Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
China's lunar satellite survives eclipse: state media
China's first lunar satellite, which has been orbiting around the moon for nearly nine months, has withstood the test of a solar eclipse that cut its solar energy supply, state...
NASA Won't Launch Fall Shuttle Missions Early
NASA will not attempt earlier launches for its two fall shuttle missions.
Scientists prepare to study Mars samples
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they are preparing for the day when they can study materials returned to Earth from Mars or other planetary bodies.
Discovery Explains Why Asteroids and Meteorites Are Different
Most meteorites come directly to Earth from the solar system's asteroid belt.
MicroRNA activation mystery is solved
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 13 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they've discovered how microRNA molecules are activated -- an event that is critical for the creation of embryonic stem...
Bringing Martian samples to Earth
New Rochelle, NY, August 13, 2008 - A critical component of NASA's Mars exploration program involves bringing planetary samples back to Earth for in-depth analysis, plans for which are...
Study determines why chili peppers are hot
GAINESVILLE, Fla., Aug. 13 (UPI) -- A U.S.-led international team of scientists has solved a long-standing evolutionary mystery involving the spicy hotness of chili peppers.
Spooky Physics: Signals Seem to Travel Faster Than Light
Strange events that Einstein himself called "spooky" might happen at least 10,000 times the speed of light.
SPACE PHOTOS THIS WEEK: Tarantula Nebula, More
Cassini flies by Saturn's moon, the Perseids meteor shower lights up the sky, and more in our new weekly roundup of science news photos.
New Robot Scouts Best Locations for Components of Undersea Lab
Like a deep-sea bloodhound, Sentry - the newest in an elite group of unmanned submersibles able to operate on their own in demanding and rugged environments - has helped scientists...
Crane Accident Damages Malaysian Satellite
A crane accident damaged a Malaysian communications satellite at its Baikonur launch site.
How Lunar Soil Could Power the Future
Mining the moon for helium could supply the Earth with clean, abundant energy.
A Hubble Anniversary and a Successful Collider Test
The Hubble Space Telescope made its 100,000th trip around the Earth.
U.S. boosts solar research funding
WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 (UPI) -- The United States will invest up to $24 million to advance the development of solar energy products, the Department of Energy said Tuesday.
Obituary: Fritz Koerner
Obituary: Explorer whose polar data illuminated the climate-change debate
Shuttle Astronauts Eager for Risky Mission to Hubble
The crew of NASA's last shuttle flight to Hubble is eager to fly.
High-Tech 'Heart' of New-Generation Radio Telescope Passes First Test
The Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA), part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), took a giant step toward completion on August 7 with successful testing of advanced digital hardware...
NASA safety panel worries about moon ship design
NASA is not properly emphasizing safety in its design of a new spaceship, and the return-to-the-moon program faces money, morale and leadership problems, an agency safety panel found Monday.
Chasing Dust Devils from Earth to Mars
Chasing dust devils on Earth gives glimpse of Martian climate.
Students Build And Launch A Sensor Into Space
Students built and successfully launched a cosmic radiation detector this summer that, carried by a helium-filled balloon, reached 104,000 feet in altitude. The detector recorded radiation levels at the varying...
'Star Trek Online' is Ready to Beam Up
The 'Star Trek' massively multiplayer online game will finally emerge.
NASA revises its Constellation Program
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says it is revising its Constellation Program's budget, schedule and technical performance milestones.
Study shows that laboratory rats calculate confidence to make decisions
It has probably happened to everyone at one time or another. You're driving to a restaurant for the very first time. At a crossroads, you make a turn. You drive...
Most Direct Evidence of Dark Energy Detected
A new color-coded map represents the first visual evidence of the mysterious force that astronomers think is causing the expansion of the universe to speed up.
A Flash of Insight: LCROSS Mission Update
There are places on the Moon where the sun hasn't shined for millions of years. Dark polar craters too deep for sunlight to penetrate are luna incognita, the realm of...
North Pole could lose summer ice
(PhysOrg.com) -- While the summer of 2007 saw record low sea-ice coverage of the Arctic Ocean, a six-year study of the Arctic's sea ice has confirmed its ongoing, massive shrinking...
U.S. center will analyze some LHC data
LINCOLN , Neb., Aug. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. physicists say they are preparing to handle some of the flood of data expected from the world's next-generation particle accelerator...
20th-anniversary 'Madden NFL' is better than ever
(AP) -- When Electronic Arts announced the retired Brett Favre as its 20th anniversary cover boy, it looked like the notorious "Madden" curse - which had mangled the careers of...