BBC News

BBC News - Science & Environment

Nasa to put nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030 - US media

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 11:36:24 GMT

The reactor would provide power for humans on the Moon but there are questions about feasibility.

Britain's energy bills problem - and why firms are paid huge sums to stop producing power

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 09:14:11 GMT

Could the government's radical plan to change the way the UK distributes electricity really bring down bills - or just lead to a postcode lottery?

COP30: Trump and many leaders are skipping it, so does the summit still have a point?

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:09:19 GMT

The US president is notably absent from these UN climate talks, as are other world leaders, all of which prompts questions about the purpose of COP today.

Treasures found on HS2 route stored in secret warehouse

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 06:00:18 GMT

Archaeological finds from the planned HS2 train line have been shown exclusively to the BBC.

Jim Lovell, Apollo 13 astronaut, dies aged 97

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 07:01:11 GMT

The commander of Apollo 13 famously rescued his men from near certain death in space.

Rocket launch challenges Elon Musk's space dominance

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 08:12:27 GMT

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's space company blasts its first rocket into orbit in a challenge to Elon Musk.

Future of space travel: Could robots really replace human astronauts?

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 01:46:51 GMT

Advances in technology raise questions about the need to send people to space - and the risks and cost

When does the Nasa Moon mission launch and who are the Artemis II crew?

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 13:18:51 GMT

The first crewed Moon mission in 50 years could launch in February, ahead of a future lunar landing.

Global temperatures dipped in 2025 but more heat records on way, scientists warn

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 03:44:07 GMT

The last three years were Earth's hottest on record, as humanity's carbon emissions continue to heat the planet.

What are critical minerals and why do countries need them?

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:22:13 GMT

Countries are racing to secure the critical minerals and rare earths needed to make vital products.

SpaceX pulls off Starship rocket launch in much-needed comeback

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 13:00:47 GMT

The Starship rocket is critical to the company's hopes of one day carrying people to the Moon and Mars.

Street where residents are terrified of flooding to be bulldozed

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:24:59 GMT

Homes on a street at severe risk of flooding will be bought by a local council.

Are wetter winters and frequent flooding here to stay?

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 02:59:08 GMT

Many places across the UK have experienced their wettest January in more than 100 years.

New study on moons of Uranus raises chance of life

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 16:00:05 GMT

The planet Uranus and its five biggest moons may not be the sterile worlds scientists have long thought.

'It's harder to be a parent than a space shuttle commander', trailblazing Nasa pilot tells BBC

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 02:34:44 GMT

The BBC speaks to astronaut Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot and command a Nasa spacecraft.

Why scientists are counting tiny marine creatures, from Space

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 01:59:32 GMT

Differences in seawater colour could reveal how tiny Antarctic creatures are faring in a warming world.

Nasa's mega Moon rocket arrives at launch pad for Artemis II mission

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 01:22:46 GMT

Final preparations now get underway for the first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years.

UK launches plan to tackle 'forever chemicals' amid growing concerns

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:06:49 GMT

Increasing testing for PFAS is part of the UK's first ever national plan for tackling the substances.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 21:00:00 GMT

GPS is vulnerable to interference, so how can we make navigating at sea safer?

The blight of sewage pollution tackled in water shake-up

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:19:47 GMT

A major review called for oversight of water companies in Wales and England to be overhauled.

Businesses face extinction unless they protect nature, major report warns

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 13:00:55 GMT

Experts call for urgent action by businesses to restore the natural systems that keep them running.

SpaceX Starship test fails after Texas launch

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 02:27:56 GMT

Officials at Elon Musk's company said the upper stage was lost, minutes after it launched.

How Christmas trees are getting a new lease of life

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 06:04:24 GMT

Some businesses are helping to recycle and reuse trees in a bid to reduce landfill and emissions.

Astronauts Butch and Suni finally back on Earth

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 00:14:48 GMT

Dolphins circled their capsule after it landed off the coast of Florida.

Sunken Thames barges create new island for birds

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 07:02:44 GMT

The National Trust describes the Northey Island project as "a bold marine engineering feat".

Businesses face extinction unless they protect nature, major report warns

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 13:00:55 GMT

Experts call for urgent action by businesses to restore the natural systems that keep them running.

'This is our future,' climate adviser warns as 2025 to break heat records

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 11:44:17 GMT

The Met Office says that 2025 is likely to be the UK's hottest year since records began.

Are wetter winters and frequent flooding here to stay?

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 02:59:08 GMT

Many places across the UK have experienced their wettest January in more than 100 years.

Nasa Apollo missions: Stories of the last Moon men

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 21:31:57 GMT

Of the 24 Nasa astronauts who travelled to the Moon in the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s, just five remain.

Government rolls back nature protections to boost housing

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 17:51:04 GMT

Critics say government changes to a flagship biodiversity policy could stall nature recovery.

Rare Iron Age war trumpet and boar standard found

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 06:02:51 GMT

The discoveries are "extraordinarily rare", say the archaeologists who helped find them.

Street where residents are terrified of flooding to be bulldozed

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:24:59 GMT

Homes on a street at severe risk of flooding will be bought by a local council.

IOC must 'be better' on climate change - Coventry

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 20:34:01 GMT

International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry says it must "be better" on climate change after receiving a petition signed by more than 21,000 people who want to stop fossil fuel companies from sponsoring winter sports.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 21:00:00 GMT

New research on how forever chemicals get into our environment.

Intriguing finds could solve mystery of women in medieval cemetery

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:34:29 GMT

There is growing evidence that the women were part of an early female religious community.

UK homes to get £15bn for solar and green tech to cut energy bills

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 09:00:06 GMT

The government has announced the details of its long-awaited Warm Homes Plan which promises to cut energy bills.

UK's £8bn research fund faces 'hard decisions' as it pauses new grants

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:00:58 GMT

UKRI boss Ian Chapman said it had been told by the government to "focus and do fewer things better".

Nasa's mega Moon rocket arrives at launch pad for Artemis II mission

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 01:22:46 GMT

Final preparations now get underway for the first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years.

Asteroid contains building blocks of life, say scientists

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 16:07:12 GMT

Bennu contains minerals and thousands of organic molecules, including the chemical components that make up DNA.

More solar farms on the way after record renewables auction

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:19:08 GMT

The results have been welcomed by climate and clean energy groups but could face opposition from local communities.

Landmark deal to cut global shipping emissions in tatters after US pressure

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 16:31:07 GMT

President Trump intervened in the talks calling the deal a "green scam".

The science of soulmates: Is there someone out there exactly right for you?

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:01:47 GMT

For many, the idea of soulmates still shapes how love is understood.

The truth about life on other planets - and what it means for humans

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 00:11:47 GMT

Could discoveries of alien life ever change the human psyche in how we view ourselves and each other?

Soviet-era spacecraft 'likely' to have re-entered Earth's atmosphere

Sat, 10 May 2025 15:32:19 GMT

The spacecraft, which launched in 1972 on a mission to Venus, circled Earth for over five decades.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 21:00:00 GMT

What would it really take to build a city on the moon?

MPs fear data centre boom could derail Miliband's net zero plans

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 20:34:16 GMT

A senior Labour MP says emission from data centres "have been highlighted as a key area of concern".

UK company sends factory with 1,000C furnace into space

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:26:41 GMT

A factory in space has been switched on and has reached temperatures of about 1,000C.

Polar bears on Norwegian islands fatter and healthier despite ice loss, scientists say

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:00:09 GMT

Scientists think that Svalbard bears have adapted to recent ice loss by eating more land-based prey.

These robots can clean, exercise - and care for you in old age. Would you trust them to?

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:04:09 GMT

It sounds like something from a sci-fi film - but some scientists believe this clever new tech could help alleviate strains on the UK care system

Supersized dump fire risk report kept from public

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 07:13:00 GMT

Oxfordshire fire and rescue service says releasing its waste site report could put safety at risk.

BBC Inside Science

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 21:00:00 GMT

50 years since Concorde’s first commercial flight, is aviation going supersonic again?

The debate about whether the NHS should use magic mushrooms to treat depression

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 15:47:15 GMT

Many clinical trials to test the use of psychedelic medicines for conditions such as depression have been underway since 2022 - with surprising results

Bats are seeking sanctuary in churches - but they're making an unholy mess

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:34:03 GMT

A new study estimates that about half of all churches in England have bats living in them.