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November 21, 2008 9:30:30 CST

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space program news stories

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(Newser) - India has launched its first mission to the moon, the BBC reports. The unmanned Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft blasted off smoothly from southern Andhra Pradesh. The robotic probe is scheduled to orbit the moon for two years, during which time it will compile a 3-D atlas of the surface and search for minerals and water. China and Japan already have crafts orbiting the moon, and India was under pressure not to fall behind in the Asian space race. More »

More about:  India • space exploration • moon • space program

OPINION

 Time to Ditch the Shuttle 

Let the Russians fly us; shuttle is too dangerous

Washington Post Washington Post Oct 16, 08 11:24 CDT
(Newser) - It’s past time to put the US space shuttle fleet out to pasture, according to John Logsdon, a member of the 2003 Columbia Accident Investigation Board. That panel recommended the US “replace the shuttle as soon as possible,” and Logsdon stands by that assessment, even though it comes with an unpalatable caveat: the only alternative is to use Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft. More »

More about:  NASA • aerospace • space program • outer space • Space Shuttle

 Iran Aims to Put a Man in Space 

State also hopes to aid other Muslim countries via satellite program

CBC (Canada) CBC (Canada) Aug 21, 08 5:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - Iran plans to send a manned mission into orbit within the next 10 years, the CBC reports. The news comes on the heels of a recent, and disputed, rocket launch the Iranians claim put a satellite, its first, into space. The country says its space presence would monitor weather and improve communications, but the international community is wary of military applications. More »

More about:  Iran • astronauts • satellite • space program • rocket • spaceflight

 There's a New
 Space Race,
 and US Is Losing 

Rest of the world collaborates while fearful US falls behind

Washington Post Washington Post Jul 9, 08 2:19 PM CDT
(Newser) - While the rest of the world cooperates incessantly on all matters extraterrestrial, the US, hampered by self-imposed regulations meant to keep weapons out of enemies' hands, is swiftly losing dominance of the final frontier, the Washington Post reports. The US’ military space program is still gargantuan, but the civil program, NASA included, suffers from “limited public interest in space activity.” More »

More about:  China • NASA • space • space shuttle • space exploration • European Space Agency • satellite • space program • rocket

Odds of Cataclysmic Space-Rock Crash: 1 in 10

Despite danger, NASA doing little to protect planet

Atlantic Monthly Atlantic Monthly May 25, 08 6:19 CDT
(Newser) - Chicken Little may have been smarter than we thought. A growing body of evidence reveals that the sky is falling, or at least gigantic space rocks are—and the Earth is at far greater risk of a catastrophic strike than previously thought, reports Atlantic . Despite the danger—an impact could make a nuclear bomb look like a firecracker—NASA is expending little effort to protect the planet. More »

More about:  NASA • astronomy • extinction • asteroid • space program • crater • comet

updated

 Cargo Ship Docks With ISS

Unmanned European vessel hooks up to International Space Station

Space.com Space.com Apr 3, 08 1:17 PM CDT
(Newser) - European cargo vessel Jules Verne docked flawlessly today at the International Space Station, Space.com reports. The double-decker-sized space hauler has about 8 tons of supplies on board for astronauts at the station, including food and water, rocket propellant—even handwritten documents from the real Jules Verne, a 19th-century science fiction writer. More »

 Shuttle Prepares to Quit Station 

Endeavour crew about to zoom home after record mission

Houston Chronicle Houston Chronicle Mar 24, 08 6:19 CDT
(Newser) - The crew of shuttle Endeavour prepared to undock from the International Space Station today after a leisurely Easter Sunday spent off-loading cargo, enjoying a holiday meal, and talking to family back home. The shuttle commander compared the flurry of work to wrap up the record-setting mission to March Madness: "It's wonderful to be in the tournament. We've won five games," said Dom Gorie, referring to the crew's five spacewalks. More »

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