Spaceflight Now

Sunday: September 7, 2003		0418 GMT

'Cannonball pulsar' seen flying across space Astronomers have captured an image of a pulsar flying through space at 20 times the speed of sound, with radiant twin tails of X-ray light stretching nearly two billion miles from this tiny, dense sphere only about 12 miles across. FULL STORY

NASA opens new chapter in supersonic flight Flight tests completed by NASA, with government and industry partners, may have demonstrated a way to reduce the window-rattling impact of sonic booms. FULL STORY

Saturday: September 6, 2003		0424 GMT

Plasma found at black hole Astronomers report they have detected remarkably stormy conditions in the hot plasma being pulled into the monstrous black hole residing at the center of our Milky Way galaxy, 26,000 light years away. FULL STORY

Hubble assists Europe's Rosetta comet mission Results from the Hubble Space Telescope played a major role in preparing ESA's ambitious Rosetta mission for its new target, comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Hubble has been the critical tool in measuring precisely the size, shape and rotational period of the comet. Information that is essential if Rosetta is to rendezvous with a comet and then drop down a probe. FULL STORY

Weather appears promising for Monday's Titan launch Delayed from August due to technical issues, a Titan 4 rocket carrying a classified national security payload is scheduled for liftoff Monday night from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The exact launch time is a secret. The weather forecast predicts favorable conditions. MISSION STATUS CENTER

Friday: September 5, 2003		0410 GMT

Hubble observes celestial composition Amid a backdrop of far-off galaxies, the majestic dusty spiral, NGC 3370, looms in the foreground in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope image. Recent observations taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys show intricate spiral arm structure spotted with hot areas of new star formation. FULL STORY

Progress ship leaves station for Russian science mission An unmanned Russian resupply ship, parked at the International Space Station since June, departed the orbiting laboratory complex Thursday for a month-long scientific mission before it reenters the Earth's atmosphere. FULL STORY

NASA selects commercial ride for tech experiment NASA has awarded a contract to Team Encounter, LLC for a unique space science mission. NASA will send the agency's first space science technology demonstration experiment into space aboard a commercial mission managed by a private company. FULL STORY

ILS Proton rocket to launch Malaysian satellite International Launch Services has announced a contract with Binariang Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd. to launch the MEASAT-3 satellite in 2005. The mission will use the Russian-built Proton rocket with a Breeze M upper stage to loft the satellite to serve Malaysia, Southeast and Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Australia. FULL STORY

Thursday: September 4, 2003		0410 GMT

Antimatter factory on Sun yields clues to explosions The best look yet at how a solar explosion becomes an antimatter factory gave unexpected insights into how the tremendous explosions work. The observation may upset theories about how the explosions, called solar flares, create and destroy antimatter. It also gave surprising details about how they blast subatomic particles to almost the speed of light. FULL STORY

Grunsfeld succeeds Lucid as NASA chief scientist Administrator Sean O'Keefe has announced the selection of veteran astronaut, astronomer, and astrophysicist Dr. John Grunsfeld as the agency's new Chief Scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. He succeeds Dr. Shannon Lucid, effective immediately. Lucid will return to the Johnson Space Center in Houston to assist the agency's Return to Flight efforts. FULL STORY

SIRTF begins snapping test images of Universe NASA's Space Infrared Telescope Facility has switched on two of its onboard instruments and captured some preliminary star-studded images. The space observatory was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on August 25. FULL STORY SIRTF LAUNCH COVERAGE

Wednesday: September 3, 2003		0226 GMT

Mysterious 'giant domes' of Europa could be explained A new University of Colorado at Boulder study of Jupiter's moon Europa may help explain the origin of the giant ice domes peppering its surface and the implications for discovering evidence of past or present life forms there. FULL STORY

New image of Comet Halley out in the cold Seventeen years after the last passage of Comet Halley, the Very Large Telescope in Chile has captured a unique image of this famous object as it cruises through the outer solar system. It is completely inactive in this cold environment. FULL STORY

IN OTHER NEWS Additional stories making news today

Connexion selects Eutelsat for satellite connectivity -- Connexion by Boeing has signed a contract with leading satellite operator Eutelsat for satellite transponder capacity for Connexion by Boeing's mobile broadband information services. The provision of transponder capacity covering key areas of Europe and Asia provides additional momentum for the full-scale introduction of high-speed connectivity for airlines and passengers seeking real-time access to email, company intranets, the World Wide Web and entertainment content in flight. NASA honors agency software development -- NASA selected a data analysis system for an Earth observing satellite instrument and a software program used on the International Space Station and Space Shuttle as winners of the agency's 2003 Software of the Year Awards.

Tuesday: September 2, 2003		0224 GMT

Photo gallery: Delta 4's first daylight launch This collection of images from Friday's launch of the Boeing Delta 4 rocket captures in stunning detail the vehicle being prepped on pad 37B and its daylight liftoff from Cape Canaveral. ENTER GALLERY

Monday: September 1, 2003		0557 GMT

Major flares on far-away stars said predictable For the first time, astronomers are able to predict when major flares-enormous explosions that shoot hot gases into space-will erupt on stars outside our solar system, according to research to be published in the Astrophysical Journal. FULL STORY

NASA: Tides control flow of Antarctic ice streams The moon is often accused of causing lunacy, bringing on labor and transforming werewolves. Now it seems that in reality, the moon, through the tides, is responsible for the pattern of motion exhibited by ice streams in the Antarctic, according to a team of geologists from NASA, Penn State and University of Newcastle, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. FULL STORY

News Archive
Aug. 25-31: CAIB report blasts NASA for Columbia tragedy; 300th Delta rocket launches new window on Universe; Delta 4 rocket delivers last Air Force DSCS satellite; Cargo vessel safely docks to space station; NASA gives Chandra X-ray Observatory life extension.

Aug. 18-24: Brazilian rocket explodes on pad; New findings could dash hopes for past Mars oceans; Titan 4 rocket launch postponed into September; Distance data solves astrophysical mysteries.

Aug. 11-17: What to do with Hubble? Telescope's future debated; Canada's ozone research project launched into space by Pegasus rocket; Hot spots on Mars give hunt for life new target; Horseshoe nebula flows with 'X-ray champagne'; Galaxy torn apart in dark matter halo.

Aug. 4-10: Shuttle return-to-flight task group outlines plans; Asteroids dedicated to fallen Columbia astronauts; 'Phoenix' lander headed for Martian North Pole; Sea Launch rocket lofts communications satellite; Gravity variations predict earthquake behavior.

More news See our weekly archive of space news.

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.

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Viking patch

This embroidered mission patch celebrates NASA's Viking Project which reached the Red Planet in 1976.

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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.

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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 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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Columbia Report

A reproduction of the official accident investigation report into the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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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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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