Space

3, 2, 1 ... Bake Off! The Mission To Make Bread In Space

1:09pm July 26, 2017

by Paige Pfleger

On Earth, crumbs are harmless, but in orbit they can be perilous. But bread is a big deal in Germany, so scientists and engineers there are teaming up to create an oven and dough fit for microgravity.

Flight engineer Kate Rubins checks out the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, which is attached to the International Space Station.

After A Year In Space, The Air Hasn't Gone Out Of NASA's Inflated Module

11:56am July 26, 2017

by Joe Palca

The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module was pumped up after it arrived at the International Space Station in 2016. NASA says it's doing well in the harsh environment.

The moon is pictured in this image from December 6, 2006. A new study shows the moon's interior might contain water.

A New Study Shows The Moon's Interior Could Contain Water

3:31pm July 24, 2017

by Christianna Silva

Sick of your crowded neighborhood pool? A new study shows there might be quite a bit of water on a more isolated place — the moon.

Why We Should Be Wary Of Moon Tourism

9:09am July 21, 2017

Forty-eight years ago Friday, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin packed up the moon rocks they'd gathered and blasted off for their trip back to Earth. Should the stuff they left behind be protected?

Queue Listen Now

During a media preview on July 13, Cassandra Hatton of Sotheby's displays the Apollo 11 contingency lunar sample return bag. It was used by Neil Armstrong on Apollo 11 to bring back the first pieces of the moon ever collected.

Moon Dust Bag, Accidentally In Private Hands, Auctioned For $1.5 Million

2:44pm July 20, 2017

by Camila Domonoske

NASA lost track of a bag that was used to carry samples during the first moon landing. A woman in Illinois bought the artifact for less than $1,000; on Thursday, it was sold for $1.5 million.

A child watches a solar eclipse on May 20, 2012, in Japan.

Science

Viewing The Great American Eclipse

1:12pm July 19, 2017

by Marcelo Gleiser

There's something deeply moving about watching the sun become progressively covered by the moon — and you have a rare chance to see this in the U.S. on Aug. 21, says astrophysicist Marcelo Gleiser.

Quantum satellite "Micius" flies past the quantum teleportation experiment platform in Tibet. Chinese scientists have announced they successfully "teleported" information on a photon from Earth to space, spanning a distance of more than 300 miles.

Science

Beam Me Up, Scotty ... Sort Of. Chinese Scientists 'Teleport' Photon To Space

1:05pm July 14, 2017

by Tori Whitley

Chinese scientists have announced they pulled off a successful teleportation of a photon from Earth to space. But what does that really mean?

Queue Listen Now

Artist's impression of Jupiter's Great Red Spot heating the upper atmosphere.

NASA Spacecraft Gets Up Close With Jupiter's Great Red Spot

10:33am July 10, 2017

by Joe Palca

NASA's Juno spacecraft will fly directly over the Great Red Spot, a swirling storm on Jupiter, on Monday. Scientists are hoping to gain a better understanding of the storm and why it persists.

Queue Listen Now

During one "extravehicular activity," members of Crew 177 collected rock specimens for analysis back at the lab.

To Prepare For Mars Settlement, Simulated Missions Explore Utah's Desert

5:25pm July 06, 2017

by Rae Ellen Bichell

NASA plans to send people to the Red Planet in the 2030s. In the meantime, a remote location in southern Utah serves as a non-NASA training ground for the Mars-minded.

Queue Listen Now

A composite self-portrait of the Mars Pathfinder.

Another July 4th Anniversary: Pathfinder's Landing On Mars

6:49pm July 03, 2017

by Joe Palca

In 1997, the spacecraft's mission paved the way for the more sophisticated rovers operating on the Red Planet today.

Queue Listen Now