Alan Shepard

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin company blasted its third private crew into space on Dec. 11 and brought it back safely, this time including the daughter of the first American astronaut.

Russia and China unveiled plans on March 9 for a joint lunar space station, as Moscow seeks to recapture the glory of its space pioneering days of Soviet times, and Beijing gears up its own extraterrestrial ambitions.

The "Space Adventure" travelling exhibition mounted by the United States Space & Rocket Center and the NASA Visitor Center, opened officially on Tuesday at Romexpo, C3 Pavilion, Bucharest. Covering almost 2,500 square meters, with over 100 unique exhibits, the exhibition presents the history of conquering space, giving visitors a chance to take a virtual trip in space.

The Smithsonian's first shot at online crowdfunding ended on Aug. 19 after raising a hefty $719,779 to restore the spacesuit that Neil Armstrong wore when he walked on the moon.