Space

The Laser Interferometer Gravity-Wave Observatory measures tiny changes in the lengths of each of its 2.5-mile-long arms. The arms stretch and squeeze as gravity waves pass by.

Science

Einstein, A Hunch And Decades Of Work: How Scientists Found Gravitational Waves

5:27pm February 12, 2016

by Geoff Brumfiel

Behind the headlines and news conferences announcing the discovery were decades of hard work, hundreds of scientists and more than a billion dollars in taxpayer funds.

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The Philae lander, seen here heading to a comet's surface after leaving the Rosetta spacecraft in 2014, isn't expected to send any more signals, the European Space Agency says.

Science

History-Making Philae Lander Faces 'Eternal Hibernation' On Comet

12:10pm February 12, 2016

by Bill Chappell

A tweet issued by the European Space Agency includes a cartoon showing the Rosetta orbiter thinking about its little lander taking a nap on the comet's cold surface.

The Smithsonian is sharing images of astronaut graffiti aboard the Apollo 11 command module, including this tribute to the spacecraft.

Astronaut 'Graffiti' Seen For The First Time In Decades

10:36am February 12, 2016

by Russell Lewis

The crew of Apollo 11 drew a calendar on the wall of their command module, as well as a tribute to the spacecraft, and jotted down numbers and other information from mission control communications.

A simulation shows gravitational waves coming from two black holes as they spiral in together.

Science

In Milestone, Scientists Detect Gravitational Waves As Black Holes Collide

6:33pm February 11, 2016

by Geoff Brumfiel

A U.S.-led team says it has seen waves in space-time from two black holes merging together. It is the first time humanity has directly detected such waves.

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"We are very different from all previous species, and we have the power to endure. We also have the power to destroy ourselves." — Lord Martin Rees

How Can We Ensure Our Survival As A Species?

1:48pm February 11, 2016

by NPR/TED Staff

Astronomer and cosmologist Lord Martin Rees asks whether our species will endure despite the many existential threats we face.

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Indian authorities inspect the site of a suspected meteorite landing that killed a bus driver and injured three others on Feb. 6.

World News

NASA Says Man In India Likely Wasn't Killed By A Meteorite

3:10pm February 10, 2016

by Laura Wagner

The crater in the ground was more more consistent with a land-based explosion, a NASA spokesman said.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden delivers opening remarks during a panel discussion on the search for life beyond Earth at NASA Headquarters in 2014 in Washington, DC.

National

First Black NASA Administrator Charles Bolden 'Pleaded' To Get Into Naval Academy

7:49pm February 09, 2016

by Laura Wagner

Bolden grew up in segregated South Carolina. One of his state senators, Strom Thurman, blocked his efforts to get to the Naval Academy, but a Hail-Mary letter to Lyndon Johnson helped him get there.

Researchers are rumored to have seen ripples in space-time from the collision of two black holes (artist's depiction).

Science

Scientists Aflutter Over Gravitational Wave Rumors

5:28pm February 09, 2016

by Geoff Brumfiel

If the rumors are true, then humanity is about to learn a lot about the heaviest stuff in the universe.

Why The U.S. Still Has No Viable Alternatives To Russian Rocket Boosters

9:14am February 08, 2016

by David Welna

When it comes to launching top-secret military satellites, the Pentagon relies almost entirely on rocket engines made in Russia. The U.S. has been using Russian rocket boosters for the past 2 decades.

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NASA Mission: Orion's Next Step

5:54am February 04, 2016

by Brendan Byrne

The space agency hopes the Orion capsule, which has been transported to the Kennedy Space Center, will one day take astronauts to the moon and Mars. The program, however, faces budget challenges.