10/2020
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Now playing Next world news Chief astronaut swaps space trip for daughter's wedding Veteran astronaut Christopher Ferguson has swapped a trip to space to make sure he can make his daughter's wedding 08/10/2020
Now playing Next USA Potty training: NASA tests new $23M titanium space toilet NASA is set to launch a new space toilet to the International Space Station for testing. 02/10/2020
Now playing Next USA Moon rush: NASA looking for companies to help mine the lunar surface The American space agency says it will pay for moon dust and rocks samples, but not for the trips. It hopes they will be collected by 2024. 11/09/2020
Now playing Next no comment NASA fires booster in latest test for future moon rocket NASA plans to send the first woman and next man to the lunar surface by 2024, with a goal of exploring Mars targeted for the mid-2030s. 03/09/2020
Now playing Next world news No supernova: Dust may have caused mysterious dimming of giant star The mysterious dimming of one of the brightest stars in the sky, which caused a stir among space-watchers at the end of 2019, may now have an explanation. 14/08/2020
Now playing Next world news NASA astronauts make historic splashdown to Earth on SpaceX capsule Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken are the first NASA astronauts to splash down for 45 years after staying on the space station for two months on a NASA-SpaceX mission. 02/08/2020
Now playing Next no comment NASA launches Mars rover to look for signs of ancient life A vehicle filled with cameras, microphones, drills, and lasers is part of an ambitious long-term project to bring rock samples from Mars to Earth for analysis in search of life. 30/07/2020
Now playing Next USA Watch: NASA launches mission to Mars looking for signs of ancient life The Perseverance rover will roam a crater on the Red Planet for at least one Mars year — about 687 days on Earth. 30/07/2020
Now playing Next world news Keep an eye out for Comet Neowise, which won’t be back for 7,000 years Comet Neowise can currently be seen with the naked eye in dark skies - but get a good look because it won't be back for 7,000 years. 24/07/2020
Now playing Next USA SpaceX astronauts dock successfully with ISS after historic launch Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken have arrived at the International Space Station after the first successful launch of astronauts into orbit by a private company - Elon Musk's SpaceX. 30/05/2020