nasa

Glenn checks over notes with backup pilot Scott Carpenter after a simulated flight in 1962, prior to the Mercury-Atlas 6 mission at Cape Canaveral. The object of the mission was to put the first American spaceman into orbit around the Earth.

National

John Glenn, First American To Orbit The Earth, Dies At 95

6:14pm December 08, 2016

by Russell Lewis

After a career as a Marine pilot, Glenn was chosen as an astronaut. He was the third American in space, went on to have a successful career in politics and then returned to space on shuttle Discovery.

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Science

If You're Looking For Alien Life, How Will You Know If You've Found it?

10:22am December 05, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Searching for alien life is harder than you might think, because whatever is out there might be really odd. So leading astrobiologists are meeting to advise NASA on how to go about looking for it.

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This is the actual NASA graphic illustrating the "Space Poop Challenge."

National

Got A Great Idea For Dealing With Poop In A Spacesuit? Let NASA Know

3:43pm November 28, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

The space station has a bathroom. But a spacesuit, not so much. So far, astronauts have relied on diapers, but NASA calls that a "very temporary" fix. It is offering $30,000 for a better idea.

Some Assembly Required: New Space Telescope Will Take Shape After Launch

12:13pm November 28, 2016

by Joe Palca

The James Webb Space Telescope is undergoing its final series of tests in NASA workshops. It's designed to take even grander images than the Hubble telescope. But deploying it will be a major feat.

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U.S. astronaut Peggy Whitson gestures before the launch of the Soyuz MS-03 space ship to the International Space Station on Nov. 17, 2016.

At 56, Peggy Whitson Becomes Oldest Female Astronaut

4:49pm November 20, 2016

by Bill Chappell

On the mission, she's projected to once again become the U.S. astronaut with the most time spent in orbit.

An artist's depiction of the new GOES-R satellite.

New Satellite Provides Weather Forecasts For The Final Frontier

11:07am November 18, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

The GOES-R satellite is scheduled to enter orbit Saturday. It'll sit 22,000 miles above the Americas, monitoring weather on the planet — and in space.

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A telescope in Hawaii first spotted an errant rock headed toward Earth. The Scout program quickly flagged it for follow-up observations.

Science

NASA's New 'Intruder Alert' System Spots An Incoming Asteroid

5:17am October 30, 2016

by Joe Palca

A space rock zips by earth Sunday night. Astronomers know it doesn't pose a threat, in part thanks to a new automated warning program called Scout.

Four different artists created four different interpretations of Gliese 1214b, a planet 40 light years from Earth that is believed to have a watery atmosphere.

Out Of This World: How Artists Imagine Planets Yet Unseen

2:31pm October 24, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

When astronomers spot a new planet that's too far away to be seen in detail, they work with artists to depict it. Space artists say they have a lot of freedom, but have to be careful, too.

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The Cygnus resupply craft slowly approaches the International Space Station — and its waiting robotic arm, the Canadarm2 — Sunday morning.

Gotcha: Space Station Grabs Onto NASA's 5,100-Pound Cargo Craft

9:24am October 23, 2016

by Bill Chappell

It's been a busy weekend for the space station. On Friday, three astronauts — two Russians and one American — docked at the ISS.

NASA has released this image of a section of Mars' surface where the European Space Agency's lander is believed to have met its end.

Science

Schiaparelli Mars Lander May Have Exploded On Impact, European Agency Says

4:23pm October 21, 2016

by Bill Chappell

Instead of drifting gently onto Mars' surface, the Schiaparelli Mars lander hit the planet hard — and possibly exploded, the European Space Agency says.