HowStuffWorks Space & Solar System Guide  Tags: howstuffworks science solar_system space planet sun moon space_exploration shuttles spacecraft astronaut stars meteor asteroid galaxy earth earth_science space_tourism  

Antimatter has the ability to store incredible amounts of energy in a very small space! See how it will work!

Inflatable spacecraft will revolutionize satellites and space habitats. Learn how they will work!

Like many new technologies, light propulsion was originally conceived as a tool of war and national defense. But the "Star Wars" missile defense system may eventually send rockets, rather than missile-destroying lasers, into space.

Robot astronauts will be able to work in space much more efficiently than people -- Learn how they will work!

A space shuttle launch is expensive -- about $10,000 per pound. The LiftPort Group is developing a new system that could cut the cost down to about $400 per pound. Find out how a space elevator might be your ticket into orbit.

Space planes are likely to be the replacement for the space shuttle. Learn how they will work!

The thought of terraforming Mars is one of those ideas so outrageous that it just might work! Learn how it will work!

NASA needs a vehicle capable of carrying crew and payloads to Earth orbit, the moon and Mars. Learn about the technologies of the new Crew Exploration Vehicle and find out how it will help us explore the moon and beyond.

Scientists are now developing a new type of composite material that will allow spacecraft to repair themselves. Learn more about this amazing future technology.

Air-breathing rockets have the potential to dramatically lower launch costs and may make space lots more accessible to normal people. See how it will work!

Asteroid mines could become an incredible source of building supplies for a colony on the moon. Learn how they will work!

Get a sneak peek (even before NASA scientists) at a new type of spacecraft that could be jolted through space by electromagnets.

Using current rocket engine technology, a trip to Mars takes seven months. Fusion propulsion would cut that trip in half. Find out what fusion is and how it could speed up space travel.

Researchers are using the moon's gravitational pull on bodies of water to test underwater turbine electricity production. It's considered clean power, but is it completely safe?

Imagine parallel parking on slippery ice during a dangerous dust storm. Landing on Mars presents similar obstacles, on a grander scale. And remember, insurance doesn't cover extraterrestrial damage.

Bill Cooke, NASA scientist, is regularly shooting marbles into carefully arranged piles of soil. Why is NASA paying this man to do something most of us would do for free? It's all about our return to the moon.

It's safe to assume there won't be a moon colony any time soon. But it's still a tantalizing thought. But wouldn't it be cool to be able to live, vacation and work on the moon?