Space

Science

After a night of uncertainty, NASA's Artemis moon rocket takes to the skies

9:41am November 16, 2022

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

NASA's Artemis moon rocket has finally launched after months of setbacks, from fuel leaks to hurricanes. If successful, the mission signals a big step toward returning humans to the moon.

What the Artemis mission could mean for the future of space exploration

7:24am November 16, 2022

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with astronaut Christina Koch about NASA's Artemis mission and the importance of returning to the lunar surface. The moon rocket launched overnight from Florida's space coast.

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The Artemis 1 moon rocket and the Orion spacecraft are sitting poised on Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Science

NASA's Artemis moon rocket is just hours from launch. Here's where to watch

8:33pm November 15, 2022

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The space agency has been trying for months to send its giant moon rocket on its first test flight. The goal is to send a crew capsule, with no astronauts on board, around the moon and back.

NASA is trying to launch its big new moon rocket again

6:21pm November 15, 2022

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Again, NASA is trying to launch its big new moon rocket on its first test flight.

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Fire officials responded to a blaze earlier this month near California's Lake Englebright.

Science

A California man says a meteor may have set his home ablaze. Scientists are skeptical

5:00am November 15, 2022

by Vanessa Romo

Witnesses saw a "flaming basketball" streaking across the sky, then heard a loud crash, then Dustin Procita's house went up in flames. But that may be a coincidence, not the fire's cause.

The X-37B orbital test vehicle concluded its sixth successful mission early Saturday.

Science

A secretive Space Force plane completed its longest mission yet

6:24pm November 12, 2022

by Emma Bowman

Details about the X-37B's 908 days spent orbiting Earth are scant. But with each new mission, we learn a little bit more about it.

Emily Blunt as Lady Cornelia Locke in The English.

What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend listening, viewing and reading

5:01pm November 11, 2022

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: The Carmichael Show, Stephanie Williams' work for Marvel, The English and more.

Debris from Challenger space shuttle found off the coast of Florida

4:21pm November 11, 2022

NPR's Elissa Nadworny talks with National Air and Space Museum curator Jennifer Levasseur about recently discovered debris from the Challenger space shuttle.

A piece of the wrecked 1986 Challenger space shuttle was found off Florida's coast

5:00am November 11, 2022

by Jaclyn Diaz

A documentary crew with the History Channel initially made the discovery during a dive looking for World War II-era wreckage.

National

NASA returns to its old training grounds: The moonlike lava fields of Arizona

5:04am November 10, 2022

by Melissa Sevigny

As NASA prepares to return humans to the moon in 2025, it is testing a rover and other gear on a piece of land in Arizona where astronauts and engineers tried out Apollo mission gear 60 years ago.