NASA: News About the Space Exploration Agency - Page 28

Apr 17, 2014 5:05 PM CDT

Astronomers Find Earth's 'Cousin'

Kepler-186f is called the best bet yet to hold alien life

(Newser) - Other "Earth-like" planets have been discovered before, but a new one is generating a lot of excitement in astronomy circles because of how very Earth-like it actually is. Introducing Kepler-186f, which is maybe 10% bigger than our planet and thought to be in the not-too-hot and not-too-cold range that...

Computer Glitch
May Force Spacewalk

Apr 12, 2014 10:33 AM CDT

Computer Glitch May Force Spacewalk

It's a backup, and the crew is not in danger

(Newser) - It's never fun when your computer goes down, but it's especially bad if you happen to be about 200 miles above Earth at the time. A computer outage at the International Space Station may require a spacewalk by astronauts and threatens to delay next week's launch of...

NASA: 'Mars Light' Probably a Shiny Rock

NASA Tries to Explain
Mars 'Mystery Light'

Apr 10, 2014 2:06 AM CDT

NASA Tries to Explain Mars 'Mystery Light'

Vent hole, shiny rock could have caused it

(Newser) - NASA has offered a few more explanations for a strange beam of light spotted in a photo from its Curiosity rover—and none of them involve Martians. The bright spot that has excited UFO enthusiasts is probably either "the glint from a rock surface reflecting the sun" or sunlight...

'Mystery Light'
Spotted in
Mars Photo

Apr 8, 2014 1:18 AM CDT

'Mystery Light' Spotted in Mars Photo

NASA says blip was caused by cosmic rays

(Newser) - Is there life on Mars—and has it left its lights on? A strange blip of light in a photo snapped April 3 by NASA's Curiosity rover has excited UFO enthusiasts, the Houston Chronicle reports. While experts suspect a pixel problem, some believe the light shining upward signals Martians....

NASA Suspends Cooperation With Russia—Sort of

NASA Yanks
Cooperation
With Russia
—Sort of

Apr 3, 2014 10:04 AM CDT

NASA Yanks Cooperation With Russia —Sort of

They're kinda our ride to the ISS

(Newser) - NASA is cutting off much of its contact and cooperation with Russia—except when it comes to the International Space Station, which NASA relies on Russia to reach. "Given Russia's ongoing violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," all contact with Russian representatives are suspended, "...

NASA Diapers Forced Men
to Make Big Revelation

NASA Diapers Forced Men to Make Big Revelation

Or, ahem, small

(Newser) - It was a mission-critical element: the size of NASA astronauts' manhood. Seriously. The Houston Chronicle resurrects the fascinating historical tidbit by way of the Science Channel's Moon Machines documentary series, in which engineer Donald Rethke explained the very precise nature of early space diapers. The Maximum Absorbency Garment system...

US, Russian Crew
Blasts Off for ISS

Mar 26, 2014 4:33 AM CDT

US, Russian Crew Blasts Off for ISS

Snag delays Soyuz arrival

(Newser) - A joint Russian-American crew has blasted off for the International Space Station on a mission that leaves the messy politics of Earth behind. A Soyuz spacecraft carrying two Russians and NASA's Steve Swanson took off from Kazakhstan last night, but their arrival was delayed until tomorrow after the spacecraft...

NASA 'Space Thief'
Ready to Return
Satellite

Mar 18, 2014 8:24 AM CDT

NASA 'Space Thief' Ready to Return Satellite

Robert Farquhar says he 'borrowed' ISEE-3 31 years ago

(Newser) - It was a feat then-President Ronald Reagan marked with a congratulatory letter: In September 1985, as the rest of the world was chasing Halley's Comet, the US became the first to have a satellite intercept a comet, one named Giacobini-Zinner. Thing is, we achieved the feat after NASA scientist...

Astronaut Who Went on Strike in Space Dead at 84

obituary

Mar 11, 2014 4:06 PM CDT

Astronaut Who Went on Strike in Space Dead at 84

Bill Pogue wanted more time to enjoy the view and think

(Newser) - Astronaut Bill Pogue has died at age 84, and Space.com notes that he earned his spot in history by serving for nearly 3 months aboard the Skylab space station in the early 1970s. That stint aboard the earth-orbiting outpost earned him and his two crewmates the distinction of the...

Hubble Captures
Asteroid's Odd Death

Mar 6, 2014 3:54 PM CST

Hubble Captures Asteroid's Odd Death

They're the first such photographs ever

(Newser) - The Hubble Space Telescope continues to wow astronomers. NASA today released a series of photographs that the AP calls the "first pictures of a disintegrating asteroid." Hubble zoomed in for a closer look after other telescopes spotted something unusual in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars...

NASA Hits 715-Planet 'Jackpot'

Feb 27, 2014 3:00 AM CST

NASA Hits 715-Planet 'Jackpot'

Kepler data massively boosts number of known worlds

(Newser) - NASA says it has almost doubled the number of planets known to humanity with a "bonanza" uncovered by its planet-hunting Kepler telescope. The 715 new planets orbit 305 stars in multi-planet systems like our own, and 94% of them are smaller than Neptune. NASA says it has found...

NASA
Lays to Rest
Mars' Rock
Mystery

Feb 14, 2014 4:52 PM CST

NASA Lays to Rest Mars' Rock Mystery

Rover kicked it into camera's view, says NASA

(Newser) - Remember when the weird "jelly doughnut" object on Mars made news last month? NASA scientists were happily baffled after it suddenly appeared in images taken by the Opportunity rover. They're baffled no more: Scientists today said they're sure that the object is indeed a rock that got...

Scientists: Raindrops Aren't Shaped Like Tears at All

Feb 13, 2014 6:50 AM CST

Scientists: Raindrops Aren't Shaped Like Tears at All

They actually resemble hamburger bun tops

(Newser) - It turns out you've been drawing raindrops incorrectly your entire life. NASA scientists have determined that they don't actually resemble tears. They look more like hamburger bun tops: rounded above, flat on the bottom. As a video made by NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement explains, a raindrop begins...

NASA Plans
to Make
Coldest Spot
in Universe

Feb 4, 2014 1:50 PM CST

NASA Plans to Make Coldest Spot in Universe

Cold Atom Lab on ISS will bring matter stunningly close to absolute zero

(Newser) - NASA is working on making things a lot colder on the International Space Station—as in, about as cold as physically possible. Scientists are building a "Cold Atom Lab," which would be able to bring matter within down as low as 0.0000000001 degrees above absolute zero, the...

NASA Sued
Over Mystery
Mars Rock

Feb 1, 2014 7:45 AM CST

NASA Sued Over Mystery Mars Rock

Critic thinks it's a sign of life, wants a more thorough investigation

(Newser) - NASA says it's a rock, a weird one for sure, but "clearly a rock." One critic, however, thinks it just might be evidence of life on Mars, and he's sued the space agency to demand a closer investigation, reports the Houston Chronicle . The strangeness began last...

It's Finally Christmas at ISS

Jan 12, 2014 7:22 AM CST

It's Finally Christmas at ISS

After a month of delays, Cygnus docks with space station

(Newser) - Christmas has finally arrived for the six space station astronauts. A privately launched supply ship arrived at the International Space Station this morning, three days after blasting off from Virginia. The space station crew used a hefty robot arm to capture the Cygnus capsule as the two craft zoomed side...

NASA Finds the 'Hand of God'

Jan 10, 2014 7:55 AM CST

NASA Finds the 'Hand of God'

Stunning image shows material from exploded star

(Newser) - A newly released NASA photo depicts what appears to be an enormous hand floating in space. The "Hand of God," as it's being called, actually consists of the remains of an exploded star, Space.com explains. It had been imaged in 2009 using NASA's Chandra X-ray...

Asteroid to Hit
Earth? NASA
Builds Craft
to Find Out

Jan 5, 2014 4:43 PM CST

Asteroid to Hit Earth? NASA Builds Craft to Find Out

Bennu is circling Earth, and could strike in 2182

(Newser) - With a big asteroid possibly heading for Earth in 2182, what are scientists to do? Build an unmanned spacecraft to give that hunk of rock a closer look, the Arizona Republic reports. NASA and the University of Arizona are is designing the $1 billion project, called OSIRIS-REx, which is set...

Ancient Obelisk's
True Purpose Revealed

Dec 31, 2013 7:30 AM CST

Ancient Obelisk's True Purpose Revealed

We've had 'Altar of Peace' wrong for decades, according to 3D modeling

(Newser) - Researchers using 3D modeling and data from NASA think they've discovered the true purpose of the Obelisk of Montecitorio—upending a theory that has stood for decades. The 71-foot-tall ancient Egyptian obelisk was brought to Rome by Emperor Augustus, and would have stood across a plaza from the Ara...

Beyonce Samples
Challenger Disaster
in New Song

bad ideas dept.

Dec 30, 2013 10:02 AM CST

Beyonce Samples Challenger Disaster in New Song

Astronauts not amused

(Newser) - The Challenger space shuttle exploded after liftoff in 1986, killing all seven crew members on board ... and for some reason Beyonce thought it was appropriate to sample audio from the disaster on a song from her new album . Then-NASA public affairs officer Steve Nesbitt is heard at the beginning of...

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