The space stories that captured global attention in 2025

These stories covered space science, spaceflight, astronomy, and policy. They also showed how space activity connects to life on Earth, from satellite movement to natural events seen from the ground.

The list is based on readership data and reflects what audiences read most often. Some stories focused on cooperation and conflict in orbit. Others reported on observations from space telescopes and robotic missions.

Several involved rare or uncommon events, including changes in Earth’s rotation, spacecraft returning after many years, and objects entering the solar system from outside it.

Together, these stories show the range of topics that shaped space coverage in 2025. They include government actions, scientific results, environmental changes, and human spaceflight, all reported during the year.

Events in orbit and spaceflight 

Several widely read stories focused on activity in Earth orbit and human spaceflight. One report covered communication between China and NASA to avoid a possible satellite collision, marking a rare case of direct coordination.

Other stories addressed the growing number of satellites and their impact on astronomy, including findings that Starlink satellites appear in radio data “where no signals are supposed to be present.”

Spaceflight missions also drew attention. A Soviet-era spacecraft, Kosmos 482, reentered Earth’s atmosphere after more than 50 years in orbit. Another story followed Russia’s Bion-M No. 2 mission, which returned to Earth carrying mice, flies, plants, and microorganisms after 30 days in space. Most of the biological samples survived the mission.

Crewed missions appeared in the list as well. A report stated that a cosmonaut was removed from SpaceX’s Crew-12 mission following a security investigation. Separately, coverage of the resignation of a major launch executive included the statement, “Finished the mission I came to do.”

Together, these stories reflected ongoing challenges related to safety, coordination, and research in low Earth orbit.

Science discoveries and natural events 

Science and observation stories made up much of the rest of the list. The James Webb Space Telescope took early images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. It is only the third known object to enter the solar system from outside it. Scientists worked quickly to study the comet before it left the solar system.

Another widely read story reported that Earth had one of the shortest days ever measured. The change was caused by small shifts in how fast the planet rotates.

On Mars, NASA’s Perseverance rover collected rock samples from an area near Jezero Crater. Mission scientists said the site “has been all we had hoped for and more,” referring to the different types of rocks found. The samples are planned to be brought back to Earth in the future.

Events seen from Earth also attracted many readers. Northern lights appeared across many U.S. states during times of strong solar activity. In September, a total lunar eclipse was visible across parts of Europe and Asia. During the eclipse, the moon appeared red, an event often called a blood moon.

Other stories connected space observation with Earth science, including satellite images showing a lake in Quebec that drained suddenly after ground collapse. These reports showed how satellites and space missions continue to support research on both space and Earth systems.



These stories were published throughout the year and reflect ongoing changes in space research and observation. Advances in technology, increased satellite use, and continued robotic exploration played a role in shaping coverage. Reader interest showed steady attention to both space missions and events affecting Earth.

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