It was audacious, it was bold, but it was a success. For the first time, humanity has a physical presence on the icy surface of a passing comet.

Virgin Galactic's Peter Siebold says he regained consciousness on the way down to Earth after tragic explosion that claimed the life of his co-pilot.

Virgin Galactic customers have begun asking for refunds after the crash that killed a co-pilot during testing.

Within a few days, scientists will manoeuvre Europe's £1 billion ($2.1 billion) Rosetta spacecraft directly above a massive ball of ice, dust and organic chemicals called Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

So fans of the actor's witty puns, intellectual musings and calls to humanitarian arms will be disappointed to learn that he's decided to temporarily quit the network.

A European Space Agency astronaut has made a dazzling time-lapse video from aboard the International Space Station as it flew over New Zealand.

This timelapse video was taken by ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst as he flew over New Zealand on the International Space Station at around 400 km altitude. The nighttime video shows an aurora that occurs when Earth’s atmosphere interacts with solar radiation. The International Space Station travels at 28 800 km/h meaning that it only takes 90 minutes to circle Earth completely. Footage: European Space Agency

Kiwis on waiting lists for commercial space flights remain determined would-be astronauts, although one admits to losing some confidence in Virgin Galactic's programme.

The pilot who died in a tragic accident aboard Virgin's SpaceShipTwo has been identified.

Rocket taking cargo to ISS as part of US$1.9bn project exploded after lift-off – and the whole frightening scene was captured on video.

'One giant leap for mankind', proclaimed Neil Armstrong from the moon's surface. Did that just underscore the status of women's future in space?

A glorious blood moon delighted skygazers in many parts of New Zealand last night.

Aucklanders might not get the best glimpse of tonight's total lunar eclipse, with cloudy skies and a few evening showers forecast.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos will team up with a Boeing-Lockheed Martin to develop US-made rocket engines, in competition with Elon Musk's SpaceX venture.

Nasa has awarded its first private contracts for ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station.

An asteroid nicknamed after a maligned dog and with the potential to cause catastrophic damage will pass within 40,000km of Earth this morning.

Satellites in orbit are routinely used for communication, imaging and navigation - yet many people don't understand how these satellites remain in space.

A geomagnetic storm has sparked auroras around both poles - helping set up a stunning photograph taken in Otago.

Researchers established that tiny life forms were thriving in a lake beneath 800 metres of pack ice, despite not seening sunlight or fresh air for around a million years.

Snaps taken of the 'supermoon' rising in New Zealand. The full moon tonight will be the largest until September 2015.

Skygazers are hoping for a break in the clouds tonight for a glimpse of the 'supermoon'.

A New Zealand-built rocket has shattered an altitude record after reaching speeds in excess of 2000 km an hour.

A "super-duper" full moon that is bigger and brighter than any other moon this year will appear in the sky on Monday morning.

Space enthusiasts have won a battle to force the authorities to release images from a spacecraft's decade-long interplanetary mission to hunt down a comet.

Kiwi-developed technology will assist a historic hook-up when a spacecraft makes its long-awaited date with a comet next week.

The New Zealand aerospace firm planning to launch a rocket to carry satellites into low earth orbit for a fraction of the cost of competitors.