space – News Stories About space - Page 18

After 4 Decades,
Physicist Solves
Mystery of
Moon Dust

Apr 23, 2009 8:26 AM CDT

After 4 Decades, Physicist Solves Mystery of Moon Dust

After decades of wondering, Aussie explains its stickiness

(Newser) - Moon dust has been a “bloody nuisance” to NASA for decades, says a physicist: it sticks to spacesuits, clogs instruments, and could be a health risk for future colonists. Scientists believe the stickiness is due to a positive charge from the sun’s rays, NASA says. Now the physicist,...

Space Blob Stumps Scientists

Apr 23, 2009 7:53 AM CDT

Space Blob Stumps Scientists

Cosmic blob from the dawn of time confounds theories on early universe

(Newser) - A gigantic blob at the edge of the universe is forcing scientists to rethink their ideas on how galaxies form, reports the BBC. The radiation-emitting object 12.9 billion light years away is one of the most distant—and consequently oldest—things ever seen by astronomers, and is much bigger...

Dim Sun Is
Cold Comfort
to Scientists

Apr 22, 2009 2:35 AM CDT

Dim Sun Is Cold Comfort to Scientists

(Newser) - The sun may be heading for one of its dimmest periods in history, but that doesn't mean the big star is joining the battle against global warming, according to scientists. The sun hit a 100-year low in sunspot activity last year, reports the Telegraph.

Calif. Utility Aims to Buy
Power From Space

Apr 14, 2009 2:48 PM CDT

Calif. Utility Aims to Buy Power From Space

Orbiting solar farm planned for 2016

(Newser) - California’s Pacific Gas and Electric is seeking approval for its commitment to buy electricity from an innovative source, the San Francisco Chronicle reports: an orbiting solar power array that would beam electricity back to Earth. Solaren Corp. plans to deploy the satellite sometime before 2016; PG&E has signaled...

Discovery Heads for Home

Mar 25, 2009 6:02 PM CDT

Discovery Heads for Home

(Newser) - The space shuttle Discovery and its seven-astronaut crew undocked from the International Space Station today after an eight-day mission, Space.com reports. Before heading toward earth, the shuttle flew around the station to get the first photos of its handiwork—the installation of a final set of solar panels that...

Astros Fire Up
Thrusters to
Dodge Trash

Mar 23, 2009 2:10 AM CDT

Astros Fire Up Thrusters to Dodge Trash

Space junk becomes increasing concern

(Newser) - Discovery's astronauts fired thrusters yesterday to maneuver the million-pound International Space Station out of the path of approaching space junk, the third such threat to the orbiting lab in two weeks, reports Space.com. The four-inch chunk of debris—from a Chinese rocket that broke apart in 2000—was heading...

Astronauts Install Last
Pair of Solar Panels

Mar 19, 2009 6:55 PM CDT

Astronauts Install Last Pair of Solar Panels

(Newser) - The International Space Station is about to get full power for the first time. Two astronauts today installed the last pair of solar panels for the station in a six-hour spacewalk, reports Space.com. The station, which now has a total of eight solar panels, will unfurl the newly installed...

Colbert Vies to Be Namesake of NASA Module

Mar 6, 2009 4:24 PM CST

Colbert Vies to Be Namesake of NASA Module

But Joss Whedon's devoted nerd army may spoil comedian's plans

(Newser) - Again proving that his love for self-promotion knows no bounds, Stephen Colbert is urging fans to vote for his write-in suggestion for the name of the new observation deck attachment to the International Space Station, Space.com reports. In two days, Colbert nation has pushed his name to the top...

NASA to Reboot Mars Orbiter

Mar 5, 2009 1:59 PM CST

NASA to Reboot Mars Orbiter

Orbiter's systems vulnerable to space radiation exposure

(Newser) - The Odyssey, NASA’s Mars orbiter, must reboot its computer systems, a risky move necessary to ensure continued functionality, Space.com reports. The reboot, slated for next week, should clear out the damaging effects of continued exposure to space radiation on the Odyssey’s memory system. The orbiter’s last...

Crash Ends Mission to Track Global Warming

Feb 24, 2009 10:50 AM CST

Crash Ends Mission to Track Global Warming

Rocket carrying satellite ends up in ocean, sinking $280M project

(Newser) - A rocket carrying a NASA satellite crashed near Antarctica after a failed launch early yesterday, ending a $280 million mission to track global warming from space. The rocket carrying the Orbiting Carbon Observatory blasted off just before 2am from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base. But minutes later a cover protecting...

Time to Clean Up Space Trash

OPINION

Feb 22, 2009 5:16 AM CST

Time to Clean Up Space Trash

(Newser) - Space trash is becoming a serious problem, and it's long past time for housekeeping, writes the Economist. Of the 18,000 objects orbiting earth that are bigger than 4 inches across, only 900 are functioning satellites. The rest is debris, from old rocket parts and dead satellites to tools and...

Massive Gamma Blast Spotted

Feb 20, 2009 1:15 PM CST

Massive Gamma Blast Spotted

Explosion had force of 9,000 supernovas

(Newser) - The strongest-ever gamma ray blast—a burst more powerful than 9,000 exploding stars—has been detected 12.2 billion light years away in deep space, reports the Telegraph. The blast took place in September in the constellation Carina, and produced energy up to 5 billion times that of light....

ET Seekers Win Big Boost

ANALYSIS

Feb 13, 2009 5:58 PM CST

ET Seekers Win Big Boost

Fringe movement attracts big donors and wide interest as its goes mainstream

(Newser) - The truth is out there, and now there’s funding to find it: Everyone from Bill Gates to Cameron Diaz is embracing the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), a movement transitioning from X-Files territory to the mainstream, the Wall Street Journal says. One astronomer left last week's prestigious TED conference...

Methane Hints at Life on Mars

Jan 15, 2009 4:38 PM CST

Methane Hints at Life on Mars

Gas released in high concentrations could be from bacteria

(Newser) - The discovery of high methane concentrations on Mars may hint that underground life exists on the red planet, the Houston Chronicle reports. Scientists funded by NASA and other institutions, using Earth-based telescopes, have found plumes of methane in such high concentrations they believe bacteria, which can also produce the gas...

Big Moon Rising This Weekend

Jan 10, 2009 1:03 PM CST

Big Moon Rising This Weekend

Star-gazers who missed December's perigee get a second chance to look up Saturday

(Newser) - Star-gazers are hoping for clear skies this evening, when the full moon will make its biggest and brightest appearance of 2009. As it rises at sunset, the moon will appear 14% larger and 30% brighter than the year's subsequent moons, Space.com reports. The show—the result of the moon...

NASA Launching First
Satellite to Map CO2

Dec 18, 2008 6:22 PM CST

NASA Launching First Satellite to Map CO2

(Newser) - NASA will soon launch a satellite that can measure carbon dioxide concentrations near the surface of the Earth, giving scientists an accurate picture of where the gas is produced and absorbed, the BBC reports. "This is NASA's first spacecraft specifically dedicated to mapping carbon dioxide," said a project...

Moon Will Appear
Extra Bright Tonight

Dec 12, 2008 4:29 PM CST

Moon Will Appear Extra Bright Tonight

Tonight's sky will seem 30 percent brighter than usual, NASA says

(Newser) - If tonight’s full moon looks bigger and brighter than normal, that’s because it is, Space.com reports. The satellite reaches its perigree today, making its position the closest of the year to Earth—though still some 222,000 miles away. The moon's irregular orbit causes the distance to...

British Satellites May Provide Cell Phone Service on Moon

Dec 5, 2008 5:55 PM CST

British Satellites May Provide Cell Phone Service on Moon

Program would give lunar residents cell phone service

(Newser) - The UK’s space agency is reviewing the feasibility of a mission to put satellites in orbit around the moon, CNET reports. The MoonLITE study plans to send four “penetrator darts” containing geophysical instruments into the moon’s crust, monitoring their findings with four accompanying satellites. The resulting data...

Endeavour Heads Home

Nov 28, 2008 2:30 PM CST

Endeavour Heads Home

After a successful mission, shuttle returns to Earth

(Newser) - The space shuttle Endeavour separated from the International Space Station today and headed back to earth. Having completed a 12-day mission that upgraded the station’s living quarters, Endeavour’s seven-person crew began the 2-day trip back to the Kennedy Space Center, Florida Today reports. "Thanks for the incredible...

India Smashes Probe Into Moon

Nov 15, 2008 7:46 AM CST

India Smashes Probe Into Moon

Landmark trip gathered data on lunar surface

(Newser) - India’s Moon Impact Probe, decorated with the country’s colors, was a smashing success for India's space program when it rammed into the moon’s surface today, Bloomberg reports. The green, white, and orange probe hurtled downward for half an hour, gathering data on the moon’s surface before...