Space

National

NASA astronaut Bill Anders, who took famous photo of Earth during Apollo, dies at 90

9:18pm June 07, 2024

by Russell Lewis

Awestruck, Anders snapped the timeless shot of the glorious blue and white planet rising over the horizon of the gray and lifeless moon, and "how tiny and fragile and precious and finite it is."

Elon Musk’s giant Starship rocket rumbles into space once more

10:20pm June 06, 2024

by Geoff Brumfiel

This is the fourth test for Starship, and this time, it returned successfully to earth.

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National

After long delays, Boeing's Starliner capsule and crew launch into space

10:10pm June 05, 2024

by Brendan Byrne

After years of delay, Boeing's Starliner is flying people for the first time with two NASA astronauts heading to the International Space Station. The rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

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Boeing's Starliner launches into space after years of delay

1:46pm June 05, 2024

After years of delays, Boeing Starliner finally launched humans for the first time Wednesday carrying two astronauts to the International Space Station.

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Science

Hubble will change how it points, but NASA says 'great science' will continue

10:10pm June 04, 2024

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

NASA is shifting the way the Hubble Space Telescope points. The change is a work-around for a piece of hardware that's become intolerably glitchy. Officials say Hubble will continue to do 'ground breaking science,' for about another decade.

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Science

The launch of Boeing’s crewed Starliner space capsule is called off yet again

6:25pm June 01, 2024

by Geoff Brumfiel

The Boeing Starliner launch was halted with just minutes to spare. The mission to the International Space Station was to carry two NASA astronauts. Starliner has already faced years of delays.

Science

Are auroras coming back?

3:58pm May 31, 2024

by Bill Chappell

The same solar region that brought an outburst of night-time beauty in early May is coming back around. But things have changed, a space weather expert tells NPR.

National

What to know about the 'space weapon' the U.S. says Russia recently launched

10:47am May 30, 2024

by Bill Chappell

The U.S. accusation, which Russia denies, raises questions about how a satellite might be used as a weapon in low Earth orbit and how close the two countries are to developing such a military tool.

On a Blue Origin rocket, Ed Dwight, 90, realizes his dream of space flight

7:05am May 20, 2024

Sixty-one years ago Dwight was an astronaut candidate. Sunday, along with five others, he made the trip on a rocket owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos — making him the oldest person to go to space.

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At age 90, America's first Black astronaut candidate has finally made it to space

7:08pm May 19, 2024

by Scott Neuman

Ed Dwight, a former Air Force test pilot who was passed over to become an astronaut in the 1960s, described his flight aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard as "life changing."