51¶¯Âþ

space science

Astronauts practise tasks in simulated moon environment and underwater. Astronauts have been practising walking on the Moon as their next-generation spacesuit passes milestone testing. NASA astronauts and spacesuit engineers recently simulated lunar surface operations and tasks underwater wearing the new suits, built by Axiom Space, to demonstrate safety and mobility. The space agency reported Thursday (Feb 12) that the spacesuit has passed a contractor-led technical review and is hoped to be used for the Artemis III mission as NASA prepares to send humans to the Moon???s South Pole for the first time. NASA said:

Space

Amazing sneak peek of NASA's spacesuit tests as moon mission nears

NASA crew members practise emergency rescue drills in a 40-foot-deep pool simulating the lunar surface, as part of tests on a new generation of spacesuit, the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit

Regulars

Moises Arias

Comment

Return of Fallout, Paradise and Silo fuels passion for bunker sci-fi

Culture

From images taken by NASA spacecrafts, this picture mosaic was created of six of the planets in our solar system and the Earth's moon. In the foreground is the Earth rising over the lunar surface with the sun flare at the edge of Earth. Venus is the first planet above the moon, and at the top left to right are the planets Jupiter, Mercury, Mars and Saturn. Photo credits are as follows: Earth - Apollo 17; Lunar Surface - Apollo 8; Sun - Apollo 12; Venus - Pioneer Venus; Jupiter - Voyager I; Mercury - Mariner 10; Saturn - Pioneer 11.

Space

What to read this week: Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean by Dagomar Degroot

Culture

Man behind a curtain back

Comment

Exploring sci-fi treats from George Saunders and Matthew Kressel

Culture

The Beauty -- Pictured: Bella Hadid as Ruby. CR: Philippe Antonello/FX

Comment

The Beauty may be horror TV but it misses the genre's point

Culture

Illustration depicting a tidal disruption event (TDE). TDEs are causes when a star passes close to a supermassive black hole and get torn apart by the gravity of the latter. The debris forms a fan-shaped pattern around the black hole before eventually falling in.

Space

A new 'brief history' of the universe paints a wide picture

Culture

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Sony Pictures

Comment

51¶¯Âþ recommends 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Culture

The weird rules of temperature get even stranger in the quantum realm

Physics

The weird rules of temperature get even stranger in the quantum realm

Comment

The best new science fiction books of February 2026

Comment

The best new science fiction books of February 2026

Culture

Our verdict on Annie Bot: This novel about a sex robot split opinions

Comment

Our verdict on Annie Bot: This novel about a sex robot split opinions

Members of the 51¶¯Âþ Book Club give their take on Sierra Greer's award-winning science-fiction novel Annie Bot, our read for February – and the needle swings wildly from positive to negative

Culture

Environment

Read an extract from Juice by Tim Winton

Culture

Comment

Tim Winton: 'Sometimes I think we use the word dystopia as an opiate'

Culture

Chemistry

Nobel prizewinner Omar Yaghi says his invention will change the world

Features

Space

The best map of dark matter has revealed never-before-seen structures

51¶¯Âþ

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop