Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
China names crew for space launch
China announces the names of three astronauts who will carry out the country's third manned space mission.
NASA tests new Ares I rocket motor
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency said it has completed first-round testing of a critical motor for the new Ares I rocket.
Doomsday fears come with territory
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Doomsday predictions surrounding the start-up of Europe's Large Hadron Collider -- a giant particle-smasher designed to explore the origins of the universe -- come as little surprise...
Hurricane Ike delays cargo for space outpost
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian and U.S. space agencies on Friday decided to delay a cargo shipment from docking at the International Space Station after Hurricane Ike forced the evacuation...
Olympic star Bolt capable of besting record: physicist
Norwegian physicist Hans Eriksen says Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt could have run much faster than his winning time of 9.69 seconds in the 100 metres at last month's Beijing...
Biologists hope to discover 'Darwin particle' with Giant Animal Smasher
Scientists from the Evolutionary Acceleration Research Institute (EARI) announced that the first test of the Giant Animal Smasher (GAS) will begin on December 19, 2008, the 41st anniversary of the...
A Baby Earth
Dan Lathrop needs a bigger Earth. His old one is two feet across and 500 pounds, about 20 millionths the size of the real thing. And after four years of...
US space woes felt by Europe
US concerns about how it will service the space station after shuttle retirement are a major headache for Europe, too.
Robot Scout: Fly Me (Safely) To The Moon
The first attempt to land humans on the moon -- Apollo 11 -- was a triumph that almost ended in disaster. The landings for NASA's return to the moon are...
Why Ike Could Be Texas' Worst Nightmare
Tidal surge threatens low-lying Galveston; winds and rain could damage Houston.
Star Cluster to Hide Behind Moon
On Friday, Sep. 19, see the moon moving in front of the Pleiades cluster.
NSF funds Engineering Scholarships
A news story about a BIG NSF grant to a US University to fund undergraduate scholarships in Engineering read more
New boss for astronomy survey
Astrophysicist Roger Blandford chosen to lead critical review of astronomy research priorities.
Beautiful Death: Halos Of Planetary Nebulae Revealed
Stars without enough mass to turn into exploding supernovae end their lives blowing away most of their mass in a non-explosive, but intense stellar wind. Only a hot stellar core...
An Icy Discovery on Mars, but Where’s the Water?
It’s the lack of water on Mars that is perplexing NASA scientists.
NASA Moves Rescue Shuttle, Prepares for Hurricane Ike
NASA moved shuttle Endeavour closer to launch while JSC closed for a hurricane.
New Simulation Poised to Chart the Staggered, Scattered Cosmic Dawn
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new simulation method recently developed by Stanford astrophysicist Marcelo Alvarez and Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship student Patrick Ho spurns complexity to make headway in understanding the early...
A 'Genetic Study' of the Galaxy
(PhysOrg.com) -- Looking in detail at the composition of stars with ESO's VLT, astronomers are providing a fresh look at the history of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. They...
Calgarian claims 3rd world record for human-powered travel
A Calgary endurance athlete is catching his breath after claiming a world record for the greatest distance travelled in 24 hours on flat water via human power.
ESA holds mission-naming competition
PARIS, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- European Space Agency astronaut Frank De Winne is to begin a six-month stay at the International Space Station in May and the ESA...
NASA Developing Fission Surface Power Technology
(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA astronauts will need power sources when they return to the moon and establish a lunar outpost. NASA engineers are exploring the possibility of nuclear fission to provide...
NASA'S closes Johnson Space Center for Ike
HOUSTON, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency closed the Johnson Space Center at noon Thursday because of the threat posed by Hurricane Ike, which is expected...
Officials pluck tree-sitters from their perch
After almost two years perched in the sky, Berkeley's tree-sitters came back to earth Tuesday. The final four were handcuffed and escorted by police down steep steps of scaffolding for...
The 'satellite navigation' in our brains
Our brains contain their own navigation system much like satellite navigation ("sat-nav"), with in-built maps, grids and compasses, neuroscientist Dr Hugo Spiers told the BA Festival of Science at the...
Replay undocking Jules Verne ATV
The view from the International Space Station as Europe’s first Automated Transfer Vehicle, Jules Verne, retreats away from the orbital outpost following undocking.
Gravity-mapping satellite will help predict climate change
£265m project will enable scientists to produce more precise picture of ocean currents
SpaceX Looks to Close U.S. Spaceflight 'Gap'
The firm SpaceX hopes to close the coming gap in U.S. space launch ability.
Sea ice loss opens route around northern ice pack
Retreating sea ice in the Arctic has made it possible to navigate around the entire northern ice pack, a first since satellite observations of the region began three decades ago,...