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Dark Material in Fractures on Europa's Surface Is Sea Salt, New Research Suggests

By Paul Scott Anderson, on May 13th, 2015

The darker-colored material within the fractures and elsewhere on Europa’s surface might be sea salt brought up from the ocean below. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Ted Stryk

For over a decade, scientists have been curious about the long fractures on Europa’s icy surface and the darker-colored material they contain, as well as other relatively young […]

One-Year Mission Underway With Rousing Soyuz TMA-16M Launch

By Ben Evans, on March 27th, 2015

Soyuz TMA-16M roars away from Site 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 1:42 a.m. local time Saturday, 28 March (3:42 p.m. EDT Friday, 27 March), carrying Russian cosmonauts Gennadi Padalka and Mikhail Kornienko and U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly to the International Space Station (ISS). Photo Credit: NASA

The first year-long expedition of the […]

Soyuz TMA-17M Crew Ready for May Launch to Space Station

By Ben Evans, on March 19th, 2015

Soyuz TMA-17M crewmen (from left) Kimiya Yui, Oleg Kononenko and Kjell Lindgren discuss their upcoming expedition at yesterday’s press conference at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. Photo Credit: Michael Galindo/AmericaSpace

Three spacefarers from three discrete nations are currently entering their final weeks on Earth, ahead of launch towards the International […]

'Off On the Right Foot': Expedition 43 Underway at Space Station

By Ben Evans, on March 17th, 2015

Under the command of Terry Virts (far right), Expedition 43 will continue until mid-May. From left are Gennadi Padalka, Scott Kelly, Anton Shkaplerov, Samantha Cristoforetti, Mikhail Kornienko and Virts. Photo Credit: NASA

Only a week after the safe return to Earth of Soyuz TMA-14M and its crew of Russian cosmonauts Aleksandr Samokutyayev and […]

Moon Bound Google Lunar XPRIZE Awards $5.25 Million in Milestone Prizes

By Talia Landman, on January 28th, 2015

The $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE is a competition designed to inspire young scientists and engineers to build a robot and safely land it on the lunar surface while on a strict budget. (Photo credit: Google Lunar XPRIZE)

A total of $5.25 million in Milestone Prizes was awarded to five teams this week, […]

NASA Plans Three February EVAs to Kick Off 50th Year of Spacewalking

By Ben Evans, on January 15th, 2015

Expedition 41 astronauts Reid Wiseman (top) and Barry “Butch” Wilmore (right) work at the zenith face of the Harmony node during EVA-28 in October 2014. Part of this spacewalk was devoted to the movement of camera and other equipment, ahead of the major relocation of ISS hardware in 2015. Photo Credit: NASA

Just […]

Expedition 42 Crew Captures CRS-5 Dragon and Critical ISS Payloads - UPDATE

By Ben Evans, on January 12th, 2015

Canadarm2 grappled the CRS-5 Dragon spacecraft at 5:44 a.m. EST Monday, 12 January. Photo Credit: NASA, with thanks to Mike Barrett

Two days after departing Space Launch Complex (SLC)-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, in a blazing light show, SpaceX has successfully delivered its fifth dedicated Dragon cargo mission (CRS-5) to the […]

Huge Prospects for Science and Humans to Mars: Conversation With Hubble Astronaut/NASA Science Chief John Grunsfeld (Part 2)

By Ken Kremer, on January 7th, 2015

Launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on STS-125 and the final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope on May 11, 2009, from Launch Complex-39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: Ken Kremer – kenkremer.com

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL — “A great path” lies ahead for “science and launching humans to Mars,” […]

Spacewalk Preps, Science, and Robonaut Keep Expedition 42 Busy Ahead of Christmas Holiday

By Sherry Valare, on December 22nd, 2014

NASA Astronaut Terry Virts with Robonaut-2. Photo: NASA

The International Space Station Expedition 42 crew were hard at work last week on a variety of robotics and research tasks, along with preparation for a rescheduled cargo delivery and future spacewalks. Work on scientific studies about fruit fly immune systems, microbial growth, and […]

Crowdfunding Campaign Aims to Launch Ambitious Lunar Science Mission

By Leonidas Papadopoulos, on November 25th, 2014

A recently launched crowdfunding campaign aims to finance the development of an ambitious and challenging lunar science mission, called “Lunar Mission One,” to the Moon’s south pole. The project’s backers hope that this will help kickstart a new era in lunar exploration, while creating a legacy for the way space missions are funded. […]

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