Space Exploration, features and articles | Educational Science

Dec 31, 2007

Space Station Crew Prepares for Spacewalk Repair

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are preparing for a potential spacewalk this month to replace a broken motor at the base of one of their orbital lab's expansive solar wings. Station commander Peggy Whitson and flight engineer Dan Tani could make the repair as early as late January,...

Dec 31, 2007

Next Space Tourist Begins Training for Spaceflight

An American space tourist bound for the International Space Station (ISS) has begun training for his fall launch aboard a Russian rocket. Computer game developer Richard Garriott is spending six weeks in Russia to undergo initial medical checks and the first round of training for flight aboard a Soyuz spacecraft....

Dec 31, 2007

Astronaut Survey Finds no Evidence of Launch Day Drinking

A survey of NASA astronauts and flight surgeons has turned up no evidence that U.S. spaceflyers were drunk on launch day and revealed a desire for more transparency in how crews are selected for spaceflight. The anonymous survey, released Wednesday, did find one report of perceived impairment in an astronaut...

Dec 31, 2007

Europe Sets Launch Plan for First Unmanned Cargo Ship

PARIS - Europe's large unmanned space tug is undergoing final preparations for a maiden flight to the International Space Station sometime between Feb. 22 and March 9, with docking at the station likely to occur during windows of March 15-19 or March 30-April 5, program managers said Tuesday. At a...

Dec 31, 2007

NASA Eyes Kinked Space Shuttle Hose for Feb. 7 Launch

NASA's shuttle Atlantis is on target for a Feb. 7 launch so long as a kinked radiator hose doesn't put a crimp in the agency's plans. Top mission managers officially gave Atlantis and its crew approval Wednesday to press ahead with next week's planned launch toward the International Space Station...

Dec 31, 2007

Orbital Traffic Jam Looms for Space Station

WASHINGTON — The maiden flight of an unmanned European cargo ship is just one of several of tightly-packed arrivals and departures coming up for the International Space Station (ISS). The European Space Agency's (ESA) first Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) is set to launch toward the space station as early as...

Apr 30, 2009

Is Hubble Worth the Upgrade Mission's Risk and Cost?

Find full mission coverage on our sister site, SPACE.com. Vote below. *** Years ago, you could walk into any bar and ask the crowd to name a telescope, and they'd likely respond with a Cheers-like-greeting-to-Norm, Hubble! Not sure why you'd want to do that, but if you want to try...

Oct 31, 2010

Why Does the Space Shuttle Need Clear Weather to Launch?

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Launching a space shuttle is a joint feat of science and engineering, but even with all the preparation in the world, NASA also needs Mother Nature to play nice in order to get the craft off the ground. NASA has a well-defined set of launch weather guidelines...

Apr 30, 2010

How Can Astronauts Escape From an Exploding Rocket?

When NASA retires its space shuttles, the job of taking astronauts back and forth between Earth and the space station will fall solely on capsule-based spacecraft like the agency's new Orion spacecraft, currently pegged as an escape ship for the orbiting lab. An important part of any spacecraft designed to...

Apr 30, 2010

How Big Is the International Space Station?

Essentially a laboratory that orbits Earth, the International Space Station (ISS) is now 98 percent complete, and the countdown is underway for the liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis as it prepares to deliver a new science module to the ISS. Scheduled to launch on Friday, May 14 at 2:20 p.m....

Apr 30, 2010

How Many People Have Flown On The Space Shuttle?

The space shuttle Atlantis landed Wednesday, May 26, leaving only two more planned flights for the shuttle program. Because the crews of the final two remaining flights are expected to include only repeat passengers, no one will ever again feel the excitement of riding the shuttle for the first time....

Oct 31, 2011

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo: Tourists in for a 'Magical' Ride

The 400 space tourists who've already signed up to fly on the private Virgin Galactic space plane are in for a wild ride. Virgin Galactic is developing the SpaceShipTwo vehicle to carry passengers to the edge of space for $200,000 each. Once the prototype is ready, a fleet of the...

Jun 30, 2011

How to Launch a Rocket into Space in 5 (...4...3...2...1) Steps

With the Space Shuttle officially retired in Florida, NASA astronauts could use a lift to the International Space Station. Want to start your own interstellar livery service? We asked John Malinzak, a rocket scientist at Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, for a few tips on how to get from Earth into...

Apr 30, 2011

Galactic 'Fountain of Youth' Flows in Hubble Photo

A new photo from the Hubble Space Telescope has revealed what scientists have called a veritable galactic fountain of youth, one that would turn the fictional pirate captain Jack Sparrow of the Pirates of the Caribbean films green with envy. Journeying to the mythic Fountain of Youth is Sparrow's goal...

Mar 31, 2011

Earth From Space: An Astronaut's Quest to Protect Our 'Fragile Oasis'

From 220 miles above Earth on the International Space Station, American astronaut Ron Garan certainly has a unique perspective of our home planet. As people around the world celebrate Earth Day tomorrow (April 22), Garan and his five crewmates on the space station will be privy to spectacular and awe-inspiring...