An Iranian newspaper is reporting that the Islamic Republic plans to send another monkey into space within a month.

Astronomers say they have found a lonely planet outside the solar system floating alone in space and not orbiting a star.

NASA's Jupiter-bound spacecraft hit a snag soon after it used Earth as a gravity slingshot to hurtle toward the outer solar system, but mission managers said it's on course to arrive at the giant planet in 2016.

Some prominent American astronomers are boycotting a meeting on exoplanets because Nasa has banned Chinese scientists from attending.

A Soyuz spacecraft carrying two Russians and an American lifted off today from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, soaring into the night sky for a six-hour trip to the International Space Station.

Japan successfully launched a new rocket Saturday that it hopes will be a cheaper and more efficient way of sending satellites into space.

More than 200,000 people from 140 countries have applied to be the first human settlers on Mars, the group behind the project to colonise the red planet has said.

An Italian astronaut aboard the International Space Station has captured glimpses of New Zealand in images posted on social media this week.

The Saturn moons Mimas and Pandora remind us of how different they are when they appear together, as in this image taken by Nasa's Cassini spacecraft.

We are not alone. Scientists have discovered a second blue planet in the Universe, although this one is decidedly inhospitable and unlikely to support life.

Astronomers say they have found another blue planet a long, long way from Earth - no water world, but a scorching, hostile place where it rains glass sideways.

Paul Charman salutes Voyager 1's famous gold record.

Police say a bright light was reported speeding across New Zealand skies on Monday. Did you see it?

The biggest full moon of 2013, a 'supermoon,' lit up the night sky Sunday.

The US space agency NASA has come up with a startling image of an eclipse.

Chris Hadfield, the Canadian astronaut who captured worldwide attention with his stunning photos of Earth and educational videos from space, has announced his retirement.

The Awarua tracking station allows technicians using a moderately-sized satellite dish outside and $NZ2 million-$NZ3 million worth of sophisticated equipment inside to track spacecraft.

The first people to make the perilous journey to Mars will have to cope with long periods of boredom, the constant worry of returning safely and the joy/pain of each other's company.