Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Rarest rhinoceros wrecks camera
The world's rarest rhino is captured on video in the jungles of Java - then sends camera flying.
Mars Lander Has Short-Circuit Problem
A short circuit is serving as a nuisance to scientists operating the Phoenix Mars Lander. Meanwhile, a mission spokeswoman said a hacker took over the mission's public Web site during...
Stretchy spider silks can be springs or rubber
It`s stronger than steel and nylon, and more extensible than Kevlar. So what is this super-tough material? Spider silk; and learning how to spin it is one of the materials...
Could US scientist's 'CO2 catcher' help to slow warming?
Physicist at Columbia University plans to build and demonstrate prototype within two years
Vaccine test marks rise of commercial research in space: NASA
An experiment to develop a salmonella vaccine aboard the US space shuttle Discovery could pave the way for a gush of commercial biotechnology research in space, NASA and biotech industry...
Technical hitch scrubs Ariane rocket launch
PARIS (Reuters) - A technical hitch scrubbed the launch of an Ariane rocket carrying a British military satellite and a Turkish telecoms satellite hours before its scheduled blastoff, the Arianespace...
How Plasma From Superstorms Affects Near-Earth Space
NASA scientists have uncovered new details about how plasma from superstorms interact with Earth's magnetosphere.
Eric Barron To Head National Center for Atmospheric Research
Eric J. Barron was named director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) today, following a rigorous international search. He joins NCAR from the University of Texas, where he...
National Lab Plan for Station Moves Forward
Discovery's payload includes one of the first experiments that NASA plans to conduct on the ISS.
WEEK IN PHOTOS: Cheese Chasing, Doomed Star, More
See a star flaming out in spectacular style, candy-colored fireworks exploding over New York, dairy kings risking injury for a speeding cheese wheel, and more.
Sophisticated soil analysis for improved land use
Soil variation occurs across multiple geographic scales ranging from vast climatic regions of the Earth to a 50 acre farm field to the molecular world of soil nano-particles in a...
New details on venusian clouds revealed
As ESA's Venus Express orbits our sister planet, new images of the cloud structure of one of the most enigmatic atmospheres of the Solar System reveal brand-new details.
Famous Supernovae Still Echo Across the Milky Way
While walking home on November 11, 1572, astronomer Tycho Brahe idly glanced at the sky. He was surprised to see a bright star in the constellation Cassiopeia that hadn`t been...
"Star Trek" Theme Composer Alexander Courage Dies
Alexander Courage, composer of the 'Star Trek' TV theme, has died at 88.
Human space exploration in the future
To land on the Moon and on Mars, scientists need a mix of human and robotic missions to know in advance what challenges must be met. A video report from...
Ernst Stuhlinger, Rocket Scientist Crucial in Space Race, Is Dead at 94
Dr. Stuhlinger was one of the most prominent of the Germans who brought their skills in rocket science to the United States after World War II.
Mars Lander Starts Moving Its Robotic Arm
The arm was able to free itself from a protective sheaf that did not fully unwrap after landing and the first scoops of Martian soil are to be dug up...
Russia boosts science funding
MOSCOW, May 29 (UPI) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said the country will spend $25 billion on scientific research over the next three years.
Mars' Water Appears To Have Been Too Salty To Support Life
A new analysis of the Martian rock that gave hints of water on the Red Planet -- and, therefore, optimism about the prospect of life -- now suggests the water...
Where Man Boldly Goes, Bacteria Follow
Life in outer space is an absolute certainty, and it is likely to be more familiar than we might think, according to an article in Microbiology Today. Ever since the...
University of Colorado gets NASA contract
WASHINGTON, May 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency has awarded the University of Colorado a $32 million, five-year contract to manage an ice and snow data archive...
"Light Echo" Helps Solve Supernova Mystery
The reflection of 300-year-old light off interstellar dust has allowed scientist to finally identify the nature of a mysterious stellar explosion.
New robots could soon wander Antarctica
Robotic rovers have patrolled deep space and the deepest seas, but scientists are still struggling to create drones that can overcome the multiple challenges of exploring Antarctica.
Scientists observe star dying in real time
PRINCETON, N.J., May 29 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists using the Swift X-ray satellite and the Gemini North telescope say they have, for the first time, observed a star...
Warm Coronal Loops Offer Clue to Mysteriously Hot Solar Atmosphere
Scientists at NASA reveal a new understanding of the mysterious mechanism responsible for heating the outer part of the solar atmosphere, the corona, to million degree temperatures.
University Helps NASA Study Cosmic Explosions
Scientists at UAHuntsville helped design (and will lead the ground team keeping track of) NASA's new GLAST Burst Monitor, an instrument scheduled to be rocketed into orbit next month to...
Summertime Balls of Fire
The minor planet causing the Kappa Cygnid meteor shower has been identified.
Moon's Big Bulls-Eye Studied
New techniques allowed radar observations of the moon's Orientale basin.