What are the best free space news sites for following launches and research updates?

Here are some of the best free space news sites for keeping up with launches, missions, and research updates:

Broad space news

• Space.com — Very comprehensive, covers launches, agency news, astronomy, and industry developments.
• Ars Technica (Space section) — Excellent in-depth reporting, especially on launch vehicles, NASA, SpaceX, and policy.
• The Verge (Science/Space) — Good for major news with a clear, accessible style.
• Universe Today — Great for astronomy and space science, with frequent updates and explainers.
• Phys.org (Space & Earth) — Good for research-heavy updates and new scientific papers.

Launch and mission tracking

• NASA — Best official source for NASA missions, press releases, livestreams, and research announcements.
• ESA — Strong for European launch and mission updates.
• Spaceflight Now — One of the best for launch schedules, mission coverage, and live updates.
• NASASpaceFlight.com — Very detailed launch and rocket development coverage, especially commercial spaceflight.
• Rocket Lab / SpaceX / ULA / Blue Origin official channels — Useful for direct launch announcements and mission details.

Research-focused

• SciNews — Good mix of space and science research news.
• EurekAlert! — Press releases from universities and research institutions, often including space science.
• Nature News — Strong for major research breakthroughs, though not only space.
• ScienceDaily (Space & Earth Sciences) — Easy-to-scan summaries of new studies.

Community / fast-moving updates

• Reddit: r/space — Useful for breaking news and discussion, though quality varies.
• Reddit: r/spacex — Very active for launch and Starship-related updates.
• Next Spaceflight — Excellent for launch schedules, though more of a tracker than a news site.

Best overall picks

If you want just a few to start with:

1. Ars Technica
2. Space.com
3. NASA
4. Spaceflight Now
5. Universe Today

If you want, I can also give you:

• a launch-specific list
• a research-only list
• or a best RSS/newsletter setup for space news.