NASA

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Sticky Soil Foils Mars Work
 Sticky Soil Foils Mars Work 
Jul 28, 2008 8:19 AM CDT

Sticky Soil Foils Mars Work

Dirt is sticking to lander's arm, so NASA revising its methods

(Newser) - NASA is revising its soil-harvesting method because the Phoenix Mars lander is having trouble with its icy finds, Space.com reports. The lander’s attempts to analyze the soil have been troubled because the soil is sticking to its scoop, stubbornly refusing to fall into the tiny oven designed to...

Astronaut Reports Alien Visits
 Astronaut Reports Alien Visits
Jul 25, 2008 3:44 AM CDT

Astronaut Reports Alien Visits

Apollo Moon walker Mitchell says US covered up close encounters

(Newser) - Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, who walked on the moon during the Apollo 14 mission, says aliens have visited Earth but the information has been covered up by the government. The 77-year-old astronaut told a radio interviewer he was "privileged enough to be in on the fact that we've been visited,...

Discoveries Boost Hope for Alien Life

New forms of extreme bacteria fuel hope for extraterrestrial life

(Newser) - Humans have always wondered about the possibility of alien life somewhere out there. And while scientists seem to agree that the discovery of extraterrestrials will not happen soon, growing numbers are convinced it will happen. The search is being fueled in part by recent discoveries of strange new life forms...

Scientists Hatch Round-Trip Mission to Mars

Unmanned spacecraft would bring back rocks and possibly microscopic life

(Newser) - Before scientists can put a man on Mars, they first need to figure out how to get a mission back to Earth, reports the Guardian. An international team is doing just that—developing an $8 billion mission to travel to Mars and return with rock samples and possibly microscopic life....

Water Found in Moon Rock
 Water Found in Moon Rock 
Jul 10, 2008 5:00 AM CDT

Water Found in Moon Rock

Discovery stuns lunar experts

(Newser) - Water has been detected in moon rock brought to Earth by Apollo astronauts, reports Space.com. A team used a new super-sensitive technique to discover the water in volcanic glass beads in the rock. The stunning find, detailed in the journal Nature, is forcing scientists to rethink theories about the...

There's a New Space Race, and US Is Losing

Rest of the world collaborates while fearful US falls behind

(Newser) - While the rest of the world cooperates incessantly on all matters extraterrestrial, the US, hampered by self-imposed regulations meant to keep weapons out of enemies' hands, is swiftly losing dominance of the final frontier, the Washington Post reports. The US’ military space program is still gargantuan, but the civil program,...

Upgrade Will Boost Hubble Vision

Upgrade will create spectacular images

(Newser) - Spectacular images from the Hubble telescope are about to get even more awe-inspiring, thanks to a $900-million upgrade during an upcoming space shuttle mission—the fifth and last mission to the orbiting observatory. Two new high-tech instruments and a series of repairs will make Hubble able to probe even deeper...

Mercury Is Shrinking
 Mercury Is Shrinking   
Jul 3, 2008 6:35 PM CDT

Mercury Is Shrinking

Messenger spacecraft reveals planets core still molten

(Newser) - The planet Mercury is shrinking, the LA Times reports. Data from NASA’s Mercury Messenger spacecraft reveal that the planet’s diameter has shrunk by a mile over its history, probably because its core is cooling. Messenger flew in for a close-up in January, and scientists are now piecing together...

'You Might Be Able to Grow Asparagus' on Mars

'Flabbergasted' scientists see soil able to support life on red planet

(Newser) - Samples of Martian soil analyzed by instruments onboard the Phoenix lander have earth-bound scientists “flabbergasted.” Why? Readings indicate that the extraterrestrial loam could, perhaps has, and possibly will, support life, Reuters reports. Along with ice the lander discovered earlier, “We basically have found what appears to be...

Scientists Hail Ice Find on Mars
Scientists
Hail Ice Find
on Mars
Jun 20, 2008 4:49 AM CDT

Scientists Hail Ice Find on Mars

Now the trick is for Phoenix Lander to collect it

(Newser) - White material on Mars that was puzzling NASA scientists has turned out to be ice, Wired reports. "Are you ready to celebrate? We have ICE! Best day ever!" gushed a team scientist. The discovery of evidence of water—essential for terrestrial life—is exactly what scientists were hoping...

Computer Woes Slow Mars Craft
Computer Woes Slow Mars Craft
Jun 19, 2008 3:16 PM CDT

Computer Woes Slow Mars Craft

Soil photos lost in transmission 'not really critical,' but lander's mission delayed

(Newser) - The Phoenix Mars Lander stopped digging yesterday to give its memory a rest after a computer glitch caused the loss of photographs and scientific data, the AP reports. Scientists were alerted to the problem after the lander transmitted a single piece of information 45,000 times. "It's unfortunate to...

Mars Lander Finds Ice... or Salt

Scientist debate mysterious white substance

(Newser) - The Phoenix Mars lander has found… well, something. While digging a pair of trenches on the Red Planet’s North Pole, the little robot sent back images of soil streaked with something white. Now scientists are wondering whether it’s the ice they’d hoped for, a salt deposit, or...

Discovery Returns to Earth
 Discovery Returns to Earth 
Jun 14, 2008 12:30 PM CDT

Discovery Returns to Earth

Mission saw successful expansion of space station

(Newser) - The space shuttle Discovery swooped back to Earth today after successfully expanding the International Space Station, the AP reports. The shuttle’s seven crew members delivered Kibo, the new billion-dollar Japanese science lab, and a pump to repair a broken toilet. Discovery also brought home flight engineer Garret Reisman, who’...

Strange Object Baffles Astronauts

Mysterious rectangle floats by

(Newser) - The Discovery’s crew was perplexed today when it spotted a mysterious object floating past the right wing, the Houston Chronicle reports. The astronauts sent videos and photos of the light-colored, rectangular object to NASA. They also noticed an unusual protrusion on the tail rudder. “We’re in data...

Shake 'N Bake: Unclogged Phoenix Ovens Ready

Scientists hope cooking Martian soil will yield clues to its nature

(Newser) - Scientists were cheering yesterday after a tricky operation succeeded in shaking Martian dirt into the Phoenix lander's oven, the Los Angeles Times. The spacecraft will now spend the next few weeks heating up soil samples and analyzing gases. Scientists hope the tests and photos being sent back today will help...

Google's Brin Books Flight to Space Station

Company co-founder puts $5M deposit on 2011 launch

(Newser) - Google co-founder Sergey Brin is turning space tourist, plunking down a $5 million deposit with Space Adventures for passage to the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket in 2011, reports the New York Times. Space Adventures is planning to buy two of the three seats aboard the mission,...

Shuttle Prepares to Head Home
 Shuttle Prepares to Head Home 
Jun 10, 2008 9:07 PM CDT

Shuttle Prepares to Head Home

Discovery and space station crews shut the hatches between their vessels

(Newser) - Shuttle astronauts bid farewell to the crew of the International Space Station today and closed the hatch between their spacecrafts, Space.com reports. Discovery plans to undock from the station tomorrow morning after a busy weeklong mission and begin a 4-day trip home. The shuttle crew delivered and installed a...

Clumpy Soil on Mars Tests Scientists' Skill

Researchers try "dribbling" dirt into lander's tiny ovens

(Newser) - The soil on Mars turns out to be too clumpy to be analyzed by the Phoenix lander, but scientists are confident they've found away around the problem by "dribbling" it small amounts on sifters. They won't know for sure whether the new technique works for a day or two,...

Astronaut Waves Robot Arm
 Astronaut Waves Robot Arm 

 
Jun 9, 2008 3:25 PM CDT

Astronaut Waves Robot Arm

Japanese-built device will service equipment from Kibo laboratory

(Newser) - A Japanese astronaut on board the International Space Station successfully unfolded a massive robotic arm from the newly installed Kibo laboratory today, Reuters reports. The arm moved slightly on Saturday, but today’s extension of the 33-foot device was the first full test, Space.com reports. The Japanese-built robot had...

'Incredible' Final Walk for Shuttle Astronauts

Mundane tasks, spectacular views

(Newser) - Two shuttle astronauts completed their third and final spacewalk yesterday outside the International Space Station, racking up more than 20 hours floating in space. The pair completed maintenance on the station's cooling system and Japanese lab, taking time out to admire spectacular views, reports Space.com.

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