Orion

A red giant star and white dwarf orbit each other in this animation of a nova similar to T Coronae Borealis.

Some stars explode as they die. We look at their life cycle

This summer, scientists have their eyes and telescopes trained on the small constellation system T Coronae Borealis. They think it will explode as part of a periodic nova — a once-in-a-lifetime event according to NASA scientists. And so, with the help of astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance, we continue our journey farther and deeper into spacetime with a look at the stars: How they're born and how they die. Sarafina has always been drawn to one particular star: Betelgeuse, a red supergiant in the shoulder of the constellation Orion that is nearing the end of its life. What stages of life did Betelgeuse — or any star — go through before it reached this moment?

This episode is part of our series Space Camp — all abut the weird, wonderful phenomena in our universe. Check it out here: https://npr.org/spacecamp

Curious about the night sky? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!
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The Orion spacecraft awaits its launch in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Orion Spacecraft Splashes Down After High-Orbit Test

by Eyder Peralta

The unmanned spaceship, which could one day take astronauts to the Red Planet, circled Earth twice in a test mission of its basic systems that lasted just under 4 1/2 hours.
NASA's Orion spaceship early Thursday in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

NASA Scrubs Launch Of Orion Spacecraft

by Scott Neuman

After several issues, including high winds, stuck engine valves and a boat downrange of the launch site, the space agency said it would cancel today's planned launch of the new vehicle.