Space http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1026&ft=1&f=1026 NPR coverage of space exploration, space shuttle missions, news from NASA, private space exploration, satellite technology, and new discoveries in astronomy and astrophysics. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Sat, 18 May 2013 05:13:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Space http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1026&ft=1&f=1026 Astronaut Chris Hadfield's Most Excellent Adventure Hadfield just spent 146 days up at the International Space Station, during which time he performed rock concerts and shared his dazzling photographs with nearly a million Twitter followers. Sat, 18 May 2013 05:13:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184821421/astronaut-chris-hadfields-most-excellent-adventure?ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184821421/astronaut-chris-hadfields-most-excellent-adventure?ft=1&f=1026 Hadfield just spent 146 days up at the International Space Station, during which time he performed rock concerts and shared his dazzling photographs with nearly a million Twitter followers.

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]]> Resetting the Theory of Time Generations of physicists have claimed that time is an illusion. But not all agree. In his book <em>Time Reborn: From the Crisis in Physics to the Future of the Universe</em>, theoretical physicist Lee Smolin argues that time exists--and he says time is key to understanding the evolution of the universe. Fri, 17 May 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184775924/resetting-the-theory-of-time?ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/17/184775924/resetting-the-theory-of-time?ft=1&f=1026 Generations of physicists have claimed that time is an illusion. But not all agree. In his book Time Reborn: From the Crisis in Physics to the Future of the Universe, theoretical physicist Lee Smolin argues that time exists--and he says time is key to understanding the evolution of the universe.

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]]> Water Trapped For 1.5 Billion Years Could Hold Ancient Life Scientists have discovered water that was sealed in Canadian bedrock for nearly half of Earth's history. It may contain the descendants of ancient microbes. The discovery could give scientists new insights into early life on Earth and inform the search for life on other planets. Thu, 16 May 2013 03:03:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/16/183950854/water-trapped-for-1-5-billion-years-could-hold-ancient-life?ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/16/183950854/water-trapped-for-1-5-billion-years-could-hold-ancient-life?ft=1&f=1026 Scientists have discovered water that was sealed in Canadian bedrock for nearly half of Earth's history. It may contain the descendants of ancient microbes. The discovery could give scientists new insights into early life on Earth and inform the search for life on other planets.

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]]> NASA Says Kepler's Planet-Searching Days May Be Numbered The mission launched in 2009 to hunt for Earth-like planets circling distant stars may be coming to an end because of a faulty part in the space telescope. Wed, 15 May 2013 18:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/15/184287135/nasa-says-keplers-planet-searching-days-may-be-numbered?ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/15/184287135/nasa-says-keplers-planet-searching-days-may-be-numbered?ft=1&f=1026 The mission launched in 2009 to hunt for Earth-like planets circling distant stars may be coming to an end because of a faulty part in the space telescope.

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]]> Chris Hadfield: Space Chef In Chief The Canadian astronaut didn't just tweet and sing his heart out during his five months as commander of the International Space Station. He also took time out to show the world what it's like to eat up there. Tue, 14 May 2013 14:03:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/14/183942357/chris-hadfield-space-chef-in-chief?ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/14/183942357/chris-hadfield-space-chef-in-chief?ft=1&f=1026 The Canadian astronaut didn't just tweet and sing his heart out during his five months as commander of the International Space Station. He also took time out to show the world what it's like to eat up there.

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]]> 'Space Oddity' In Space: Yes, Astronauts Are Still The Coolest Humans If you were an astronaut, isn't a David Bowie cover what you'd be doing? Mon, 13 May 2013 08:28:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2013/05/13/183579174/space-oddity-in-space-yes-astronauts-are-still-the-coolest-humans?ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2013/05/13/183579174/space-oddity-in-space-yes-astronauts-are-still-the-coolest-humans?ft=1&f=1026 If you were an astronaut, isn't a David Bowie cover what you'd be doing?

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]]> Astronauts Go On Spacewalk To Fix Ammonia Leak NASA sent two astronauts on a spacewalk Saturday to fix an ammonia leak in one of International Space Station's power systems. Sat, 11 May 2013 08:26:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/11/183100829/live-webcast-of-astronauts-spacewalk?ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/11/183100829/live-webcast-of-astronauts-spacewalk?ft=1&f=1026 NASA sent two astronauts on a spacewalk Saturday to fix an ammonia leak in one of International Space Station's power systems.

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]]> Astronauts Plan Spacewalk To Plug Space Station Leak The leak in a cooling system was discovered Thursday when "snowflakes" of ammonia were seen flying away from the station. Engineers on Earth were up overnight plotting an impromptu spacewalk. Sat, 11 May 2013 08:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/11/183097183/astronauts-plan-spacewalk-to-plug-space-station-leak?ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/11/183097183/astronauts-plan-spacewalk-to-plug-space-station-leak?ft=1&f=1026 The leak in a cooling system was discovered Thursday when "snowflakes" of ammonia were seen flying away from the station. Engineers on Earth were up overnight plotting an impromptu spacewalk.

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]]> Spacewalk Planned To Repair Station's Leaky Cooling System Astronauts discovered an ammonia leak in a system designed to keep the International Space Station's power supply cool. Fri, 10 May 2013 18:05:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/10/182952198/spacewalk-planned-to-repair-stations-leaky-cooling-system?ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/10/182952198/spacewalk-planned-to-repair-stations-leaky-cooling-system?ft=1&f=1026 Astronauts discovered an ammonia leak in a system designed to keep the International Space Station's power supply cool.

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]]> Exploring An Ever-Expanding Universe Saul Perlmutter shared the 2011 Nobel Prize in physics for his discovery that the universe was expanding at an accelerating rate. Perlmutter explains how supernovae and other astronomical artifacts are used to measure the expansion rate, and explains what physicists are learning about "dark energy" — the mysterious entity thought to be driving the acceleration. Fri, 10 May 2013 13:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182861376/exploring-an-ever-expanding-universe?ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182861376/exploring-an-ever-expanding-universe?ft=1&f=1026 Saul Perlmutter shared the 2011 Nobel Prize in physics for his discovery that the universe was expanding at an accelerating rate. Perlmutter explains how supernovae and other astronomical artifacts are used to measure the expansion rate, and explains what physicists are learning about "dark energy" — the mysterious entity thought to be driving the acceleration.

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]]> Hello....Is There Anybody Out There? The SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute's Jill Tarter has spent decades searching for the signals that would tell us we aren't alone in the cosmos. Tarter discusses the hunt, and what the presence of intelligent life elsewhere might tell us about our own future on Earth. Fri, 10 May 2013 12:25:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182861378/?ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/10/182861378/?ft=1&f=1026 The SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute's Jill Tarter has spent decades searching for the signals that would tell us we aren't alone in the cosmos. Tarter discusses the hunt, and what the presence of intelligent life elsewhere might tell us about our own future on Earth.

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]]> Buzz Aldrin's Case For A 'Mission To Mars' In <em>Mission To Mars, </em>astronaut Buzz Aldrin lays out his plans for getting Americans on Mars by 2035. Thu, 09 May 2013 13:40:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/09/182313488/buzz-aldrins-case-for-a-mission-to-mars?ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/09/182313488/buzz-aldrins-case-for-a-mission-to-mars?ft=1&f=1026 In Mission To Mars, astronaut Buzz Aldrin lays out his plans for getting Americans on Mars by 2035.

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]]> Our Very Normal Solar System Isn't Normal Anymore Turns out our solar system — with its medium sized sun, its four small rocky planets, its four big gassy ones farther out — isn't like the others. We are unusual. Very unusual. Says one prominent astronomer, we are "a bit of a freak." Tue, 07 May 2013 08:53:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/06/181613582/our-very-normal-solar-system-isn-t-normal-anymore?ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/05/06/181613582/our-very-normal-solar-system-isn-t-normal-anymore?ft=1&f=1026 Turns out our solar system — with its medium sized sun, its four small rocky planets, its four big gassy ones farther out — isn't like the others. We are unusual. Very unusual. Says one prominent astronomer, we are "a bit of a freak."

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]]> Send Your Haiku To Mars! NASA Seeks Poets NASA is looking for three haiku to include on a DVD that will travel to Mars aboard a spacecraft this fall. And everyone who submits a poem will have their name included. Thu, 02 May 2013 10:42:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/02/180532424/send-your-haiku-to-mars-nasa-seeks-poets?ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/02/180532424/send-your-haiku-to-mars-nasa-seeks-poets?ft=1&f=1026 NASA is looking for three haiku to include on a DVD that will travel to Mars aboard a spacecraft this fall. And everyone who submits a poem will have their name included.

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]]> NASA Details Space Telescope's Cosmic Near Miss Last year, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope experienced a dangerous close pass with a Cold War-era spy satellite. Wed, 01 May 2013 14:32:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/01/180332333/nasa-details-space-telescopes-cosmic-near-miss?ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/01/180332333/nasa-details-space-telescopes-cosmic-near-miss?ft=1&f=1026 Last year, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope experienced a dangerous close pass with a Cold War-era spy satellite.

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