Pluto flyby pictures: Nasa’s New Horizons probe sends back “best image of Pluto yet” as it whizzes past dwarf planet July 14, 2015 A multi-billion-kilometre flight, taking nine years to complete, has culminated in a major win for space science: the Pluto flyby. The US probe shot past Pluto at 12.49pm UK time on a trajectory that brought the spacecraft within 12,500km of the body’s surface. The probe was travelling at 45,000 km/h (28,000 mph). Nasa [...]
Nasa prepares to test its Low Density Supersonic Decelerator (aka “flying saucer”) June 3, 2015 Remember Nasa's "flying saucer" (aka "Low Density Supersonic Decelerator", aka "LDSD"), which could land us all on Mars? After months of development, the US space agency is finally getting ready to try it out. The LDSD was developed to "investigate and test" technologies for landing future robotic and human Mars missions and safely returning large loads [...]
SpaceX shows off its Dragon abort system for keeping humans safe in space missions May 6, 2015 SpaceX flexed some rocket muscle today, as it attempted to show Nasa how safely it can send humans up into space via a cargo ship. The US aerospace company, founded by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, tested the abort system aboard its Dragon capsule, which it hopes to eventually use for transporting humans to and from [...]
Do aliens exist? The first traces of extraterrestrial life will be found within 10 years, says top Nasa scientist April 8, 2015 Aliens will be discovered within 10 years, and this is no joke – it is an actual prediction made by a real (and important) scientist at Nasa, the US space agency pouring its life and soul into hunting down extraterrestrial life. "I think we're going to have strong indications of life beyond Earth within a [...]
A real flying saucer could soon deliver us to Mars, thanks to Nasa April 2, 2015 Flying saucers could soon jump from the realms of science fiction to reality, thanks to an invention by Nasa's jet propulsion laboratory. With its inflatable heat shield and circular shape, the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) looks just like something you might see in Star Trek, except it is real and could one day take us [...]
Your ultimate space travel guide: These gorgeous Nasa posters show which exoplanets should be top of your list January 8, 2015 They are the Caribbean Islands of space exploration – Nasa's top exoplanet recommendations offer landscapes you can only imagine, intense heat and out-of-this-world views. HD 40307g, Kepler-16b or Kepler-186f have been picked by the space agency's Travel Bureau, primarily because you are less likely to explode, implode or casually drift off into space than [...]
We have lift-off: Nasa launches its Orion Mars spacecraft on its second attempt December 5, 2014 Nasa launched the first test flight of its Orion spacecraft, which could one day carry humans to Mars, on its second attempt today, after yesterday's go failed when the wind was deemed too gusty. The test flight will allow Nasa to try out its first crew capsule to be built by the US space agency [...]
Nasa’s Orion spacecraft mission to Mars launch has been cancelled… for now December 4, 2014 Nasa’s mission to Mars test flight has been cancelled after technical difficulties stopped the Orion spacecraft from taking off this afternoon. The US space agency’s mission was due to take off from Cape Canaveral between 12pm and 3pm today, but scientists were forced to postpone launch a number of times after the technical difficulties and [...]
Orbital Sciences Corp share price plunges: Nasa video shows Antares space station rocket explosion October 29, 2014 Shares in Orbital Sciences Corp have fallen faster than its Antares rocket in US pre-market trading overnight, dropping as much as 16 per cent after its mission to the International Space Station exploded spectacularly seconds after launch. The unmanned rocket was taking 5,000 pounds of supplies to the space station, but exploded shortly after it [...]