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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: space flight

space flight stories: 16 news summaries



 NASA 
 Scrubs 
 Rocket's 
 Test Flight 

It may try tomorrow if weather permits

Oct 27, 09 10:40 AM CDT
(AP) - NASA's newest rocket will remain on the launch pad today because of clouds and high winds. Officials are deciding whether to try again tomorrow morning. Launch controllers tried repeatedly to get the Ares I-X rocket flying and got to within two-and-a-half minutes before calling it off. Minor problems stalled the... More »

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NASA • space exploration • space flight • Cape Canaveral • rocket • Ares launch video

 NASA Readies  
 New Rocket  
 for Test Flight 

It's the first new US rocket in 30 years

Oct 20, 09 2:13 PM CDT
(Newser) - NASA rolled out a seaside launch pad in Florida today, preparing to test its first new rocket designed for manned space travel in almost 30 years. The Ares I-X is a prototype of the Ares I, which NASA hopes will power the new spacecraft that will replace the shuttle. It... More »

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NASA • space flight • rocket • Ares launch video

(Newser) - Of all the hurdles NASA must overcome in order to reach its goal of getting humans to Mars by 2030, keeping the astronauts fed may be one of the most challenging, the Los Angeles Times reports. The agency’s food scientist must devise meals that are light and nutritious and... More »

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food • NASA • Mars • astronauts • space travel • space flight • food science

OPINION

 'Giant Leap' Was a 
 'Knee in NASA's Groin'

Ever since 1969, hope for a 'bridge to the stars' has faded

Jul 19, 09 11:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - The US took a “giant leap” landing on the moon in 1969, but NASA's greatest moment of triumph was also "a real knee in the groin" for the space agency, writes Tom Wolfe in the New York Times. At the time, we thought we’d build “a... More »

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NASA • Mars • Soviet Union • space • philosophy • space flight • moon landings • Tom Wolfe • John Glenn

NASA Space Flight Review Worries Workers

Thousands of jobs at stake when shuttle retires next year

May 7, 09 10:44 AM CDT
(Newser) - A NASA review of manned space-flight plans has Kennedy Space Center workers and contractors fearing for their jobs, the Orlando Sentinel reports. A panel will investigate whether rockets set to carry humans into space after the shuttle fleet is retired next year are really NASA’s best bets. Some worry... More »

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NASA • study • space • space shuttle • Kennedy Space Center • space flight • rockets • space program • Norman Augustine

 Prize Philanthropy:
 A Winning Concept 

Donors make innovators compete for cash

Jun 12, 08 12:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - When the X-Prize foundation offered $10 million to anyone who could develop a viable commercial spacecraft, it didn’t just send innovators scurrying, and it didn’t just grab headlines. It also began the next big trend in philanthropy. Donors are in love with prize philanthropy, Portfolio reports, and causes... More »

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philanthropy • contest • innovation • space flight • prize • invention

 Shuttle Anchors
 at Space Station 

NASA shuttle brings $1B Japanese module, toilet supplies

Jun 2, 08 5:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - NASA's Discovery shuttle hooked up to the international space station today after a 2-day voyage, Space.com reports. Commander Mark Kelly docked at about 2 pm EDT and told the station crew, "We're really looking forward to seeing you guys." "You have no idea how much we're... More »

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NASA • astronauts • International Space Station • space flight • Discovery space shuttle

updated

 Cargo Ship Docks With ISS

Unmanned European vessel hooks up to International Space Station

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... More »

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NASA • European Space Agency • International Space Station • space flight • spacecraft • cargo ships • Jules Verne • space program • space mission

 Shuttle Returns to Earth 

Endeavour makes a rare night landing

Mar 26, 08 7:57 PM CDT
(Newser) - The space shuttle Endeavour returned to Earth with a rare night landing to wrap up an ambitious mission to the International Space Station, the AP reports. The shuttle had to land in darkness after NASA called off an earlier attempt because of cloud cover. Astronauts blasted off 16 days ago,... More »

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NASA • astronauts • space shuttle • International Space Station • Endeavour • space flight • landing • space mission

Discovery to Fly Over US

Columbia disaster sparked changes in NASA procedures

Nov 6, 07 1:35 PM CST
(Newser) - The space shuttle Discovery will fly across the US tomorrow before landing in Cape Canaveral, a feat NASA hasn’t attempted since the doomed shuttle Columbia rained debris over the country in 2003. New safety procedures have minimized the risk of another disaster, ABC News reports. People below may see... More »

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NASA • astronauts • space shuttle • Kennedy Space Center • International Space Station • space flight • Cape Canaveral • Johnson Space Center • spacecraft • Columbia Space Shuttle • Discovery space shuttle

Google Offers $30M for Private Moon Missions

Tech giant bills contest as one small step for private industry

Sep 13, 07 3:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - Google announced its own search today: It will award $30 million to private firms whose robotic spacecrafts successfully reach the moon and perform specific lunar tasks. The BBC reports that the search giant hopes to encourage low-cost space exploration. The first-place winner will receive $20 million, second place gets $5... More »

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Google • Apollo • space flight • moon • spacecraft • prize

Endeavour Heads Home, Dodging Dean

Hurricane threat to Mission Control lessens, but shuttle leaves early

Aug 19, 07 5:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - To a chorus of ringing bells, space shuttle Endeavour undocked today from the international space station, skipping out a day early because of fears Hurricane Dean could disrupt its landing operations. Even though revised predictions show the storm poses almost no threat to Houston and Mission Control, the AP reports,... More »

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NASA • Houston • International Space Station • Barbara Morgan • space flight • Endeavor • Hurricane Dean • Scott Kelly • Cape Canaveral

Storm Forces Shuttle Home Early

Astronauts wrap up early to reach Houston before Hurricane Dean

Aug 18, 07 5:48 PM CDT
(Newser) - NASA managers worried about the wrath of Hurricane Dean have ordered shuttle Endeavour home a day earlier than planned, the AP reports. Astronauts wrapped up a space walk today and prepared for a trip that would leave tomorrow and land in Houston on Tuesday. One astronaut clearly saw the hurricane’... More »

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NASA • storm • astronauts • space shuttle • International Space Station • Endeavour • space flight • hurricane • Hurricane Dean

First Teacher Rockets to Space

Endeavour launches without a hitch 21 years after McAuliffe tragedy

Aug 9, 07 4:42 AM CDT
(Newser) - Former schoolteacher Barbara Morgan safely reached space last night when the shuttle Endeavour rocketed through a problem-free launch. Ten minutes after its evening blastoff, the shuttle was orbiting 140 miles above the Earth in preparation for docking with the International Space Station tomorrow. Morgan is the first astronaut teacher since... More »

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NASA • space • space shuttle • International Space Station • Christa McAuliffe • Barbara Morgan • Endeavour • space flight • Challenger • teacher

All Systems Go for Teacher

Long wait for Morgan, Endeavour set to end with evening launch

Aug 8, 07 1:48 PM CDT
(Newser) - Countdown is continuing in Florida toward blastoff for the space shuttle Endeavour, the Orlando Sentinel reports, with an 80% chance of favorable conditions at tonight's scheduled launch time of 6:36pm Eastern. Teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, a backup to the educator killed in the 1986 Challenger disaster, has brought national attention... More »

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NASA • plants • space shuttle • Christa McAuliffe • Barbara Morgan • Endeavour • space flight • student • teacher

Astronauts Drunk on the Job: Panel

Space travelers' IDs,
fates still up in the air

Jul 26, 07 5:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - NASA astronauts were permitted to fly while intoxicated on at least two occasions, an independent review has found. A aerospace trade journal published the findings on its website, revealing that astronauts engaged in "heavy use of alcohol" within the prohibited 12-hour "bottle to throttle" time before launch. More »

MORE ABOUT:
NASA • alcohol • aerospace • astronauts • space flight

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