Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Disaster plan in place for Hubble mission
HOUSTON, June 17 (UPI) -- U.S. space officials said a second shuttle will rescue the crew of the shuttle Atlantis if an emergency arises on Hubble repair mission...
Next-generation Spacesuit: NASA Awards Contract For Constellation Spacesuit For The Moon
NASA has awarded a contract to Oceaneering International Inc. of Houston, for the design, development and production of a new spacesuit system. The spacesuit will protect astronauts during Constellation Program...
Microchip sets low-power record with extreme sleep mode
A low-power microchip developed at the University of Michigan uses 30,000 times less power in sleep mode and 10 times less in active mode than comparable chips now on the...
Bringing Space Down to Earth With Toilets and Toys
Astronauts can escape Earth, but not the facts of life.
NASA examines 'bump' on Discovery rudder
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., June 13 (UPI) -- Crew members on the U.S. space shuttle Discovery Friday reported seeing an object floating from the craft and a "bump" on...
Supernova "Shock Breakout" Seen From Red Giant -- A 1st
An ultraviolet flash in a distant galaxy heralded the imminent explosion of a supermassive star, astronomers announced.
NASA Completes Review Milestone for Ares I First Stage
NASA has completed the preliminary design review for the first stage of the Ares I rocket -- giving overall approval for the agency's technical design approach. This review brings NASA...
European Astronaut Selection: A few days left to apply!
Aspiring astronauts still have some time to fill in their online application forms before the closing date of Monday 16 June and, who knows, they may get the chance to...
Crater expectations: privateers chase lunar prize
Nearly four decades after humans first set foot on the Moon, our astronomical neighbour is still exerting a powerful attraction for would-be explorers. Several private teams of scientists have already...
NASA Finds New Type Of Comet Dust Mineral
NASA researchers and scientists from the United States, Germany and Japan have found a new mineral in material that likely came from a comet. The mineral, a manganese silicide named...
NASA: Damaged launch pad was flawed from start
(AP) -- The Apollo-era launch pad used to shoot space shuttle Discovery into orbit two weeks ago may have been flawed from the day it was built, and will...
Earth from Space: Namibia’s Great White Place
This Envisat image features the northern part of the country of Namibia. Namibia is located on the west coast of southern Africa between Angola and South Africa.
China space mission to include spacewalk
BEIJING, June 13 (UPI) -- China's space agency says its manned space mission set for October will include spacewalk by one of the three-member astronaut crew.
Phoenix starts to get some reward
Nasa's new lander on Mars is learning how to cope with the clumpy soil at its location on the northern plains.
Ariane 5 - Another successful dual-payload launch
Yesterday evening, an Ariane 5 ECA launcher lifted off from Europe's Spaceport at Kourou, in French Guiana, on its mission to place two telecommunications satellites into geostationary transfer orbits.
New Map Locates Metals in Millions of Milky Way Stars
An international team of scientists from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-II) has unveiled the most complete and detailed map yet of the chemical composition of our Galaxy.
RIP: Ulysses Solar Probe Coming to End Soon
The Ulysses spacecraft will end its solar mission on July 1.
Cosmic Grim Reaper Seen For First Time
Astronomers have witnessed the early stages of a star's death.
Medical research on ice
New medical equipment recently delivered to the Antarctic station Concordia will help understand how our bodies physically adapt to this extreme environment - knowledge which could help prepare for a...
Satellites confirm Ethiopia destruction, says U.S. group
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Satellite images confirm reports that the Ethiopian military has burned towns and villages in the remote Ogaden region of eastern Ethiopia, the American Association for the Advancement...
Mars Microbes Could Survive with Natural Antifreeze
New ground tests will help Phoenix detect signs of life on Mars.
Mars Lander Retrieves Soil Sample
After several tries, a robotic arm finally succeeded in placing clumps of extraterrestrial soil into the vehicle for analysis.
Water squabbles irrigate tensions in Central Asia
VAKHDAT, Tajikistan (Reuters) - Under a scorching sun, an exhausted Tajik woman looks at a drying trickle of irrigation water running across her cotton field.
Astronauts inspect shuttle wings, nose for damage
(AP) -- Discovery's astronauts inspected their ship's wings and nose Wednesday for any signs of damage after bidding "sayonara" to the international space station and heading for home.
Pluto-bound Probe Crosses Saturn's Orbit
The Pluto-bound New Horizons spacecraft crossed the orbit of Saturn on June 8.
Gamma rays: The incredible, hulking reality
Gamma rays are blamed for making Bruce Banner the Incredible Hulk. But what are gamma rays and what can they really do?
Cellular, molecular symposium is planned
WOODS HOLE, Mass., June 11 (UPI) -- A group of U.S. scientists is planning a meeting to discuss the fundamental math and mechanics that might explain life processes.
Mystery of 1780's 'Dark Day' is solved
COLUMBIA, Mo., June 11 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have solved the mystery of what caused "New England's Dark Day" on May 19, 1780, by finding evidence...