Astronaut above planet

Astronomy · Spaceflight · Popular Science

Catching waves in the cosmos

Cosmic Beach is where we look out from. Onto a universe of wonders. This is for anyone who gets excited about stars, planets and the science that gets us there.

Story Surf

Fresh dispatches from the beach

The latest stories from the shoreline.

Browse the archive
Light Sculpting
Story

Mar 30, 2026

Light Sculpting

Researchers have transformed light into a remote control for building crystals, enabling them to grow, dissolve, and reshape microscopic structures on demand. This breakthrough could revolutionize everything from adaptive optical coatings to next-generation computing technologies.

Read the full dispatch
Artemis II Mission Insignia
Story

Mar 29, 2026

Artemis II Mission Insignia

Discover how the Artemis II mission insignia encodes a powerful message of universal exploration in its clever "AII" design, uniting an international crew on humanity's first lunar voyage in over 50 years. Plus, learn about the deeply personal Seven Sacred Laws patch that Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen will carry, created by an Anishinaabe artist to honour Indigenous wisdom on the journey around "Grandmother Moon."

Read the full dispatch
The First Artemis Journey Around the Moon
Story

Mar 07, 2026

The First Artemis Journey Around the Moon

Artemis II will send astronauts around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft, launched by the Space Launch System, marking humanity’s first journey beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo program.

Read the full dispatch

Exoplanet Discovery

Over 5,500 confirmed worlds beyond our solar system, from scorching gas giants to potentially habitable rocky planets.

Reusable Rockets

SpaceX and others have transformed spaceflight economics by landing and re-flying orbital boosters—once considered science fiction.

Artemis Program

NASA's return to the Moon aims to establish sustainable lunar presence and prepare for the first crewed mission to Mars.

James Webb Telescope

Peering 13.5 billion years into the past, JWST reveals the earliest galaxies and analyzes atmospheres of distant worlds.

Astronomy · Spaceflight · Popular Science