Space: Final Frontier

Stories

Stories 61 - 80 of 413

<< Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ... 21 Next >>

March 2009
- Erratic Debris a Concern for Space Station, Discovery
  
  Associated Press | Mar 16, 09 2:56 PM CDT
  
  (AP) - NASA kept close tabs today on an old piece of space junk that threatened to come too close to the international space station as the shuttle Discovery raced toward the outpost for a 220-mile-high linkup. Experts initially warned that the debris from a Soviet satellite that broke up in 1981 could veer within a half-mile of the space station. But they later said it appeared that the 4-inch piece of junk might remain at a safe distance. More »
- Discovery Blasts Off With Crew of 7
  
  Associated Press | Mar 15, 09 7:00 PM CDT
  
  (AP) - Space shuttle Discovery is rocketing toward the international space station after more than a month of delays, the AP reports. The space shuttle and its crew of seven blasted off today just as the sun was setting. The shuttle is carrying a final set of solar wings for the space station that the astronauts will install. More »
- Hail of Debris Forces Space Station Evacuation
  
  Houston Chronicle | Mar 12, 09 12:20 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Fearing a strike by orbiting space junk, the three astronauts on the International Space Station evacuated to an attached capsule this morning, the Houston Chronicle reports. Though the chance of impact was slight, the debris—a 4-inch piece of an old rocket—could have caused major damage to the station. The astronauts returned safely minutes after the item passed within 3 miles. More »
- Discovery Launch Postponed
  
  Scientific American | Mar 11, 09 2:53 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Space Shuttle Discovery’s mission to deliver the final piece of a solar power array to the International Space Station was delayed again today, only hours before scheduled launch, CNN reports. The mission had already been postponed a month so technicians could determine whether three valves that control fuel supply were in danger of breaking; continued concerns over the valves caused today’s delay. More »
- Kepler Begins Search for Other 'Earths'
  
  Space.com | Mar 7, 09 2:18 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - NASA's planet-hunting spacecraft Kepler was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral last night, Space.com reports. Kepler, the widest-field telescope ever sent into space, will spend the next three years scanning the sky for a planet in the "Goldilocks zone" where conditions are just right for liquid water to exist and for life to take hold. More »
- Colbert Vies to Be Namesake of NASA Module
  
  Space.com | Mar 6, 09 4:24 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Again proving that his love for self-promotion knows no bounds, Stephen Colbert is urging fans to vote for his write-in suggestion for the name of the new observation deck attachment to the International Space Station, Space.com reports. In two days, Colbert nation has pushed his name to the top of the write-in list with 29,000 votes, beating “Xenu”—a galactic ruler discussed in Scientology’s teachings. More »
- Pluto Is Still a Planet, Illinois Senate Declares
  
  Guardian (UK) | Mar 6, 09 12:59 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Having helped install a hometown boy in the White House and ousted its colorful governor, Illinois is next out to save Pluto, the Guardian reports. The state senate blasted the International Astronomical Union’s 2006 decision to demote the erstwhile ninth planet to a “dwarf planet,” and voted unanimously to return to “full planetary status” the orb first sighted in 1930 by a native son, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch adds. More »
- NASA Begins Hunt for Earth-Like Planets
  
  Christian Science Monitor | Mar 5, 09 7:20 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - NASA will launch its Kepler space telescope tomorrow on a 3-year mission to look for planets as habitable to life as Earth, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Kepler will use a sophisticated digital camera, 10 times more sensitive than consumer models, to survey distant stars for orbiting planets with just the right credentials. “It’s quite an exciting time to be alive,” one scientist said. More »
- NASA to Reboot Mars Orbiter
  
  Space.com | Mar 5, 09 1:59 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The Odyssey, NASA’s Mars orbiter, must reboot its computer systems, a risky move necessary to ensure continued functionality, Space.com reports. The reboot, slated for next week, should clear out the damaging effects of continued exposure to space radiation on the Odyssey’s memory system. The orbiter’s last reboot was in 2003. As a bonus, the operation will test the Odyssey’s backup systems. More »
February 2009
- Crash Ends Mission to Track Global Warming
  
  Associated Press | Feb 24, 09 10:50 AM CST
  
  (AP) - A rocket carrying a NASA satellite crashed near Antarctica after a failed launch early yesterday, ending a $280 million mission to track global warming from space. The rocket carrying the Orbiting Carbon Observatory blasted off just before 2am from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. But minutes later a cover protecting the satellite during launch failed to separate from the rocket, a preliminary investigation found. More »
- Rare Comet Streaks Into View
  
  Wired | Feb 22, 09 5:44 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Comet Lulin will travel into sight tomorrow, says Wired. The rare chance for a glimpse comes as the comet passes 38 million miles from Earth, traveling south-southwest of Saturn and visible to the naked eye at night. NASA astronomers, tracking the comet with the Swift Gamma-Ray Explorer satellite, report that the comet is dumping 800 gallons of water per second—enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool in less than 15 minutes. More »
- Time to Clean Up Space Trash
  
  Economist | Feb 22, 09 5:16 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Space trash is becoming a serious problem, and it's long past time for housekeeping, writes the Economist . Of the 18,000 objects orbiting earth that are bigger than 4 inches across, only 900 are functioning satellites. The rest is debris, from old rocket parts and dead satellites to tools and gloves dropped by astronauts, and it poses a mounting risk to satellites crucial to communications. More »
- Massive Gamma Blast Spotted
  
  Daily Telegraph (UK) | Feb 20, 09 1:15 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The strongest-ever gamma ray blast—a burst more powerful than 9,000 exploding stars—has been detected 12.2 billion light years away in deep space, reports the Telegraph. The blast took place in September in the constellation Carina, and produced energy up to 5 billion times that of light. Astronomers believe that gamma ray bursts occur when stars exhaust their nuclear fuel and collapse. More »
- NASA Plans Jupiter Mission
  
  Washington Post | Feb 18, 09 9:03 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - NASA plans to send an orbiter to study the mysteries of one of Jupiter's moons, the Washington Post reports. Scientists suspect Europa has a massive ocean—possibly bigger than all of the Earth's oceans combined—beneath its ice-covered surface, the Post notes. Don't look up just yet: The $3 billion project—in tandem with the European Space Agency—still needs funding, and it won't launch until 2020. Oh, and the trip takes six years. More »
- Junk We've Lost in Outer Space
  
  Wired | Feb 15, 09 7:30 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - In the wake of two satellites colliding this week—and debris apparently falling on several states— Wired runs down a list of objects we've lost in outer space: A spatula: Used to apply heat-shield repair goo, the implement's loss was a blow to one astronaut. "That was my favorite spatch," he said. "Don’t tell the other spatulas." The $100,000 toolbag: This costly 2008 mistake still orbits, and can be tracked online. More »
- ET Seekers Win Big Boost
  
  Wall Street Journal | Feb 13, 09 5:58 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The truth is out there, and now there’s funding to find it: Everyone from Bill Gates to Cameron Diaz is embracing the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), a movement transitioning from X-Files territory to the mainstream, the Wall Street Journal says. One astronomer left last week's prestigious TED conference with over $1 million to help her "empower Earthlings everywhere to become active participants in the ultimate search for cosmic company." More »
- If Another Earth Is Out There, Kepler Will Find it
  
  Wired | Feb 11, 09 2:18 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - If there's truly no place like home, then NASA's new Kepler mission will help scientists prove it. The space telescope, set to launch March 5, will scan the skies for planets with the approximate size and temperature range of Earth. Matches could be candidates for extraterrestrial life; if Kepler finds nothing, it may mean we're all alone, writes Wired. More »
- Astronaut Slams NASA Bureaucracy in Video
  
  NPR | Feb 9, 09 11:04 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - NASA is abuzz over a satirical video posted on YouTube that takes on the space agency’s innovation-stifling bureaucracy, reports NPR. Written, shot, and edited by astronaut Andrew Thomas and starring NASA employees and contractors, the video tells the fictional story of a young engineer’s frustrating attempts to propose a new design. “It was a composite of many, many people’s experiences,” says the woman who plays the engineer. More »
January 2009
- Niche Cruises Set Sail
  
  Travel Leisure | Jan 31, 09 2:12 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Increasingly popular niche cruises offer seafarers a chance to indulge in all manner of hobbies, fantasies and obsessions on the high seas, reports Travel and Leisure : For instance: Star Trek/Buffy the Vampire Slayer: This week-long cruise offers fan conventions complete with autograph-signing celebs, star-studded karaoke and a chance to dine with a cast member and intermingle where no one has intermingled before. More »
- Leave Space to Robots
  
  Economist | Jan 24, 09 2:58 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Barack Obama is poised to chart a new direction for America’s exploration of the final frontier, writes the Economist . While George W. Bush supported continuing manned space exploration in the tradition of the previous century, Obama is considering scrapping some of NASA’s planned upgrades to the space shuttle program. This would leave space exploration to the robots, an idea the Economist heartily endorses. More »