Sunday: July 20, 2003  0309 GMT
Cosmic mirage: Discovery of quasar with Einstein ring
Using the ESO telescope at La Silla, Chile, an international team of astronomers has discovered a complex cosmic mirage in the southern constellation Crater. This "gravitational lens" system consists of at least four images of the same quasar as well as a ring-shaped image of the galaxy in which the quasar reside - known as an "Einstein ring".
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Saturday: July 19, 2003  0312 GMT
Detailed maps reveal early Universe galaxy distribution
Peering back in time more than 7 billion years, a team of astronomers using a powerful new spectrograph at the Keck Observatory in Hawaii has obtained the first maps showing the distribution of galaxies in the early universe. The maps show the clustering of galaxies into a variety of large-scale structures, including long filaments, empty voids, and dense groups and clusters.
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Mars-bound Opportunity rover adjusts trajectory
NASA's Opportunity spacecraft made its first trajectory correction maneuver Friday, a scheduled operation to fine-tune its Mars-bound flight path. For the trajectory adjustment, flight team members commanded Opportunity to perform a prescribed sequence of thruster firings.
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Friday: July 18, 2003  0721 GMT
Enhanced version of Atlas 5 rocket debuts successfully
The largest and most powerful Atlas rocket in history rushed off its Cape Canaveral pad on a river of golden flame Thursday evening to expand Lockheed Martin's launcher family.
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Hubble tracks down a galaxy cluster's dark matter
Using the powerful trick of gravitational lensing, a European and American team of astronomers have constructed an extensive "mass map" of one of the most massive structures in our Universe. They believe that it will lead to a better understanding of how such systems assembled and the key role of dark matter.
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Orphaned star clusters roam the Universe
US and UK astronomers have discovered a population of previously unknown star clusters in what was thought to be the empty space between galaxies.
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Thursday: July 17, 2003  0350 GMT
New version of Atlas 5 rocket to launch Thursday
The largest and most capable Atlas rocket in history will take flight Thursday evening from Cape Canaveral as Lockheed Martin's launcher fleet evolves to carry larger and heavier cargos into space.
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   MISSION STATUS CENTER -- updates!
Movies from Atlas 5 tour
Lockheed Martin hosted an extraordinary tour for media representatives earlier this week, giving the reporters an upclose look at the fully assembled Atlas 5 rocket inside the Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral's Complex 41. The rocket's new nose cone and solid rocket boosters were of particular interest since they will be flying for the first time on this launch.
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   VIDEO: VIEWS OF THE AEROJET-MADE SOLID ROCKET BOOSTERS QT
   VIDEO: FOOTAGE OF THE CONTRAVES-BUILT PAYLOAD FAIRING QT
   VIDEO: TECHNICIAN CLIMBS INTO THE FAIRING FOR WORK QT
   VIDEO: ATLAS 5 AND SPACE SHUTTLE PADS FROM ATOP THE VIF QT
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Smoking supernovae solve ten billion year old mystery
A team of UK astronomers have announced the discovery that some supernovae have bad habits -- they belch out huge quantities of 'smoke' known as cosmic dust. This solves a mystery more than 10 billion years in the making. The new observations answer long-standing questions about the origin of the first solid particles ever to form in the Universe.
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NASA seeks to discover if comets seeded life
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center will lead the effort to discover if comets supplied the raw material for the origin of life on Earth, and if they could do so for alien worlds, as part of its participation in NASA Astrobiology Institute research.
   FULL STORY
Wednesday: July 16, 2003  0631 GMT
Crew module likely survived shuttle breakup
The astronauts aboard the shuttle Columbia, strapped into a reinforced module built to withstand extreme forces, likely survived a minute or more beyond the commander's final transmission, sources say. Engineers believe the crew died when the module, buffeted by increasingly extreme aerodynamic forces, finally broke open as it plunged steeply into the thickening atmosphere above Texas.
   FULL STORY
New version of Atlas 5 rocket to launch Thursday
The largest and most capable Atlas rocket in history will take flight Thursday evening from Cape Canaveral as Lockheed Martin's launcher fleet evolves to carry larger and heavier cargos into space.
   FULL STORY
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
Atlas 5 carrying three onboard video cameras
Three video cameras are mounted aboard the Atlas 5 rocket to give engineers live views of critical events during Thursday's launch sequence.
   FULL STORY
Link between black holes, galaxies discovered nearby
By studying more than 120,000 nearby galaxies observed as part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a team of astronomers from Germany and the United States has been able to show that the growth of supermassive black holes is closely linked with the birth of new stars in their host galaxies.
   FULL STORY
Boeing, Loral report commercial space setbacks
The commercial space industry was hit with a double dose of bad news on Tuesday when satellite operator Loral announced it was filing for bankruptcy protection and selling six of its satellites, while Boeing announced it would take a billion-dollar charge against its launch and satellite businesses while suspending commercial sales of its Delta 4 rocket.
   FULL STORY
Boeing pulls Delta 4 from commercial satellite market
The Boeing Company announced Tuesday that as a result of continued weakness in the commercial space launch market, higher mission and launch costs on its Delta 4 program, and cost growth in its satellite businesses, the company will recognize pre-tax charges of approximately $1.1 billion, or $0.87 per share, when it announces second quarter results on July 23.
   FULL STORY
Tuesday: July 15, 2003  0500 GMT
Satellites see lightning strikes in ozone's origins
During summertime ozone near the Earth's surface forms in most major U.S. cities when sunlight and heat mix with car exhaust and other pollution, causing health officials to issue "ozone alerts." But in other parts of the world, this low level ozone appears to originate naturally in ways that have left scientists puzzled. Now, NASA-funded scientists using four satellites can tell where low level ozone pollution comes from and whether it was manmade or natural.
   FULL STORY
Digging high and low for 'dirt' on soil moisture
A water-sensing satellite orbits high above Earth. Airplanes packed with research instruments, circle 25,000 feet above three U.S. states and Brazil. Scientists, college students and other volunteers troop into the countryside, armed with sensors and notepads. It's all about "getting the dirt." In this case, collecting detailed information about the soil.
   FULL STORY
Weather odds look good for Thursday's Atlas 5 liftoff
The weather forecast for Thursday's launch of Lockheed Martin's Atlas 5 rocket carrying the Rainbow 1 direct-to-home TV broadcasting satellite from Cape Canaveral is generally favorable, Launch Weather Officer Jim Sardonia reported Monday.
   MISSION STATUS CENTER
   EARLIER STORY ABOUT MISSION
Monday: July 14, 2003  0325 GMT
Fresh, rayed impact crater seen on Mars
This Mars Global Surveyor image shows a fresh, young meteor impact crater on the martian surface. It is less than 400 yards across. While there is no way to know the exact age of this or any other martian surface feature, the rays are very well preserved.
   FULL STORY
U.S. Air Force studies solar phenomenon
The Air Force Research Laboratory experiment to study solar activity from Earth orbit, the Solar Mass Ejection Imager, launched in January aboard the Coriolis spacecraft, has accomplished a major milestone -- observing its first Earth-directed ("halo") coronal mass ejection.
   FULL STORY
News Archive
July 7-13: Earth's Opportunity rover launched to Mars; Foam impact test blows hole in shuttle wing panel; Detailed failure scenario released by Columbia board; Shuttle team to attempt recovery of Atlas 5 boosters; Farthest and oldest known planet confirmed; Pluto's atmosphere is expanding, researchers say.

June 30-July 6: Foam strike email to shuttle commander released; Shuttle program announces personnel changes; Launch of Mars rover Opportunity delayed; Celestial fireworks; Solar system 'most similar' to our own discovered; Minimal data loss expected from SOHO problem; Rockot booster launches 9 payloads.

June 23-29: Foam 'most probable' cause of Columbia disaster; Columbia board issues tile repair recommendation; Spaceflight Now interviews station's resident crew; SOHO engineers battle to overcome antenna problem; Commercial Earth imager launched into space by Pegasus; Helios prototype solar aircraft lost in mishap.

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.
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Apollo patches
The Apollo Patch Collection: Includes all 12 Apollo mission patches plus the Apollo Program Patch. Save over 20% off the Individual price.
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Mars Rover mission patch
A mission patch featuring NASA's Mars Exploration Rover is available from our online.
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Apollo 9 DVD
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.
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Gemini 12
Gemini 12: The NASA Mission Reports covers the voyage of James Lovell and Buzz Aldrin that capped the Gemini program's efforts to prove the technologies and techniques that would be needed for the Apollo Moon landings. Includes CD-ROM.
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Apollo 12 tribute DVD set

New! Featuring the jovial crew of Pete Conrad, Dick Gordon and Alan Bean, the Apollo 12 mission was struck by lightning shortly after liftoff but proceeded on the second successful exploration voyage to the lunar surface. This three-disc DVD brings the mission to life with extraordinary detail.
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Fallen Heroes special patch
This special 12-inch embroidered patch commemorates the U.S. astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice, honoring the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia.
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Women in Space
Women of Space: Cool Careers on the Final Frontier is for girls, young women, and anyone else interested in learning about exciting careers in space exploration. Includes CD-ROM.
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Mars rover poster
This new poster features some of the best pictures from NASA's amazing Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.
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Apollo 12 tribute DVD set

New! Featuring the jovial crew of Pete Conrad, Dick Gordon and Alan Bean, the Apollo 12 mission was struck by lightning shortly after liftoff but proceeded on the second successful exploration voyage to the lunar surface. This three-disc DVD brings the mission to life with extraordinary detail.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Fallen Heroes special patch
This special 12-inch embroidered patch commemorates the U.S. astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice, honoring the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Women in Space
Women of Space: Cool Careers on the Final Frontier is for girls, young women, and anyone else interested in learning about exciting careers in space exploration. Includes CD-ROM.
 Choose your store:
U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide

Mars rover poster
This new poster features some of the best pictures from NASA's amazing Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.
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U.S.

Expedition 18 patch & pin
The official embroidered patch and lapel pin for the International Space Station Expedition 18 crew is now available to from our stores.
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Columbus mission patch
The official astronaut embroidered patch of Atlantis' STS-122 mission that launched the Columbus science lab in February is available to U.S. customers from our store.
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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.
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Apollo patches
The Apollo Patch Collection: Includes all 12 Apollo mission patches plus the Apollo Program Patch. Save over 20% off the Individual price.
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