Space entrepreneurs seek regulatory relief
Entrepreneurs creating new commercial space companies as well as those interested in investing in those companies said this past week that Congress needs to take several steps to improve regulations to allow those companies to flourish. FULL STORY
Next International Space Station crew named
Veteran NASA astronaut Michael Foale and seasoned Russian cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri are set to be the eighth crew to live aboard the International Space Station. They're scheduled to begin their mission in October, when they launch into space aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. FULL STORY
Saturday:
July 26, 2003
0433 GMT
Giant gas cloud made of atoms formed in first stars
Astronomers studying the most distant quasar yet found in the Universe have discovered a massive reservoir of gas containing atoms made in the cores of some of the first stars ever formed. FULL STORY
Canadian team maps halos around galaxies
Two University of Toronto astronomers and a U.S. colleague have made the first measurements of the size and shape of massive dark matter halos that surround galaxies. FULL STORY
Friday:
July 25, 2003
0601 GMT
Pentagon strips 7 launches from Boeing Delta 4 rocket
The U.S. Air Force has revoked $1 billion of launches from Boeing's Delta 4 rocket program, handing them to rival Lockheed Martin's Atlas 5 rocket, as punishment for corporate mischief during the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle development. FULL STORY READ AIR FORCE ANNOUNCEMENT RESPONSE FROM BOEING
China could begin manned spaceflight soon
China's clandestine manned space program could be just a few months away from its first human journey into orbit, a feat the nation has been striving toward for over a decade. FULL STORY
Thursday:
July 24, 2003
0409 GMT
Two options emerge for NASA's Orbital Space Plane
Advocates for two differing generic designs for NASA's proposed Orbital Space Plane, a winged vehicle versus a capsule, made their cases for their preferred concepts during a Washington forum this week, debating the merits of advanced technology versus low-cost designs. FULL STORY
Pluto explorer to launch atop Atlas 5 rocket
NASA has tapped Lockheed Martin's Atlas 5 rocket to launch the world's first robotic expedition to the planet Pluto. The New Horizons mission is scheduled for launch in January 2006. FULL STORY
Investigators release report on X-43A launch failure
The NASA mishap investigation board, charged to review the loss of the X-43A Hyper-X program research vehicle during its June 2, 2001 launch, concluded no single factor or potential contributing factor caused the mishap. The flight failed because the vehicle's control system design was deficient in several analytical modeling areas, which overestimated the system's margins. FULL STORY
Wednesday:
July 23, 2003
0156 GMT
Ham overcome by emotion when describing anguish
In an emotion-charged meeting with reporters, Linda Ham, chairman of NASA's mission management team and a lightning rod for criticism of decisions made - or not made - during the shuttle Columbia's ill-fated voyage, spoke publicly for the first time Tuesday, defending NASA's management practices but agreeing major changes are needed. FULL STORY
A pancake shapes distant galactic center
While a person's shape can be affected by pancakes, especially if you eat too many, you may not expect the same to be true on a cosmic scale. As it turns out, at least for the Circinus spiral galaxy, a pancake can shape an entire galactic nucleus. FULL STORY
Orbiting eyes help track hot fires on Earth below
NASA satellites' "eyes" above Earth are providing scientists and fire managers with powerful monitoring tools. NASA is providing the "big picture" needed to understand how fires behave before, during, and after damage has been done. A suite of NASA satellites, flying in coordinated fashion, offers the unparalleled insight only possible from space. FULL STORY
Tuesday:
July 22, 2003
1205 GMT
Management team hardly discussed foam strike
Transcripts of meetings by senior NASA managers during the shuttle Columbia's ill-fated flight show mission management team chairman Linda Ham and other top officials, despite a dearth of technical data, simply did not believe falling insulation from the ship's external fuel tank could cause a catastrophic breach in the ship's left wing. FULL STORY STS-107 STORY DIRECTORY
Audio coverage for subscribers only: AUDIO: STS-107 MMT Meeting January 17 QT AUDIO: STS-107 MMT Meeting January 21 QT AUDIO: STS-107 MMT Meeting January 24 QT AUDIO: STS-107 MMT Meeting January 27 QT AUDIO: STS-107 MMT Meeting January 30 QT SUBSCRIBE NOW
'Stunning' stat for parent stars of extrasolar planets
A comparison of 754 nearby stars like our Sun -- some with planets and some without -- shows definitively that the more iron and other metals there are in a star, the greater the chance it has a companion planet. FULL STORY
Team gives FUSE spacecraft triple brain transplant
NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer satellite was given a new lease on life following the successful implementation of new software in three computers that work together to control the precision pointing of the telescope. FULL STORY
Monday:
July 21, 2003
0640 GMT
Microflares on Sun could play major role in corona
The Sun's big, bright, explosive flares are the attention grabbers, but tiny, more numerous microflares may have nearly as much influence on the solar atmosphere, according to new data from the University of California, Berkeley's RHESSI satellite. FULL STORY
One step closer to next-generation spaceflight
The kerosene-fueled RS-84 engine, one of several technologies competing to power NASA's next generation of launch vehicles, has successfully completed its preliminary design review. The RS-84 engine development is part of NASA's Next Generation Launch Technology program. FULL STORY
SpaceDev wins small launch vehicle contract
SpaceDev has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research contract by the Air Force Research Laboratory to design and begin the development of the SpaceDev Streaker small launch vehicle. SpaceDev Streaker will be designed to responsively and affordably lift up to 1,000 pounds to Low Earth Orbit. FULL STORY
News Archive July 14-20: Enhanced version of Atlas 5 rocket debuts successfully; Columbia crew module likely survived shuttle breakup; Detailed maps reveal early Universe galaxy distribution; Hubble tracks down a galaxy cluster's dark matter. 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. More news See our weekly archive of space news. 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. -
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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. -
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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. -
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Worldwide Mars rover poster This new poster features some of the best pictures from NASA's amazing Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Choose your store: U.S. 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. Choose your store: U.S. -
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Worldwide 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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Worldwide Apollo patches The Apollo Patch Collection: Includes all 12 Apollo mission patches plus the Apollo Program Patch. Save over 20% off the Individual price. Choose your store: U.S. -
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Worldwide Mars Rover mission patch A mission patch featuring NASA's Mars Exploration Rover is available from our online. Choose your store: U.S. -
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Worldwide 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. 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). Soviet Space For the first time ever available in the West. Rocket & Space Corporation Energia: a complete pictorial history of the Soviet/Russian Space Program from 1946 to the present day all in full color. Available from our store. Choose your store: U.S. -
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Worldwide Viking patch This embroidered mission patch celebrates NASA's Viking Project which reached the Red Planet in 1976. Choose your store: U.S. -
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Worldwide Apollo 7 DVD For 11 days the crew of Apollo 7 fought colds while they put the Apollo spacecraft through a workout, establishing confidence in the machine what would lead directly to the bold decision to send Apollo 8 to the moon just 2 months later. Choose your store: U.S. -
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Worldwide 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. Choose your store: U.S. -
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Worldwide Apollo Collage This beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos. U.S. STORE STS-127 Patch The official embroidered patch for shuttle Endeavour's flight to finish building Japanese section of the space station. U.S. STORE WORLDWIDE STORE Hubble Patch The official embroidered patch for mission STS-125, the space shuttle's last planned service call to the Hubble Space Telescope, is available for purchase. 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
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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.
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.
This new poster features some of the best pictures from NASA's amazing Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.
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.
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.
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.
For the first time ever available in the West. Rocket & Space Corporation Energia: a complete pictorial history of the Soviet/Russian Space Program from 1946 to the present day all in full color. Available from our store.
This embroidered mission patch celebrates NASA's Viking Project which reached the Red Planet in 1976.
For 11 days the crew of Apollo 7 fought colds while they put the Apollo spacecraft through a workout, establishing confidence in the machine what would lead directly to the bold decision to send Apollo 8 to the moon just 2 months later.
This beautiful one piece set features the Apollo program emblem surrounded by the individual mission logos.
The official embroidered patch for shuttle Endeavour's flight to finish building Japanese section of the space station.
The official embroidered patch for mission STS-125, the space shuttle's last planned service call to the Hubble Space Telescope, is available for purchase.
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.
