The Mysterious Smell of Moondust

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At the end of a long day on the moon Apollo 17 astronaut Gene cernan rests inside the lunar module Challenger. Note the smudges of dust on his longjohns and forehead. Photo credit: Jack Schmitt.
At the end of a long day on the moon, Apollo 17 astronaut Gene cernan rests inside the lunar module Challenger. Note the smudges of dust on his longjohns and forehead. Photo credit: Jack Schmitt.

Moondust. "I wish I could send you some," says Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan. Just a thimbleful scooped fresh off the lunar surface. "It's amazing stuff."


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All News summaries for February 03, 2006

NASA's space water recycling system has hiccups

2 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
(AP) -- NASA's revolutionary new space water recycling system is having serious hiccups. The $154 million device for turning astronauts' urine and sweat into drinking water aboard the international space ...

NASA scales back flagship Mars mission

2 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
(AP) -- NASA is scrapping a controversial piece of hardware from its next-generation Mars rover that would have allowed the spacecraft to store rock fragments in a mini-basket for a future mission.

Would-be Japanese space tourist wants $21M back

2 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
(AP) -- Japanese millionaire Daisuke Enomoto had planned to dress up as his favorite cartoon character in outer space and spent $21 million to make it happen. Now he claims the company that was supposed make his dream come ...

Iconic rings and flares of galaxies created by violent, intergalactic collisions

6 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
The bright pinwheels and broad star sweeps iconic of disk galaxies such as the Milky Way might all be the shrapnel from massive, violent collisions with other galaxies and galaxy-size chunks of dark matter, according to a ...

Dawn Glides Into New Year

6 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Dawn spacecraft shut down its ion propulsion system today as scheduled. The spacecraft is now gliding toward a Mars flyby in February of next year.