Space: Final Frontier

Stories

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July 2009
- Monster Black Hole Sucking Up Space
  
  Daily Telegraph (UK) | Jul 26, 09 7:26 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A monstrous black hole near the center of a distant galaxy is sucking up stars, gas and dust, and spitting out baby stars, NASA scientists have discovered. The black hole is 100 million times the mass of the sun, reports the Telegraph . It lies at the center of a galaxy 50 million light years away known as NGC-1097, and has been photographed by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope in California. More »
- Indian Woman Killed in Eclipse Stampede
  
  Associated Press | Jul 22, 09 2:48 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A woman was killed early today in a stampede at the Ganges River where thousands of devout Hindus gathered to witness a total eclipse of the sun, AP reports. Millions poured outside to see the longest eclipse of the 21st Century. But many in the superstitious nation fearfully huddled indoors until sunlight returned. More »
- Jupiter Slammed by Mystery Object
  
  Associated Press | Jul 21, 09 3:58 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A massive mysterious object scientists believe may be a comet slammed into Jupiter yesterday, AP reports. The Earth-size impact "scar" left by the object was caught on NASA's powerful infrared telescope in Hawaii. The agency was alerted to the new mark on the planet by an amateur astronomer in England who was searching the planet with his own backyard telescope, according to the Times of London. More »
June 2009
- NASA Scrubs Shuttle Launch
  
  Associated Press | Jun 17, 09 2:17 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A hydrogen gas leak has forced NASA to call off the launch of the space shuttle for the second time in less than a week, AP reports. The glitch, discovered just hours before blastoff, means Endeavour's mission to the International Space Station will now be delayed until July 11 because of unfavorable sun angles. More »
- NASA Hopes for Wednesday Launch
  
  Space.com | Jun 15, 09 8:07 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - NASA is planning to delay the launch of two unmanned moon probes to give the space shuttle Endeavour another shot at takeoff, Space.com reports. The shuttle was grounded last week because of a hydrogen gas leak. Mission managers will make the final decision later today, but expect Endeavour to leave Cape Canaveral at 5:40am Wednesday. More »
- Colonize the Moon? NASA to Scope It Out
  
  Los Angeles Times | Jun 13, 09 2:14 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - NASA will launch a mission Wednesday to gather information about how humans might someday colonize the moon, the Los Angeles Times reports. A robotic orbiter will provide detailed maps of the topography and first-of-their kind peeks inside craters where ice might be hiding. “We're going to provide NASA with what is needed to get human beings back to the moon and to stay there for an extended duration,” said one mission official. More »
- NASA Delays Shuttle Over Gas Leak
  
  Space.com | Jun 13, 09 12:07 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - NASA officials canceled today's Space Shuttle Endeavour launch after workers discovered a hydrogen gas leak during fueling, Space.com reports. If the failure is fixed soon, the seven-member crew could lift off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., as early as tomorrow morning, when near-perfect weather is expected. Discovery's STS-119 launch was delayed with a similar glitch 3 months ago, but launched successfully after repairs. More »
- Armstrong Flubbed Moon Line, Made It Stellar
  
  BBC | Jun 4, 09 2:15 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Stressed out Neil Armstrong flubbed his line as he became the first human to step on the moon—and turned it into out-of-this-world poetry, reports the BBC. The astronaut was supposed to say: "One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind," as he walked onto the moon in 1969. But he dropped the "a" in the pre-scripted phrase penned by NASA. More »
May 2009
- Atlantis Lands Safely in Calif.
  
  Space.com | May 24, 09 10:46 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - With weather conditions in Florida remaining too soggy for a safe shuttle landing, Atlantis instead touched down at Edwards Air Force Base in California this morning. This was the 53rd west-coast landing for a space shuttle, a $2 million decision made easy by the balmy conditions in the Mojave Desert. Atlantis will make it back to Kennedy Space Center on the back of a modified 747. More »
- Storms Delay Shuttle for Another Day
  
  Associated Press | May 23, 09 8:08 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Thunderstorms in Florida will keep space shuttle Atlantis in space for yet another day, the AP reports. Mission Control canceled all landing attempts for the second straight day at the Kennedy Space Center. The forecast looks clear for tomorrow, so the seven astronauts will try again then rather than heading to California. They're wrapping up a successful mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. More »
- Obama Picks Ex-Astronaut as NASA Chief
  
  Los Angeles Times | May 23, 09 4:59 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - President Obama will name former astronaut Charles Bolden Jr. as his NASA administrator soon after the Atlantis shuttle returns to Earth this weekend, sources tell the Los Angeles Times . Bolden, a military aviator who flew four shuttle missions, will be the first African-American to lead NASA if he is confirmed by the Senate. Obama's campaign space adviser, Lori Garver, is expected to be his deputy. More »
- Weather Delays Shuttle's Return Until Tomorrow
  
  Associated Press | May 22, 09 7:10 AM CDT
  
  (AP) - Stormy weather in Florida prevented space shuttle Atlantis and its crew from landing today, and the crew will try again tomorrow. The news isn't a huge surprise to the seven astronauts, who are wrapping up a successful mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. The weather outlook has been grim for days. The crew has enough supplies through Monday. More »
- Despite Its Faults (and Costs), Hubble Remains Crucial
  
  CNET | May 21, 09 1:07 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Hubble Space Telescope has expanded our knowledge of black holes, so it’s ironic that critics complain the $9.6 billion device is sucking up money and energy that could be shifted to other programs. But, on CNET, Don Reisinger defends the telescope as earthlings’ best shot at unlocking the secrets of the universe, like determining its formation and exact age. More »
- Mmm, Mmm, Good! Astros Toast With Recycled Urine
  
  CNET | May 21, 09 3:44 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The crew of the International Space Station toasted successful testing of their new water-recycling system with sips of recycled sweat and urine yesterday, CNET reports. "The taste is great," US astronaut Michael Barratt said as his Russian colleague Gennady Zyuganov chased a floating mouthful in zero gravity. "As Gennady is showing you, it's perfectly clear and worth chasing in zero G here." More »
- Astronauts Release Hubble on Final Run
  
  Associated Press | May 19, 09 10:19 AM CDT
  
  (AP) - Atlantis' astronauts gingerly dropped the Hubble Space Telescope overboard today, sending the restored observatory off on a new voyage of discovery and bidding it farewell on behalf of the planet, reports the AP. The shuttle and telescope had just crossed the Atlantic, and were soaring 350 miles above the coast of northwestern Africa, when astronaut Megan McArthur used a robot arm to release the snares gripping Hubble. Then the shuttle slowly backed away. More »
- Astronauts Wrap Up Hubble 'Scope Repairs
  
  Associated Press | May 18, 09 4:30 PM CDT
  
  (AP) - After 5 amazing days, spacewalking astronauts finished repair work on the Hubble Space Telescope today and shut the doors to the treasured observatory, which will never be touched by human hands again. NASA said the revived telescope will be better than ever thanks to the astronauts' efforts and should provide even more dazzling views of the universe for another 5 to 10 years. More »
- Astronauts Take Final Hubble Spacewalk
  
  Associated Press | May 18, 09 9:26 AM CDT
  
  (AP) - Spacewalking astronauts ventured out today to finish repairs on the Hubble Space Telescope, never to be touched by human hands again. It was the fifth and final spacewalk for the crew of the shuttle Atlantis, and the final planned visit by astronauts, ever, to Hubble. The astronauts outfitted Hubble with two state-of-the-art science instruments totaling $220 million that should allow the telescope to peer as far back as 13 billion years. More »
- Stuck Bolt Throws Wrench in Hubble Repairs
  
  Space.com | May 18, 09 5:03 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Yesterday was a frustratingly long day in space as Atlantis astronauts struggled to fix a long-broken spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. They ultimately succeeded, but a stuck bolt and dead battery prolonged the spacewalk to 8 hours—making it the sixth longest in history, Space.com reports. Astronauts also ran out of time to insulate Hubble, but may attempt to do so on today's fifth and final spacewalk. More »
- Smile! Astronauts Fix Broken Hubble Cam
  
  Associated Press | May 16, 09 4:53 PM CDT
  
  (AP) - Spacewalking astronauts gave the Hubble Space Telescope a more commanding view of the cosmos by installing a new high-tech instrument today, then pulled off their toughest job yet: fixing a broken camera. It was the third spacewalk in as many days for the shuttle Atlantis crew, and it was the most intricate ever performed because of the unprecedented camera repairs. More »
- Spacewalkers Wrap Up Tricky Hubble Job
  
  Associated Press | May 15, 09 11:01 PM CDT
  
  (AP) - Spacewalking astronauts had to put a refurbished pair of gyroscopes into the Hubble Space Telescope after a brand new set refused to go in yesterday, but scientists were satisfied nonetheless and confident the observatory would point precisely to more distant objects in the cosmos. Replacing the gyroscopes was the top priority of the repair mission, and the struggle had NASA on edge for 2 hours. More »