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News Archive 2011: September and October and November
Mars summit set between NASA, ESA and Russia
In a bid to save the next Mars rover from budgetary oblivion, representatives from NASA, Europe and Russia will meet in Paris next week to hash out what each space agency can contribute to a pair of life-hunting Mars missions due to begin launching in four years.
FULL STORY
TDRS-M data relay satellite bought for NASA network
NASA has ordered up an additional next-generation communications spacecraft, valued at $289 million, for its orbiting network of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites.
FULL STORY
Mobile launch tower rolled back to construction site
The towering mobile platform for NASA's heavy-lift rocket is moving off the launch pad Wednesday and returning to a construction site at the Kennedy Space Center for substantial modifications to support a hefty 5.5-million-pound vehicle that could take astronauts to new frontiers in space.
FULL STORY IMAGES:AERIAL PHOTOS OF LAUNCH TOWER
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
MOBILE LAUNCHER BEGINS ROLLING OUT PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
PLATFORM ARRIVES ATOP LAUNCH PAD 39B PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
TIMELAPSE FOOTAGE OF ROLLOUT PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Military space shuttle receives mission extension
Quietly orbiting Earth since March, the U.S. Air Force's second X-37B space plane will surpass its 270-day design life Wednesday with no sign the clandestine spacecraft is landing any time soon.
FULL STORY
Orbit-raising commands fail to budge Phobos-Grunt
Plagued by an undiagnosed problem that stranded it in Earth orbit, Russia's Phobos-Grunt Mars mission remained quiet Tuesday after renewed attempts to coax the craft back into contact with ground controllers.
FULL STORY
Chinese reconnaissance satellite reaches orbit
A Long March rocket blasted off with a Chinese reconnaissance satellite Tuesday on an unannounced mission to collect imagery of strategic sites around the world.
FULL STORY
Cruising to Mars, Curiosity awaits final software load
Saturday's launch of the Curiosity rover was just the prologue of the $2.5 billion mission, and officials will spend the next eight months readying for the craft's untried descent to the surface of Mars.
FULL STORY
Medvedev threatens penalties for space officials
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has suggested officials should be punished for recent failures in the country's space program. Russian rockets have failed four times in the last 12 months, and a $165 million Mars probe was stranded in Earth orbit.
FULL STORY
Photo gallery: Atlas 5 rocket sets sail for Mars
The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket successfully launched the Mars Science Laboratory from Cape Canaveral's Complex 41 on Saturday at 10:02 a.m. EST, sending Earth's Curiosity to explore the red planet. Check out this complete launch photo gallery taken by ULA's cameraman.
IMAGES:LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
THE FULL LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ATLAS 5 ROCKET LAUNCHES MARS SCIENCE LAB PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ONBOARD CAMERA VIEW OF NOSE CONE JETTISON PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ONBOARD CAMERA VIEW OF THE STAGING EVENT PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ONBOARD VIEW OF ROCKET RELEASING MSL PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH DECLARED A SUCCESS PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: OUR VIEW OF LIFTOFF PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: VAB ROOF PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: PATRICK AFB PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: SOUTH OF THE PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: THE BEACH TRACKER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: SHUTTLE PAD CAMERA PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: SHUTTLE WATER TOWER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: TRACKER WEST OF THE PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: CLOSE-UP ON UMBILICALS PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: COMPLEX 41 VIF PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: THE PRESS SITE PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Glonass navigation system beefed up by Soyuz launch
Another spacecraft to reinforce Russia's fleet of Glonass navigation satellites lifted off Monday from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on a Soyuz booster.
FULL STORY
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
THE FULL LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ATLAS 5 ROCKET LAUNCHES MARS SCIENCE LAB PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ONBOARD CAMERA VIEW OF NOSE CONE JETTISON PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ONBOARD CAMERA VIEW OF THE STAGING EVENT PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ONBOARD VIEW OF ROCKET RELEASING MSL PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH DECLARED A SUCCESS PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: OUR VIEW OF LIFTOFF PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: VAB ROOF PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: PATRICK AFB PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: SOUTH OF THE PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: THE BEACH TRACKER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: SHUTTLE PAD CAMERA PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: SHUTTLE WATER TOWER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: TRACKER WEST OF THE PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: CLOSE-UP ON UMBILICALS PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: COMPLEX 41 VIF PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: THE PRESS SITE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
PRE-LAUNCH INTERVIEW WITH PROJECT MANAGER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
NARRATED PREVIEW OF ATLAS 5 ASCENT PROFILE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ROCKET'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
MSL'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SPACECRAFT CLEANROOM TOUR PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ATLAS ROCKET ROLLS OUT TO LAUNCH PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
TIME-LAPSE VIEWS OF ROCKET ROLLOUT PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
THE PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO:
CURIOSITY ROVER SCIENCE BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO:
LOOKING FOR LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE PLAY VIDEO:
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE RED PLANET PLAY VIDEO:
ROBOTICS AND HUMANS TO MARS TOGETHER PLAY VIDEO:
PREVIEW OF ENTRY, DESCENT AND LANDING PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
PREVIEW OF CURIOSITY ROVER EXPLORING MARS PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
A FLYOVER OF THE GALE CRATER LANDING SITE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
NUCLEAR GENERATOR HOISTED TO ROVER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
MARS SCIENCE LAB MOUNTED ATOP ATLAS 5 PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
MOVING MSL TO ATLAS ROCKET HANGAR PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SPACECRAFT PLACED ABOARD TRANSPORTER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
APPLYING MISSION LOGOS ON THE FAIRING PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
MSL ENCAPSULATED IN ROCKET'S NOSE CONE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
FINAL LOOK AT SPACECRAFT BEFORE SHROUDING PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
HEAT SHIELD INSTALLED ONTO SPACECRAFT PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
BEAUTY SHOTS OF SPACECRAFT PACKED UP PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ATTACHING THE RING-LIKE CRUISE STAGE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
PARACHUTE-EQUIPPED BACKSHELL INSTALLED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SKYCRANE AND CURIOSITY MATED TOGETHER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
TWO-HALVES OF ROCKET NOSE CONE ARRIVES PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CENTAUR UPPER STAGE HOISTED ATOP ATLAS PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
FINAL SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER ATTACHED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
FIRST OF FOUR SOLID BOOSTERS MOUNTED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
FIRST STAGE ERECTED ON MOBILE LAUNCHER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
STAGES DRIVEN FROM HARBOR TO THE ASOC PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ROCKET ARRIVES ABOARD SEA-GOING VESSEL PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
STOWING ROVER'S INSTRUMENTED ROBOT ARM PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
DEPLOYING CURIOSITY'S SIX WHEELS ON EARTH PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
MMRTG PUT BACK INTO STORAGE AT SPACEPORT PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
NUCLEAR GENERATOR FIT-CHECK ON THE ROVER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ROVER'S NUCLEAR POWER SOURCE ARRIVES PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SPIN-TESTING THE RING-LIKE CRUISE STAGE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
UNCOVERING CURIOSITY ROVER IN CLEANROOM PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
UNVEILING THE ROCKET-POWERED SKYCRANE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
UNBOXING THE ROVER FROM SHIPPING CRATE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ROVER HAULED FROM RUNWAY TO PHSF FACILITY PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
MARS ROVER ARRIVES AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
DESCENT WEIGHTS INSTALLED ON BACKSHELL PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SOLAR ARRAY PANELS ATTACHED TO CRUISE RING PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Japan calls it quits on infrared space telescope
Japan announced this week its Akari infrared space telescope was switched off after five years of scanning the sky in search of star-forming dust clouds, ancient galaxies in the distant universe, and asteroids within the solar system.
FULL STORY
Will the budget force NASA to retreat from Mars?
Budget battles and shuffling spending priorities unfolding in Washington could mean the Curiosity rover, a car-sized mobile robot promising a rich scientific bounty on Mars, will be the last in a line of wildly successful missions doing research on the Red Planet.
FULL STORY
Asian TV broadcasting satellite launched into orbit
A satellite to broadcast television across a swath of the globe from Israel to New Zealand launched on top of a Russian Proton rocket Friday, successfully starting a 15-year mission for AsiaSat of Hong Kong.
FULL STORY IMAGES:PROTON ON LAUNCH PAD
Latest attempts to contact Phobos-Grunt yield 'no joy'
Russia's Phobos-Grunt Mars probe again fell silent Thursday and Friday after encouraging communications signals were detected from the marooned satellite, which is stuck in low Earth orbit after a glitch kept the craft from continuing toward the Red Planet.
FULL STORY
Mobile science laboratory leaves Saturday for Mars
NASA's $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory rover, the most complex and scientifically powerful robotic spacecraft ever built to explore the surface of another world, is poised for launch Saturday on a high-stakes mission to look for organic compounds and signs of past or present habitability.
COMPREHENSIVE MISSION PREVIEW
Sunset from NASA's heavy-lift rocket launch tower
NASA's mobile launcher for the Space Launch System is mounted at pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center this week for fit checks and loads testing. Spaceflight Now visited the launch tower at sunset Wednesday.
PHOTOS:SUNSET FROM MOBILE LAUNCHER
It's alive! Russia's Phobos-Grunt probe phones home
A European Space Agency tracking station in Australia was expected to contact Russia's Phobos-Grunt spacecraft at least two times Wednesday, one day after the site heard signals from the stranded probe for the first time in two weeks.
SECOND COMMUNICATIONS ATTEMPT WEDNESDAY FIRST CONTACT WITH PHOBOS-GRUNT
Reduced budget threatens delay in private spaceships
This year's NASA budget halves the requested funding for the agency's commercial crew transportation program, placing the initiative's goal of ending U.S. reliance on Russian Soyuz spacecraft by 2016 in jeopardy, according to NASA officials.
FULL STORY
Space station residents safely return to Earth
A three-man crew from NASA, Russia and Japan completed a half-year mission aboard the International Space Station on Monday and return to Earth in a parachute-equipped Soyuz descent capsule. Touchdown in Kazakhstan occurred in frigid temperatures at 9:26 p.m. EST (0226 GMT).
FULL STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER PHOTOS:RECOVERING SOYUZ IMAGES ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
BACK AT STAR CITY PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
POST-FLIGHT CHAT WITH MIKE FOSSUM PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
TRADITIONAL KAZAKH WELCOMING CEREMONY PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
VIEW OUT THE WINDOW OF DEPARTING SOYUZ PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SOYUZ TMA-02M UNDOCKS FROM SPACE STATION PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CREW BOARDS SOYUZ AND CLOSES HATCHWAY PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
EXPEDITION CHANGE OF COMMAND CEREMONY PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Curiosity rover aims for Martian dry lake bed
The Curiosity rover is heading for a potential Martian dry lake bed the size of Los Angeles adorned with ragged rock formations and a colossal three-mile-high mountain. Launch is scheduled for Saturday at 10:02 a.m. EST and the mobile robot will reach Mars on Aug. 6, 2012.
FULL STORY
Crippled space probe bound for second chance at Venus
Japan's Akatsuki probe completed a three-part series of course correction maneuvers Monday, lining up the spacecraft for a second chance to reach Venus in late 2015 after an engine failure curbed plans to orbit the sweltering, cloud-covered planet one year ago.
FULL STORY
Japanese quake delayed tests on H-2B rocket
The launch of Japan's next space station resupply craft will likely be rescheduled for next June, giving engineers time to make up testing of the freighter's H-2B rocket after the deadly earthquake in March, according to NASA and Japanese space officials.
FULL STORY
Happy 9th birthday to the Delta 4 rocket
Sunday marks the 9th anniversary of the first Delta 4 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral carrying a commercial European communications satellite into orbit. Take a look back to our coverage of that maiden mission.
MISSION ARCHIVE
Mars rover Curiosity launch postponed by one day
Launch of the Mars Science Laboratory on the Atlas 5 rocket has been postponed a day to give time for replacement of a suspect safety system battery aboard the booster.
MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!
Shenzhou capsule carried dummies, German payload
Chinese recovery crews retrieved two dummy astronauts and a German experiment aboard the Shenzhou 8 space capsule after landing Thursday. The 17-day mission demonstrated docking technology for a future Chinese space station.
FULL STORY
Satellite pair launched by Long March rocket
An experimental technology demonstration satellite and a spacecraft to collect and relay data for disaster relief ascended into orbit on a Chinese Long March 2D rocket this weekend.
FULL STORY
SpaceX has short list for commercial launch site
SpaceX is eyeing Puerto Rico, Texas, Hawaii, or Florida to be home of a new commercial launch facility for its Falcon rocket family, the company's founder and chief executive tells Spaceflight Now.
FULL STORY UPDATE ON NEXT LAUNCH
Veteran Landsat 5 satellite on the brink of failure
An aging Landsat observation satellite could be nearing its end due to a faulty electronic component essential for downloading surface images back to Earth, the U.S. Geological Survey announced Friday.
FULL STORY
Colorful imagery documents extent of Saturn storm
NASA released fresh imagery Thursday of a mega-storm that encircled Saturn for more than six months earlier this year, becoming the longest-lived weather system ever observed on the ringed planet.
IMAGES:SATURN MEGA-STORM GROWS
Mobile launcher rollout videos posted
The mobile launch platform for NASA's heavy-lift rocket was rolled to Kennedy Space Center's pad 39B this week. Check out these videos of the move, posted for on-demand viewing and downloading for Spaceflight Now+Plus users:
LEARN MORE ABOUT SFN+
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
MOBILE LAUNCHER BEGINS ROLLING OUT PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
PLATFORM ARRIVES ATOP LAUNCH PAD 39B PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
TIMELAPSE FOOTAGE OF ROLLOUT PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Military communications craft moves closer to launch
A spacecraft that will improve communications with the U.S. military's aerial drones currently employed in some of the world's hotspots has arrived at Cape Canaveral to prepare for blastoff in January.
FULL STORY
Chinese capsule returns after docking mission
The return capsule of the Shenzhou 8 spacecraft parachuted to a safe landing in Inner Mongolia on Thursday, wrapping up China's first docking mission ahead of manned flights next year.
FULL STORY VIDEO:SHENZHOU DESCENDS UNDER PARACHUTE
MESSENGER gets another year exploring Mercury
NASA has announced that it will extend the MESSENGER mission for an additional year of orbital operations at Mercury beyond the planned end of the primary mission on March 17, 2012. The MESSENGER probe became the first spacecraft to orbit the innermost planet on March 18, 2011.
NASA STATEMENT
Voyager 2 completes switch to backup thruster set
NASA's Voyager 2 has successfully switched to the backup set of thrusters that controls the roll of the spacecraft, allowing engineers to reduce the amount of power that the 34-year-old probe needs to operate by turning off the heater that keeps the fuel to the primary thrusters warm.
NASA STATEMENT
Mammoth mobile launch mount moved to pad 39B
One of NASA's heavy-duty diesel-powered crawlers moved the space agency's towering new 39-story mobile launch platform Wednesday to pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. First motion occurred around 9:15 a.m. (1415 GMT) and the rollout ended at 6:29 p.m. EST (2329 GMT).
FULL STORY PREVIEW STORY IMAGES:MOBILE LAUNCHER BEGINS ROLLOUT
Dragon assembled inside Cape Canaveral hangar
SpaceX lifted the Dragon capsule and attached it to the craft's trunk section Wednesday inside the company's launch processing hangar at Cape Canaveral. IMAGES:DRAGON ASSEMBLED IN FLORIDA
Scientists say lakes could raise odds for life on Europa
The discovery of a reservoir of liquid water embedded in the icy crust of Jupiter's moon Europa could increase the chances for life in oceans deep beneath sheets of ice blanketing its surface, scientists said Wednesday. FULL STORY
Soyuz capsule docks to the International Space Station
The Soyuz spacecraft carrying three new residents for the International Space Station successfully docked to the orbiting outpost at 12:24 a.m. EST (0524 GMT) Wednesday while flying 248 miles over the South Pacific. MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates and video!
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
SOYUZ TMA-22 DOCKS TO SPACE STATION PLAY VIDEO:
HOW DO YOU SLEEP IN SPACE? PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
BURBANK, SHKAPLEROV AND IVANISHIN BIOS PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Help wanted: Apply to be a NASA astronaut online
NASA is recruiting up to 15 new astronauts to bolster the agency's corps of space fliers to staff the International Space Station and lay the groundwork for exploration missions beyond Earth, agency officials announced Tuesday. FULL STORY APPLY ONLINE
December deadline for stranded Mars probe
Russia has until early December to establish contact with the stranded Phobos-Grunt Mars probe and send it toward the Red Planet, the head of the Russian space ageny said Monday.
FULL STORY
Three-man crew rides Soyuz rocket to space
After exhaustive work to recover from a dramatic August launch failure, a Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying two cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut blasted off in blizzard-like conditions late Sunday on a delayed flight to the International Space Station, the program's first manned launching since the U.S. shuttle was retired.
LAUNCH STORY PREVIEW STORY MISSION STATUS CENTER - updates and video! IMAGES:ROLLOUT PHOTO GALLERY
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
FULL EXPERIENCE FROM LIFTOFF TO ORBIT PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CREW DEPARTS SITE 254 FOR LAUNCH PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
FAMILIES CHAT WITH CREW BEFORE LAUNCH PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CREW MEMBERS DON THEIR SOKOL SPACESUITS PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH DAY TRADITIONS AT CREW QUARTERS PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
SOYUZ ROCKET ROLLED TO LAUNCH PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH VEHICLE IS HOISTED VERTICALLY PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
GANTRY ARMS WRAP AROUND SOYUZ PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
POST-ROLLOUT COMMENTS FROM NASA OFFICIALS PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
FINAL ASSEMBLY OF THE SOYUZ PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CREW TOURS BAIKONUR COSMODROME PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CHECKING OUT THE SOYUZ TMA-22 CAPSULE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CEREMONIAL ARRIVAL AT THE LAUNCH SITE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CREW'S DEPARTURE FROM TRAINING BASE PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
Shenzhou 8 aces second docking test in sunlight
Two Chinese spacecraft in orbit successfully accomplished another high-speed link-up Monday during a second docking demonstration designed to test sensitive optical rendezvous sensors against the harsh glare of the sun.
FULL STORY VIDEO:DOCKING HIGHLIGHTS PREVIEW STORY
SpaceX, NASA expect next Dragon flight in early 2012
The first SpaceX demonstration flight to the International Space Station will launch no sooner than January as NASA awaits final delivery of flight software before clearing the mission to proceed, according to space agency sources.
FULL STORY
Phobos-Grunt Mars probe remains silent in Earth orbit
Russia officially remained silent on the status of its beleaguered Phobos-Grunt Mars probe Friday as concerns grew that the toxic fuel-laden spacecraft could crash back to Earth by December.
FULL STORY
Lockheed Martin to select Delta 4 rocket for Orion test
NASA announced this week it has signed on to a long-sought proposal by Lockheed Martin Corp. for an unmanned orbital test flight of the Orion capsule in early 2014, clearing the way for final contract negotiations for a $370 million launch on a Delta 4-Heavy rocket.
FULL STORY
Russia trying to salvage Phobos-Grunt mission
One day after a Russian Mars probe was left stranded in low Earth orbit, engineers planned to begin trying to save the mission Wednesday in hopes the problem was a relatively simple software glitch.
FULL STORY
NASA runs J-2X engine 500 seconds in ground firing
The powerful liquid hydrogen-fed engine NASA is developing to propel hardware and humans out of Earth orbit underwent a successful ground test-firing in Mississippi on Wednesday afternoon.
FULL STORY
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
J-2X ENGINE TEST-FIRED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
WATCH ENTIRE ENGINE TEST BROADCAST PLAY VIDEO:
POST-TEST NEWS BRIEFING PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW
Long March rocket orbits Earth observing satellite
China successfully launched a Long March rocket Wednesday with a military reconnaissance satellite and a university-built technology demonstration spacecraft.
FULL STORY
Asteroid swings by Earth
NASA has released preliminary radar imagery of a 1,300-foot-wide asteroid that cruised by Earth on Tuesday in the planet's closest call with a near-Earth object in a quarter-century.
FULL STORY - with video!
Two women among finalists for China's next spaceflight
Two female astronauts are among the candidates to fly on China's upcoming human space mission, which could attempt a manual docking with a bus-sized orbital laboratory next year, according to Chinese media.
FULL STORY
Money-saving missile detection sensor turned on
The U.S. Air Force announced Thursday an innovative infrared missile detection sensor launched in September on a commercial communications satellite is functioning as expected, fulfilling a groundbreaking partnership between the private and public space sectors.
FULL STORY LAUNCH COVERAGE
Proton rocket replenishes Russian navigation system
A Proton launcher rocketed into orbit Friday with three Glonass navigation satellites for the Russian government, delivering reinforcements for the military-run fleet of positioning and timing spacecraft.
FULL STORY- updated! IMAGES AND VIDEO:PROTON ROLLS TO PAD
Two Chinese spacecraft dock 200 miles above Earth
After chasing an orbiting space laboratory module at speeds of nearly 5 miles per second, China's Shenzhou 8 capsule linked up Wednesday with a bus-sized target module more than 200 miles above Earth. Docking occurred at approximately 1728 GMT (1:28 p.m. EDT).
FULL STORY VIDEO:DOCKING IN ORBIT OVERVIEW OF DOCKING SYSTEM SHENZHOU LAUNCH STORY
Space station welcomes Russian cargo ship arrival
The International Space Station received a cargo freighter Wednesday when the Russian-made vessel loaded with three tons of supplies safely approached and docked on autopilot.
FULL STORY
Delta 2 rocket launch yields perfect photography
Last Friday's Delta 2 rocket launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base was a photographer's dream with beautiful weather and a gorgeous California sunset. Take a look back at the countdown and blastoff through the lens of ULA's cameraman.
IMAGES:RIDE THE GANTRY DURING ROLLBACK IMAGES:CALIFORNIA SUNSET OVER THE PAD IMAGES:MIDDLE-OF-THE-NIGHT LAUNCH
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
NPP LAUNCH AS SEEN LIVE! PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
DEPLOYMENT OF NPP ANNOUNCED PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
CUBESATS EJECTED FROM SECOND STAGE PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
NASA LAUNCH DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY VIDEO:
POST-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: CAMERA WEST OF PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: CAMERA SOUTH OF PAD PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
LAUNCH REPLAYS: INFRARED TRACKING CAMERA PLAY VIDEO:
MOBILE SERVICE GANTRY ROLLED BACK PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
NPP'S PRE-LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
ROCKET'S PRE-LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
NPP PROJECT SCIENTIST INTERVIEW PLAY | HI-DEF VIDEO:
PREVIEW OF DELTA 2 ROCKET'S ASCENT PLAY | HI-DEF SUBSCRIBE NOW
ESA wrestles with software errors on Mars Express
European officials have temporarily halted scientific observations aboard the Mars Express spacecraft after a spate of software hiccups, but managers are hopeful the mission can resume research after eight years at Mars.
FULL STORY
Shenzhou spaceship begins historic orbital pursuit
An unmanned Shenzhou space capsule blasted off from China on Monday to begin a two-day chase of another spacecraft in orbit for a high-speed link-up to form an austere space station for future astronaut visits.
FULL STORY VIDEO:REPLAY OF LIFTOFF IMAGES:VIEWS OF LAUNCH TIANGONG 1 LAUNCH COVERAGE
Boeing picks shuttle hangar for commercial capsule
The Boeing Co. will process its proposed CST-100 commercial manned spacecraft in a now-vacant space shuttle processing hangar in a first-of-a-kind deal valued at up to $50 million in state incentives, facility upgrades and financing, officials said Monday.
FULL STORY
Soyuz successfully returns to flight for space station
The Russian Soyuz rocket, flying for the first time in the exact configuration that suffered a launch failure in August, successfully launched Sunday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The booster climbed to orbit with a resupply ship headed toward a Wednesday docking at the International Space Station and paved the way for human flights to resume in mid-November.
FULL STORY EARLIER STORY ROLLOUT VIDEO AND PHOTO GALLERY
Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO:
THE PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO:
SCIENCE GOALS OF NPP SPACECRAFT PLAY VIDEO:
CUBESATS LAUNCHING ALONG WITH NPP PLAY VIDEO:
PRE-FLIGHT MISSION INTRODUCTION BRIEFING PLAY SUBSCRIBE NOW
Mega-rocket to use mobile launcher, shuttle crawlers
NASA intends to upgrade one of its Apollo-era treaded crawlers and an inactive mobile platform built for the canceled Ares launcher program to support the agency's colossal super-rocket, officially called the Space Launch System, in time for a test flight in 2017.
FULL STORY IMAGES:VIEWS FROM TOP OF MOBILE LAUNCHER
Scientists counting on NPP amid programmatic turmoil
Originally conceived as a testbed satellite to prove the advanced designs for future U.S. government spacecraft, the NPP mission blasting off Friday has been thrust to an entirely new level of importance for meteorologists now facing a gap in data from space.
FULL STORY
Enhanced Dragon capsule begins launch preparations
SpaceX's first Dragon spaceship scheduled to fly to the International Space Station is now in Florida, where it will be assembled, fueled and attached to a Falcon rocket for blastoff as soon as Dec. 19.
FULL STORY
Launch rate set to skyrocket at French Guiana spaceport
The introduction of the Soyuz and Vega rockets at Europe's spaceport in the Amazon jungle presents a demanding juggling act for managers trying to balance needs for three very different launch vehicles sharing a stretch of the French Guiana coastline.
FULL STORY
NPP: The next-generation weather watcher
Roughly the size of a sports utility vehicle, the environmental satellite launching from America's western spaceport Friday morning carries a suite of modernized instruments to see Earth's weather with crisper clarity than its decades of predecessors.
FULL STORY
Polar orbiter going up to improve weather forecasts
A satellite whose mission will touch the lives of everyone on Earth by taking the planet's environmental pulse daily for global weather forecasting and meticulous tracking of the changing climate will be launched into space Friday morning atop what's potentially the final Delta 2 rocket.
PREVIEW STORY
Imagery of Friday's Soyuz launch from the jungle
Friday's launch of the Soyuz rocket made history in French Guiana. It was the first flight of the veteran space launcher from the European-run spaceport in South America and started construction of Europe's Galileo navigation satellite fleet. Look back on the launch with these photos and video.
IMAGES:SOYUZ BLASTS OFF VIDEO:MULTIPLE VIEWS OF LIFTOFF
German X-ray astronomy satellite falls from orbit
Just one month after a decommissioned NASA science satellite fell to Earth, an out-of-service German space telescope plunged back into the atmosphere Saturday. Although much of the craft's heat-resistant X-ray mirror was expected to survive re-entry, there was no immediate word on precisely where the satellite came down or whether any debris made it to the surface. FULL STORY
ViaSat 1 broadband satellite soars to space
A sophisticated broadband satellite to provide direct-to-home Internet connections from space for customers across the U.S. and Canada was successfully launched by Russia's commercial Proton heavy-lifting rocket Wednesday. Blastoff to begin the 9-hour ascent occurred at 1848 GMT (2:48 p.m. EDT) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
MISSION STATUS CENTER - live coverage! LAUNCH PHOTO AND VIDEO GALLERY ROLLOUT PHOTO AND VIDEO GALLERY
Astronomy Now visits telescopes with altitude
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array opened its eyes on the Universe earlier this month. Astronomy Now's Emily Baldwin travelled to the 5,000-metre-high desert location in Chile to find out how construction of the 66-strong telescope array is progressing.
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NASA review clears way for manned Soyuz flights
A top NASA official told Congress on Wednesday an independent engineering team agrees with Russia's findings in an investigation into a failure of a Soyuz rocket's third stage in August, affirming plans to resume crewed flights to the International Space Station in November.
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Delta 2 rocket receives payload for Oct. 27 launch
Achieving a "monumental milestone" with 14 days left until blastoff, the NPP climate and weather observatory was transported to its launching pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base and mounted atop the Delta 2 rocket Thursday.
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Atlas 5 rocket fueled up for practice countdown
The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket that will propel the Mars Science Laboratory on its voyage to the Red Planet underwent a full countdown rehearsal Thursday.
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All over again: German satellite poised for plunge
Less than a month after NASA's falling UARS satellite grabbed the headlines, the German space agency says one of its abandoned satellites will dive back to Earth later this month, but no one knows where it will land.
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Tropical climate satellite soars for India, France
An Indo-French satellite launched on an international climate research mission Wednesday, ascending into space to track tropical cyclones, monsoons and storm systems for at least three years. The one-ton spacecraft was put in orbit by an Indian rocket. FULL STORY IMAGES:INDIAN ROCKET BLASTS OFF
Next Delta 4 rocket to boost military communications
The United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket that will deploy a vital communications satellite for U.S. military forces overseas was placed atop its Cape Canaveral pad this week. FULL STORY ROLLOUT PHOTO GALLERY
NASA hands Endeavour to Los Angeles museum
Astronauts, celebrities and local officials held a ceremonial transfer of ownership for the space shuttle orbiter Endeavour from NASA to the California Science Center in Los Angeles on Tuesday. PHOTO GALLERY OUR STS-134 ARCHIVE
Air Force satellite's epic ascent should finish soon
After 14 months in space and more than 450 maneuvers, the first satellite in the U.S. military's next-generation secure communications network now expects to complete its arduous journey to reach the correct orbit by late October and enter service in March.
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Europe plans solar orbiter and dark energy probe
The European Space Agency has selected a satellite to fly scorchingly close to the sun and a probe to map the structure of the universe for launch in 2017 and 2019.
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Low-cost UHF antenna deployed on Navy satellite
The umbrella-like antenna on the U.S. Navy's experimental TacSat 4 communications satellite has popped open and begun relaying voice messages a week after launching from southern Alaska, according to mission officials. FULL STORY
European broadcasting satellite launched by China
A French communications satellite destined to serve markets in a swath from Europe to the Indian Ocean launched on top of a Chinese Long March rocket Friday. FULL STORY
Replacement for Soyuz rocket canned by Russia
Russia is halting development of a next-generation rocket to launch humans into space, the head of Roscosmos told Russian lawmakers in a speech Friday. The Rus-M rocket, a liquid-fueled vehicle designed to launch from Russian territory, was supposed to begin flying as soon as 2015. FULL STORY
Station crew studies how space affects eyesight
In the wake of recent concerns about the effects of prolonged weightlessness on eyesight, space station astronauts now are carrying out regular tests and eye exams to collect more data on how their vision might be affected, the lab's commander said Thursday. FULL STORY
Satellite back in action after communications outage
A Canadian-owned satellite has recovered from Thursday's problem that caused widespread communications disruptions to phone circuits, television signals, Internet connections and data-relay services across North America. FULL STORY
Retired Ariane launch complex being demolished
A mothballed launch pad for the acclaimed Ariane rocket family is being dismantled in South America after supporting 119 space missions for scientific and commercial customers.
FULL STORY IMAGES:LAUNCH PAD TOPPLED IMAGES:DEBRIS FROM DEMOLISHED PAD
Land Launch rocket carries Intelsat 18 into space
Aiming to replace an 18-year-old communications satellite that bridges the vast Pacific to link Asia with North America, a new spacecraft successfully flew into orbit Wednesday atop the commercial Land Launch venture's Zenit 3SLB rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
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Nuclear power to the stars
To send spacecraft to other stars in the space of a human lifetime, new methods of propulsion are going to be needed to provide the necessary "oomph" to break free of our Solar System.
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Moon mission's outreach to kids adds naming contest
NASA is calling upon schoolchildren around the U.S. to help name the twin Moon-bound GRAIL spacecraft that will unravel mysteries of the lunar interior.
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Delta 2 rocket could win new NASA assignments
With its final scheduled flight looming just three weeks away, the workhorse Delta 2 rocket has won the right to rejoin the competition for future NASA satellite launches.
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Soyuz launch restores Russian navigation system
A fresh satellite for Russia's Glonass navigation network launched aboard a modernized Soyuz rocket Sunday on the first flight of the workhorse booster since a mishap doomed a mission in August.
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Taurus 2 rocket engine tests resume for January launch
Orbital Sciences and Aerojet resumed testing of a Russian rocket engine for the Taurus 2 rocket this week, the first firing of the 40-year-old engines since one of the power plants caught fire on the test stand in June.
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SpaceX unveils flyback rocket reusability plan
SpaceX founder and chief engineer Elon Musk has unveiled an innovative plan to recover his company's spent rocket stages by flying them back to the launch site using their own engines for a powered vertical descent to touchdown on strut-like landing gear. FULL STORY - watch dramatic animation!
QuetzSat 1 spacecraft goes up to serve Mexico and U.S.
A direct-to-home television broadcasting satellite for Mexico and the U.S. was successfully hauled into orbit Thursday by Russia's commercial Proton heavy-lifting rocket launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
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Chinese rocket successfully launches mini-space lab
China launched a miniature space module into orbit Thursday, where it will join another craft for the country's first space docking in November and create a destination for up to two manned flights next year.
FULL STORY IMAGES:LONG MARCH BLASTS OFF EARLIER PREVIEW STORY
Satellite finds surprisingly fewer asteroids near Earth
Analysis of data collected by a NASA infrared space telescope shows there are fewer near-Earth asteroids than previously believed, scientists said Thursday.
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Chinese docking demo poised on launch pad
Now securely perched atop a launch pad in the Gobi desert, China's next foray into space will blast off this week to begin assembly of a miniature space station and demonstrate orbital rendezvous and docking technology. FULL STORY IMAGES:LONG MARCH ROCKET ROLLOUT
Large NASA science satellite likely fell into Pacific Ocean
The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, launched from the shuttle Discovery in 1991 to begin a new era of studying the Earth's environment from space, fell from orbit Friday night. Space-tracking specialists believe the re-entry happened over the Pacific Ocean, dropping the surviving debris into the sea. FULL STORY RE-ENTRY UPDATES
Sea Launch completes first flight after long hiatus
Having emerged from bankruptcy and corporate restructuring, Sea Launch got back into the business of hauling commercial satellites to space with a successful blastoff Saturday at 2018 GMT (4:18 p.m. EDT). MISSION STATUS CENTER
Japanese spy satellite in orbit after successful launch
A spy satellite for the Japanese government rode an H-2A rocket into orbit Friday, replenishing a fleet of secret spacecraft designed to keep track of missile development in North Korea.
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Crews rehearse Minotaur launch countdown in Alaska
The launch team gathered on the Alaska coastline Friday for a mission dress rehearsal, a practice countdown in which technicians went through procedures to prepare the Minotaur 4 rocket and TacSat 4 payload for liftoff. The real launch is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
MISSION STATUS CENTER IMAGES:MINOTAUR ON THE PAD
NASA astronaut tells story of 'woo-hoo' ride in Soyuz
What appeared to be a communications problem that left Russian flight controllers in the dark about the status of a Soyuz capsule descending to Earth Sept. 16 was, in fact, no problem at all, simply the result of the spacecraft's trajectory and orientation, a crew member said Thursday.
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Spotting UARS re-entry will require lots of luck
Armchair satellite trackers hoping to catch a glimpse of NASA's doomed Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite -- UARS -- when it plunges back to Earth Friday will need patience, access to the internet, a clear sky and a large helping of luck to have any chance of spotting the spacecraft's fiery demise, experts say.
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Spy agency pulls back cloak on secret Cold War satellites
Held as state secrets for a half-century, three American spy satellites were brought to light this weekend by the U.S. government after serving the nation's intelligence programs at the height of the Cold War.
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Astronaut shares memories of Sept. 11 terror attacks
Frank Culbertson felt like he was thrust into a Tom Clancy novel when he first saw the plume of smoke streaming away from lower Manhattan on Sept. 11 more than a decade ago.
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Military communications satellite launched by China
A Chinese communications satellite, potentially designed to relay messages between Chinese military forces, blasted off on a Long March rocket Sunday.
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Payload meets Minotaur rocket at Alaska launch site
Technicians attached a 1,000-pound U.S. Navy communications satellite to its launch vehicle this week as preparations continue for liftoff Sept. 27 from the southern coast of Alaska.
MISSION STATUS CENTER
Three-man crew returns from half-year spaceflight
A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying three of the International Space Station's six crew members suffered an unexpected communications black out just before plunging back into Earth's atmosphere late Thursday, completing a nail-biting descent in radio silence with repeated calls from flight controllers near Moscow going unanswered.
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Kepler spacecraft discovers planet that circles two suns
The first confirmed example of a planet orbiting two suns has been found in the Kepler dataset. The gaseous world is similar to Saturn in terms of size and mass and experiences a surface temperature dipping to -100 degrees Celsius so it is unlikely to host life.
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Galileo navigation satellites arrive at Soyuz launch site
After a summer of around-the-clock testing in Italy, two Galileo navigation satellites have arrived in French Guiana for liftoff on a Soyuz rocket in October, the first step in a $7.3 billion effort to construct a network of navigation spacecraft 14,000 miles above Earth.
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NASA announces rocket for deep space missions
NASA unveiled the design of its long-awaited post-shuttle super rocket Wednesday, a gargantuan Saturn 5-class booster intended to propel the agency's manned Orion crew capsules beyond low-Earth orbit and onto a variety of deep space destinations ranging from nearby asteroids to Mars.
FULL STORY IMAGES:ARTIST'S CONCEPTS OF ROCKET NASA NEWS RELEASE
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By the numbers: NASA's Space Launch System
Billed as the biggest rocket ever built, NASA's concept for a behemoth heavy-lift booster unveiled Wednesday will initially weigh 5.5 million pounds, stand taller than the Statue of Liberty and generate 10 percent more thrust than the Saturn 5 moon rocket produced at liftoff.
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Russia sets Nov. 12 for next manned Soyuz launch
Alleviating concerns the International Space Station could be temporarily abandoned late this year, the Russian space agency has set Nov. 12 for the next crewed flight of the Soyuz rocket after an unmanned launch of the normally-reliable booster failed last month.
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NASA experts to assist ATK on commercial crew rocket
NASA and Alliant Techsystems Inc., a leading rocket contractor, announced Tuesday they will share data and expertise in helping design and develop the Liberty rocket, a U.S.-European launcher that could haul humans into Earth orbit by 2015.
FULL STORY NASA NEWS RELEASE ATK NEWS RELEASE
Rocket assembly underway for Mars rover launch
United Launch Alliance has begun assembling the Atlas 5 rocket that will dispatch NASA's Curiosity rover to Mars in November, commencing a campaign to prepare the copper and white launcher for liftoff.
IMAGES:ATLAS ROCKET STACKING
9/11 terror attacks recalled in views from space
NASA astronaut Frank Culbertson was the only American off the planet during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In a poignant video remembrance, Culbertson recalls his feelings aboard the space station in the wake of the events. We also present commercial satellite imagery of Ground Zero from the last decade.
VIDEO AND IMAGES:SEPT. 11 IMAGERY
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NASA says crashing science satellite is low risk to public
NASA expects an abandoned research satellite to crash back to Earth later this month, scattering more than 1,000 pounds of debris somewhere on the surface as the rest of the craft vaporizes in the upper atmosphere.
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Rocket tested as NASA plots next phase of program
A stretched five-segment solid rocket motor sent a rumble across the Utah landscape Thursday, pushing engineers closer to completing the design of a next-generation booster to help propel astronauts on journeys deeper in space.
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GRAIL to tackle lingering questions about our Moon
Men have walked on it and satellites have surveyed it from every angle, but another mission to the Moon launching this week seeks profound new insights about our nearest neighbor in the night sky.
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Moon landing sites seen in fresh views from lunar orbit
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has snapped the best images yet of three Apollo landing sites, illustrating the exploration of moon-walking astronauts with views of preserved footpaths and rover tracks on the dull charcoal-colored lunar soil.
FULL STORY IMAGES:APOLLO LANDING SITES
Minotaur launch campaign begins at Alaska spaceport
Preparations to launch a U.S. Navy communications satellite have kicked off in Alaska three weeks before a souped-up Minotaur rocket will pilot the spacecraft to an orbit 7,500 miles above Earth.
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Air Force procures another WGS communications craft
The U.S. Air Force is continuing its expansion of a fleet of wideband communications satellites with a $439 million contract with Boeing to construct a new spacecraft to serve troops deployed around the world.
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Control system blamed for Chinese rocket mishap
A Chinese Long March rocket crashed with an experimental satellite last month due to a failure in the launcher's second stage attitude control system, Chinese space officials announced Monday.
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Rover begins 'whole new mission' at Martian crater
Showing signs of wear after more than seven years driving across the plains of Mars, NASA's Opportunity rover is investigating a broad impact crater unlike any place ever visited on the Red Planet, effectively beginning a new mission for the celebrated robot, scientists said Thursday.
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Climate satellite moves to California launch base
An advanced polar-orbiting weather observatory took a 1,600-mile roadtrip from Colorado to California this week, arriving at the satellite's Vandenberg Air Force Base launch site after the 40-hour journey.
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Mission extended for three space station residents
Two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut living aboard the International Space Station are scheduled to return to Earth on Sept. 16, leaving the outpost with a three-person crew until Russia can resume crewed launches of the grounded Soyuz rocket.
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STS-134 Patch Free shipping to U.S. addresses! The final planned flight of space shuttle Endeavour is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-134. Available in our store! U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE Final Shuttle Mission Patch Free shipping to U.S. addresses! The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is now available in our store. Get this piece of history! U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE Apollo Collage This beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos. U.S. STORE STS-133 Patch Free shipping to U.S. addresses! The final planned flight of space shuttle Discovery is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-133. Available in our store! U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE Anniversary Shuttle Patch Free shipping to U.S. addresses! This embroidered patch commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program. The design features the space shuttle Columbia's historic maiden flight of April 12, 1981. U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE Mercury anniversary Free shipping to U.S. addresses!
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Alan Shephard's historic Mercury mission with this collectors' item, the official commemorative embroidered patch. U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE Fallen Heroes Patch Collection The official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store. U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE
The final planned flight of space shuttle Endeavour is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-134. Available in our store!
U.S. STORE
The crew emblem for the final space shuttle mission is now available in our store. Get this piece of history!
This beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.
The final planned flight of space shuttle Discovery is symbolized in the official embroidered crew patch for STS-133. Available in our store!
This embroidered patch commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Program. The design features the space shuttle Columbia's historic maiden flight of April 12, 1981.
The official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store.
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