Voyager 1 probe becomes first man-made object to leave solar system
(CNN) -- NASA's Voyager 1 probe has become the first man-made object to enter interstellar space, the U.S. space agency announced Thursday.Scientists report they have strong evidence that the unmanned spacecraft has crossed the magnetic boundary separating the solar system's sun, planets and solar wind from the rest of the galaxy.
(CNN) -- NASA's Voyager 1 probe has become the first man-made object to enter interstellar space, the U.S. space agency announced Thursday.Scientists report they have strong evidence that the unmanned spacecraft has crossed the magnetic boundary separating the solar system's sun, planets and solar wind from the rest of the galaxy.
Did you 'wave at Saturn'? NASA's got your picture
(CNN) -- Remember when we all waved at Saturn last month while the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft took our picture?
(CNN) -- Remember when we all waved at Saturn last month while the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft took our picture?
NASA sending a 3-D printer into space
(CNN) -- When traveling through space, there are certain items you know you're going to need.
(CNN) -- When traveling through space, there are certain items you know you're going to need.
Mars rover Curiosity celebrates 1 year on Red Planet
(CNN) -- One of the first photos it sent home showed a self-portrait of its shadow.
(CNN) -- One of the first photos it sent home showed a self-portrait of its shadow.
MPS teachers back from NASA training at Kennedy Space Center
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Educators in the Milwaukee Public School District have said many students learn better through hands on, problem-solving opportunities.
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Educators in the Milwaukee Public School District have said many students learn better through hands on, problem-solving opportunities.
NASA attempts to rescue planet-hunting probe
(CNN) -- Stargazers crossed their fingers Thursday as NASA attempted to revive the planet-hunting Kepler probe, idled since a piece of critical equipment gave out in orbit two months ago.Kepler has been sidelined since mid-May, when a reaction wheel that helps aim the spacecraft's telescope failed.
(CNN) -- Stargazers crossed their fingers Thursday as NASA attempted to revive the planet-hunting Kepler probe, idled since a piece of critical equipment gave out in orbit two months ago.Kepler has been sidelined since mid-May, when a reaction wheel that helps aim the spacecraft's telescope failed.
NASA cuts spacewalk outside International Space Station short
(CNN) -- Water observed pooling inside an astronaut's helmet was reason enough for NASA to cut short a spacewalk Tuesday morning.The spacewalk outside the International Space Station was planned to last for six and a half hours, but ended after one hour and 32 minutes, said NASA spokesman Kelly Humphries.
(CNN) -- Water observed pooling inside an astronaut's helmet was reason enough for NASA to cut short a spacewalk Tuesday morning.The spacewalk outside the International Space Station was planned to last for six and a half hours, but ended after one hour and 32 minutes, said NASA spokesman Kelly Humphries.
NASA's IBEX probe has new information about our solar system's tail
(CNN) -- Thanks to solar wind blowing out from the sun in all directions at a million miles per hour, material from comets gets whipped back into a formation that looks like a tail.Now, scientists know that our solar system has a tail of its own, with a surprising shape.NASA researchers working with data from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer announced Wednesday they have for the first time mapped the solar system's tail, called the heliotail.
(CNN) -- Thanks to solar wind blowing out from the sun in all directions at a million miles per hour, material from comets gets whipped back into a formation that looks like a tail.Now, scientists know that our solar system has a tail of its own, with a surprising shape.NASA researchers working with data from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer announced Wednesday they have for the first time mapped the solar system's tail, called the heliotail.
NASA telescope to study mysterious part of the sun
(CNN) -- How do the outer reaches of the sun get so hot?That's one of the questions that NASA has set out to answer by launching a new telescope that will stare into a mysterious zone between the sun's surface and outer atmosphere.Material that travels through the region, known as the solar chromosphere, heats up from about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,500 degrees Celsius) at the sun's surface to temperatures as high as 3.5 million degrees Fahrenheit (2 million degrees celsius) farther out, according to NASA.The agency says its IRIS spacecraft, which reached its orbit Thursday evening after taking off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, will angle its telescope to study "how solar material moves, gathers energy and heats up" in the chromosphere on its way to the outer atmosphere, the corona."IRIS will show the solar chromosphere in more detail than has ever been observed before," Adrian Daw, deputy project scientist, said in a NASA article ahead of the launch. "My opinion is that we are bound to see something we didn't expect to see."What causes the corona's intense heat has been "a scientific mystery for more than 50 years," according to NASA's Solar System Exploration unit.
(CNN) -- How do the outer reaches of the sun get so hot?That's one of the questions that NASA has set out to answer by launching a new telescope that will stare into a mysterious zone between the sun's surface and outer atmosphere.Material that travels through the region, known as the solar chromosphere, heats up from about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,500 degrees Celsius) at the sun's surface to temperatures as high as 3.5 million degrees Fahrenheit (2 million degrees celsius) farther out, according to NASA.The agency says its IRIS spacecraft, which reached its orbit Thursday evening after taking off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, will angle its telescope to study "how solar material moves, gathers energy and heats up" in the chromosphere on its way to the outer atmosphere, the corona."IRIS will show the solar chromosphere in more detail than has ever been observed before," Adrian Daw, deputy project scientist, said in a NASA article ahead of the launch. "My opinion is that we are bound to see something we didn't expect to see."What causes the corona's intense heat has been "a scientific mystery for more than 50 years," according to NASA's Solar System Exploration unit.
NASA selects Marquette University professor for space flight research
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- NASA has selected Dr.
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- NASA has selected Dr.
A feat of lunar synchronicity will create a Supermoon
(CNN) -- The heavens will deliver a rare treat to moonstruck romantics and werewolves Sunday who rise before the sun.A feat of lunar synchronicity will create a Supermoon.This happens when the moon is full and at the same time reaches its perigee -- the closest point to Earth in its orbit, according to NASA.It makes for the biggest, brightest moon of the year.
(CNN) -- The heavens will deliver a rare treat to moonstruck romantics and werewolves Sunday who rise before the sun.A feat of lunar synchronicity will create a Supermoon.This happens when the moon is full and at the same time reaches its perigee -- the closest point to Earth in its orbit, according to NASA.It makes for the biggest, brightest moon of the year.
NASA selects more women astronauts
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- NASA has selected another generation of astronauts to travel to new destinations in the solar system, including an asteroid and Mars, and for the first time in its history half of the new candidates are women.Four out of the eight candidates are women, "making this the highest percentage of female astronaut candidates ever selected for a class," the US space agency said.The new space explorers, drawn from among 6,000 applicants, are all in their 30s, according to NASA.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- NASA has selected another generation of astronauts to travel to new destinations in the solar system, including an asteroid and Mars, and for the first time in its history half of the new candidates are women.Four out of the eight candidates are women, "making this the highest percentage of female astronaut candidates ever selected for a class," the US space agency said.The new space explorers, drawn from among 6,000 applicants, are all in their 30s, according to NASA.
Bright explosion on moon visible from earth, NASA says
(CNN) -- A meteoroid struck the surface of the moon recently, causing an explosion that was visible on Earth without the aid of a telescope, NASA reported Friday.
(CNN) -- A meteoroid struck the surface of the moon recently, causing an explosion that was visible on Earth without the aid of a telescope, NASA reported Friday.
International Space Station has ammonia leak in cooling system
(CNN) -- The International Space Station crew is preparing for a spacewalk to address leaking ammonia from a cooling system, the commander said Friday.Cmdr.
(CNN) -- The International Space Station crew is preparing for a spacewalk to address leaking ammonia from a cooling system, the commander said Friday.Cmdr.
Spacecraft returned stunning image of hurricane on Saturn
(CNN) -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft returned a stunning image of a hurricane on Saturn's northern pole.
(CNN) -- NASA's Cassini spacecraft returned a stunning image of a hurricane on Saturn's northern pole.
NASA: Three new planets could host life
(CNN) -- In the midst of chaos here on Earth, scientists are finding hope for life on other planets.Scientists announced Thursday the discovery of three planets that are some of the best candidates so far for habitable worlds outside our own solar system -- and they're very far away.NASA's Kepler satellite, which is keeping an eye on more than 150,000 stars in hopes of identifying Earth-like planets, found the trio.Two of the planets -- Kepler-62e and Kepler-62f -- are described in a study released Thursday in the journal Science.
(CNN) -- In the midst of chaos here on Earth, scientists are finding hope for life on other planets.Scientists announced Thursday the discovery of three planets that are some of the best candidates so far for habitable worlds outside our own solar system -- and they're very far away.NASA's Kepler satellite, which is keeping an eye on more than 150,000 stars in hopes of identifying Earth-like planets, found the trio.Two of the planets -- Kepler-62e and Kepler-62f -- are described in a study released Thursday in the journal Science.
NASA shoots for new human missions by 2017
(CNN) -- NASA plans to capture an asteroid and start sending astronauts aloft again by 2017, even with a tighter budget, the U.S. space agency announced Wednesday.The Obama administration is asking Congress for just more than $17.7 billion in 2014, down a little more than 1% from the nearly $17.9 billion currently devoted to space exploration, aeronautics and other science.The request includes $105 million to boost the study of asteroids, both to reduce the risk of one hitting Earth and to start planning for a mission to "identify, capture, redirect, and sample" a small one."This mission allows us to better develop our technology and systems to explore farther than we ever have before ...
(CNN) -- NASA plans to capture an asteroid and start sending astronauts aloft again by 2017, even with a tighter budget, the U.S. space agency announced Wednesday.The Obama administration is asking Congress for just more than $17.7 billion in 2014, down a little more than 1% from the nearly $17.9 billion currently devoted to space exploration, aeronautics and other science.The request includes $105 million to boost the study of asteroids, both to reduce the risk of one hitting Earth and to start planning for a mission to "identify, capture, redirect, and sample" a small one."This mission allows us to better develop our technology and systems to explore farther than we ever have before ...
Forget falling stars: NASA plans to catch an asteroid
(CNN) -- NASA is planning to catch an asteroid and place it in orbit around the moon.Seriously.What sounds like something from science fiction is actually a part of President Barack Obama's proposed federal budget for the next fiscal year, according to a Florida senator.The budget is expected to be unveiled this week."In a nutshell, the plan in NASA's hands calls for catching an asteroid with a robotic spacecraft and towing it back toward Earth, where it would then be placed in a stable orbit around the moon," read a statement from the office of Florida Sen.
(CNN) -- NASA is planning to catch an asteroid and place it in orbit around the moon.Seriously.What sounds like something from science fiction is actually a part of President Barack Obama's proposed federal budget for the next fiscal year, according to a Florida senator.The budget is expected to be unveiled this week."In a nutshell, the plan in NASA's hands calls for catching an asteroid with a robotic spacecraft and towing it back toward Earth, where it would then be placed in a stable orbit around the moon," read a statement from the office of Florida Sen.
Space station detector finds first clues to 'dark matter'
(CNN) -- Nearly two years after it was sent up to the International Space Station, a giant particle physics detector has provided its first results in the search for the mysterious "dark matter" believed to be a major component of the universe.The international team running the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer released its initial findings Wednesday at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, in Switzerland.The scientists are studying flux in cosmic rays, the charged high-energy particles that permeate space, for evidence of the invisible dark matter particles colliding with each other, leading to what is termed "annihilation."A result of this would be a higher presence of the charged particles known as positrons, the antimatter counterpart of electrons.According to a CERN statement, the results announced Wednesday "are consistent with the positrons originating from the annihilation of dark matter particles in space, but not yet sufficiently conclusive to rule out other explanations."Over the last few decades, scientists have come to the conclusion that the universe's composition is only about 5% atoms -- in other words, the stuff that we see and know around us.
(CNN) -- Nearly two years after it was sent up to the International Space Station, a giant particle physics detector has provided its first results in the search for the mysterious "dark matter" believed to be a major component of the universe.The international team running the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer released its initial findings Wednesday at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, in Switzerland.The scientists are studying flux in cosmic rays, the charged high-energy particles that permeate space, for evidence of the invisible dark matter particles colliding with each other, leading to what is termed "annihilation."A result of this would be a higher presence of the charged particles known as positrons, the antimatter counterpart of electrons.According to a CERN statement, the results announced Wednesday "are consistent with the positrons originating from the annihilation of dark matter particles in space, but not yet sufficiently conclusive to rule out other explanations."Over the last few decades, scientists have come to the conclusion that the universe's composition is only about 5% atoms -- in other words, the stuff that we see and know around us.
SpaceX's Dragon capsule splashes down after mission to ISS
(CNN) -- SpaceX's Dragon cargo capsule splashed into the Pacific Tuesday after reaching the International Space Station this month.Recovery boats met the Dragon, loaded with more than 3,000 pounds of cargo and packaging from the ISS, according SpaceX's Twitter feed.The unmanned Dragon had delivered more than 1,200 pounds of supplies to the ISS crew.The Dragons splashed down at 9:34 a.m. Pacific (12:34 p.m. ET).
(CNN) -- SpaceX's Dragon cargo capsule splashed into the Pacific Tuesday after reaching the International Space Station this month.Recovery boats met the Dragon, loaded with more than 3,000 pounds of cargo and packaging from the ISS, according SpaceX's Twitter feed.The unmanned Dragon had delivered more than 1,200 pounds of supplies to the ISS crew.The Dragons splashed down at 9:34 a.m. Pacific (12:34 p.m. ET).