Satellite of Milky Way found in retrograde orbit
New observations with National Science Foundation's Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope suggest that what was once believed to be an intergalactic cloud of unknown distance and significance, is actually a previously unrecognized satellite galaxy of the Milky Way orbiting backward around the Galactic center. FULL STORY
NASA computer models may lead to quake forecasts
Advanced computer simulation tools now being developed by NASA and university researchers may soon give scientists new insights into the complex and mysterious physics of earthquakes and enable vastly improved earthquake forecasting. FULL STORY
Saturday:
May 24, 2003
0001 GMT
Columbia rescue mission feasible, but unlikely
If NASA managers had realized early on that Columbia had suffered a catastrophic breach in its left wing during launch - either by obtaining satellite imagery or, more likely, by having the astronauts stage an inspection spacewalk - they might have had time to mount a repair spacewalk or even an emergency rescue mission with the shuttle Atlantis, the chairman of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board said Friday. FULL STORY
King named new director of Marshall Space Flight Center
NASA has announced David A. King, a former space shuttle launch director, as the new center director for the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. King is currently Marshall's deputy director. FULL STORY
Friday:
May 23, 2003
0157 GMT
Martian view of Earth
Have you ever wondered what you would see if you were on Mars looking at the Earth through a small telescope? Now you can find out, thanks to a unique view of our world recently captured by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft currently orbiting the Red Planet. FULL STORY
Hubble sees the mysterious 'Garden-sprinkler' nebula
There are many mysterious objects seen in the night sky which are not really well understood. For example, astronomers are puzzled by the "jets" emerging from planetary nebulae. However, the S-shaped jet from Henize 3-1475 is the most perplexing of all. FULL STORY
Thursday:
May 22, 2003
0220 GMT
The Universe's biggest construction sites
Images made by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have revealed two distant cosmic construction sites buzzing with activity. This discovery shows how super massive black holes control the growth of massive galaxies in the distant Universe. FULL STORY
Frozen light research holds promise, NASA says
NASA-funded research at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., that literally stops light in its tracks, may someday lead to breakneck-speed computers that shelter enormous amounts of data from hackers. FULL STORY
Wednesday:
May 21, 2003
0242 GMT
Slag on shuttle debris suggests location of breach
Based on chemical analysis of slag found on the back side of a wing leading edge fragment, investigators now believe the breach that destroyed the shuttle Columbia occurred at or very near the lower inboard corner of reinforced carbon carbon panel No. 8, very close to where a so-called T-seal was mounted between RCC panels 7 and 8. FULL STORY
Spaceflight Now Plus: Columbia press briefing
Members of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board held their near-weekly news conference in Houston on Tuesday, updating reporters and the public on the progress of the inquiry.
Video coverage for subscribers only: VIDEO: WATCH ENTIRE 62-MINUTE NEWS CONFERENCE QT SUBSCRIBE NOW
Newly-discovered star may be third-closest to us
The local celestial neighborhood just got more crowded with a discovery of a star that may be the third closest to the Sun. The star, "SO25300.5+165258," is a faint red dwarf star estimated to be about 7.8 light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Aries. FULL STORY
Five spacecraft join to solve an auroral puzzle
Five spacecraft have made a remarkable set of observations, leading to a breakthrough in understanding the origin of a peculiar and puzzling type of aurora. Seen as bright spots in Earth's atmosphere and called "dayside proton auroral spots," they are now known to occur when fractures appear in the Earth's magnetic field, allowing particles emitted from the Sun to pass through and collide with molecules in our atmosphere. FULL STORY
Marshall Space Flight Center director steps down
NASA has announced the reassignment of Art Stephenson, Center Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., effective June 15. Stephenson decided to step down from his current position and move to an important role in promoting NASA's Education efforts until his retirement in January 2004. FULL STORY
Tuesday:
May 20, 2003
0430 GMT
Air Force weather satellite launch rescheduled
The long-delayed launch of the U.S. military's next polar-orbiting weather satellite is being targeted for this summer, the Air Force said Monday. FULL STORY
Exploration extravaganza
Mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are ramping up for an era of unprecedented space exploration. The Lab is poised to launch and direct a fleet of space probes that will, among many other things, crash into the heart of a distant comet, snatch particles of the solar wind, rove across Mars to search for evidence of liquid water, and descend through the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan to explore what reminds many scientists of an early Earth. FULL STORY
Monday:
May 19, 2003
0503 GMT
Future of Rosetta comet explorer hinges on money
Questions concerning the future of Europe's Rosetta comet probe are slowly being answered, but perhaps the biggest question of all -- that of funding -- is still left open after a high-level meeting last week. FULL STORY
News Archive May 12-18: Clearest video yet of foam strike as tests get underway; NASA chief, CAIB chairman testify at Senate hearing; First Greek satellite launch performed by Atlas 5 rocket; Brighter Neptune suggests a change of seasons; NASA picks in-space propulsion innovations. May 5-11: CAIB accepts, agrees with NASA failure scenario; Japan launches asteroid sample return mission; New shuttle program manager named; Deepest view of space yields young stars in halo; India launches second GSLV rocket. April 28-May 4: Columbia could not be saved, NASA study shows; Off-target Soyuz with outgoing station crew found after hours of searching; Satellite launched to trace the evolution of galaxies; BeppoSAX takes the plunge; Freewheeling galaxies collide in blaze of star birth; Hubble gyroscope fails. April 21-27: Space station caretaker crew blasts off on Soyuz; NASA, CAIB investigators compare notes on disaster; Dittemore to leave after accident probe complete; Glowing hot transiting exoplanet discovered; Spectacular photos unveil mysterious nebulae; Titan reveals a surface dominated by icy bedrock. More news See our weekly archive of space news. Gemini 7 Gemini 7: The NASA Mission Reports covers this 14-day mission by Borman and Lovell as they demonstrated some of the more essential facts of space flight. Includes CD-ROM. Choose your store: U.S. -
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An insider's view of how Apollo flight controllers operated and just what they faced when events were crucial. Choose your store: U.S. Columbia Report A reproduction of the official accident investigation report into the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven. Choose your store: U.S. -
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Worldwide Mars Panorama DISCOUNTED! This 360 degree image was taken by the Mars Pathfinder, which landed on the Red Planet in July 1997. The Sojourner Rover is visible in the image. Choose your store: U.S. Apollo 11 Mission Report Apollo 11 - The NASA Mission Reports Vol. 3 is the first comprehensive study of man's first mission to another world is revealed in all of its startling complexity. Includes DVD! Choose your store: U.S. -
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Sign up for our NewsAlert service and have the latest news in astronomy and space e-mailed direct to your desktop (privacy note: your e-mail address will not be used for any other purpose). Columbia Report A reproduction of the official accident investigation report into the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven. Choose your store: U.S. -
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Worldwide Mars Panorama DISCOUNTED! This 360 degree image was taken by the Mars Pathfinder, which landed on the Red Planet in July 1997. The Sojourner Rover is visible in the image. Choose your store: U.S. Apollo 11 Mission Report Apollo 11 - The NASA Mission Reports Vol. 3 is the first comprehensive study of man's first mission to another world is revealed in all of its startling complexity. Includes DVD! Choose your store: U.S. -
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Worldwide Rocket DVD If you've ever watched a launch from Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Vandenberg Air Force Base or even Kodiak Island Alaska, there's no better way to describe what you witnessed than with this DVD. Choose your store: U.S. -
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Worldwide Current Shuttle Mission Patch The official embroidered patch for shuttle Atlantis' flight to deliver critical spare equipment to the space station. U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE Ares 1-X Patch The official embroidered patch for the Ares 1-X rocket test flight, is available for purchase. U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE Apollo Collage This beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos. U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE Project Orion The Orion crew exploration vehicle is NASA's first new human spacecraft developed since the space shuttle a quarter-century earlier. The capsule is one of the key elements of returning astronauts to the Moon. U.S. STORE Fallen Heroes Patch Collection The official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store. U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE Contact us
If you have a comment or question for Spaceflight Now, just send us an e-mail.
Gemini 7: The NASA Mission Reports covers this 14-day mission by Borman and Lovell as they demonstrated some of the more essential facts of space flight. Includes CD-ROM.
Choose your store:
The Apollo Patch Collection: Includes all 12 Apollo mission patches plus the Apollo Program Patch. Save over 20% off the Individual price. 
A mission patch featuring NASA's Mars Exploration Rover is available from our online.
On the road to the moon, the mission of Apollo 9 stands as an important gateway in experience and procedures. This 2-DVD collection presents the crucial mission on the voyage to the moon.
An insider's view of how Apollo flight controllers operated and just what they faced when events were crucial.
A reproduction of the official accident investigation report into the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven. 
Apollo 11 - The NASA Mission Reports Vol. 3 is the first comprehensive study of man's first mission to another world is revealed in all of its startling complexity. Includes DVD!
If you've ever watched a launch from Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Vandenberg Air Force Base or even Kodiak Island Alaska, there's no better way to describe what you witnessed than with this DVD.
The official embroidered patch for shuttle Atlantis' flight to deliver critical spare equipment to the space station.
The official embroidered patch for the Ares 1-X rocket test flight, is available for purchase.
This beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.
The Orion crew exploration vehicle is NASA's first new human spacecraft developed since the space shuttle a quarter-century earlier. The capsule is one of the key elements of returning astronauts to the Moon.
The official patches from Apollo 1, the shuttle Challenger and Columbia crews are available in the store.
