Looking at our understanding of the universe beyond Earth
![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/670ab-11ydoniklr5fxhuok4pl_-g-1.png)
In Praise of SETI@home
The screen saver helped scientists search for extraterrestrial life-and made the early web feel like a more idealistic, collaborative space.![A picture of the night sky, very starry](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/88c8a-1ynldakfxbkjpkse4fsukmw-1.jpeg)
Losing the Night Sky
The brightest parts of the world are getting brighter–light pollution is on the rise around the globe.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/294e8-1r6m9ln-sshvz_44woxcm1q-1.jpeg)
A.I. is Defending the Earth From Asteroids
Imagine some scientists from NASA are meeting with the president of the United States. There’s a piece of space coming toward us; it is rocky, and icy, and big, and the risk of it hitting the Earth is much larger than anyone is comfortable with. Even if there’s time to act, there won’t be much […]![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/39d89-1iybjcps-hiprax35mwctfg-1.png)
The Improbable, Bold History of Space Concept Art
The collaboration between NASA and artists stretches right back to the start of the space program.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/f39ec-1rxi-74xyq91ffgjij2dqlq-1.png)
In GIFS: How a Mars Colony Would Work
To suggest that space is a harsh environment is an understatement. It’s a place of extreme and unusual temperatures, unpleasant atmospheric toxins, and it’s lacking in the resources to which humanity has become accustomed. Actually, doesn’t that sound a bit familiar? Planet Earth can be a harsh environment, too. The fundamentals needed to support life–air, […]![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/afcf6-1ir-m27d4j15xjt-fa9reuq-1.png)
How We’ll Choose the First Mars Colonists
The first Martians will face an intimidating task in establishing humankind’s first outpost on another planet![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/2a5ba-1na6ljzciyem6nfeyd0z8fg-1.png)
Red Planet: How We’ll Govern Mars
Technical and engineering obstacles are solvable when it comes to interplanetary colonization–the real challenge is governance.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/9da63-1mgyp62z4nf0_3dbqsic6aa-1.jpeg)
Rising Nationalism Will Change The Politics Of Space
With the rise of nationalism around the world, is international cooperation in space doomed?![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/e82f2-1rj6lnqyjqgjdxb_0gjhbha-1.jpeg)
Amateur Rocketeers Are Keeping the Space Age Spirit Alive
Around the world, a community of amateurs is designing, building, and launching their own rockets into space.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/a3652-14xidkfcmfiwrk218gckh8a-1.png)
Never go to space it’s terrible omg
Space does very, very, very bad things to the human body.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/87a3d-1q8q8tlelsmseleqj_tpg2q-1.png)
What We’ll Teach at the First School on Mars
What will the teachers and classrooms of space look like? What skills will they focus on?![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/a93f6-1gdyhwrqz0vyexusduyu9aw-1.png)
Asteroid Mining Will Come Too Late to Save Our Planet
We could easily expand to other worlds using asteroids for resources–if we don’t kill ourselves first.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/f9c99-1ebut9wfysa6a5vpddzyd_w-1.png)
Demand Your Share of the Spoils From the Privatization of Space
The commercialization of space raises some uncomfortable questions about exactly where profits are going.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/96aba-1bavlp2pap1jya8tf0kcciq-1.jpeg)
Robots Will Build Your House on the Moon
When it comes to building property on other worlds, robots are by far the best choice.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1mRXmv-67G_5qn37iS2rzBQ.jpeg)
The World’s First “‘Marschitect’ Is Laying the Groundwork for Architecture in Space
With private companies setting their sights on other worlds, space architecture is a growing industry.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Screen-Shot-2019-06-25-at-21.01.17.png)
Comic: A Factory in a Petri Dish
If and when humans move to Mars, some of our most important machines will not be robotic–they’ll be biological.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1sEUTwE0fteaKx-XCJW0vbA.png)
From Space, Artists See the World Differently
Art and space are natural bedfellows.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/3ca88-1n-we9d_h9zro0dkxadxojg-1.png)
Humans in Space: A Reading List
What to read if you want a crash course on human exploration of the heavens.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/e3ec3-18bivj8okrmttf6wet1al8g-1.png)
The Man Who Would Sell You Mars
Space is largely unregulated–and one man thinks he’s worked out how to claim Mars before anyone else.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Screen-Shot-2019-06-25-at-21.36.54.png)
Watch: Colonizing the Solar System
Earth is doomed! Once we’ve run out of room and resources on our planet, where should we go?![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/13902-1qwvcqorpkn1vzc7hpo8fjw-1.jpeg)
The Solar System’s Hottest Real Estate
Where can we live other than Earth?![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/1E6Qf0yQVNMvxjy_q7KHyfA.jpeg)
Rocket Mail
How missiles almost revolutionized the world’s postal services.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/bec07-1oq7cb4rjzbavoo_9rmsyqa-1.jpeg)
Going Up
Meet Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, father of the space elevator.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/d54aa-1rfhz5awbjf2wnlshuqrfpw-1.jpeg)
$100 Million Probably Isn’t Enough To Find Aliens, But Here’s Why It’s Still Worth Looking
Sometimes the most important scientific discoveries aren’t the ones that were intended.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/1CzJvqXa45yfAsrY4QvbdUw.jpeg)
Create a Planetarium in Your Living Room
A virtual reality app brings stargazing to any place, any time.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/10mCunIKB0wdEl07K0nCe6A.jpeg)
The First Weather Forecast for Pluto
Helping space probes by seeing whether they’ll need a coat once they’ve traveled billions of miles.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/f7f15-1l0vb1xyefdr0iprseosqbq.jpeg)
A Darker Future For Us All
The battle against light pollution is on.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/1ETspM9n4M49gpyDZAGW0uA.jpeg)
How to Launch Your Own Space Program
How small cube satellites are offering even schoolkids the chance to explore beyond Earth.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/14WiwvvvX0L6UATuMgAyC5g.jpeg)
From the Andes to Outer Space
How one company saved Argentina’s space program.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/439c4-1dm5dqhothxgl2ttooolpcg.jpeg)
How Spaceships Die
Every probe we send out into space will eventually finish its mission–so what happens next?![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/47afd-14qd8xz-njlxfuc7b8o7uya.jpeg)
Zoom, Enhance
How decades and centuries of telescope improvements have revealed more of the heavens.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/e0dce-1snud9qcih3wu1ci2ks6yta.jpeg)
Celebrating 25 Years of the Hubble Space Telescope
Happy birthday to an astronomical wonder.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/1eZcCGSWhSaixeJ0Ies6XHQ.jpeg)
Space Photography is Helping to Fight Light Pollution
The Cities at Night project uses photos taken from the ISS to study the problem.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/19MSD9qjcaF3_m8xJVz0glA.jpeg)
Transmitting Languages into the Distant Future
From Ancient Egypt to Comet 67P, communicating with people far in the future is a challenge.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/1NqJifpnDk7tmVQH9K457lg.jpeg)
The Man Who Wants to Shoot the Moon
If you want to get something into space using a big gun, then John Hunter’s the person to talk to.![](https://www.howwegettonext.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/dca63-1nqjifpndk7tmvqh9k457lg.jpeg)