New game lets you take virtual space station spacewalksOctober 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new game has been developed by NASA to give young people an "out of this world" virtual opportunity to experience the thrill of working on a mission to the International Space Station from their computers. Station Spacewalk is based on actual work astronauts performed during the course of several NASA missions.
Orbiting space junk passes International Space StationSeptember 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A large piece of space junk flew past the International Space Station (ISS) Friday without posing any threat, US space agency NASA said. A piece of a European Ariane-5 rocket passed within 1.3 km of the ISS, but not close enough to pose a risk to the station or its crew.
NASA orbiter shows angled view of Martian craterAugust 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The high-resolution camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has returned a dramatic oblique view of the Martian crater that a rover explored for two years. The new view of Victoria Crater shows layers on steep crater walls, difficult to see from straight overhead, plus wheel tracks left by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity between September 2005 and August 2007.
NASA's new chief sees Mars and beyond as goal within generation; space station to be extendedJuly 21st, 2009 New NASA boss: Astronauts on Mars in his lifetimeWASHINGTON — NASA's new boss said Tuesday he will be "incredibly disappointed" if people aren't on Mars — or venturing somewhere beyond it — in his lifetime. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Jr., who's 62, said his ultimate goal isn't just Mars — it's anywhere far from Earth.
Apollo astronauts dream of trip to MarsJuly 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - It's been decades since they set foot on the moon, but the pioneers of the Apollo programme remain committed to exploring space with the goal of sending a human to Mars. Seven astronauts from the Apollo programme talked with journalists Monday to mark the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the moon.
Apollo 11 astronaut Aldrin: NASA should develop missions to Mars, possibly 'source of life'July 19th, 2009 Aldrin: NASA should work to put people on MarsWASHINGTON — Former Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin says NASA should set its sights on a bigger target in the future: Mars. Aldrin made the comments on the eve of the 40th anniversary of his landing on the moon on the Apollo 11 mission.
Russia signs a $306 million deal with NASA to ferry astronauts to space station in 2012May 29th, 2009 Russia signs deal to ferry astronauts in 2012MOSCOW — The Russian space agency says it has signed a $306 million deal with NASA to ferry its astronauts to the international space station in 2012. Roscosmos said Friday the agreement covers four launches aboard the three-person Soyuz capsules to swap out crews in the orbiting laboratory.
6th grader names NASA's Mars rover 'Curiosity'May 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - NASA has selected 'Curiosity', the name given by a sixth-grade student from Kansas, US, for its Mars Science Laboratory rover, scheduled for launch in 2011. Twelve-year-old Clara Ma from the Sunflower Elementary school in Lenexa submitted the winning entry, "Curiosity."
As her prize, Ma wins a trip to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, where she will be invited to sign her name directly onto the rover as it is being assembled.
Former African-American astronaut to head NASAMay 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama Saturday named Charles Bolden, a black ex-astronaut, to lead the US space agency into its next chapter that could take it back to the moon. The retired Marine Corps general, 62, flew four times in the space shuttle in the '80s and '90s - two times as mission commander.
NASA astronauts to pay $51 mn to Russia for space flightsMay 14th, 2009 MOSCOW - Russian space agency Roscosmos and the US space agency NASA have agreed on a new price for ferrying US astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) after 2012, an official said. NASA will now pay $51 million for a single seat on Soyuz spacecraft.
A dust storm brews on the Red PlanetApril 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists at Arizona State University's Mars Space Flight Facility are using the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter to monitor a new dust storm that has erupted on the Red Planet. The dust storm began in mid-March 2009, in the large Southern Hemisphere impact basin named Hellas.
NASA invites public to vote for a name for its Mars roverMarch 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - NASA will post online nine names that are finalists for the agency's Mars Science Laboratory mission and invite the public to vote for its favorite from March 23rd. The non-binding poll to help NASA select a name opens online Monday, March 23, and will accept votes through March 29.
Astronauts return to ISS as threat passedMarch 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Astronauts returned to the International Space Station (ISS) after briefly taking refuge in Soyuz capsule due to a collision threat from the flying debris Thursday, the US space agency NASA said. 'The debris threat to the International Space Station has passed,' NASA said in a statement.
Researchers find methane on MarsJanuary 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A team of NASA scientists has found proof of the existence of methane gas on Mars, raising questions about the possibility of life on the red planet, the US space agency said Thursday. In an article published in the journal Science, researchers said they found seasonal variations in methane in the planet's atmosphere that could be evidence of geological or biological processes.
Mars rovers exceed all expectations to mark fifth birthdaysJanuary 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - When the Spirit rover landed on Mars five years ago, no one expected it or its sister rover Opportunity to make it to their first birthdays, let alone their fifth. The rovers had predicted life spans of just 90 days, but instead US space agency NASA this month marks the fifth anniversary of the mission that is still going strong.
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