|
Sunday:
August 15, 2004 | |
0222 GMT |
 |
Star clusters the leftovers from snacking galaxies
Globular star clusters are like spherical cathedrals of light - collections of millions of stars lumped into a space only a few dozen light-years across. Our own Milky Way Galaxy currently holds about 200 globular clusters, but once possessed many more.
 FULL STORY
 | |
|
|
Chandra catches early phase of cosmic assembly
A NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory image has revealed a complex of several intergalactic hot gas clouds in the process of merging. The superb Chandra spatial resolution made it possible to distinguish individual galaxies from the massive clouds of hot gas. One of the clouds, which envelopes hundreds of galaxies, has an extraordinarily low concentration of iron atoms, indicating that it is in the very early stages of cluster evolution.
FULL STORY
| |
|
|
|
Saturday:
August 14, 2004 | |
0700 GMT |
|
Cape Canaveral takes blast from Hurricane Charley
Hurricane Charley unleashed gusty winds and heavy rain on Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station late Friday as the storm spun across Central Florida. The spaceport was closed and workers sent home earlier in the day. Two rockets standing on launch pads were secured in advance of the storm's passage -- a Lockheed Martin Atlas 2AS rocket with its classified national security payload scheduled for liftoff at the end of August and Boeing's first Delta 4-Heavy vehicle due to fly in mid-October.
| |
|
|
International Space Station receives resupply ship
A three-ton shipment of supplies safely arrived at the International Space Station early Saturday as an unmanned Russian cargo ship made a fully automated rendezvous and docking to the orbiting outpost 225 miles above Earth.
FULL STORY
EARLIER LAUNCH STORY
| |
|
|
Additional coverage for subscribers:
VIDEO:
PROGRESS 15P CARGO SHIP DOCKS TO STATION QT
SUBSCRIBE NOW
|
Hubble peers inside a 'celestial geode'
In this unusual image, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captures a rare view of the celestial equivalent of a geode -- a gas cavity carved by the stellar wind and intense ultraviolet radiation from a hot young star.
FULL STORY
| |
|
|
Jupiter's moon Ganymede has a lumpy interior
Scientists have discovered irregular lumps beneath the icy surface of Jupiter's largest moon, Ganymede. These irregular masses may be rock formations, supported by Ganymede's icy shell for billions of years. This discovery comes nearly a year after the orchestrated demise of NASA's Galileo spacecraft into Jupiter's atmosphere and more than seven years after the data were collected.
FULL STORY
| |
|
|
|
Friday:
August 13, 2004 | |
0122 GMT |
|
Cosmos 1 solar sail passes new milestone
With the delivery of all electronic systems, Cosmos 1 -- the world's first solar sail craft -- has achieved a critical milestone in its countdown towards its launch later this year or early in 2005. Cosmos 1's mission goal is to perform the first controlled solar sail flight. Solar sailing is the only known technology that may someday enable interstellar flight.
FULL STORY
| |
|
|
OTHER HEADLINES Additional stories today
|
|
Grant supports range technology development at Spaceport -- The Florida Space Research Institute has awarded a grant to support planning for a Range Technology Qualification initiative at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. The program is aimed at accommodating emerging military requirements for "operationally responsive" launch capabilities that would increase efficiency at the spaceport while making Florida more competitive for both government and commercial space missions.
|
|
|
Thursday:
August 12, 2004 | |
1710 GMT |
|
Giant vortices found near Earth by Cluster satellites
ESA's quartet of space-weather watchers, Cluster, has discovered vortices of ejected solar material high above the Earth. The superheated gases trapped in these structures are probably tunnelling their way into the Earth's magnetic "bubble," the magnetosphere.
FULL STORY
| |
|
|
Trajectory maneuver brings Genesis closer to home
Thirty days before its historic return to Earth with NASA's first samples from space since the Apollo missions, the Genesis spacecraft successfully completed its twentieth trajectory maneuver.
FULL STORY
| |
|
|
OTHER HEADLINES Additional stories today
|
|
Kistler announces additions to senior management team -- The Board of Directors of the Kistler Aerospace Corporation announced the election of Dr. George Mueller as Chairman of the Board. Dr. Mueller will also serve as Chief Vehicle Architect for Kistler's K-1 Reusable Launch Vehicle. The Board also announced the appointment of Randy Brinkley as Chief Executive Officer and Will Trafton as President and Chief Operating Officer.
|
|
NEWSWIRE Links to news across the internet
|
|
Rocket's wreckage on sale to help fund next launch -- (AP) Wreckage from a private rocket that exploded after takeoff is up for sale, with proceeds going to finance the owner's next launch. Space Transport Corp.'s Phillip Storm and Eric Meier on Wednesday put the remains of the Rubicon 1 up for online auction at eBay.com.
State firm wins rocket launch deal -- (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner) The Air Force has awarded a $49 million contract for rocket launching services to the Alaska Aerospace Development Corp. and two other companies, according to an announcement from the Department of Defense.
|
|
|
Wednesday:
August 11, 2004 | |
0545 GMT |
|
Cargo freighter en route to International Space Station
A resupply vessel filled with three tons of food, water, equipment and fuel began its three-day trek to the International Space Station Wednesday, blasting off aboard a Russian rocket.
FULL STORY
| |
|
|
Solar sail systems tested
NASA engineers and their industry partners have successfully deployed two solar sails - each nearly 33 feet in length along one side - reaching a critical milestone in the development of a unique propulsion technology that could enable future deep space missions.
FULL STORY
| |
|
|
MESSENGER's checkout time
With a successful launch behind them and a long cruise ahead, MESSENGER mission operators are checking out the systems on the Mercury-bound spacecraft. "MESSENGER is in great shape and well on its way," the mission operations manager says.
FULL STORY
| |
|
|
OTHER HEADLINES Additional stories today
|
|
NASA scientists study gene functions to treat diseases -- NASA scientists have discovered a way to identify the gene functions of all an organism's genes simultaneously by using unique DNA sequences or "bar codes."
NASA announces winners of 'Software of the Year' award -- NASA selected a data visualization and simulation software package used by Mars rovers and landers, and a software package that can be used in aerospace and industrial flow fluid applications, as the "best of the best" software developed by the agency this year.
|
|
|
Tuesday:
August 10, 2004 | |
0346 GMT |
|
Spitzer shows dying star that goes out with a ring
A new image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the shimmering embers of a dying star, and in their midst a mysterious doughnut-shaped ring.
FULL STORY
| |
|
|
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter a year from launch
With one very busy year remaining before launch, the team preparing NASA's next mission to Mars has begun integrating and testing the spacecraft's versatile payload.
FULL STORY
| |
|
|
OTHER HEADLINES Additional stories today
|
|
Lockheed delivers critical space missile warning payload -- Lockheed Martin has announced the delivery of the first space payload for the Space-Based Infrared System High (SBIRS High) program. The payload was delivered for integration with a host satellite and eventual launch into a highly elliptical orbit (HEO) around the earth. The HEO payload's primary mission is to scan for ballistic missile launches; adjunct missions include detecting and reporting other infrared events of military interest.
|
|
|
Monday:
August 9, 2004 | |
1602 GMT |
|
Dwarf irregular galaxies are not so pristine after all
Astronomers have shown for the first time that even the smallest galaxies in the Universe have complex structures that indicate a complex history.
FULL STORY
| |
|
|
MESSENGER launch told through photo collection
NASA's MESSENGER space probe began its seven-year, five-billion mile journey from Earth to the planet Mercury last week aboard a Boeing Delta 2 rocket. These two photo galleries capture the countdown and the actual launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
PRE-LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY
LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY
| |
|
|
NEWSWIRE Links to news across the internet
|
|
Underdogs' spacecraft explodes on 1st launch -- (Seattle Times) In a giant leap backward for the underdog, two young rocketeers watched the unmanned spacecraft they've labored on for a year explode seconds into its maiden flight yesterday. The spectacular mishap rained debris on the beach and into the Pacific Ocean, and probably ended the duo's long-shot attempt to win a $10 million space race.
|
|
The Russian Progress 15P resupply ship makes a fully automated rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station. An external camera on the craft provides this view of the final approach to the aft port of the Zvezda service module. (3min 49sec file)
A camera aboard the International Space Station captured this stunning view of the strengthening Hurricane Charley on the morning of August 12. (1min 32sec file)
As Tropical Storm Bonnie comes ashore in the Florida panhandle on the morning of August 12, the International Space Station provides this view as it the orbiting outpost flies overhead. (1min 40sec file)
An incredibly rare sight was captured by the International Space Station cameras when the discarded Progress 14P supply ship reentered Earth's atmosphere. The craft burned up during the fiery plunge, which is visible as a long streak below the station. (3min 49sec file)
Spectacular video of the departing Progress 14P cargo ship against the Earth backdrop is captured by the station's crew. (1min 34sec file)
The Russian Progress 14P cargo ship undocks from the International Space Station after delivering its load of supplies and fuel to the orbiting outpost. A camera mounted on the craft's nose provides this view of the Progress departing the aft port of the Zvezda service module. (2min 15sec file)