Space: Final Frontier

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January 2009
- Eye Trouble May Have Affected Galileo's Observations
  
  Reuters | Jan 22, 09 1:24 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Galileo’s vision problems may have distorted some of his findings, Reuters reports. Scientists want to exhume the scientist’s body to determine, through DNA tests, the exact nature of his eye condition. “If we knew exactly what was wrong with his eyes we could use computer models to recreate what he saw in his telescope,” said the director of a Florence museum. More »
- Methane Hints at Life on Mars
  
  Houston Chronicle | Jan 15, 09 4:38 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The discovery of high methane concentrations on Mars may hint that underground life exists on the red planet, the Houston Chronicle reports. Scientists funded by NASA and other institutions, using Earth-based telescopes, have found plumes of methane in such high concentrations they believe bacteria, which can also produce the gas on Earth, may be the source. More »
- Big Moon Rising This Weekend
  
  Space.com | Jan 10, 09 1:03 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Star-gazers are hoping for clear skies this evening, when the full moon will make its biggest and brightest appearance of 2009. As it rises at sunset, the moon will appear 14% larger and 30% brighter than the year's subsequent moons, Space.com reports. The show—the result of the moon making its closest pass to Earth—will be almost as dazzling tomorrow, too, and ocean tides will be higher. More »
- Where Did Venus' Water Go?
  
  Space.com | Jan 5, 09 4:40 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Astronomers puzzling over why Venus, formed about the same time as Earth, has so little water may have found a culprit: solar wind, Space.com reports. Scientists think both originally had about the same amount; Venus’ warmer temperatures would have caused any oceans to evaporate. Australian scientists think solar wind carried hydrogen away on the planet’s day side, but there’s no evidence of oxygen leaving there. More »
- Built for 90 Days, Mars Rovers Mark 5 Years
  
  Space.com | Jan 3, 09 3:55 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - NASA’s twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity are celebrating their fifth birthdays on Mars after surviving more than 20 times their expected lifespan, Space.com reports. The two probes were each built for a 90-day trek across the Red Planet but have survived computer glitches and blistering weather conditions. “These rovers are incredibly resilient,” said a NASA project manager. More »
December 2008
- Columbia Crew Had No Chance to Survive
  
  Houston Chronicle | Dec 30, 08 4:45 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The seven astronauts aboard the space shuttle Columbia lost consciousness quickly and did not suffer when the craft broke up during its descent to Earth in 2003, a NASA report says. While the crew had zero chance of survival, the report found fault with the astronauts' safety equipment and recommended improvements in everything from helmets to seat restraints. More »
- NASA Launching First Satellite to Map CO2
  
  BBC | Dec 18, 08 6:22 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - NASA will soon launch a satellite that can measure carbon dioxide concentrations near the surface of the Earth, giving scientists an accurate picture of where the gas is produced and absorbed, the BBC reports. "This is NASA's first spacecraft specifically dedicated to mapping carbon dioxide," said a project leader. The data should help scientists get a better idea of how CO2 moves through the atmosphere and affects climate change. More »
- For Sale: Space Shuttle, $42M
  
  Orlando Sentinel | Dec 18, 08 2:58 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - NASA is taking the unprecedented step of offering to sell the three space shuttles to museums when the workhorse vehicles are retired some time after 2010, reports the Orlando Sentinel. The space agency is seeking at least $42 million—including $6 million for shipping and handling, and the cost of decontaminating each shuttle. More »
- Obama Will Face Shuttle Dilemma
  
  Wall Street Journal | Dec 17, 08 6:37 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - America's aging space shuttle fleet will pose some tough questions for Barack Obama, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Bush administration has recommended the shuttle be mothballed by 2010. To avoid leaving a potentially crippling 5-year gap in America's manned space flight program, Obama's NASA team will need to decide whether to extend the shuttle’s life or speed up production of its replacement. More »
- Huge Holes Found in Earth's Magnetic Shield
  
  Space.com | Dec 17, 08 2:40 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Scientists have discovered two large and unexpected holes in the magnetic field that protects the Earth from solar winds, reports Space.com. The leaks won't pose any risk to health, but increased disruption to satellites and electrical systems can be expected when the cycle of solar storms reaches its next peak four years from now, experts say. The have no idea why the "leaks" occurred. More »
- Moon Will Appear Extra Bright Tonight
  
  Space.com | Dec 12, 08 4:29 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - If tonight’s full moon looks bigger and brighter than normal, that’s because it is, Space.com reports. The satellite reaches its perigree today, making its position the closest of the year to Earth—though still some 222,000 miles away. The moon's irregular orbit causes the distance to vary. More »
- Scientists Say Black Hole Lies at Center of Galaxy
  
  Independent (UK) | Dec 11, 08 5:22 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - A giant black hole sits at the core of our galaxy, say astronomers who participated in a 16-year German study that monitored the movements of 28 stars circling the center of the Milky Way. “Beyond any reasonable doubt,” the stars orbit a core concentration of mass 4 million times greater than that of the sun—an enormous black hole, the Independent reports. More »
- British Satellites May Provide Cell Phone Service on Moon
  
  CNET | Dec 5, 08 5:55 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The UK’s space agency is reviewing the feasibility of a mission to put satellites in orbit around the moon, CNET reports. The MoonLITE study plans to send four “penetrator darts” containing geophysical instruments into the moon’s crust, monitoring their findings with four accompanying satellites. The resulting data will deliver information on moonquakes and the composition of the moon’s crust and core. More »
- New Rover Won't Hit Mars Until 2011
  
  Space.com | Dec 4, 08 3:57 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - NASA is delaying the launch of its next Mars rover, which is significantly larger and more complex than previous models, until 2011, Space.com reports. The Mars Science Laboratory was set to arrive on the red planet next year, but problems with crucial mechanical components mean it will miss its tight launch window. “We're really only a few months behind schedule, not two years behind schedule,” said the director of the exploration program. More »
November 2008
- Rerouted Shuttle Lands in Calif.
  
  Associated Press | Nov 30, 08 4:03 PM CST
  
  (AP) - Space shuttle Endeavour touched down at Edwards Air Force Base in California today, after dangerously high wind prevented the crew from landing at its home base in Florida, and NASA ordered the astronauts to take a detour and head for the Left Coast. Endeavour touched down at 4:25pm EST, wrapping up a 16-day trip that left the International Space Station freshly remodeled and capable of housing bigger crews. More »
- Endeavour Heads Home
  
  Florida Today | Nov 28, 08 2:30 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The space shuttle Endeavour separated from the International Space Station today and headed back to earth. Having completed a 12-day mission that upgraded the station’s living quarters, Endeavour’s seven-person crew began the 2-day trip back to the Kennedy Space Center, Florida Today reports. "Thanks for the incredible makeover, and leaving the station in fantastic shape," station commander Mike Finke radioed to the Endeavour crew. More »
- Saturn's Moon Hints at Water
  
  Associated Press | Nov 26, 08 4:44 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Plumes of gas and dust firing off one of Saturn's moons are moving at speeds “hard to do without liquids,” astronomers say, strongly suggesting the presence of water and raising the possibility of the moon supporting life. As Enceladus continues “helpfully spewing out its innards,” evidence of liquid H2O “is building,” a scientist tells the AP. More »
- Missing Tool Bag Spotted in Space
  
  Space.com | Nov 25, 08 4:42 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Look, in the sky: It's a bird, it's a plane, it's … the tool bag that floated away during a spacewalk last week. A few backyard astronomers have spotted the shiny bag that drifted away from an astronaut outside the International Space Station. The $100,000 toolkit will be visible through binoculars by the end of next week in the evening skies over most of North America. More »
- Astronauts Wipe Off Grime on Final Walk
  
  Space.com | Nov 24, 08 8:32 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Astronauts lubed a joint and wiped a solar panel clean today on the last spacewalk of the Endeavour mission, Space.com reports. The final repairs on the International Space Station took just over 6 hours but were cut short for astronaut Shane Kimbrough when carbon dioxide levels rose in his suit. Steve Bowen wrapped things up on the starboard-side job. "Finally!" he cried when the work was done. More »
- Spacewalk Wraps Up, but Urine Gizmo Breaks Down
  
  Associated Press | Nov 22, 08 8:25 PM CST
  
  (AP) - Spacewalking astronauts completed almost all of the greasy repairs on a gummed-up joint at the International Space Station today, leaving a few chores behind for a final walk on Monday. As spacewalk No. 3 was getting under way 225 miles up, a new recycling system for converting urine into drinking water broke down again. It was the third day in a row that the urine processor inexplicably shut down. More »