Latest science news in Astronomy & Space
Chinese Astronauts Return To Earth
Chinese astronauts returned to earth and emerged triumphant from their capsule Sunday after successfully completing the country's first-ever spacewalk mission.
Ancient water sites for next rover
Planetary scientists shortlist top landing sites on Mars.
Science vs. Religion - The Physics Angle
There is more subtlety to the evolution/creationism debate than many of the loudest voices tend to employ. Continuing his exploration of space and time, Shahn Majid argues that science and religion...
Why Earth's Magnetic Field Flip-Flops
A new hypothesis on the origins of Earth's magnetic field could shed light on the reason it flip-flops.
Scientists find sun less blustery than before
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The sun's winds are less blustery than they used to be, NASA said on Tuesday, revealing data from a solar probe that promises new insights about...
Global Solar Wind Plasma Output At 50-Year Low, Ulysses Spacecraft Reveals
Data from the Ulysses spacecraft, a joint NASA-European Space Agency mission, show the sun has reduced its output of solar wind to the lowest levels since accurate readings became available....
Kepler spacecraft passes temperature test
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency says the Kepler spacecraft, scheduled to be launched next year, has survived a thermal vacuum test.
Red Planet MAVEN: New Probe to Scan Martian Atmosphere
The new MAVEN probe will study Martian atmosphere evolution in unprecedented detail.
Arctic methane poses risk
LONDON, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Melting permafrost in the Arctic has released millions of tons of methane gas into the atmosphere, Swedish scientists have determined.
Two Planets Suffer Violent Collision
Two planets in orbit around a mature sun-like star recently suffered a violent collision, astronomers report in the Astrophysical Journal. "It's as if Earth and Venus collided with each other,"...
Texan to boldly go where dad has gone before
Richard Garriott is to become the first son of a former US astronaut to blast into orbit
SpaceX Pushes Back Falcon 1 Launch After Static Fire Test
SpaceX is now shooting for no earlier than Sept. 28 for its next launch.
Winter, repairs stall atom smasher until spring
(AP) -- Scientists will have to wait until spring to use the world's largest particle collider for groundbreaking research because previously announced repairs will run into the normal winter...
Obama Backs NASA Waiver, Possible Shuttle Extension
Obama urges Congress to ensure the U.S. can continue to access the ISS.
NASA to telecast 50th anniversary event
WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency said it will televise live its "50th Anniversary Gala Event" at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
NASA's Phoenix Lander Might Peek Under a Rock
If the robotic arm on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander can nudge a rock aside, scientists on the Phoenix team would like to see what's underneath. Engineers who develop commands for...
Comet Dust Reveals Unexpected Mixing Of Solar System
Chemical clues from a comet's halo are challenging common views about the history and evolution of the solar system and showing it may be more mixed-up than previously thought.
Emergency support for Jules Verne ATV successfully given by Artemis
Artemis, ESA's data relay satellite, successfully answered the call for emergency services from the ATV Control Centre due to anticipated outages at the NASA Space Centre in Houston, Texas.
Saturn's Rings May Be More Massive, Older, Than Previously Thought
Saturn’s rings may be more massive than previously thought, and potentially much older, according to calculations that simulate colliding particles in Saturn’s rings and their erosion by meteorites. These results...
Saturn’s Radio Broadcasters Mapped In 3D For First Time
Observations from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft have been used to build, for the first time, a 3-D picture of the sources of intense radio emissions in Saturn’s magnetic field, known as...
Clouds Lift on Mysterious Winds of Venus
Cloud movements on Venus reveal wind speeds and patterns.
Scuttling Shuttle: Big Challenges for NASA's New Spaceship
NASA is facing big challenges to replace the shuttle and keep astronauts aloft.
Future Looks Bright For Interferometry
The PRIMA instrument of the ESO Very Large Telescope Interferometer recently saw "first light" at its new home atop Cerro Paranal in Chile. When fully operational, PRIMA will boost the...
Q & A: Could Wind Farms Affect Weather Systems?
Could a plan being explored to use wind to produce a third of the power for New York City affect weather systems?
STScI Astrophyscisist Adam Riess Receives MacArthur Fellowship
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation today named Adam Riess of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and the Johns Hopkins University among 25 new MacArthur Fellows for...
NASA's Johnson Space Center Reopens After Hurricane
NASA reopened its Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas on Monday.
LHC meltdown before first collision
Europe's largest particle accelerator might not produce data until 2009.
Accident puts atom-smasher in limbo
A magnet meltdown in the $10 billion Large Hadron Collider could delay the first high-energy proton collisions until late this year or even the spring of 2009, scientists say.