Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
India Plans Moon Mission Sequel, Like China
India's second mission to the moon took one step closer to launch Monday when the nation's space agency announced it had finalized the mission's payloads.
Cosmic Log: Better living through palladium
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: This year's Nobel Prize for chemistry recognizes the use of palladium to synthesize all sorts of useful stuff. So what's palladium?
Solar system's shield is showing cracks
SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- The outer boundary of the solar system is more dynamic and complex than ever imagined, astronomers said. ...
A Million Questions About Habitable Planet Gliese 581g (Okay, 12)
Wondering what's up with that Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone? We've got answers.
Space Shuttle Fuel Tank Assembly Line Shuts Down
As NASA's space shuttle program draws to a close, production of the shuttle's external fuel tanks has ceased. Lockheed Martin had built NASA fuel tanks since 1973.
Cue the Chorus: Why Certain Northern Lights Dance
Scientists have long known that the colorful Northern Lights that amaze skywatchers are more than just pretty light shows in the sky. But until now, the engine behind their diversity...
Hello, Saturn summer solstice: Cassini's new chapter
Turning a midsummer night's dream into reality, NASA's Cassini spacecraft begins its new mission extension -- the Cassini Solstice Mission. The mission extension will take Cassini a few months past...
Laser tool for studying Mars rocks
The NASA Mars Science Laboratory Project's rover, Curiosity, will carry a newly delivered laser instrument named ChemCam to reveal what elements are present in rocks and soils on Mars up...
Russian companies announce space station
MOSCOW, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Two Russian companies say they'll build the world's first commercial space station, open to private citizens, astronauts and scientists. ...
NASA uses 3 satellites to see strengthening Tropical Storm Nicole
NASA is providing data from three satellites to give forecasters valuable information on newly strengthened Tropical Storm Nicole. Nicole was Tropical Depression 16 until 11 a.m. EDT, Sept. 29 and...
Ex-Air Force Personnel: UFOs Deactivated Nukes
Say Reports of Unexplained Lights in Sky Near Missile Sites Corresponded With Mysterious Shut-Downs of ICBMs
Duality – The World Has No Dimensionality At All
My post on demystifying black holes had Einstein and Hawking in the first paragraph, and wow do people click on it. So I do it again. Well, no, actually, I...
Japan launches first GPS setellite
TOKYO, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Japan's first navigation satellite will improve positioning coverage in mountainous terrain and urban centers, authorities say. ...
John P. Holdren Addresses "Global Climate Disruption"
At the 2010 Kavli Prize Science Forum, John Holdren, Science Advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama, detailed the need and efforts to mitigate "global climate disruption." The complete presentation, as...
U.K. company plans survey satellite fleet
LONDON, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- A $160 million project will launch three new British satellites by 2013 to image the surface of Earth, a commercial company says. ...
Finding E.T. May Become Harder If Aliens Go Digital
Scientists may have an extra challenge when it comes to detecting alien civilizations, but not for the reasons you might think.
Tracking Clouds to Predict Solar Bounty
Researchers developed a sensor system that attaches to photovoltaic panels, tracking cloud activity and transmitting data wirelessly at one-second intervals.
Alabama Mayors Lament NASA's Shift from Moon Plan
While President Barack Obama has outlined a new direction for NASA, the old direction still has staunch supporters.
NASA's New Space Capsule Could Be Ready for Test Flights in 2013
NASA's new Orion space capsule is steadily coming together in preparation for a 2013 launch, even though the craft's mission and funding are in limbo at the moment.
The End of Time is Nigh (in a Cosmic Sense, Anyhow)
The universe has only about 3.7 billion years in which to settle its affairs. At least, that's the new assertion from a group of physicists who say that there is a 50...
'Lost' Footage of First Moonwalk to Screen in Australia
A screening of previously lost tapes from the Apollo 11 mission - including footage of Neil Armstrong's iconic descent from the lunar module to the surface of the moon -...
Laurels for Cluster-Double Star teams
ESA’s Cluster and China’s Double Star have been awarded the Laurels for Team Achievement by The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). Between 2004 and 2007, the two missions returned fundamental new insights...
Major UK space project announced
A £100m project is announced to build three new British spacecraft to image the surface of the Earth at high resolution.
Earth, Venus lightnings produced by similar mechanisms
Despite the great differences between the atmospheres of Venus and Earth, scientists have discovered that very similar mechanisms produce lightning on the two planets. The rates of discharge, the intensity...
Opportunity Rover Finds 6th Mars Meteorite
After spending the weekend studying a meteorite on Mars, NASA's rover Opportunity headed to yet another space rock - the sixth it has discovered on the Red Planet.
Space Beer Headed for Zero Gravity Bar
It may not come in time for Oktoberfest, but the world's first beer to be certified for consumption in space will soon undergo tests in weightlessness to see if it's...
Probing Question: What is a Near Earth?
In the 1997 movie "Contact" (based on the novel by Carl Sagan), actress Jodie Foster plays an astrophysicist devoted to SETI -- the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. Despite doubting colleagues,...
What's Adding Methane to Mars's Atmosphere Every Autumn?
Martian Methane Map NASAMethane disappears and regenerates every year, according to new study Methane concentrations on Mars change with the seasons as well as location, and the gas disappears within a Martian year,...