Dawn Images Shine New Light on Vesta
New images from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft have revealed previously unknown geological features about the asteroid Vesta. While Vesta is one of the brightest objects in…
Spacecraft News
Spacecraft to Explore Supermassive Black Holes at Center of Galaxies
By the standards of space-based astronomy, NASA’s new NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array) telescope that will be launched later this month has a modest budget…
GRAIL Spacecraft Officially Begins Collecting Lunar Data
The GRAIL spacecraft has officially begun its science phase and will map the gravity field of the moon three times over the next 84 days,…
Research Papers Explore Titan’s Atmosphere
Recently published research papers reveal new details of how Saturn’s moon Titan shifts with the seasons and throughout the day. The research is based on…
NuSTAR’s 9,000 Mirrors are Only 200 Microns Thick
NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) has a total of 9,000 individual mirror segments that are only 200 microns thick and will be the first…
NASA LRO Spacecraft Reveals Geological Activity on the Moon’s Surface
Researchers recently examined the new high-resolution images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft and found that “recent” geologic activity has occurred on the moon….
NASA Engineers Test J-2X Powerpack
The first test was conducted yesterday on the J-2X engine powerpack by engineers at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. This initial test was the first time…
NASA Requests $17.7 Billion Budget for Fiscal Year 2013
NASA has requested a $17.7 billion budget for fiscal year 2013 which includes $4 billion for space operations, $4 billion for exploration activities in the…
HiRISE Images Show Old NASA Mars Lander
Recent images from the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show the three-petal lander of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit…
ESA’s Vega Rocket Has Launched on Its Maiden Voyage, Carries 9 Satellites
As of 7 a.m. (10:00 GMT), the European Space Agency’s new Vega rocket has successfully launched on Monday, February 13th from Kourou, French Guyana, off…
Engineers Resolve Mars Science Laboratory Computer Issue
Engineers have discovered and corrected the computer reset that occurred two months ago on NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory. Based on trials conducted on a test…
Private Rocket Launch Tests Supersonic Parachute and Reusable Tech
A private spaceflight company, Armadillo Aerospace, is reviewing its test data from a rocket test in the New Mexico desert. The flight encountered problems while…
NASA Searching for Green Propellant Technology
NASA is looking for a greener alternative for fuel instead of using highly toxic hydrazine. They are working with local American companies to develop new…
NASA’s Galaxy Evolution Explorer Set to be Decommissioned
Launched on April 28, 2003, the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, or Galex, was on a mission to study aspects of galaxies across 10 billion years of…
Botched Pressure Test of Russian Soyuz Capsule Delays Launch by a Month
The Russian space capsule Soyuz was slated to launch on March 29th, but a botched pressure test has delayed the launch until May 15th. Soyuz…
Juno Spacecraft Completes First Trajectory Correction Maneuver
The solar-powered Juno spacecraft that was launched in 2011 to improve our understanding of Jupiter’s formation and evolution just completed the mission’s first trajectory correction…
NASA’s THEMIS Satellite Records Effect of Geomagnetic Storms on Radiation Belts
Scientists are studying the Van Allen Radiation belts to gain a better understanding about the radiation encircling the Earth. It was once feared that these…
NASA’s Cassini Spacecraft Shows Dune Patterns of Titan
Images taken from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft show variations in the sizes of dunes found on Saturn’s moon Titan. Scientists believe these variations may be a…