Space News, updated every weekday
Universe Today
Opportunity Mars Rover Blazes Past 40 Year Old Space Driving Record
Now more than 9 years and counting into her planned mere 90 day mission to Mars, NASA’s legendary Opportunity rover has smashed past another space milestone and established a new distance driving record for an American vehicle on another world this week. On Thursday, May 16, the long-lived Opportunity drove another 263 feet (80 meters) [...]
Comets PANSTARRS and Lemmon Still Linger for Early Morning Views
The comet show is still not over! Early on May 16, 2013, astrophotographer Chris Schur from central Arizona was able to see two comets at once, Comet PANSTARRS AND Comet Lemmon. “We set up on our 14 foot tall balcony observing pad and was able to get the very low Comet Lemmon as it rose [...]
This is the new ‘We Are the Explorers’ Video You’ll See at ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness”
Have you seen Star Trek: Into Darkness yet? If so, did you see the NASA-themed trailer, too? A crowd-funded 30-second video called “We Are the Explorers” is debuting at theaters this week, shown before the new Trek film begins. It highlights America’s future in space and is narrated by actor Peter Cullen, the voice of [...]
Super-Bright Explosion Seen on the Moon
If you were looking up at the Moon on March 17, 2013 at 03:50:55 UTC, you might have seen one of the brightest “lunar flashes” ever witnessed. And it would have been visible with just the naked eye. (...)Read the rest of Super-Bright Explosion Seen on the Moon (669 words) © nancy for Universe Today, [...]
Seeing the Red of ‘La Superba,’ a Magnificent Springtime Carbon Star
The Universe can be a very gray place. But this week, we’ll look at a fine example of a class of objects that defies this trend.(...)Read the rest of Seeing the Red of ‘La Superba,’ a Magnificent Springtime Carbon Star (887 words) © David Dickinson for Universe Today, 2013. | Permalink | 2 comments | [...]
‘Star Trek’ Spaceship Model Soars Into Stratosphere
It was billed as the U.S. S. Enterprise’s first “real” flight in space, but the spaceship didn’t get quite that far. (...)Read the rest of ‘Star Trek’ Spaceship Model Soars Into Stratosphere (254 words) Elizabeth Howell for Universe Today, 2013. | Permalink | 2 comments | Post tags: Star Trek, star trek: into darkness, [...]
How Many Tribbles Will Fit Into Your House?
Star Trek: How Many Tribbles Will Fit in Your House? Oh, those little creatures that are no Tribble at all. If you’re not familiar with these small, non-intelligent lifeforms known for their prodigious reproductive rate, Tribbles (Polygeminus grex) are part of Star Trek lore. And we’ve all got Star Trek on the brain with the [...]
Blocking Light Sheds New Light on Exoplanet Atmospheres
Exoplanets are uncanny. Some seem to have walked directly out of the best science-fiction movies. For example, we’ve discovered a planet consisting purely of water (GJ 1214b) and one with two suns (Kepler 16b). Some planets nearly scrape their host stars once every orbit, while others exist in darkness without a host star at all. The [...]
Hadfield’s Return to Earth: ‘I’m Still Learning How To Walk Again’
Astronaut Chris Hadfield described himself as a man who never looks back. Still, he spoke fondly of his five months in space during the first press conference with media today (May 16) after his return to Earth earlier this week. “I don’t spend my life going gosh, Iwent to [space station] Mir in 1995 and [...]
Live Online Event: The Exploding Universe: the Realm of Supernovae
Supernovae are some of the fascinating objects in the Universe. The Virtual Telescope Project will be hosting a live webcast today UPDATE: the webcast will also be on May 17, 2013 as clouds arrived shortly into the webcast on on the 16th) at 21:00 UTC (5 pm EDT, 2 pm PDT) to explore in real-time [...]
SPACE.com
Best Space Photos of the Week - May 18, 2013
From snow falling on our largest telescopes to cool lunar vehicles in space, don't miss these amazing space photos of the week.
NASA's Planet-Hunting Kepler Telescope Will Have Long Legacy, Despite Big Glitch
NASA's Kepler has revolutionized exoplanet science, researchers say.
Spectacular Auroras Dance Over Michigan in Time-Lapse Video
A new video from a skywatcher in northern Michigan shows amazing views of the auroras and other cosmic wonders over the course of a year.
Private Space Plane Arrives in California for Key Flight Tests
Dream Chaser's first free-flight test is slated for later this year.
Electric Cars on Earth and Mars: How They Stack Up
Electric vehicles have no real competitors for the Martian market.
How Electric Spacecraft Could Fly NASA to Mars
Electric propulsion technology has matured to the point that NASA may consider it as part of a scheme to send people to Mars.
How To Bake A Mars Pellet – Curiosity's Drill Sampling | Video
The Mobile Science Lab flashes some complex moves to get rock samples from drill bit to baking chamber for chemical analysis (CHIMRA experiment).
Fallout from Huge Solar Flare Sideswipes Earth Today
The eruption shouldn't pose a threat to Earth but may supercharge northern lights displays.
'Doomsday Planet' Nibiru Has Cameo in 'Star Trek Into Darkness'
In the new "Star Trek" film, the planet Nibiru is a lush, jungle planet.
Stellar Life Cycle | Space Wallpaper
This space wallpaper of the nebula NGC 3603 shows globules of gas and dust; giant, gaseous pillars; young stars surrounded by debris disks; aging, massive stars; and a blue supergiant star—all various stages in star life.
US Spaceflight Ambitions Must Face Budget Reality, NASA Chief Says
The agency must take a realist attitude to what can be done with little money, Bolden said.
Quadruple X-Flaring Sunspot Is At It Again | Video
After a day of rest, active region 1748 unleashed class-M1.3 and M3.2 flares on May 16th and 17th, 2013. This same storm blasted 4 X-class flares between May 13 and 15.
Huge Rock Crashes Into Moon, Sparks Giant Explosion
A new 65-foot-wide impact crater is the result.
Space History Photo: X-38 Prototype Lands on Rogers Dry Lakebed
The X-38 research vehicle touches down on Rogers Dry Lakebed.
56,000 MPH Space Rock Hits Moon, Explosion Seen | Video
A NASA moon monitoring telescope captured the blast, which could be seen by the naked eye on Earth, on March 17th, 2013. The object was the size of a small boulder and may be part of a meteor swarm that also flew past Earth.
Sci-Fi Film 'After Earth' Presents Dark Future for Humanity
In 'After Earth,' humanity is faced with a choice: Leave the planet, or die off trying to remain on it.
Electric Vehicles to Explore Deep Space (Photo Gallery)
Images of electric spacecraft, which have explored the moon, Mars and beyond.
Brilliant Science Blunders: Astrophysicist Mario Livio Speaks Out
What we can learn from the greatest scientific mistakes in history.
Huge Asteroid to Fly Past Earth This Month
The May 31 flyby of 1.7-mile-long 1998 QE2 poses no threat to Earth.
Mars Rover Opportunity Breaks US Record for Off-Planet Driving
Opportunity passed the Apollo 17 moon buggy, which covered 22.21 miles back in 1972.
New GPS Satellite Launched on Atlas 5 Rocket
The new spacecraft will aid the network of navigation satellites.
Ribbon in the Sky | Space Wallpaper
This dramatic space wallpaper reveals cosmic clouds in the constellation of Orion showing what seems to be a fiery ribbon in the sky.
Amazon CEO's Moon Rocket Engines on Public View in Kansas
The Apollo engines are being restored in Kansas, and the public is invited to come see.
New Rocket Fuel Helps NASA 'Go Green'
By 2015 there'll be something green in space, and it won't be aliens!
Astronaut in Space Beams Hellos to 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Actors
Astronauts on the ground and in space spoke with three actors from 'Star Trek Into Darkness' today during a NASA-sponsored Google+ Hangout.
Best Time to See Moon Mountains in May Is Now
The mountains of the moon are visible for those that wish to see them this month.
Bring Some Asteroid To Earth: OSIRIS-Rex - 2023 | Video
NASA's Origins-Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) will study asteroid Bennu. It will launch in 2016, arrive at the asteroid in 2018 and a minimum of 2 ounces of it will be returned 5 years later.
Private Mars Flyby Mission Ponders NASA & Commercial Rockets
Inspiration Mars may use a SpaceX rocket, a pair of ULA boosters, or NASA's SLS.
Astronomer's Poem Mourns Ailing Kepler Spacecraft
Astronomer Geoff Marcy tweaked W.H. Auden's poem to grieve for the troubled Kepler Space Telescope.
Space History Photo: Atlantis Departing Mir
The Space Shuttle Atlantis departs the Mir Russian Space Station.
Astronaut To Knit In Space | Video
NASA Astronaut Karen Nyberg is a flight engineer on the Expedition 36/37 crew and in her down time will be hard at work with the fabric and thread she is bringing along. She is scheduled to launch to the ISS aboard a Soyuz TMA-09M on May 28th, 2013.
Asteroid To Swing By Earth Is '9 Cruise-Ships Big' | Orbit Animation
Asteroid 1998 QE2 is about 1.7 miles in size and makes an excellent target for radar imaging. It will pass no closer than ~3.6 million miles, but is close enough for the Goldstone and Arecibo telescopes to resolve features as small as 12 feet across.
Did 'Star Trek' Give Rise to NASA's 'Space Shuttle'?
'Star Trek Into Darkness' warps into theaters today (May 16). Is there a link between Starfleet and NASA's shuttle fleet?
STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Review: The Cure for Sequelitis
If you enjoyed Star Trek, I don’t know how you could not love Star Trek Into Darkness.
'Star Trek Into Darkness': A Photo Gallery
See publicity photos of the new movie from the venerable sci-fi franchise.
Mind Meld! Astronauts Meet 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Stars in Webcast Today
NASA will host a Google+ Hangout with the cast and crew of "Star Trek Into Darkness" and space station astronaut Chris Cassidy today.
The Top 10 Star Trek Technologies
Classic Star Trek contributed more to the modern world than phrases like "Beam me up, Scotty!" Many of the devices we saw decades ago are now available for use in the real world; we thank the engineers who made real these ten Star Trek technologies. - Bil
Can NASA's Planet-Hunting Kepler Mission Be Saved?
There's a chance the prolific instrument could recover from its recent malfunction, officials say.
7 Greatest Alien Planet Discoveries by NASA's Kepler Spacecraft (So Far)
A rundown of the prolific mission's most memorable finds to date.
Hunting for Alien Worlds (Part 6): Exoplanet Missions in the Future
In part six of this 10 part series, the panelists discuss the exciting possibilities of future missions that could uncover exoplanets.
J.J. ABRAMS Talks STAR TREK vs. STAR WARS on The Daily Show
J.J. Abrams, the director of this week's Star Trek: Into Darkness and 2015's Star Wars Episode VII.
Exoplanets: Worlds Beyond Our Solar System
More than 800 extrasolar planets have been discovered.
Planet-Hunting Kepler Spacecraft Suffers Major Failure, NASA Says
The Kepler spacecraft has been a prolific exoplanet tool, but a mechanical failure has sealed its fate, NASA says.
Russian Rocket Launches Telecom Satellite
Eutelsat 3D will serve Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Central and South Asia.
Dizzying View: World Trade Center Spire Installed | Video
Hold onto your lunch! Watch construction workers complete the tower. The topmost section was lofted into place with an attached camera rolling. Topping out at 1776 feet, it was the 3rd tallest building in the world at the time of completion.
China Launches High-Altitude Rocket on Apparent Science Mission: Reports
There is no evidence that the launch was an anti-satellite test, experts say.
Why We Still Love 'Star Trek,' Final Frontiers and All
With the release of 'Star Trek Into Darkness' set for tomorrow (May 16), imaginations around the world are still captured by the voyages of the Starship Enterprise.
Supermassive Black Holes May Starve Themselves Temporarily | Video
NSF's VLA radio-telescope watched a black hole ~100 million times our Sun's mass, blast two jets outward through its galaxy at over million miles per hour. This drags gas away from the black hole, making it go hungry.
Jaw-Dropping Views of Night Sky and Earth Win Photo Contest
Gorgeous skyscapes over stunning Earth scenes took the prizes.
How the Mighty Winds of Uranus and Neptune Blow
The winds on Uranus and Neptune blow in tight bands and aren't arent' very deep, scientists say.
Space News From SpaceDaily.Com
Mars Icebreaker Life Mission
Moffett Field CA (SPX) May 17, 2013
Missions to Mars have only scratched its surface. To go deeper, scientists are proposing a spacecraft that can drill into the Red Planet to potentially find signs of life.
The driving goal for exploring Mars is finding signs of life, said planetary scientist Christopher McKay at NASA's Ames Research Center. There are mountains of evidence that Mars was once home to liquid water on its surf
Nine-Year-Old Mars Rover Passes 40-Year-Old Record
Pasadena CA (JPL) May 17, 2013
While Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt visited Earth's moon for three days in December 1972, they drove their mission's Lunar Roving Vehicle 19.3 nautical miles (22.210 statute miles or 35.744 kilometers). That was the farthest total distance for any NASA vehicle driving on a world other than Earth until yesterday.
The team operating NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opp
NASA Completes First Part of Webb Telescope's 'Eye Surgery' Operation
Greenbelt MD (SPX) May 17, 2013
Much like the inside of an operating room, in the clean room at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., engineers worked meticulously to implant part of the eyes of the James Webb Space Telescope. They scrubbed up and suited up to perform one of the most delicate performances of their lives. That part of the eyes, the MIRI, or Mid-Infrared Instrument, will glimpse the formation of
NASA Probe Counts Space Rock Impacts on Mars
Tucson AZ (SPX) May 17, 2013
Scientists using images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) have estimated that the planet is bombarded by more than 200 small asteroids or bits of comets per year forming craters at least 12.8 feet (3.9 meters) across.
Researchers have identified 248 new impact sites on parts of the Martian surface in the past decade, using images from the spacecraft to determine when the crater
Ariane Flight VA214's launch vehicle marks a preparation milestone
Kourou, French Guiana (ESA) May 17, 2013
The third Ariane 5 for launch in 2013 has now completed basic build-up at the Spaceport, taking the next step toward Arianespace's two-passenger mission planned from French Guiana in July.
This heavy-lift workhorse was equipped with its upper cryogenic stage and vehicle equipment bay inside the Spaceport's Launcher Integration Building, installed as a single "upper composite" atop the core
Eutelsat 3D launch a success
Cannes, France (SPX) May 17, 2013
The Eutelsat 3D telecommunications satellite was successfully launched by ILS from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, using a Proton launch vehicle. Thales Alenia Space is the program prime contractor on behalf of Eutelsat Communications, one of the world's leading providers of fixed satellite services (FSS).
The Eutelsat 3D design allows it to operate from several orbital positions, i
Stanford professor and former NASA official explains how NASA might revive the Kepler space telescope
Stanford CA (SPX) May 17, 2013
NASA officials announced Wednesday, May 15, that the Kepler space telescope - the agency's primary instrument for detecting planets beyond our solar system - had suffered a critical failure and could soon be shut down permanently.
Scott Hubbard, a consulting professor of aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford's School of Engineering, served as director of NASA Ames Research Center during
A-1 Test Stand Houses First Full Engine in Nearly a Decade
Stennis Space Center MS (SPX) May 17, 2013
Engineers install J-2X engine E10002 in the A-1 test stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center. The installation is in preparation for a new series of tests, where the engine will be gimbaled, or pivoted, during test firings.
Gimbal tests are an important part of the design process. When this upper stage engine is used in space, it will need to be able to move freely to steer NASA's Space Launc
O3b Networks' initial satellite is fueled for Arianespace's upcoming Soyuz launch from the Spaceport
Kourou, French Guiana (ESA) May 17, 2013
The first Arianespace Soyuz mission for O3b Networks has moved into its next phase of preparations at the Spaceport, as fueling is now underway with the global satellite services provider's spacecraft that will provide connectivity for emerging markets worldwide.
This upcoming medium-lift Soyuz launch - designated Flight VS05 in Arianespace's launcher family numbering system - will orbit f
Fourth Boeing GPS IIF Satellite Joins Constellation on Orbit
El Segundo CA (SPX) May 16, 2013
With the launch of the fourth GPS IIF satellite, Boeing and the U.S. Air Force continue modernizing the Global Positioning System that millions of people worldwide rely on as a navigation and timing resource.
The IIF offers improved navigational accuracy and anti-jamming resistance, along with a stronger military signal and longer design life. Boeing has been a prime GPS contractor since t
First new Galileo satellite arrives at ESA for space testing
Paris (ESA) May 17, 2013
The first satellite of Galileo's next phase has arrived at ESA's technical heart in the Netherlands for a rigorous set of tests to check its readiness for launch.
This first Galileo Full Operational Capability - FOC - satellite is functionally identical to the first four Galileo In-Orbit Validation satellites already in orbit, the operational nucleus of the full Galileo constellation, but
Sierra Nevada Corporation Dream Chaser Testing Begins at NASA Dryden, Langley
Edwards, CA (SPX) May 17, 2013
Sierra Nevada Corporation's (SNC) Space Systems Dream Chaser flight vehicle arrived at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif., Wednesday to begin tests of its flight and runway landing systems.
The tests are part of pre-negotiated, paid-for-performance milestones with NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP), which is facilitating U.S.-led companies' development of spacecraft
Boeing Selected to Build ViaSat-2 Satellite
El Segundo CA (SPX) May 17, 2013
Boeing has a new satellite customer under a contract to design and deliver one Boeing 702HP high-power spacecraft to ViaSat Inc. in 2016.
The satellite, ViaSat-2, will provide high-speed satellite broadband services to subscribers of the ViaSat Exede Internet service, as well as address its growing mobile broadband businesses. The companies also will cooperatively offer the system to other
China's BeiDou satellite navigation system has broad commercial uses
Wuhan, China (XNA) May 17, 2013
Chinese scientists expressed their confidence in the commercial application of the BeiDou satellite navigation system (BDS) and called for international cooperation at a forum on Thursday.
Sun Jiadong, chief designer of the BDS and an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said fusing satellite navigation with information technologies will produce more products based on spatial
UC Riverside scientists discovering new uses for tiny carbon nanotubes
Riverside CA (SPX) May 16, 2013
The atom-sized world of carbon nanotubes holds great promise for a future demanding smaller and faster electronic components. Nanotubes are stronger than steel and smaller than any element of silicon-based electronics-the ubiquitous component of today's electrical devices-and have better conductivity, which means they can potentially process information faster while using less energy.
The