China Space Probe Returns from Trip to the Moon—3rd Place in ‘Space Race’

Medicine & Technology Nov 01, 2014

About 40 years late to the “Space Race”, this morning Saturday Nov. 1, 2014, China became the third nation in the world to successfully orbit the moon and return to Earth to tell the tale. As China’s space agency continues to move forward in its ambitious space program, the lunar orbiter marks a great first success for the mission, and undoubtedly shows its growing presence as a space agency in the world. The eight day turn-around trip came to a close this morning after the test lunar orbiter landed about 500 km away from Beijing, in the Siziwang Banner of China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region according to the nation’s Xinhua state-run news agency.

Antares Rocket Launches on East Coast Tonight: Viewing and Live Stream Info

Oct 28, 2014

The launch of the Antares rocket carrying supplies and scientific equipment to the International Space Station was rescheduled from Monday evening to Tuesday evening due to a wayward sailboat entered the restricted zone underneath the rocket's flight path. The launch is now scheduled to 6:22 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.

ESA Asks Public to Name Philae Landing Site of Comet 67P This November

Oct 20, 2014

It’s been a conversation months in the making. No, it’s not a new iPhone product or what celebrity baby names will be hot this Winter, but rather what to call one of the greatest achievements mankind will make in your lifetime? Reaching out to the public for a little bit of inspiration in creative names, researchers at the ESA have created an open competition where anyone and everyone can submit their own ideas for what the site should be named.

Watch: NASA Moves Martian Orbiters to Avoid Comet Siding Spring

Oct 20, 2014

Mars had a close call this past weekend as a comet passed so close to the Red Planet that NASA moved its three Mars orbiters to the opposite side of the planet hoping to shield them from the dust and gas debris left by the tail of Comet Siding Spring.

NASA’s Spacecrafts ‘Duck And Cover’ Behind Mars as Comet Passes Through

Oct 20, 2014

It’s been a flyby anticipated for months, and one whose arrival sparked much commotion at NASA’s headquarters this past weekend. Hurtling through the night sky at nearly 125,000 miles per hour, Comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring passed right by the planet Mars early Sunday afternoon, Oct. 19, coming in close contact with the Martian outer atmosphere at about 2:27pm ET.

Video: X-37B Space Plane Lands After 2 Years in Orbit

Oct 18, 2014

The U.S. Air Force's mysterious X-37B space plane landed this week after a record of nearly two years in orbit, yet government officials still haven't commented as to the nature of its mission. The 'orbital test vehicle' is the third such OTV mission, and orbited the Earth for 674 days.

Solar Storm Causes Aurora Across Northern Skies

Sep 17, 2014

With a giant solar storm erupting just last week, causing cosmic disturbances emanating from the center of the sun, the northern skies have welcomed the arrival of aurora lights. Reaching as far south as New York, the record-breaking Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) of early last week’s solar storm brought with a gust of solar wind, an illuminating spectacle of lights across the sky.