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New Space News
Latest Dispatches of Space and Astronomy Occurrences 2013: Jan Feb Mar Apr May 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 more |
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Kepler telescope failure imperils search for another Earth The Guardian UK, May 16, 2013 Telescope orbiting the Sun has lost part of its stabilizing system, making it too inaccurate to hunt for another Earth. NASA plans to send spy telescope to Mars Science Recorder, May 16, 2013 A spy satellite that was donated to NASA in 2012 might be one of the next objects in line to be sent to Mars. Neutrinos from the cosmos hint at new era in astronomy BBC, May 15, 2013 An experiment buried beneath the ice of the South Pole has for the first time seen the particles called neutrinos originating outside our Solar System. Emergency spacewalk fixes ammonia seeping from station CNN, May 11, 2013 Two astronauts conducted a spacewalk to address an ammonia leak in the International Space Station's cooling system, a mission that ended with NASA optimistic the potentially major problem had been fixed. International Space Station has cooling system ammonia leak CNN, May 10, 2013 The six-man ISS crew ia awaiting word on how to deal with small white flakes of ammonia floating away from an outside cooling loop in a solar array. Will culture clash cloud Hawaiian telescope? Live Science, May 8, 2013 One of the largest on Earth, the Thirty Meter Telescope will be built on the summit of the extinct volcano of Mauna Kea. Shuttle astronaut to pilot Virgin's passenger spaceship Spaceflight Now, May 7, 2013 Veteran space shuttle commander Rick Sturckow has joined Virgin Galactic to pilot the company's suborbital passenger spaceship. 21st anniversary of Endeavour's maiden launch Space Today Online, May 7, 2013 It's 21 years today since the shuttle Endeavour blasted off on its maiden voyage to space on May 7, 1992, on a mission to rescue the stranded Intelsat 603 communications satellite. 52nd anniversary of American human spaceflight Space Today Online, May 5, 2013 This is the 52nd anniversary of Alan Shepard's 15 minute flight. The first American traveled 116 miles into space May 5, 1961, aboard a Redstone rocket in the Freedom 7 capsule before splashing down in the Atlantic. More exoplanets may be suitable for life than had been thought Nature World News, May 3, 2013 Far more planets outside of the Solar System may have the ingredients for life than scientists had given credit. How astronomy solved a Civil War mystery Christian Science Monitor, May 2, 2013 Why did Confederate troops shoot their own general, Stonewall Jackson? The position of the Moon played a big role, an astronomer discovers. Are dwarf lemurs the key to long-distance space travel? IO9, May 2, 2013 Scientists have discovered two tiny, clawless, tree-living lemur species hibernate underground up to six months, with implications for human hibernation. Telling time on Saturn Iowa Now, May 2, 2013 A University of Iowa undergraduate student has discovered that a process occurring in Saturn's magnetosphere is linked to the planet's seasons and changes with them, clarifying the length of a day. NASA invites public to send names and messages to Mars NASA, May 1, 2013 Submit names and a personal message online for a DVD to be carried aboard a spacecraft that will study the Martian upper atmosphere. NASA rover GROVER to explore Greenland ice sheet NASA, May 1, 2013 Greenland Rover and Goddard Remotely Operated Vehicle for Exploration and Research, will roam the frigid landscape collecting measurements to help scientists better understand changes in the massive ice sheet.
Cassini glimpses meteors striking Saturn's rings NASA, April 29, 2013 NASA's distant spacecraft has provided the first direct evidence of small meteoroids crashing into Saturn's rings and breaking into streams of rubble. Gigantic mysterious hurricane spotted on Saturn NASA, April 29, 2013 NASA's Cassini spacecraft has recorded the first close-up, visible-light images of a behemoth hurricane swirling around Saturn's north pole.
BBC, April 29, 2013 The spaceplane being developed by UK billionaire Sir Richard Branson has made its first powered flight. David Mackay is the pilot who will fly to space BBC, December 10, 2012 A Scottish pilot could be the first captain to fly tourists to space. David Mackay is the chief pilot for Virgin Galactic, which will make commercial airline flights above Earth's atmosphere. Virgin spaceship aims to be science lab BBC, December 4, 2012 Sir Richard Branson wants his tourist spaceship also to become a high-altitude science platform. Virgin Galactic to launch small satellites BBC, July 11, 2012 Virgin Galactic is pushing ahead with its small satellite launch system. Richard Branson dedicates Virgin Galactic spaceport BBC, October 17, 2011 Sir Richard Branson has dedicated the launchpad for his space tourism venture in the New Mexico desert. Yahoo News Canada, April 24, 2013 Hubble Space Telescope is giving us a present on its 23rd birthday, a fantastic new image of Comet ISON. Budgets nudge NASA toward balloon-based planetary science Forbes, April 24, 2013 For the first time in four decades, NASA is planning to use the edge of our own stratosphere for a new balloon-based planetary science program. JPL could suffer as NASA cuts planetary science $200 million KPCC, Apeil 24, 2013 Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, said Congress told NASA it didn't want to see cuts to planetary science. NASA rover scrawls giant willy on Mars The Register UK, April 24, 2013 Space cadets are tittering over what some see as a penis sketched on the surface of Mars in the tracks of a NASA rover. Watch 3 years of solar activity in a 3-minute video Los Angeles Times, April 24, 2013 The Solar Dynamics Observatory is a NASA satellite launched three years ago in 2010 to help understand how the Sun's magnetic fields shift and change. 4 questions about capturing an asteroid Popular Mechanics, April 24, 2013 NASA plans to snare a small asteroid and bring it into an orbit around the Moon, where astronauts could mine valuable resources. Comet's water still hanging around on Jupiter Science News, April 24, 2013 As comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 plowed into Jupiter in 1994 it left dark scars of debris in the atmosphere and millions of gallons of water. Galaxy goes green in burning stellar fuel NASA JPL, April 23, 2013 The greenest of galaxies converts fuel into stars with almost 100-percent efficiency. NASA launches three smartphones into orbit Los Angeles Times, April 23, 2013 The NASA launch was part of a low-budget, experimental satellite program that uses off-the-shelf components. Russia launches orbital Noah's Ark eyeing Mars missions RiaNovosti, April 19, 2013 Russia orbited the world's only returnable satellite dedicated to biological research in space, carrying gerbils, geckos, snails and plants to pave the way for future interplanetary flights. Russian cosmonaut becomes oldest spacewalker Spaceflight Now, April 19, 2013 Veteran cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov, 59, ventured outside the International Space Station with Roman Romanenko to install a space weather monitor. Herschel telescope images astronomy classic Horsehead Nebula BBC, April 19, 2013 One of the most popular subjects in the sky has been re-imaged by Europe's soon-to-retire Herschel space telescope. What happens when you wring out a washcloth in space? Boing Boing, April 18, 2013 For hand towels, astronauts get those little vacuum-packed pucks that you kind of have to unravel into a towel. Most prolific star factory produces 3,000 suns per year Headlines & Global news, April 18, 2013 The most productive area of the Universe is in a galaxy that began star formation when the universe was only 6 percent of its age now. Astronomer discovers Earth-like exoplanet Pune Mirror, April 18, 2013 A University of Washington astronomer using the Kepler Space Telescope has discovered the most Earth-like planet yet outside our Solar System, Kepler 62f, a small rocky body orbiting a star in the Lyra constellation. ALMA captures more than 100 ancient star-forming galaxies Science World Report, April 18, 2013 The new Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array telescope pinpointed more than 100 of the most fertile star-forming galaxies in the early Universe. X-ray view of a thousand-year-old cosmic tapestry Science Codex, April 17, 2013 As astronomers celebrate the 50th anniversary of X-ray astronomy, few objects better illustrate progress in the field than the supernova remnant SN 1006. Antares rocket engines lean on Russian moon legacy Spaceflight Now, April 16, 2013 More than four decades ago in the old Soviet Union, technicians built dozens of rocket engines to power Russian moon shots. NASA Mars Orbiter images may show 1971 Soviet lander NASA JPL, April 11, 2013 Hardware from a spacecraft that the Soviet Union landed on Mars in 1971 seems to appear in images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Listen to the first 760,000 years of the Universe io9, April 9, 2013 A physicist produced an audio map of sound frequency changes detected over time in the cosmic microwave background radiation. NASA to lasso asteroid and bring it closer for study Associated Press, April 5, 2013 U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson says NASA is planning a robot spacecraft to lasso a 500-ton, 25-foot asteroid in 2019 and park it near the moon for astronauts to explore. Jupiter moon Io's volcanic face could mask 'living' fossil Los Angeles Times, April 5, 2013 Volcano clusters are hundreds of miles east of where they were predicted to be, according to data from the Voyager and Galileo missions. Most distant supernova may shed light on dark energy National Geographic, April 5, 2013 Hubble Space Telescope has spied supernova UDS10Wil ten billion lightyears from Earth – the most distant stellar explosion of its kind ever detected. Mars rover missions on spring break from Sun's interference Fox News, April 4, 2013 Curiosity and Opportunity, along with their spacecraft friends orbiting overhead, will take it easy for a month. Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer zeroes in on dark matter BBC, April 3, 2013 A major experiment at the International Space Station has observed the first signs of dark matter, a mysterious component of the Universe. Astrophysics – fire in the hole! Nature, April 3, 2013 Will an astronaut who falls into a black hole be crushed or burned to a crisp? A supernova remnant continues to reveals it secrets Astronomy, April 3, 2013 A team of astronomers used the Australia Telescope Compact Array to make high resolution radio images of the expanding remnant of Supernova 1987A. Trini girl breaks ground in field of astrophysics The Guardian UK, April 2, 2013 Trinidad-born Alexandra Amon has boldly gone where few women have gone before, crossing one of the final frontiers of a male-dominated field. Eaeth from orbit in 2012 NASA, April 2, 2013 How it looks to NASA's fleet of Earth-observing satellites constantly circling the globe, completing their orbits every 90 minutes. How spiral galaxies get their arms Astronomy, April 2, 2013 Powerful new computer simulations suggests the arms arise as a result of the influence of giant molecular clouds. Kill the Space Launch System to save human spaceflight Aviation Week, April 1, 2013 NASA should continue investing in a diverse human spaceflight program.
A quick and dirty guide to backyard astronomy Tech Hive, March 30, 2013 Astronomy for beginners doesn't have to be expensive or difficult. Astronomers discover some of the youngest stars ever seen Space Reporter, March 21, 2013 The protostars are surrounded by extremely dense pockets of gas and dust. The Universe ages 80 million years as the Big Bang gets clearer Associated Press, March 21, 2013 Observations by the European Space Agency's Planck space probe appear to reinforce mathematical predictions made decades ago.
The Guardian UK, March 20, 2013 Sensors record a dramatic fall in radiation more than 11 billion miles from the Sun as galactic cosmic rays soar. Where's Voyager 1? That Depends New York Times, March 20, 2013 Voyager 1, one of two spacecraft NASA launched in 1977 on a grand tour of the outer planets of the Solar System, is now nearly 11.5 billion miles from the Sun, speeding away at 38,000 miles per hour. Voyager 1 has left the Solar System – almost Los Angeles Times, March 20, 2013 The American Geophysical Union claims the probe is the first man-made object to enter interstellar space, but NASA scientists dispute the claim. Maybe humanity leaves the Solar System or maybe not Time Magazine, March 20, 2013 Voyager 1 and 2 have been traveling in Space for 33 years and have traveled 11.5 billion and 9.5 billion miles. ABC News, March 19, 2013 The twinspacecraft had deliberately plunged into a lunar mountain after mapping the Moon's gravity field in unprecedented detail. Scientists had not counted on seeing the aftermath. Curiosity breaks rock to reveal dazzling white interior BBC, March 19, 2013 A brilliant white rock nicknamed Tintina, crushed under the Mars rover's wheels, has dazzled mission scientists in more ways than one. Curiosity hits pay dirt – evidence suggests Mars was habitable Christian Science Monitor, March 12, 2013 The Mars rover Curiosity analyzed the inside of a rock it drilled and found the sample likely was formed in standing water 'so benign' you could have drunk it. NASA launches suborbital rocket from Wallops Flight Facility Washington Post, March 11, 2013 The space agency launched a Terrier-Lynx suborbital rocket from its Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore for the Department of Defense. Dragon cargo trunk unpacked by robot arm Spaceflight Now, March 7, 2013 Engineers on the ground guided the International Space Station's robot arm through a choreographed maneuver extracting grapple bars from the Dragon spacecraft's external cargo trunk. Astronomers measure distance to nearest galaxy Space Reporter, March 7, 2013 They determined the Large Magellanic Cloud lies 163,000 lightyears away. NASA's Mars rover to sleep through solar storm Los Angeles Times, March 7, 2013 Curiosity was powered down in preparation for a solar-storm pounding. What's in Europa's ocean? Just scratch the surface Los Angeles Times, March 6, 2013 Based on new evidence from Jupiter's moon Europa, astronomers hypothesize that chloride salts bubble up from the icy moon's global liquid ocean and reach the frozen surface, where they are bombarded with sulfur from volcanoes on Jupiter's innermost large moon, Io. Herschel space telescope to go blind BBC, March 5, 2013 European Space Agency is about to lose one of its flagship satellites. Herschel telescope has been unravelling the complexities of star birth and galaxy evolution since 2009. But its detectors need to be chilled. When the helium refrigerant runs out, Herschel will go blind. NASA says incoming comet probably will miss Mars The Register UK, March 5, 2013 The fly-by will be visible from Earth with binoculars. Cosmology in context: A summary of Big Bang research Science 2.0, March 3, 2013 A comprehensive review of research in cosmology from the Big Bang to the scattering of cosmic microwave background radiation.
CNET, March 3, 2013 A commercial cargo ship built by SpaceX successfully attaches to the International Space Station two days after thruster problems threatened to derail the resupply mission. SpaceX Dragon back on track delivering cargo to ISS Washington Post, March 2, 2013 Space Exploration Technologies' unmanned spacecraft is able to deliver cargo to the International Space Station after an engine malfunction. SpaceX capsule hits snag on way to space station Fox News, March 1, 2013 The Falcon rocket launched Friday on time, but then there was a problem with three of the four thrusters on the Dragon cargo capsule that was carried into space by the rocket. SpaceX achieves fifth consecutive Falcon 9 launch SpaceX, March 1, 2013 Space Exploration Technologies successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft to orbit on a second mission under its Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. National Geographic, March 1, 2013 One of the rover's two onboard computers became corrupted, delaying scientific operations for a week. Mars trip to use astronaut poo as radiation shield New Scientist, March 1, 2013 The man and woman aboard Inspiration flying by the Red Planet in 2018 will be cramped and bored, but their greatest risk will be exposure to radiation. The solution? Line the walls with water, food and their faeces.
Tycoon plans to send married couple to Mars and back Associated Press, Feb. 28, 2013 The middle-aged couple in a privately built spaceship would slingshot around the Red Planet and come back home, hopefully with their bodies and marriage in one piece after 501 days of no-escape togetherness in a cramped capsule half the size of an RV. Van Allen probes discover a new radiation belt around Earth NASA, Feb. 28, 2013 Earth's radiation belts were one of the first discoveries of the Space Age. NASA's twin Van Allen Probes have revealed a previously unknown third radiation belt around Earth. Vulcan and Cerberus win popular Pluto moon-naming vote New Scientist, Feb. 26, 2013 Nearly half a million votes are in, and Vulcan and Cerberus are the most popular names for the fourth and fifth moons of Pluto currently known as P4 and P5. Dying stars' planets can still host life TG Daily, Feb. 26, 2013 Astrophysicists say life may well exist on planets orbiting dying stars and, if it does, there's a good chance we'll find it within the next decade. NASA's Curiosity is analyzing powder from a drilled rock Associated Press, Feb. 26, 2013 Two weeks after drilling into its first rock, the Mars rover has successfully transferred a pinch of rock dust to its onboard laboratories for inspection. Hoosier astronaut shares view of Indianapolis from space Indianapolis Star, Feb. 26, 2013 Kevin Ford, the station's commander, emailed a photo of Indianapolis to his brother from outer space. India launched seven satellites to orbit in one shot Spaceflight Now, Feb. 25, 2013 India's workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle lifted seven satellites into orbit, bolstering global ocean research, space surveillance, and taking miniature technology to new heights. It's time for a real policy on asteroids Space Review, Feb. 25, 2013 Currently 1,381 potentially hazardous objects have been identified. There were 10 close approaches this month and more near approaches are on the way. Millionaire space tourist Dennis Tito planning 2018 trip to Mars Digital Trends, Feb. 23, 2013 He made a boatload of money at a California investment firm he founded in the 1970s. In 2001, he was the first space tourist aboard the International Space Station. Now he plans to send two astronauts on a 501-day flyby of Mars. NASA to launch University of New Mexico satellite into space San Francisco Chronicle, Feb. 23, 2013 The U.S. space agency will launch a UNM student-built, 4-inch cube satellite called Trailblazer. It will gather and measure space radiation levels. Wallops Island rocket test successful NBC News, Feb. 23, 2013 Orbital Sciences successfully tested an engine of its Antares rocket at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore.. Exoplanet Kepler 37b is tiniest yet – smaller than Mercury BBC, Feb. 20, 2013 Astronomers have smashed the record for the smallest planet beyond our Solar System, finding one only slightly larger than our Moon. ISS loses communication with ground control ARRL, Feb. 19, 2013 The International Space Station experienced a loss of communication with the ground as flight controllers in Houston were updating the software onboard the ISS flight computers. Communications were restored in about three hours. Mars rover to analyze samples of rock it drilled Cleveland Leader, Feb. 17, 2013 NASA's Curiosity rover successfully drilled into Martian rock for the first time without any complications, and is ready to ingest the rock sample it picked up. Long trip from Medford to Mars for rover driver San Francisco Chronicle, Feb. 17, 2013 Matt Heverly starts each workday eagerly awaiting a daily report from NASA's Curiosity rover – a message that must travel 215 million miles through the cold, dark, no man's land of outer space to reach him. Cotton candy cloud hides baby black hole Discovery, Feb. 16, 2013 The colorful supernova remnant W49B, at its center, may hide one of the galaxy's youngest black holes. Close call asteroid hurtles past Earth USA Today, Feb. 15, 2013 While the object half the size of a football field flying at nearly 17,500 mph may have been cause for concern, NASA and astronomers around the globe said planet Earth and its inhabitants weren't in danger.
Sky & Telescope, March 6, 2013 The asteroid fragment that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, delivered the kinetic-energy equivalent of at least 400 kilotons of TNT. Damage was limited because it was so high up. The situation could have been worse. Meteor lurked for thousands of years before blasting Russia NBC News, March 2, 2013 The asteroid crossed Earth's orbit regularly for thousands of years. What exploded over Russia? NASA, Feb. 26, 2013 It was a meteor strike – the most powerful since the Tunguska event of 1908. It flew out of the blue from the direction of the Sun where no telescope could see it and took everyone by surprise. NASA puts up $5 million for tracking asteroid French tribune, Feb. 18, 2013 NASA will fund a new system – ATLAS – for detecting arriving asteroids in time to warn people below. Detecting asteroids, meteors takes on new urgency USA Today, Feb. 18, 2013 A meteor-mapping satellite could serve as a space sentry to detect future close encounters and allow scientists to better protect the planet. Nearly 1,000 hurt by meteorite explosion Asia One, Feb. 18, 2013 It was an unusual wake-up call for people in the Russian Urals, a mountain range in Central Russia. A fireball blazed across the horizon, leaving, in its wake, a long white trail that could be seen from as far as 200km away. Could meteorite fragments be the next gold rush for Siberians? CTV News, Feb.17, 2013 Meteorite hunters are expected to descend on the site of a meteor explosion that sent fragments of the rock flying over Russia's Ural Mountains. A meteor and asteroid – 1 in 100 million odds CNN, Feb. 16, 2013 It was an extremely unusual day. Just as scientists were gearing up to witness an asteroid's close approach to Earth, a meteor exploded over Russia, causing thousands of injuries and major damage. After the meteor, Russian residents clean up Washington Post, Feb. 16, 2013 The big blast from outer space was reverberating in Russia as glaziers replaced windows, divers sought meteorite fragments at the bottom of a lake, and doctors tended the wounded. Meteor is not Siberia's first brush with space objects New York Times, Feb. 15, 2013 The region was the scene of what is believed to be the largest space-related explosion in human history, 105 years ago. Russian meteor not linked to asteroid flyby NASA, Feb. 15, 2013 New information provided by a worldwide network of sensors has allowed scientists to refine their estimates for the size of the object that entered that atmosphere and disintegrated in the skies over Chelyabinsk, Russia. Shock wave of fireball meteor rattles Siberia, injuring 1,200 New York Times, Feb. 15, 2013 Chelyabinsk, rocked by an intense shock wave when a meteor hit Earth's atmosphere, is a glimpse of an apocalyptic scenario that many have walked through mentally, and Hollywood has popularized, but scientists say has never before injured so many people. BBC, Feb. 14, 2013 Scientists have conclusive proof that many cosmic rays – ultra-fast proton particles – raining down on Earth come from distant exploded stars. Russian cargo spacecraft docks with ISS CRI. Feb. 12, 2013 The Russian Progress M-18M unmanned supply ship docked with the International Space Station. Two moons need names and SETI wants your help TG Daily, Feb. 12, 2013 By tradition, the moons of Pluto have names associated with Hades and the underworld. But there's plenty of possibilities to choose from and the discoverers of the planet's two tiniest moons are inviting the public to name them. Private sector eyes deep space business after ISS Aviation Week, Feb. 11, 2013 Smaller projects such as UTC Aerospace Systems' Sabatier Reactor System (SRS) aboard the International Space Station are helping to open new business vistas in space for the private sector. Astronaut sends Chinese New Year greetings from space NBC News, Feb. 10, 2013 Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, a flight engineer on the International Space Station (ISS), beamed festive messages to Earth to mark Chinese New Year celebrations across the planet. Curiosity drills into Mars NASA, Feb. 9, 2013 NASA's rover used a drill carried at the end of its robotic arm to bore into a flat, veiny rock on Mars and collect a sample from its interior. This milestone accomplishment is the first time any robot has drilled into a rock to collect a sample on Mars. Dwarf stars probably tow habitable planets USA Today, Feb. 6, 2013 Space looks a little more crowded according to astronomers who report about 6 percent of nearby dwarf stars likely host Earth-like planets. Asteroid 'cruise ship' to miss Earth in a close shave Discovery, Feb. 5, 2013 A 135-foot-wide space rock – the asteroid 2012 DA14 – will make an extraordinarily close approach to Earth, flying closer than a satellite in geosynchronous orbit. Future astronauts could print out their Moon bases Business Insider, Feb. 4, 2013 Small desktop 3D printers – already used to build lamps, kitchen tools and working locks – could be used to build a base on the Moon. Frequent-flyer astronaut Jerry Ross made seven spaceflights Collect Space, Feb. 4, 2013 There are few people more qualified than this retired recored holder to describe what it is like to launch into space. Astronomy research center launched by China and Chile Global Times, Feb. 2, 2013 The center in Chile will explore international astronomical resources and cooperate with other south American countries in the field of astronomy. Astronauts aboard the ISS got to watch the Super Bowl Gizmodo, Feb. 2, 2013 They took a break aboard the International Space Station to watch the big game with everybody else down below.
New York Times, Feb. 2, 2013 A senior official at Irans space agency confirmed state media reports had used images of two different monkeys. The official insisted the monkey survived the journey. Doubts mount over Iran's space monkey claim Radio Free Europe, Feb. 2, 2013 Iran claimed it sent a moneky to space and back on a suborbital flight Jan. 28. Animals are the unsung heroes of the space program National Geographic, Jan. 31, 2013 Iran's supposed launch of a grey rhesus monkey into space is only the latest in a long line of unwitting participants in humankinds exploration of Outer Space. Dogs, monkeys and other animals in space Space Today Online, February 2013 The first men and women who traveled in space – in the 1960s – depended on the sacrifices of other animals that gave their lives for the advancement of human knoweldge about the conditions in Outer Space beyond this planet's protective ozone layer, about the effects of weightlessness on living organisms, and about the effects of stress on behavior. Iran says it successfully sent a monkey into space Associared Press, Jan. 28, 2013 A gray-tufted monkey strapped in a pod resembling an infant's car seat rode an Iranian rocket on a suborbital flight to space and returned safely.
South Korea's first launch of a satellite to orbit Spaceflight Now, Jan. 30, 2013 South Korea joined 11 others in a small international club when it launched its own 200-lb. STSAT 2C satellite to orbit from its soil aboard a Korea Satellite Launch Vehicle (KSLV 1) rocket. The flight made South Korea the 12th to loft an artificial moon to orbit above Earth. Which were the first? Japan launches spy satellites amid concerns about N. Korea Associated Press, Jan. 27, 2013 Japan launched two intelligence satellites amid growing concerns that North Korea is planning to test more rockets and conduct a nuclear test. The white veins of Mars ABC News, Jan. 19, 2013 Curiosity rover hits a jackpot in its quest for a wetter past. NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers nine years on the Red Planet Huffington Post, January 2013 The golf-cart-size rovers landed on Mars in January 2004 on what was to have been only a 90-day search for signs of past water activity on the Red Planet. NASA sends Mona Lisa to the Moon on a laser beam MSNBC, Jan. 18, 2013 The U.S. space agency's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter scientists sent an image of the famous painting from Earth to the Moon-orbiting spacecraft's Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter. It waa the first one-way laser communication at planetary distances. Smoky black cloud in space hides baby stars European Southern Observeatory, Jan. 16, 2013 A photo from a telescope in South America shows a deep space cloud obscuring a noisy nursery of starbith. Europeans agree to build a key piece of NASA's Orion spaceship NBC News, Jan. 16, 2013 NASA and the European Space Agency have signed an agreement calling for the Europeans to provide the service module for the Orion space capsule, the U.S. space agency's crew vehicle for exploration beyond Earth orbit. International space station to receive inflatable module Washington Post, Jan. 16, 2013 The ISS is getting a new, inflatable room that resembles a giant spare tire. Russia plans to send a probe to the Moon in 2015 Reuters, Jan. 15, 2013 Russia will resume a long-dormant quest to explore the moon by sending an unmanned probe called Luna-Glob, or Moon-Globe, there in 2015 on the first rocket to blast off from a new facility that Russia is building in its far eastern Amur region. Satellites spy beetle attacks on forests Live Science, Jan. 15, 2013 A computer program can detect minute changes in the health of forests by analyzing wavelengths of light given off by the landscape and recorded in satellite images. Galaxies' crash sparks largest known spiral galaxy BBC, Jan. 11, 2013 Astronomers using the Galaxy Evolution Explorer satellite to hunt for star-forming regions around galaxy NGC 6872 accidentaly spotted what now is the largest known spiral galaxy, a vast swathe of ultraviolet light from young stars, indicating a galaxy as big as five of our Milky Way galaxies. The large rocky asteroid Apophis will not hit Earth in 2036 BBC, Jan. 11, 2013 Astronomers have decided a 300m-wide asteroid will not hit the Earth in 2036. California's SpaceX plans astronaut flights in 2015 BBC, Jan. 10, 2013 The U.S. firm says it expects to start launching humans into orbit in its Dragon capsule. Earth-sized planets number 17 billion BBC, Jan. 8, 2013 Astronomers say one in six stars hosts an Earth-sized planet in a close orbit suggesting a total of 17 billion such planets in our galaxy. 100 billion alien planets fill our galaxy Fox News, Jan. 5, 2013 Our Milky Way galaxy is home to at least 100 billion alien planets, and possibly many more. Black Beauty meteorite points to Mars' kinder, gentler past Tech News World, Jan. 5, 2013 A baseball-sized meteorite that contains more water than any previously found from Mars is adding evidence to the case for life on the Red Planet. Carbon rich asteroids caused dark patches at protoplanet Vesta French Tribune, Jan. 5, 2013 It had been thought that dark patches on Vesta came about from geological processes on the planet. However, now it seems the dark patches occurred from the collision of asteroids. Dwarf galaxies found orbiting Andromeda confound scientists Alaska Dispatch, Jan. 4, 2013 Thirteen dwarf galaxies are playing a cosmic-scale game of Ring Around Andromeda, forming an enormous structure astronomers have never seen before and are hard-pressed to explain with current theories of how galaxies form and evolve. NASA says 2013 will be a year of science on the space station Orlando Sentinel, Jan. 4, 2013 NASA will step closer to fulfilling the promise of the $100 billion space station that was intended to be a groundbreaking laboratory circling about 220 miles above Earth. NASA's next Mars mission readies for 2013 launch NASA, January 2013 The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission, scheduled for launch in late 2013, will be the first mission devoted to understanding the Martian upper atmosphere. Astronomy calendar of celestial events for 2013 Sea & Sky, January 2013 Dates for notable celestial events including moon phases, meteor showers, eclipses, occultations, oppositions, conjunctions, and other interesting events. Night sky highlights for 2013 MSNBC, January 2013 The year's most eagerly awaited shows in the skies above might not happen, but that's exactly what makes them so eagerly awaited. First alien Earth will be found in 2013 Discovery, January 2013 The first truly Earth-like alien planet is likely to be spotted in an epic discovery that would cause humanity to reassess its place in the Universe. New Space News 2012 »
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