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• Asteroid will skate past Earth, miss by miles

  February 15, 2013 7:49 AM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A 150-foot asteroid is almost here. The asteroid will make the closest known flyby for an object of its size this afternoon. NASA promises it will miss Earth by 17,150 miles. But that's closer than many communication and weather satellites. The asteroid will be too faint... more »

• Baseball-size Martian rock recovered in Sahara

  January 3, 2013 1:27 PM

  LOS ANGELES - Scientists say a 2-billion-year-old rock from Mars that landed on Earth is quite different from other Martian meteorites. They say it is older than most and contains more water. It's also similar to volcanic rocks examined by the NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity on the Martian surface.... more »

• Twin NASA spacecraft prepare to crash into moon

  December 13, 2012 12:59 PM

  LOS ANGELES - The moon is about to take another hit. Twin NASA spacecraft are preparing to crash into the lunar surface next week after a successful mission mapping the moon's gravity. Scientists say the crash won't be visible from Earth. The spacecraft - named Ebb and Flow - are... more »

• Air Force sends mystery mini-shuttle back to space

  December 11, 2012 12:39 PM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A top-secret mini-space shuttle has blasted off from Cape Canaveral. The Air Force launched the unmanned spacecraft Tuesday aboard an Atlas V rocket. It's the second flight for this original X-37B spaceplane. It circled the planet for seven months in 2010. A second X-37B spacecraft spent... more »

• To the moon? Firm hopes to sell $1.5 billion trips

  December 6, 2012 12:20 PM

  WASHINGTON - A team of former NASA executives is launching a private venture to send people to the moon. The newly formed business is looking for countries willing to pay $1.5 billion for a two-person trip to the moon, either for research or national prestige. NASA's last trip to the... more »

• Chirps of alien birds?

  December 4, 2012 7:39 PM

  Two NASA spacecraft captured the clearest sound recordings yet from Earth's radiation belts and they're described by a scientist as the chirping of "alien birds". The Van Allen Probes are studying the radiation belts and collecting detailed measurements of high-energy particles and radio waves. These so-called chorus waves operate in... more »

• NASA scientists eyeing regional dust storm on Mars

  November 21, 2012 5:39 PM

  PASADENA, Calif. - NASA is tracking a regional dust storm on Mars, but says it has not affected the operations of its two rovers on the surface. The space agency said Wednesday the storm raging in the Martian southern hemisphere was spotted earlier this month by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter... more »

• NASA Curiosity rover takes a bite of Martian soil

  October 30, 2012 4:21 PM

  PASADENA, Calif. - Scientists say the Martian soil at the rover Curiosity's landing site contains minerals similar to what's found on Hawaii's Mauna Kea volcano. The finding released Tuesday is the latest step in trying to better understand whether the environment could have been hospitable to microbial life. Curiosity recently... more »

• Space shuttle Endeavour heads west to new mission

  September 19, 2012 7:34 AM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Endeavour has lifted off on its final journey. NASA's youngest shuttle left Kennedy Space Center at sunrise today on the first leg of its flight to California. It's bolted to the top of a jumbo jet. Hundreds gathered at the runway to... more »

• NASA's retired space shuttle Endeavour headed west

  September 13, 2012 2:28 PM

  CAPE CANAVERAL- Space shuttle Endeavour has just a few more days left to call Cape Canaveral home. At sunrise Monday, Endeavour will depart NASA's Kennedy Space Center for California, with stops in Texas. The retired shuttle will be bolted to the top of a modified jumbo jet for the... more »

• Visible from space: Curiosity tire tracks on Mars

  September 6, 2012 2:19 PM

  WASHINGTON - NASA's robotic rover Curiosity is making its mark on Mars. Its tracks are big enough to be seen from space. In just one month, it's driven 368 feet on the red planet, slightly more than the length of a football field. Curiosity's slightly zig-zaggy tire tracks were photographed... more »

• Mars rover Curiosity prepares for test drive

  August 21, 2012 2:22 PM

  LOS ANGELES - Scientists are preparing to send the NASA rover Curiosity on its first test drive on Mars and they say a broken wind sensor won't jeopardize its mission. Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California turned four of the rover's six wheels this week to test the... more »

• Like NASA rover, family switches over to Mars time

  August 20, 2012 12:31 PM

  LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. - One California family of five is learning what it's like to live on "Mars time" this summer. NASA flight engineer David Oh had to switch to Martian time after the rover Curiosity landed on Mars earlier this month. His wife and three children decided to... more »

• Obama cheers 'mind-boggling' Curiosity mission

  August 13, 2012 11:17 AM

  ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE- President Barack Obama says last week's landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars was a "mind-boggling" accomplishment. And he's urging NASA scientists to let him know right away if the craft happens to see any Martians. Obama telephoned the Curiosity team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory... more »

• NASA reschedules Va. suborbital rocket launches

  March 21, 2012 8:51 AM

  ATLANTIC, Va.- Bad weather has prompted NASA to reschedule the launch of five rockets from its Wallops Facility in Virginia. The rockets are part of a study of the upper-level jet stream. The launch had been set for Wednesday morning but has now been pushed back to early Thursday. Bad... more »

• Solar storm headed toward Earth may disrupt power

  March 7, 2012 11:17 AM

  WASHINGTON- An impressive solar flare is heading toward Earth and could disrupt power grids, GPS and airplane flights. Forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center said the sun erupted Tuesday evening and the effects should start smacking Earth late Wednesday night, close to midnight EST.... more »

• Human and humanoid robot shake hands in space 1st

  February 15, 2012 1:18 PM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Astronauts and robots have united in space with a healthy handshake. The commander of the International Space Station, Daniel Burbank, shook hands Wednesday with Robonaut. It's the first handshake ever between a human and a humanoid in space. NASA's Robonaut was launched aboard space shuttle Discovery... more »

• NASA spaceport breaks ground for shuttle display

  January 18, 2012 12:47 PM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA's retired space shuttle Atlantis is a step closer to completing its final journey. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida broke ground Wednesday for the permanent home of Atlantis. The $100 million exhibit will open in summer 2013. The astronaut who commanded Atlantis' final... more »

• NASA OKs Feb. launch of private space station trip

  December 9, 2011 12:28 PM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A private space company will attempt the first-ever commercial cargo run to the International Space Station in February. NASA announced the news Friday. The approval comes one year and one day after Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, became the first private business to launch a... more »

• NASA finds planet that's just about right for life

  December 5, 2011 12:30 PM

  WASHINGTON - NASA has found a new planet outside our solar system that's eerily similar to Earth in key aspects. Scientists say the temperature on the surface of the planet is about a comfy 72 degrees. Its star could almost be a twin of our sun. It... more »

• Wanted: Astronauts

  November 15, 2011 7:16 PM

  NASA is advertising for new astronauts to hire but there are no U.S. spacecraft to fly them into orbit. People can even apply on a giant government website since veteran astronauts are leaving the space agency. So in front of dozens of elementary school students, NASA unveiled its biggest ever... more »

• US prosecutors settle with ex-Apollo astronaut

  October 28, 2011 8:49 AM

  MIAMI - Federal prosecutors and former astronaut Edgar Mitchell have reached an agreement over a camera Mitchell brought home from his 1971 Apollo 14 moon mission. Mitchell says the camera was a gift from NASA. In March, he tried to auction it through the British firm Bonhams. NASA says... more »

• Asteroids Mapped that could Endanger Earth

  September 29, 2011 7:29 PM

  NASA and its sky mapping effort has found more than 90 percent of the biggest asteroids that pose a threat to earth. Those asteroids are 3,300 feet wide or larger. A spacecraft called WISE discovered 911 of the 981 largest asteroids predicted by models and now scientists think there are... more »

• Vitter: NASA selects New Orleans for part of rocket project

  September 29, 2011 2:44 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - NASA has chosen the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to construct some of the components of its new heavy-lift rocket. That's according to Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana. The rocket's design was unveiled by NASA on Sept. 14. NASA said that it... more »

• Orion spaceship set for new round of tests in Colorado

  August 12, 2011 12:23 PM

  DENVER - A spaceship Lockheed Martin is building for NASA is being prepared for the next round of tests as engineers attach a tower designed to lift the ship and its astronauts to safety if something goes wrong during launch. Lockheed Martin said Friday the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle... more »

• Space shuttle leaves space station for last time

  July 19, 2011 2:49 AM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.- A space shuttle has left the space station for the last time. Atlantis undocked from the International Space Station early Tuesday. The two spacecraft were soaring nearly 250 miles above the Pacific when they parted company - forever. The space shuttle and its crew of four are... more »

• Final space shuttle launch bittersweet for NASA employees

  July 8, 2011 6:28 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - As employees at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans watched and listened as the 135th space shuttle took off, there weren't cheers... At least for the first few minutes. For 30 years, NASA crews have built every external fuel tank right here in Louisiana. The... more »

• All 135 NASA shuttle launches in 135 seconds

  July 8, 2011 5:36 PM

  In commemoration of NASA's final launch of Atlantis, this video shows all of NASA's launches in order. more »

• NASA's last space shuttle blasts into history

  July 8, 2011 9:49 AM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Atlantis has blasted off on NASA's last space shuttle launch. The historic liftoff occurred Friday morning, 30 years and three months after the very first shuttle flight. Four astronauts are riding Atlantis to orbit. The... more »

• Weather worsens for NASA's last shuttle launch

  July 7, 2011 4:09 AM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.- Friday is supposed to be the last space shuttle liftoff for NASA, but forecasters say there's a good chance that rain or thunderstorms will prevent Atlantis from flying. No hail or other severe conditions are anticipated, and mission managers say the weather would have to get worse... more »

• Weather for final shuttle launch is 70 percent 'no'

  July 6, 2011 12:39 PM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The weather isn't cutting NASA any breaks, not even for the last space shuttle launch. Forecasters say there's a 70 percent chance that rain or thunderstorms will prevent Atlantis from flying Friday. That's worse than before. The weather forecast improves slightly over the... more »

• Small asteroid to zip past Earth Monday

  June 24, 2011 12:44 PM

  PASADENA, Calif. - NASA says a newly discovered asteroid will have a close encounter with Earth on Monday, but there's no need to worry. The space agency's Near-Earth Object Program Office says the small space rock - dubbed 2011 MD - will pass 7,500 miles above Earth's surface over... more »

• Cosmic Blast Identified

  June 16, 2011 7:55 PM

  Two teams of scientists say a super bright flash that appeared in a galaxy far, far away earlier this year was a black hole eating a star. Their research as published Thursday in the journal Science. The flash was first spotted by NASA's Swift satellite in March and was later... more »

• Endeavour completes final mission

  June 1, 2011 2:39 AM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.- Space shuttle Endeavour is back on Earth and has wrapped up its final mission. The shuttle's six astronauts landed at 2:35 am Eastern Time following a 16-day mission. Upon landing Endeavour, Commander Mark Kelly said, "It's sad to see her land for the last time, but she... more »

• Astronauts get set to land Endeavour one last time

  May 31, 2011 5:17 AM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.- Endeavour's six astronauts have checked the systems they need to bring NASA's next-to-last space shuttle flight to an end. Commander Mark Kelly and his crew spent Monday night and Tuesday morning getting their spacecraft ready to come home. All the critical landing equipment tested fine. Endeavour... more »

• Shuttle Endeavour leaves space station -- forever

  May 30, 2011 2:18 AM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.- Space shuttle Endeavour is on its way home. The shuttle undocked from the International Space Station late Sunday night, ending nearly two weeks of joint flight. Endeavour is due back on Earth early Wednesday. Endeavour is being retired after this mission. Only one other shuttle flight remains,... more »

• Glitch makes NASA cut short spacewalk

  May 20, 2011 9:21 AM

  HOUSTON- NASA managers cut short Friday's spacewalk by two Endeavour astronauts because one of their carbon dioxide sensors stopped working. The astronauts were nearly five hours into a routine planned six-and-a-half hour spacewalk at the International Space Station when mission controllers noticed that Gregory Chamitoff's spacesuit sensor wasn't working. NASA... more »

• Astronauts installing big magnet on space station

  May 19, 2011 5:16 AM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.- The astronauts aboard the orbiting shuttle-station complex are accomplishing the No. 1 objective of their mission. Early today, the two crews successfully hoisted a cosmic ray detector from Endeavour, for installation on the International Space Station. The $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer was delivered by space shuttle... more »

• Endeavour expected to launch this morning

  May 16, 2011 2:44 AM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.- NASA has given the go-ahead to fuel space shuttle Endeavour as other factors continue to be positive for a Monday morning launch of the next-to-last space shuttle flight. It's the second time NASA has loaded Endeavour's external tank. Two weeks ago, the countdown was halted because... more »

• NASA delays space shuttle Endeavour's last launch

  April 29, 2011 11:35 AM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA has called off Friday's launch of space shuttle Endeavour because of a heater failure. Commander Mark Kelly and his crew were on their way to the launch pad, when NASA halted the countdown. The astronauts' van did a U-turn, and returned the astronauts to... more »

• Endeavor's Final Voyage

  April 19, 2011 7:29 PM

  Late next week, space shuttle Endeavour lifts off on its final voyage and a two-week mission to the International Space Station. Astronaut Mark Kelly will lead the mission and he is awaiting word on if his wife, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, can attend the launch on April 29th. She was shot... more »

• Unusual Cosmic Explosion

  April 7, 2011 7:29 PM

  An explosion in a galaxy far,far away has astronomers puzzled. It was observed last month by NASA's Swift satellite and now the Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory are focused on the aftermath. Normally flaring from such an event lasts for hours but this has lasted more than a... more »

• Space junk threatening space station, 3 residents

  April 5, 2011 12:21 PM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A small piece of space junk is drifting dangerously close to the International Space Station. NASA has ordered the three station astronauts to seek shelter late Tuesday afternoon in the Russian Soyuz capsule that is docked at the orbiting complex. A NASA spokesman says... more »

• Comet-hunting spacecraft shuts down after 12 years

  March 24, 2011 1:17 PM

  DENVER - NASA's comet-hunting Stardust space probe is performing one more experiment before it shuts down and ends its 12-year voyage through space. Engineers at Lockheed Martin in Denver, where Stardust was built, will tell the spacecraft to burn all its remaining fuel on Thursday. How long that... more »

• Cocaine at NASA

  March 15, 2011 7:25 PM

  Cocaine was found at a NASA facility at the Kennedy Space Center and the space agency is investigating but it would not say what building it was in. NASA confirms 4.2 grams of a white powdery substance was found and it tested positive for cocaine. Its not the first time... more »

• Ticket to Ride just went Up

  March 14, 2011 7:27 PM

  The bill for U.S. astronauts to hitch a ride on a Russian rocket to the International Space Station went up to $63 million starting in 2014. The previous contract was for about $56 million. U.S. astronauts have to ride Russian rockets because the space shuttle fleet is being retired. The... more »

• Space shuttle worker falls to death at launch pad

  March 14, 2011 12:36 PM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.- A space shuttle worker has fallen to his death at the launch pad. Officials at NASA's Kennedy Space Center say the accident occurred at 7:40 a.m. Monday. The man fell while working. Medics rushed to the pad, but were unable to revive him. ... more »

• Space robot's debut being moved up after clamor

  March 4, 2011 12:38 PM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA is moving up the unveiling of the first humanoid robot in space. Space station astronaut Catherine Coleman said Friday everyone wants to get R2, the robot, out as soon as possible. R2 flew to the International Space Station aboard Discovery. In a... more »

• Space shuttle Discovery launches on final voyage

  February 24, 2011 4:23 PM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Space shuttle Discovery has blasted off on its final voyage. Six astronauts are on board the world's most traveled spaceship. They're headed for the International Space Station after a four-month delay for fuel tank repairs. This is Discovery's 39th and final mission. It's the... more »

• Glory set to Fly

  February 21, 2011 7:19 PM

  The satellite dubbed Glory is scheduled to blast off on Wednesday from Vandenberg AIr Force Base in California to join other's already in orbit collecting climate data. Glory will study tiny airborne particles and their influence on climate change. It was supposed to fly last year but there was a... more »

• Mission to Mars needs Money

  February 1, 2011 7:29 PM

  NASA says its next generation mission to Mars rover project needs more money since the agency burned through its reserves. NASA says its $82 million now and its nine months to liftoff. The latest cost overrun was reported last week and the newest to plague the Mars Science Laboratory, a... more »

• Military Exports Charge

  January 20, 2011 7:41 PM

  A former employee of NASA in Ohio pleaded guilty to illegally shipping night-vision rifle scope equipment to companies in South Korea and faces up to 2 1/2 years in prison. Kue Sang Chun is a Korean-born U.S. citizen and admits exporting defense items on the U.S. munitions list without federal... more »

• NASA: Astronaut hurt in bicycle accident

  January 16, 2011 11:11 AM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.- NASA officials say an astronaut who had been slated for a spacewalk on the upcoming shuttle mission has been hurt in a bicycle accident. The space agency said in a release late Saturday that Tim Kopra will be OK. But officials are still evaluating if he'll... more »

• Spacecraft splashes down into Pacific after test flight

  December 8, 2010 2:21 PM

  CAPE CANAVERAL- A private company launched a spacecraft into orbit and then guided it back to Earth today in a test that could lead to the first commercial space station supply run next year and eventual astronaut rides. The capsule named Dragon, splashed down into the Pacific Ocean three... more »

• Close Encounter for Deep impact

  November 18, 2010 7:19 PM

  NASA says the Deep Impact spacecraft braved a cosmic ice storm during a flight past the comet Hartley 2 earlier this month. New findings show the comet was surrounded by chunks of ice ranging from the size of golf balls to basketballs. The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in... more »

• Shuttle has electrical problem, could delay launch

  November 2, 2010 1:16 PM

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - An electrical problem has cropped up again aboard space shuttle Discovery and could jeopardize Wednesday's launch. The trouble appears to be with a backup controller for one of the shuttle's three main engines. NASA ordered last-minute reviews and hurriedly scheduled a mid-afternoon meeting of... more »

• Astrounauts cast early ballots from space station

  November 2, 2010 12:29 PM

  CAPE CANAVERAL - Red states. Blue states. And now voting from a weightless state. The three Americans orbiting the planet on Election Day have cast their ballots. Space station astronaut Scott Kelly voted Sunday via a secure e-mail system. Douglas Wheelock and Shannon Walker also voted recently... more »

• Giant leap for "Tinmankind"

  November 1, 2010 7:40 PM

  CAPE CANAVERAL - Robonaut 2 is hitching a ride on the space shuttle Discovery for the International Space Station to become the first robot ever in space to assist flesh-and-bone astronauts in orbit. The adventure begins Wednesday with the blast off of Discovery after gas leaks had to be... more »

• NASA Close to Extra Shuttle Flight

  October 11, 2010 7:36 PM

  It looks increasingly likely that NASA will get an extra space shuttle flight before the fleet is retired with just two scheduled launches to go. One is coming up on November 1. The President signed the NASA 2010 Authorization Act on Monday, which directs the space agency to move forward... more »

• NASA closer to getting extra space shuttle flight

  October 11, 2010 1:23 PM

  There's still the matter of money. But it looks increasingly likely that NASA will get an extra space shuttle flight. President Barack Obama signed the NASA 2010 Authorization Act into law Monday, following last week's approval by Congress. The measure directs NASA to move forward with an... more »

• It's official: Shuttle tank program over in La.

  September 30, 2010 12:45 PM

  After 37 years of having a major role in the manned space program, Lockheed Martin Corp. has made it official. The company says the era of building space shuttle fuel tanks at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility is over, along with scores of jobs. Left behind from a... more »

• Discovery to Pad for Last Time

  September 20, 2010 7:48 PM

  Shuttle Discovery is headed to the launch pad for the final time. NASA started moving it out of the hanger Monday night for the 3 1/2 mile trip to the pad. There are just two shuttle flights remaining, so this is a bittersweet time for the space agency. Discovery goes... more »

• Companies accuse government of bungling spill evidence

  September 16, 2010 1:25 PM

  The companies being sued in the largest offshore oil spill in history are accusing the government of mishandling a key piece of evidence. In a new federal court document, the company that owned the drilling rig, Transocean, says federal investigators aren't adequately preserving evidence from the rig's failed blowout... more »

• Failed BP Blowout Preventer arrives at NASA facility

  September 11, 2010 8:21 PM

  A Coast Guard official says the 300-ton device that failed to stop the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill after a rig exploded has arrived at a NASA facility in Louisiana for analysis. Lt. Suzanne Kerver told The Associated Press that the barge carrying the blowout preventer reached... more »

• O'Keefe recovering, son released from hospital

  August 18, 2010 1:38 PM

  The son of former LSU chancellor Sean O'Keefe says his father is making progress in an Alaska hospital. Kevin O'Keefe made the statement after he was released from the Providence Alaska Medical Center last night. Five people, including former U.S. Senator Ted Stevens, died when their plane crashed... more »

• Sean O'Keefe listed in critical condition

  August 11, 2010 10:21 AM

  Those who survived a plane crash in Alaska that killed former Sen. Ted Stevens may have been saved by their fishing waders. Temperatures ranged from 48 degrees to 50 degrees Monday night and it was raining. One of the first National Guardsmen to reach the crash site told... more »

• O'Keefe among those on Alaska plane crash

  August 10, 2010 9:17 AM

  Former NASA Administrator, EADS executive, and former LSU Chancellor Sean O'Keefe was onboard a plane that has crashed in Dillingham, Alaska. His condition is unknown at this time. Former Sen. Ted Stevens is also believed to have been aboard the airplane that has crashed in Alaska. A National Transportation Safety... more »

• End of NASA era for New Orleans with shuttle tank

  July 8, 2010 12:59 PM

  The end of an era for Louisiana's role in manned space flight arrived Thursday when the giant external fuel tank for the final scheduled space shuttle plant rolled out of its manufacturing plant. With the tank mounted on rollers and ready to be hauled to the Mississippi River and... more »

• End of a NASA era for New Orleans

  July 8, 2010 5:26 AM

  Today the giant external fuel tank for the final scheduled flight of the space shuttle program leaves the manufacturing plant in New Orleans. It's the end of an era for one aspect of manned space flight - and the prospect of unemployment for some of the 1,000 people working for... more »

• John Glenn: Keep space shuttles until there's a replacement

  June 21, 2010 1:28 PM

  Mercury astronaut John Glenn says if the space shuttles are working well, why get rid of them? Glenn is questioning NASA's decision to retire the shuttle fleet and rely on Russia to take astronauts to the International Space Station. The 88-year-old Glenn says depending on Russia for the... more »

• NASA to send your face into space

  June 9, 2010 1:06 PM

  Always wanted to fly in space? Now at least your photo can reach orbit. NASA is inviting the public to send their portrait into space aboard one of the two remaining space shuttle flights. To participate, upload your picture to a NASA website: http://faceinspace.nasa.gov You can... more »

• Shuttle workers get $ to find jobs

  June 2, 2010 8:35 PM

  Workers for NASA will get additional federal money to help look for jobs when the shuttle program ceases later this year. The $15 million in emergency grant money was announced by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis at Cape Canaveral. The money will assist about 3,200 contractors who work on the... more »

• Shuttle Atlantis soars on final voyage

  May 14, 2010 1:34 PM

  Space shuttle Atlantis is on its way to orbit for the last time. Atlantis and an experienced crew of six blasted off Friday afternoon. More than 40,000 guests gathered at the Florida launch site, all of them eager to catch one of the few remaining shuttle flights. ... more »

• Museum in BR benefits from NASA grant

  May 14, 2010 10:56 AM

  The Louisiana Art and Science Museum is among the beneficiaries of a $904,159 grant from NASA to produce new planetarium programs. The grant will be spent over the next three years. The money will pay for a spacecraft simulator to be developed. It will also provide software to be... more »

• NASA clears Atlantis for final liftoff on Friday

  May 12, 2010 1:24 PM

  Space shuttle Atlantis has been cleared for liftoff. Mission managers on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for the countdown to proceed toward Friday afternoon's planned launch. It will be the 32nd and final flight for Atlantis. Everything is looking good for an on-time launch at 2:20 p.m. ... more »

• Countdown begins for shuttle Atlantis' last flight

  May 11, 2010 3:21 PM

  NASA is counting down to the final launch of space shuttle Atlantis. Atlantis is set to blast off Friday afternoon on its last trip to the International Space Station. The countdown clocks began ticking Tuesday. Forecasters put the odds of good launch weather at 70 percent. The... more »

• Stennis Center groundbreaking set

  April 30, 2010 8:29 AM

  The Stennis Space Center will break ground Monday for a new technical center at the Hancock County facility. The $9 million structure facility will be the new home for the Mississippi State University-led Northern Gulf Institute. In addition to MSU, the NGI is a consortium of researchers from... more »

• NASA loans spacesuit to Chennault musuem

  April 19, 2010 9:21 AM

  A spacesuit similar to those worn on space shuttles and the international space station is on loan to the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum in Monroe, where it will be on display through June 1. The timing of the suit's display in the museum comes a week after President Barack... more »

• Last space shuttle tank built in N.O. reaches milestone

  March 3, 2010 5:24 AM

  Engineers and technicians at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility reached a major milestone when they spliced together the tank's liquid oxygen intertank to the liquid hydrogen tank to create a whole tank. The last tank now goes to the final assembly area and is scheduled to be finished on June... more »

• External tank for next shuttle delivered

  February 26, 2010 5:16 AM

  Lockheed Martin Corp. has delivered the external fuel tank for the next space shuttle mission to NASA. The 15-story-tall tank was placed on an enclosed barge late Wednesday and started on a six-day, 900-mile trip that was to take about six days. Lockheed Martin has now built 132 external tanks... more »

• NASA Predicts Good Weather for Shuttle Launch

  February 3, 2010 10:00 AM

  NASA is predicting good weather for this weekend's space shuttle launch. Endeavour is scheduled to blast off Sunday morning on the last major construction mission at the International Space Station. A new space station room is loaded aboard the shuttle, as well as a cupola with seven windows. NASA officials... more »

• Shift at NASA affects New Orleans

  February 2, 2010 4:52 PM

  The Obama administration killed NASA's $100 billion dollar plans to send astronauts back to the moon in favor of new rocket research. That means the 1,800 people working at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans who work on space related programs are in limbo. The enormous external fuel... more »

• Cocaine found in NASA hanger

  January 14, 2010 8:27 PM

  NASA is drug testing and interviewing workers after a bag of cocaine was found in the hanger that houses space shuttle Discovery at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA says it was a small amount of cocaine and found in a secure part of the hanger that is accessible... more »

• Mystery object to whizz by Earth

  January 12, 2010 8:37 PM

  Scientists are stumped by an object that will whizz by earth on Wednesday. It won't hit us, missing Earth by about 80,000 miles. Astronomers say it may be space junk or a tiny asteroid too small to cause damage. it's 33 to 50 feet wide. NASA says it will streak... more »

• NASA still puzzled

  December 3, 2009 8:04 PM

  NASA is puzzled about why two parachutes failed duirng a recent test flight of its prototype moon rocket, the Ares I-X, back in October. The two-minute flight went the way it was planned but only one of three parachutes on the first-stage booster opened properly when it fell into the... more »

• Space elevator competition

  November 4, 2009 8:28 PM

  The competition to build a successful laser-powered elevator to space isn't going to the top floor. Three teams are vying for $2 million in prizes in the Space Elevator Games backed by NASA. The competition is at the Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in Califonria. The... more »

• NASA's experimental rocket lifts off, lands in ocean

  October 28, 2009 5:07 PM

  NASA's Ares rocket took off today, after weather scrubbed the liftoff yesterday. NASA officials say the two minute flight was a success, and ended with crews recovering the rocket from the Atlantic Ocean. more »

• NASA test flight delayed

  October 27, 2009 1:36 PM

  Update: NASA scrubbed its Ares rocket test flight Tuesday because of high wind and clouds. Liftoff for the rocket has been reset for Wednesday. The space craft is meant to eventually replace the aging space shuttle fleet. NASA says the Ares line should be ready by 2015. ... more »

• Weather could delay NASA test flight

  October 27, 2009 6:12 AM

  NASA's newest rocket, the Ares I-X, is on the verge of blasting off, but bad weather could delay the flight today. It's the first step in NASA's effort to return astronauts to the moon. The flight will last two minutes and cost $445 million. NASA managers say they expect to... more »

• NASA sacrificing spacecraft in search for lunar water

  October 8, 2009 12:54 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - NASA will throw a one-two punch at the big old moon Friday and the whole world will have ringside seats for the lunar dust-up. Folks in Baton Rouge have the opportunity to watch the show at Highland Road Park Observatory. NASA will send a used-up spacecraft slamming... more »

• The Discovery expected to stop in Shreveport

  September 20, 2009 10:17 AM

  The Space Shuttle Discovery will make an overnight stop at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, tonight. The Discovery is on a cross-country flight to Florida. It departed from Edwards Air Force Base, north of Los Angeles, this morning. The shuttle has been in Southern California since landing from... more »

• Return To Moon Too Costly?

  September 8, 2009 3:06 PM

  A White House panel of independent space experts says NASA's return-to-the-moon plan just won't fly. The problem is money. The expert panel estimates it would cost about $3 billion a year beyond NASA's current budget. The plan to revisit the moon by 2020 was proposed five years ago by then-President... more »