Space Exploration news

The Stars My Destination

17 hours ago | 4.8 / 5 (18) | 0

The Voyager spacecraft are now in the outermost layer of the heliosphere, traveling toward interstellar space - the first man-made spacecraft to travel such a vast distance from Earth.

The 2009 Leonid Meteor Shower

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

16 hours ago | 5 / 5 (2) | 0

This year's Leonid meteor shower peaks on Tuesday, Nov. 17th. If forecasters are correct, the shower should produce a mild but pretty sprinkling of meteors over North America followed by a more intense outburst ...

Scientists prepare the Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM 2) "Poisk"

Rocket with new module for space station blasts off

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

19 hours ago | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

A Soyuz rocket carrying a new Russian-made module for the International Space Station blasted off on Tuesday from the Baikonur space base in Kazakhstan, television pictures showed.

The Vatican gathered leading scientists to discuss astrobiology

Vatican searches for extra-terrestrial life

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

19 hours ago | 5 / 5 (2) | 0

Is there life on other planets? The Vatican has asked that age-old question over the past five days during a "study week" on astrobiology gathering leading scientists from around the world.

Butterfly payload to launch Nov. 16 on space shuttle

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

19 hours ago | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

When NASA's space shuttle Atlantis launches for the International Space Station on Nov. 16 it will carry a University of Colorado at Boulder butterfly experiment that will be monitored by thousands of K-12 ...

Seattle team wins $900,000 in Space Elevator Games

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 07, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (17) | 6

(AP) -- A Seattle team has collected a $900,000 prize in a NASA-backed competition to develop the concept of an elevator to space - an idea spurred by science fiction novels.

L-R: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet and John Cusack at the premiere of "2012"

NASA on crusade to debunk 2012 apocalypse myths

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 09, 2009 | 4.9 / 5 (7) | 4

The world is not coming to an end on December 21, 2012, the US space agency insisted Monday in a rare campaign to dispel widespread rumors fueled by the Internet and a new Hollywood movie.

Russian rocket to launch from French Guiana in 2010

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 07, 2009 | 4.6 / 5 (5) | 4

A Russian rocket will next year for the first time blast off from a European launch pad in South America, officials said Saturday, as the first rockets headed for the site on board a ship.

Planetary Society plans new 'solar sail'

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 09, 2009 | 4.9 / 5 (13) | 0

(AP) -- Four years after its first solar sail ended up in the ocean instead of orbit, The Planetary Society announced Monday that by the end of 2010 it will try again to launch a spacecraft that will be propelled by the ...

Station Prepares For New Spacecraft, Monitors Debris

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 06, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 2

The station crew prepared Friday for the arrival of the Russian Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM2) which is scheduled for launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on Nov. 10. The MRM2 will arrive at the ...

Success in 'space elevator' competition (AP)

Success in 'space elevator' competition (Update 3)

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 05, 2009 | 4.4 / 5 (34) | 53

(AP) -- A robot powered by a ground-based laser beam climbed a long cable dangling from a helicopter on Wednesday to qualify for prize money in a $2 million competition to test the potential reality of the ...

Space hotel taking bookings for 2012 opening

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 05, 2009 | 4.4 / 5 (21) | 11

(PhysOrg.com) -- The first orbiting space hotel is on track to open for its first customers in 2012, but hurry, as bookings are filling fast.

Hidden Territory on Mercury Revealed

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 04, 2009 | 4.8 / 5 (20) | 1

The MESSENGER spacecraft's third flyby of the planet Mercury has given scientists, for the first time, an almost complete view of the planet's surface and revealed some dramatic changes in Mercury's comet-like ...

Spacesuits with artificial intelligence may look for life on Mars

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 04, 2009 | 5 / 5 (7) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Astronauts may in future be wearing spacesuits equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) and digital eyes, turning them into what the researchers call cyborg astrobiologists.

Unusual meteorite found by time-lapse camera observatory

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 05, 2009 | 4.3 / 5 (15) | 3

(PhysOrg.com) -- An unusual meteorite with an interesting orbit has been tracked to the ground using a photographic observatory that records time-lapse images of fireballs traveling across the sky.