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News Archive: Nov. 1-30 |
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Black hole record shattered
In athletic events such as swimming or running, a world record will often stand for several years before it's broken. The same thing usually holds true for astronomical records as well.
 FULL STORY
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Satellite probes warming from sun during solar cycle
A NASA satellite designed, built and controlled by the University of Colorado at Boulder is expected to help scientists resolve wide-ranging predictions about the coming solar cycle peak in 2012 and its influence on Earth's warming climate, according to the chief scientist on the project.
FULL STORY
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Engineers troubleshoot possible station air leak
Space station engineers are troubleshooting an apparent leak in the vestibule between the U.S. Destiny laboratory and the newly installed Harmony connecting module that will serve as the attachment point for European and Japanese research labs.
FULL STORY
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Mars Express: First global map of martian ionosphere
With the European Space Agency's Mars Express, scientists continue to gain new insight into the mysterious Martian environment. Some of the most exciting results are being sent back by the MARSIS experiment.
FULL STORY
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Inside nurseries of miniature planet systems
New research led by a University of St Andrews astronomer has found evidence for what might be the raw material for the beginning of shrunken versions of our solar system - miniature worlds in the making.
FULL STORY
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Voyager 2 to reach major milestone in space
Using a computer model simulation, a physicist has predicted when the interplanetary spacecraft Voyager 2 will cross the "termination shock," the spherical shell around the solar system that marks where the solar wind slows down to subsonic speed.
FULL STORY
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A breakthrough map of Antarctica from space
A team of researchers from NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Science Foundation and the British Antarctic Survey unveiled a newly completed map of Antarctica that is expected to revolutionize research of the continent's frozen landscape.
FULL STORY
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Sea Launch reschedules the Thuraya campaign
Due to unusually strong ocean currents at its Pacific Ocean launch site, Sea Launch has postponed the campaign to loft the Thuraya 3 satellite. The launch platform and command ship are returning Home Port in California.
FULL STORY
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A last look at Comet Holmes
Comet 17P/Holmes, which dazzled sky watchers with a dramatic outburst that made it visible to the unaided eye, now is fading from sight. However, before it returns to the obscurity from which it came, astronomers at the MMT Observatory took a final look.
FULL STORY
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How to make the brightest supernova ever
A supernova observed last year was so bright -- about 100 times as luminous as a typical supernova -- that it challenged the theoretical understanding of what causes supernovae.
FULL STORY
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Spacewalkers find more damage in solar array joint
Astronaut Dan Tani, looking inside the space station's right-side solar alpha rotary joint Saturday, reported metallic contamination on the main gear bearing race similar to debris he saw in a different area of the joint during an inspection late last month. He and station commander Peggy Whitson also agreed the race ring appears to be damaged due to metal-on-metal interference of some sort.
FULL STORY
SPACEWALK CONCLUDES
HARMONY COOLING HOOKED UP
SPACEWALK PREVIEW STORY
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
 VIDEO:
POST-SPACEWALK RECAP WITH FLIGHT DIRECTOR PLAY
VIDEO:
NARRATED PREVIEW OF THE SPACEWALK PLAY
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Astronomers say moons like ours are uncommon
The next time you take a moonlit stroll, or admire a full, bright-white moon looming in the night sky, you might count yourself lucky. New observations from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope suggest that moons like Earth's - that formed out of tremendous collisions - are uncommon in the universe, arising at most in only 5 to 10 percent of planetary systems.
FULL STORY
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New light on early formation of Earth and Mars
A team of scientists has found that terrestrial planets such as the Earth and Mars may have remained molten in their early histories for tens of millions of years. The findings indicate that the two planets cooled slower than scientists thought and a mechanism to keep the planet interiors warm is required.
FULL STORY
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Stars discovered with pure carbon atmospheres
Astronomers have discovered white dwarf stars with pure carbon atmospheres. These stars possibly evolved in a sequence astronomers didn't know before.
FULL STORY
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Spacewalkers connect power, cooling for Harmony
Peggy Whitson and Dan Tani completed a successful seven-hour spacewalk outside the space station Tuesday morning to route power and cooling to the new Harmony module. A second excursion will be needed Saturday to finish the job and help clear the way for launch of shuttle Atlantis Dec. 6 on a long-awaited mission to deliver a European laboratory module.
EVA COMPLETED
SPACEWALK BEGINS
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
POST-SPACEWALK RECAP BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO:
NARRATED PREVIEW OF THE SPACEWALK PLAY
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Scrub called for planned
Sea Launch liftoff
Ten months after a launch pad explosion halted Sea Launch rocket flights, the international consortium had planned to resume missions by its Zenit 3SL booster with a liftoff Wednesday morning. But continued high winds and strong ocean currents at the launch site has caused another delay. A new launch date is pending. The rocket will place the Thuraya 3 mobile communications satellite into orbit to cover the Asia-Pacific region.
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Atlantis crew flies to Cape for practice countdown
The seven men set to launch aboard shuttle Atlantis next month for delivery of the European scientific laboratory to the space station will undergo a countdown dress rehearsal this week at Kennedy Space Center.
FULL STORY
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
CREW CHATS WITH PRESS AT LAUNCH PAD 39A PLAY
VIDEO:
ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER PLAY
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Swedish communications satellite launched
A commercial satellite launch by Russia's heavy-lift Proton rocket blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 2239 GMT (5:39 p.m. EST) Saturday. The first three stages fired as planned and then the Breeze M upper stage successfully conducted a nine-hour journey to hoist the payload into the proper orbit. The Swedish Sirius 4 communications spacecraft will beam direct-to-home broadcast and interactive services across Scandinavia, Europe and Africa.
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Shock as UK withdraws from Gemini Observatory
The Science and Technology Facilities Council shocked the UK's professional astronomy community on November 15 with their sudden decision to pull out of partnership with the two eight-metre Gemini Telescopes that make up the Gemini Observatory.
FULL STORY
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Hubble zooms in on heart of mysterious Comet Holmes
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has probed the bright core of Comet 17P/Holmes, which, to the delight of sky watchers, mysteriously brightened by nearly a millionfold in a 24-hour period last month.
FULL STORY
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Planets found forming in Pleiades star cluster
Rocky terrestrial planets, perhaps like Earth, Mars or Venus, appear to be forming or to have recently formed around a star in the Pleiades ("seven sisters") star cluster, the result of "monster collisions" of planets or planetary embryos.
FULL STORY
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OTHER HEADLINES Additional stories today
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NASA conducts second test of main parachute for Ares rockets -- NASA and industry engineers successfully tested the main parachute for Constellation Program rockets during a drop test Thursday at the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground near Yuma, Ariz.
Groundbreaking for pad to test Orion's launch abort -- With less than a year until flight tests of NASA's Constellation Program, work is under way on a launch pad that will host the first of those tests.
U.S., Australia formalize Wideband Global SATCOM agreement -- In a move that will provide the United States and Australia assured access to worldwide satellite communication resources, the two countries signed an agreement today to cooperate on the Wideband Global SATCOM system, expanding the WGS constellation to six satellites.
Space Test Program celebrates 40th anniversary -- The Department of Defense Space Test Program recently celebrated its 40th anniversary with past and present personnel examining its history, current missions and looking toward the future of space research.
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Ariane 5 launches British
and Brazilian satellites
The Ariane 5 rocket launched on another flawless mission Wednesday evening with a British space-based military communications relay station and a multi-purpose communications satellite for Brazil.
FULL STORY
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Harmony module put in place aboard station
The space station's crew Wednesday detached the new multi-hatch Harmony module, now sporting a shuttle docking port on one end, and carefully moved the 34,500-pound assembly to its permanent home on the front of the lab complex. The high-stakes robotic operation was completed without a hitch, a critical step in a complex sequence to prepare the outpost for launch of Europe's Columbus research lab next month.
FULL STORY
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
HARMONY'S BIG MOVE TO ITS PERMANENT LOCATION PLAY
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Spitzer telescope spies a stellar bubble blower
A new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows a baby star 1,140 light-years away from Earth blowing two massive "bubbles." But instead of bubble gum, this youngster, called HH 46/47, is using powerful jets of gas to make bubbles in outer space.
FULL STORY
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OTHER HEADLINES Additional stories today
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Chinese put up hush-hush observation satellite -- China orbited a secretive Earth observation satellite during an unannounced launch Sunday from the Taiyuan space center in the northern part of the nation.
Orbital awarded contract for ANGELS satellite program -- Orbital Sciences has been selected by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory for a $29.5 million contract to support the execution of the Autonomous Nanosatellite Guardian for Evaluating Local Space satellite program.
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More spectacular photos from Delta 4-Heavy launch
Here is another collection of images showing the Delta 4-Heavy rocket's nighttime launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Saturday evening.
IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY
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Delta 4-Heavy rocket fires away from Cape Canaveral
It is America's largest unmanned space booster. Its level of complexity causes engineers to liken it to launching three rockets at one time. And its fiery blastoffs create a dazzling yet heart-in-your-throat sight. Now, the mammoth Delta 4-Heavy has entered operational service with Saturday night's successful ascent carrying a critical surveillance satellite.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!
IMAGES: LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY
IMAGES: MORE LAUNCH PHOTOS
IMAGES: CLOSEUP LAUNCH PHOTOS
IMAGES: TOWER ROLLBACK GALLERY
IMAGES: MORE ROLLBACK PHOTOS
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Last-of-its-kind satellite reaches orbit
Saturday night signaled the end of a 37-year-long string of launches for the Air Force's early warning satellite program as the military prepares to transition toward a new system.
FULL STORY
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
WIDESCREEN MOVIE OF LAUNCH SHOT FROM PRESS SITE PLAY
VIDEO:
DELTA 4-HEAVY ROCKETS LAUNCHES WITH DSP 23 PLAY
VIDEO:
PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY
VIDEO:
ANIMATION OF DSP SATELLITE PLAY
VIDEO:
DSP 23 SATELLITE IS TRANSPORTED TO PAD 37B PLAY
VIDEO:
THE DSP 23 SPACECRAFT MOUNTED ATOP ADAPTER PLAY
VIDEO:
FIRST DELTA 4-HEAVY FROM LIFTOFF TO BOOSTER SEP. PLAY
VIDEO:
ONBOARD CAMERA RECORDS FIRST HEAVY LAUNCH PLAY
VIDEO:
ONBOARD CAMERA SEES BOOSTER SEPARATION PLAY
VIDEO:
ONBOARD CAMERA CAPTURES FAIRING JETTISON PLAY
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Atlantis moves to pad |
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Space shuttle Atlantis began the three-and-a-half-mile trip from the Vehicle Assembly Building to launch pad 39A at 4:43 a.m. EST Saturday morning. The mobile platform was firmly secured in place atop the seaside pad at 11:51 a.m. EST. Atlantis is scheduled for launch December 6 to ferry the Columbus science module to the space station.
PANORAMA 1 | PANORAMA 2 | PANORAMA 3
updated
PHOTO GALLERY
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
ATLANTIS ROLLS OUT TO LAUNCH PAD 39A PLAY
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Station crew detaches shuttle's docking port
In a high-stakes transplant operation, the international space station's crew detached the lab's main shuttle docking port Monday, carefully moved it to the left side of the outpost and attached it to the new Harmony module.
FULL STORY
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VIDEO:
SHUTTLE DOCKING PORT MOVED TO HARMONY PLAY
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Spacewalk begins work to move station's new module
Space station commander Peggy Whitson and flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko, staging a busy six-hour 55-minute spacewalk, completed final preparations Friday for moving the lab's shuttle docking port Monday, the next step in a complex sequence to prepare the outpost for delivery of European and Japanese research modules.
EVA CONCLUDES
MID-WAY STORY
EVA STARTS
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
POST-SPACEWALK RECAP BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO:
NARRATED PREVIEW OF THE SPACEWALK PLAY
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We wrap up our coverage of shuttle Discovery's STS-120 mission with this photo gallery showing the spaceplane's tow from the runway back to its processing hangar.
IMAGES: PHOTO GALLERY
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With commander Pam Melroy at the controls, the shuttle Discovery plunged back to Earth on Wednesday, streaking across the heartland of America to a picture-perfect landing at the Kennedy Space Center to wrap up an action-packed space station assembly mission.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
IMAGES: LANDING PHOTO GALLERY
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
DISCOVERY LANDS AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER PLAY
VIDEO:
PRE-LANDING STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO:
THE FLIGHT DAY 15 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO:
CREW INTERVIEW: ASSOCIATED PRESS PLAY
VIDEO:
CREW INTERVIEW: SPACE.COM PLAY
VIDEO:
CREW INTERVIEW: LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR PLAY
MORE:
STS-120 VIDEO COVERAGE
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Discovery prepped for Wednesday's landing
NASA managers late today cleared the shuttle Discovery for re-entry and landing Wednesday to close out a dramatic space station assembly mission, giving the ship's heat shield a clean bill of health after analyzing data from a final inspection.
FULL STORY
MORNING STORY
MAPS: LANDING GROUND TRACKS
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Discovery departs the station after hectic visit
The Discovery astronauts undocked the shuttle from the international space station Monday to close out a dramatic assembly mission that sets the stage for the long-awaited attachment of European and Japanese research modules over the next three shuttle flights.
FULL STORY
PREVIEW STORY
IMAGES: SPECTACULAR VIEWS OF STATION
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
THE FLIGHT DAY 14 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO:
POST-UNDOCKING STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO:
VIEWS FROM STATION OF THE SHUTTLE PLAY
VIDEO:
DISCOVERY UNDOCKS FROM THE SPACE STATION PLAY
VIDEO:
THE FLIGHT DAY 13 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO:
NARRATED PREVIEW OF UNDOCKING AND FLYAROUND PLAY
MORE:
STS-120 VIDEO COVERAGE
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Shuttle and station crews bid an emotional farewell
The Discovery astronauts bid a tearful farewell to their space station crewmates Sunday, hugging and sharing a few final words before closing hatches and making preparations for undocking early Monday.
FULL STORY
MORNING STORY
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
FAREWELL CEREMONY BETWEEN SHUTTLE AND ISS CREWS PLAY
VIDEO:
SUNDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
MORE:
STS-120 VIDEO COVERAGE
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Atlantis moves at sunrise |
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Space shuttle Atlantis took a sunrise drive from its hangar to Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building on Saturday morning. Atlantis is being readied for launch on December 6 to haul the European Space Agency's Columbus science laboratory module to the space station.
PANORAMA 1 | PANORAMA 2 | PANORAMA 3
PHOTO GALLERY
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
OUR WIDESCREEN MOVIE OF ATLANTIS' TRIP PLAY
VIDEO:
ATLANTIS ROLLS TO THE VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING PLAY
VIDEO:
TIME-LAPSE MOVIE OF ATLANTIS EXITING THE HANGAR PLAY
VIDEO:
TIME-LAPSE MOVIE OF ATLANTIS ROLLING INTO THE VAB PLAY
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China's moon expedition swoops into lunar orbit
Braking into orbit with a pulse of thrust from an on-board engine, China's first deep space probe arrived in lunar orbit Monday to begin a one-year mission surveying the moon.
FULL STORY
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NASA hails solar array repair as complete success
Physician-astronaut Scott Parazynski, working on the end of a boom carried by the space station's robot arm, successfully repaired a mangled solar array Saturday, cutting away a snarled guidewire, installing five suture-like braces and then standing by while his crewmates extended the array its full 110-foot length.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!
SPACEWALK CONCLUDES
ARRAY FULLY DEPLOYED
REPAIRS COMPLETED
DAMAGE DESCRIBED
MORNING STORY
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
THE FLIGHT DAY 12 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO:
POST-SPACEWALK MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO:
THE SOLAR ARRAY IS FULLY DEPLOYED AT LAST PLAY
VIDEO:
PARAZYNSKI INSTALLS FIRST CUFFLINK PLAY
VIDEO:
THE SPACEWALK BEGINS PLAY
MORE:
STS-120 VIDEO COVERAGE
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Flight controllers optimistic about successful repair
The Discovery astronauts Friday reviewed plans for a dramatic solar array repair spacewalk early Saturday and appeared confident they have a good shot at fixing the mangled panel to keep space station assembly on track.
FULL STORY
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
THE FLIGHT DAY 11 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO:
FRIDAY'S STATUS BRIEFING AND SPACEWALK PREVIEW PLAY
MORE:
STS-120 VIDEO COVERAGE
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Great rescue spacewalks in U.S. space program history
As NASA prepares for a risky spacewalk Saturday to save a damaged solar array on the space station, we present a look back to other historic rescue spacewalks remembered as daring and crucial. These movies recap missions from Skylab, the early shuttle days and repairing the Hubble Space Telescope.
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
SKYLAB: THE FIRST 40 DAYS PLAY
VIDEO:
STS-41C: REPAIRING THE SOLAR MAX SPACECRAFT PLAY
VIDEO:
STS-51A: RETRIEVING TWO WAYWARD SATELLITES PLAY
VIDEO:
STS-51I: MAN-HANDLING A COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE PLAY
VIDEO:
STS-49: THREE-PERSON EVA TO SALVAGE INTELSAT 603 PLAY
VIDEO:
STS-61: FIXING THE TROUBLE WITH HUBBLE PLAY
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Spectacular footage from rocket booster cameras
Hitch a ride up and down on the solid rocket boosters during shuttle Discovery's launch. These onboard cameras provides a unique view of the ascent, separation from the shuttle and the fall into the Atlantic for retrieval.
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
LEFT-HAND BOOSTER LOOKING UP PLAY
VIDEO:
LEFT-HAND BOOSTER LOOKING IN PLAY
VIDEO:
LEFT-HAND BOOSTER LOOKING DOWN PLAY
VIDEO:
RIGHT-HAND BOOSTER LOOKING UP PLAY
VIDEO:
RIGHT-HAND BOOSTER LOOKING IN PLAY
VIDEO:
RIGHT-HAND BOOSTER LOOKING DOWN PLAY
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Comet Holmes continues to dazzle astronomers
Nine days after its spectacular cosmic display, Comet 17P/Holmes continues to intrigue and delight both amateur and professional astronomers alike.
FULL STORY
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Risky spacewalk planned to save mangled solar array
Working around the clock, flight controllers, astronauts and engineers are fine tuning a daring plan to put an astronaut on the end of a long boom attached to the space station's robot arm - farther from the safety of the lab's airlock than any spacewalker before him - to perform emergency surgery on a mangled solar array.
FULL STORY
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Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
THE FLIGHT DAY 10 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO:
THURSDAY'S STATUS BRIEFING AND SPACEWALK PREVIEW PLAY
MORE:
STS-120 VIDEO COVERAGE
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Spacewalk to fix solar array delayed to Saturday
NASA managers Thursday decided to delay a daring solar array repair spacewalk from Friday to Saturday to give engineers more time to develop the tools and procedures needed to fix a rip in one of the outermost solar blankets on the international space station.
FULL STORY
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German Earth-observing radar satellite launched
The next building block in a fleet of German spy satellites designed to see through clouds and darkness was launched to space early Thursday from Russia's Arctic space base.
FULL STORY
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Read our earlier news archive page.
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