NASA

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3 Return From 5-Month Mission on Space Station

NASA astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts are home again

(Newser) - A Soyuz space capsule carrying an American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts landed this morning on the foggy steppes of Kazakhstan, safely returning the three men to Earth after a 144-day mission to the International Space Station. NASA's Kevin Ford and Russians Oleg Novitsky and Yevgeny Tarelkin were smiling...

NASA: Yep, Mars Could Have Supported Life

Soil sample dug up by Curiosity proves it

(Newser) - NASA scientists examining their first sample of Martian rock dug out by the rover Curiosity found some remarkable things in there: sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and carbon. In other words, ingredients that show the planet once could have supported life. Lead scientist Michael Mayer sums it up thusly:
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Humbled Dragon Docks With ISS

Capsule had suffered glitch after takeoff, SpaceX salvages mission

(Newser) - The Dragon capsule arrived safely at the International Space Station today, delivering a ton of supplies, after a shaky, nerve-wracking start to its mission . The Dragon's arrival was one day late but especially sweet—and not because of the fresh fruit on board for the station astronauts who snared...

After Glitch, Space Station Delivery Back on Track

But SpaceX capsule won't arrive today as scheduled

(Newser) - The space capsule that was supposed to deliver fresh fruit and other supplies to the International Space Station won't be arriving today as planned thanks to yesterday's glitch after takeoff , reports Wired . But engineers at SpaceX say they have resolved the problem with Dragon's thrusters, and it...

Private Firm Plans Manned Mars Trip in 2018

Inspiration Mars Foundation says journey will take about 500 days

(Newser) - While NASA concentrates on sending unmanned probes to Mars, a private space enthusiast plans to raise the ante—with a manned flight to Mars within the next five years, reports Wired . Most of the details are under wraps until Wednesday, but the Inspiration Mars Foundation has announced it intends to...

Meteor 'Doomsayers' Gain Cred After Russia Blast

Private groups plan to launch detection satellites

(Newser) - Advocates for early space-rock detection are speaking up and sounding a lot less looney since that meteor rocked Russia on Friday, the New York Times reports. At least two private groups are planning to launch satellites for early detection and one wants to mine asteroids for useful metals like platinum....

UN Team Unveils Asteroid Defense Plan

On the same day massive rock buzzes the Earth

(Newser) - An asteroid about half the size of a football field will whiz past Earth today, closer than any object of its size ever has before (OK, almost any object ), and a much smaller meteor actually hit Russia this morning, injuring hundreds. But fear not, people of Earth: Soon, we...

NASA Spots Nearby 'Young' Black Hole

Could it be a gateway to another universe?

(Newser) - NASA has spotted what appears to be the galaxy's newest black hole—and it's relatively nearby. The Chandra X-Ray Observatory has spotted the aftermath of a super nova that, from Earth's vantage point, is just 1,000 years old, the agency reports . (Of course, it's 26,...

Mars Rover Drills Into Planet for First Time

Curiosity's successful test paves way for bigger projects

(Newser) - NASA's Mars rover has busted out a new tool to pry into the planet's secrets. Curiosity used a drill at the top of one of its arms to make a small hole in Martian rock, reports LiveScience . It was just a test, the first of its kind, but...

Asteroid Bound for Close Call With Earth

But DA14 definitely won't hit us, NASA says

(Newser) - An asteroid big enough to flatten a city will zip closer to Earth than any previously observed space object its size on Feb. 15, but astronomers say there is zero chance of 2012 DA14 squishing any Earthlings this time around. With a 148-foot diameter and the mass of a cruise...

NASA Balloon Gobbles Antarctic Data, Records

Cosmic ray detector spends 55 days aloft

(Newser) - A NASA scientific balloon on a mission over the Antarctic to detect cosmic rays has completed a record-breaking flight. The Super Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder—"Super-TIGER"—broke the record for longest flight by a balloon of its size 46 days into its mission and landed after 55 days,...

NASA Fires Up Apollo-Era Engine to Learn Old Tricks

Unit from late 1960s taken out of storage for tests

(Newser) - A vintage rocket engine built to blast the first US lunar mission into Earth's orbit more than 40 years ago is again rumbling across the Southern landscape. The engine, known to NASA engineers as No. F-6049, was supposed to help propel Apollo 11 into orbit in 1969, when NASA...

Mars Crater Points to Water ... and Life?

Scientists find evidence of long-dry lake

(Newser) - Photos of an enormous crater on Mars indicate possible underground water—water that could have supported life, and could still be doing so. Images taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show the 57-mile-wide McLaughlin Crater, which is now dry. It's one of the planet's deepest spots at...

Mona Lisa Sent to Outer Space via Laser

Feat represents a major advancement in laser communication

(Newser) - Outer space just got a little more cultured. NASA scientists have successfully beamed an image of the Mona Lisa to its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter using a special laser signal, a feat that represents a major leap in laser communication technology, Space.com reports. "This is the first time anyone...

Latest Task for Drones: Study Earth's Ozone Layer

Global Hawk will survey the tropopause

(Newser) - Today's science vocab lesson: tropopause. It's the atmospheric boundary between the troposphere, where ozone exists as a harmful greenhouse gas, and the higher-up stratosphere, where the same gas plays an important role in protecting the Earth from the sun's UV rays. And that boundary region is about...

For Sale: Space Shuttle Launch Pad, Slightly Used

NASA selling off pieces of Kennedy Space Center

(Newser) - If you've been looking for a place to park your spaceship, then NASA has got a deal for you. With the space shuttle program on ice, Uncle Sam is hoping to sell or lease its Kennedy Space Center facilities, including its 15,000-foot landing strip, its launchpad, its rocket...

1K Arrested in China as &#39;Doomsday&#39; Approaches
1K Arrested in China as 
'Doomsday' Approaches
12/21 roundup
Dec 20, 2012 6:30 AM CST

1K Arrested in China as 'Doomsday' Approaches

NASA gets hundreds of worried calls daily

(Newser) - With just hours left before the apparent end of the world, people are making final preparations—while others are squashing rumors of our imminent demise like there's no tomorrow. In China, that means arresting hundreds more members of a cult that claims the so-called Mayan doomsday is the real...

NASA to Send 2 Probes Crashing Into Moon

Probes are out of fuel, and not expected to explode

(Newser) - NASA is set to crash a pair of washing machine-sized probes into the moon on Monday, after months spent examining and gathering data about the moon's surface, reports AFP . Though Ebb and Flow will hit the surface at a speedy 3,760mph, they'll be out of fuel when...

Earth at Night: Satellite Sends Awesome Images

NASA's Suomi craft captures composite images

(Newser) - NASA has released new composite images of the Earth at night, courtesy of a satellite launched last year, reports the BBC . The Suomi satellite's main goal is to gather meteorological data, and it's specially equipped to view the planet, complete with city lights, at night, notes AP .

NASA: We're Sending a New Rover to Mars

Modeled after Curiosity, it should launch in 2020

(Newser) - NASA is headed to Mars—again. The space agency said today it plans to launch another mega-rover to Mars in 2020 that will be modeled after the wildly popular Curiosity. To keep costs down, engineers will borrow Curiosity's blueprints, build from spare parts where possible, and use proven technology...

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