Space Exploration news

Superior Super Earths

Superior Super Earths

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Nov 30, 2009 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (46) | comments 14

Super Earths are named for their size, but these planets - which range from about 2 to 10 Earth masses - could be superior to the Earth when it comes to sustaining life. They could also provide an answer to ...


Sandtrapped Rover Makes a Big Discovery

Sandtrapped Rover Makes a Big Discovery

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created 17 hours ago | popularity 4.9 / 5 (32) | comments 7

Homer's Iliad tells the story of Troy, a city besieged by the Greeks in the Trojan War. Today, a lone robot sits besieged in the sands of Troy while engineers and scientists plot its escape.


Caltech scientists explain puzzling lake asymmetry on Titan

Scientists explain puzzling lake asymmetry on Titan

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Nov 29, 2009 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (14) | comments 0

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) suggest that the eccentricity of Saturn's orbit around the sun may be responsible for the unusually uneven distribution of methane and ethane ...


Japan launches 5th spy satellite (AP)

Japan launches 5th spy satellite

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Nov 28, 2009 | popularity 3.6 / 5 (9) | comments 3

(AP) -- Japan launched its fifth spy satellite into orbit Saturday in a bid to boost its ability to independently gather intelligence, the government said.


China is set to launch its second moon orbiter next October, state media have reported

China to launch second lunar probe: state media

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Nov 27, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (6) | comments 0

China will launch its second moon orbiter next October, state media reported Friday, as it powers ahead with a space programme that has sparked concerns abroad.


Robert Thirsk

ISS astronauts land safely in Kazakhstan

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Dec 01, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0

A space capsule carrying a Belgian, a Canadian and a Russian landed safely in the steppes of Kazakhstan on Tuesday after the trio spent half a year on the International Space Station (ISS).


Orbiter Puts Itself Into Safe Standby

Mars Odyssey Orbiter Puts Itself Into Safe Standby

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Dec 01, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter put itself into a safe standby mode on Saturday, Nov. 28, and the team operating the spacecraft has begun implementing careful steps designed to resume Odyssey's ...


The International Space Station

NASA: Floating 'junk' no threat to space station

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Nov 28, 2009 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (3) | comments 0

(AP) -- NASA says a piece of old space junk that it's been tracking for a few days is no threat to the International Space Station.


NASA Uses Twin Processes to Develop New Tank Dome Technology

NASA Uses Twin Processes to Develop New Tank Dome Technology

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Dec 02, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (3) | comments 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA has partnered with Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colo., and MT Aerospace in Augsburg, Germany, to successfully manufacture the first full-scale friction stir welded and spun ...


Space shuttle Atlantis, 7 astronauts back on Earth (AP)

Space shuttle Atlantis, 7 astronauts back on Earth

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Nov 27, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Space shuttle Atlantis and its crew of seven astronauts ended an 11-day journey of nearly 4.5 million miles with a 9:44 a.m. EST landing Friday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.


GOES-14 (O) moving into on-orbit storage around the Earth

GOES-14 (O) moving into on-orbit storage around the Earth

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Nov 30, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite named GOES-14, is being placed in on-orbit storage this month to await its call to duty.


 Chang'E-1 has blazed a new trail in China's deep space exploration

Chang'E-1 has blazed a new trail in China's deep space exploration

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Dec 01, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

A huge amount of scientific data have been accumulated by the CE-1 lunar orbiter. Using laser altimeter data, Jinsong Ping and Qian Huang et al obtained improved 3D lunar topography, and based on this, they ...


Ares I-X rocket

NASA puzzled why parachutes failed in rocket test

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created 15 hours ago | popularity 3.5 / 5 (2) | comments 1

(AP) -- NASA still isn't sure why two parachutes failed during a test flight of its prototype moon rocket just over a month ago.


Another Stall of Right-Rear Wheel Ends Drive

Rover Spirit: Another Stall of Right-Rear Wheel Ends Drive

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Dec 02, 2009 | popularity 2.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Spirit's right-rear wheel stalled again on Sol 2099 (Nov. 28, 2009) during the first step of a two-step extrication maneuver.


STPSat-1 successfully completes extended mission

STPSat-1 successfully completes extended mission

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Dec 02, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

The STPSat-1, built for the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program (STP) and operated by the DoD STP for the first year then transitioned to NRL for the last 16 months, was decommissioned on October ...