Panel reviewing NASA plans for human spaceflight holds public hearing at Ala. rocket center

September 19th, 2009 NASA launches rocket, dozens report strange lightsWALLOPS ISLAND, Va. — NASA says it successfully launched a rocket in Virginia as part of an experiment, and the blast may have caused dozens of people to report seeing strange lights in the sky.

September 18th, 2009 Veteran crew named for final space shuttle flightWASHINGTON — NASA's chief astronaut will shut off the lights on America's space shuttle program. NASA announced Friday the crew for the last scheduled space shuttle mission, targeted for next September.

September 9th, 2009 LONDON - In a new report, a panel of experts have suggested that humans could orbit Mars in the 2020s, provided NASA's budget is boosted. According to an article in the New Scientist, at its current funding level, the agency will be unable to leave low-Earth orbit for at least the next two decades, according to a summary of the panel's report.

September 9th, 2009 Private company plans second rocket test in UtahPROMONTORY, Utah — A faulty computer part about the size of a hardback book was to blame for a canceled test last month of the main part of NASA's powerful new moon rocket, NASA and a private contractor said Thursday. With a replacement part in place, Alliant Techsystems Inc.

September 8th, 2009 Obama space panel says moon return plan is a no goWASHINGTON — A White House panel of independent space experts says NASA's return-to-the-moon plan just won't fly. The problem is money.

September 4th, 2009 Big chunk of space junk misses space stationCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A big piece of space junk safely sped by the international space station and shuttle Discovery, missing by less than a mile.

August 26th, 2009 To the moon, NASA? Not on this budget, experts sayWASHINGTON — NASA will test the powerful first stage of its new Ares moon rocket Thursday, a milestone in a program that has already spent $7 billion for a rocket that astronauts may never use. When that first stage is tested, it will be mounted horizontally.

August 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Astronauts in the future may not worry if their rocket runs out of fuel, as they would be able to gas up at orbital gas stations floating in space, an idea which is finding favor with a group of scientists. According to a report in Discovery News, the idea of orbital gas stations has been put forward by members of a presidential panel assessing options for NASA, in respect to sticking plans for a base on the moon or heading straight to Mars.

July 30th, 2009 NASA denies new space program is too risky, priceyHUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Engineers designing NASA's next moon rocket denied Wednesday that the human space flight program dubbed "Constellation" is too expensive, too risky and would unnecessarily delay man's return to space.

July 29th, 2009 NASA engineers defend rocket design to Obama panelHUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Engineers designing NASA's next moon rocket are defending their work to a committee appointed by President Obama to review the nation's human space flight plans.

July 17th, 2009 Hardware problem blamed on NASA satellite crashLOS ANGELES — A piece of rocket hardware failed to separate during the launch of a NASA climate satellite earlier this year, causing it crash back to Earth, according to an accident summary released Friday. The Orbiting Carbon Observatory splashed into the ocean near Antarctica on Feb.

July 17th, 2009 Accident summary of doomed CO2 satellite releasedLOS ANGELES — A NASA panel investigating the loss of a climate satellite earlier this year says a hardware problem prevented it from reaching orbit. A summary of the findings was released Friday.

June 30th, 2009 NASA manager pitches a cheaper return-to-moon planWASHINGTON — Like a car salesman pushing a luxury vehicle that the customer no longer can afford, NASA has pulled out of its back pocket a deal for a cheaper ride to the moon. It won't be as powerful, and its design is a little dated.

June 17th, 2009 NASA aims for unmanned moon rocket launch ThursdayWASHINGTON — NASA plans to launch an unmanned rocket to the moon Thursday, the first such mission in a decade. The space agency announced plans for the Cape Canaveral launch Wednesday after deciding to postpone a space shuttle mission because of a hydrogen gas leak.

May 8th, 2009 White House orders review of NASA space plansWASHINGTON — The White House has ordered a complete outside review of NASA's manned space program, including plans to return astronauts to the moon. Officials want a report from an independent panel by August.