NPR Topics: 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. Copyright 2009 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.93 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Space http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1026&ft=1&f=1026 Rethinking The Human Future In Space With NASA reporting a "significant amount" of water on the lunar surface, is it time to re-examine our priorities regarding living and working in space? Mark Sykes, director of the Planetary Science Institute, talks about why and how people should venture beyond Earth. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120613250&ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120613250&ft=1&f=1026 With NASA reporting a "significant amount" of water on the lunar surface, is it time to re-examine our priorities regarding living and working in space? Mark Sykes, director of the Planetary Science Institute, talks about why and how people should venture beyond Earth.

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]]> Camera That Saved Hubble Now On Display Two instruments from the Hubble Space Telescope, including the camera that corrected an early flaw in the telescope, are now on exhibit at the Smithsonian. The camera, about the size of a baby grand piano, is responsible for some of Hubble's most astounding photos. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:30:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120539846&ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120539846&ft=1&f=1026 Two instruments from the Hubble Space Telescope, including the camera that corrected an early flaw in the telescope, are now on exhibit at the Smithsonian. The camera, about the size of a baby grand piano, is responsible for some of Hubble's most astounding photos.

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]]> Atlantis Blasts Off On Space Station Supply Mission The shuttle rocketed into orbit with six astronauts and a full load of spare parts for the International Space Station that should keep it humming for years to come. The launch was NASA's first launch "tweetup," attended by about 100 Twittering space enthusiasts. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:46:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120467118&ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120467118&ft=1&f=1026 The shuttle rocketed into orbit with six astronauts and a full load of spare parts for the International Space Station that should keep it humming for years to come. The launch was NASA's first launch "tweetup," attended by about 100 Twittering space enthusiasts.

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]]> Water Ice Hides In Moon's Dark Craters A rocket set on a collision course with the moon reveals it's not just a dull, dry satellite. Water lurking in its craters could someday provide everything from drinking water to rocket fuel for astronauts exploring the moon. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120399296&ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120399296&ft=1&f=1026 A rocket set on a collision course with the moon reveals it's not just a dull, dry satellite. Water lurking in its craters could someday provide everything from drinking water to rocket fuel for astronauts exploring the moon.

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]]> Do Moon Craters Harbor Caches Of Water Ice? A NASA rocket slammed into a lunar crater in October. A second spacecraft followed minutes later, taking inventory of kicked-up debris and sending data to Earth. Scientists have now analyzed those data, which may reveal whether the moon harbors significant quantities of water ice. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120387119&ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120387119&ft=1&f=1026 A NASA rocket slammed into a lunar crater in October. A second spacecraft followed minutes later, taking inventory of kicked-up debris and sending data to Earth. Scientists have now analyzed those data, which may reveal whether the moon harbors significant quantities of water ice.

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]]> Sailing Through Space, On A Starboard Tack In the vacuum of space, photons — not wind — may someday fill the sails of lightweight spacecraft, propelling them without need for engines or fuel. Louis Friedman, executive director of The Planetary Society, discusses the society's plans for a sailing spaceship prototype. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120387123&ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120387123&ft=1&f=1026 In the vacuum of space, photons — not wind — may someday fill the sails of lightweight spacecraft, propelling them without need for engines or fuel. Louis Friedman, executive director of The Planetary Society, discusses the society's plans for a sailing spaceship prototype.

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]]> NASA: Evidence Of Water Found In Moon Crater Scientists have been analyzing a mile-high plume of debris kicked up by the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite last month after it purposely was crashed into a crater near the moon's south pole. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:18:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120387476&ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120387476&ft=1&f=1026 Scientists have been analyzing a mile-high plume of debris kicked up by the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite last month after it purposely was crashed into a crater near the moon's south pole.

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]]> NASA Unveils Plan To Unstick A Mars Rover The space agency announced plans for freeing the rover Spirit, which has been stuck in a Martian sand trap since April. Spirit has six wheels, though one, being inspected here by the rover's robotic arm, stopped working in 2006. NASA engineers will begin transmitting commands to the robot's five working wheels on Monday, but escape efforts could last into early next year. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120360137&ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120360137&ft=1&f=1026 The space agency announced plans for freeing the rover Spirit, which has been stuck in a Martian sand trap since April. Spirit has six wheels, though one, being inspected here by the rover's robotic arm, stopped working in 2006. NASA engineers will begin transmitting commands to the robot's five working wheels on Monday, but escape efforts could last into early next year.

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]]> Vatican Scientists Seek Evidence Of Alien Life Four hundred years after it locked up Galileo for challenging the view that the Earth was the center of the universe, the Vatican has called in experts to study the possibility of extraterrestrial life and its implication for the Catholic Church. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:24:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120291244&ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120291244&ft=1&f=1026 Four hundred years after it locked up Galileo for challenging the view that the Earth was the center of the universe, the Vatican has called in experts to study the possibility of extraterrestrial life and its implication for the Catholic Church.

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]]> NASA Launches Mission To Track Polar Ice By Plane Climate scientists are about to lose a satellite that helped show how global warming affects the Earth's polar ice caps. A replacement won't be in orbit until at least 2015, so NASA will use a DC-8 aircraft instead to track whether the process of melting and subsequent sea-level rise is accelerating. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:24:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114299675&ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114299675&ft=1&f=1026 Climate scientists are about to lose a satellite that helped show how global warming affects the Earth's polar ice caps. A replacement won't be in orbit until at least 2015, so NASA will use a DC-8 aircraft instead to track whether the process of melting and subsequent sea-level rise is accelerating.

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]]> Astronomers Detect Most Distant Object Ever Seen Light from a star that died when the universe was about 600 million years old is only now reaching Earth. The gamma ray burst is 13.1 billion light-years away, and astronomers say it's the most distant object ever seen from Earth. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:01:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114246224&ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114246224&ft=1&f=1026 Light from a star that died when the universe was about 600 million years old is only now reaching Earth. The gamma ray burst is 13.1 billion light-years away, and astronomers say it's the most distant object ever seen from Earth.

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]]> NASA Experimental Rocket Launch A Success The unmanned Ares I-X made a spectacular debut as it soared into the sky Wednesday. This next generation manned space vehicle is set to be ready in 2015, but some question the future of the program. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114251412&ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114251412&ft=1&f=1026 The unmanned Ares I-X made a spectacular debut as it soared into the sky Wednesday. This next generation manned space vehicle is set to be ready in 2015, but some question the future of the program.

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]]> NASA's New Rocket Lifts Off On Short Test Flight After a one-day weather delay, the Ares I-X rocket rumbled away from a former shuttle launchpad Wednesday morning at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. It's the first step in NASA's effort to return astronauts to the moon. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:38:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114241519&ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114241519&ft=1&f=1026 After a one-day weather delay, the Ares I-X rocket rumbled away from a former shuttle launchpad Wednesday morning at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. It's the first step in NASA's effort to return astronauts to the moon.

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]]> Weather Interferes With NASA Test Flight The prototype of a new manned spacecraft was scheduled to launch Tuesday morning from the Kennedy Space Center, but weather delayed the unmanned test flight. The rocket is intended to carry astronauts into orbit after the aging space shuttles are retired. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114195074&ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114195074&ft=1&f=1026 The prototype of a new manned spacecraft was scheduled to launch Tuesday morning from the Kennedy Space Center, but weather delayed the unmanned test flight. The rocket is intended to carry astronauts into orbit after the aging space shuttles are retired.

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]]> NASA To Launch World's Tallest Rocket The prototype of a new manned spacecraft is scheduled to launch Tuesday morning from the Kennedy Space Center. But a White House panel of experts recently raised doubts as to whether the Ares I-X is right for the job. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114170048&ft=1&f=1026 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114170048&ft=1&f=1026 The prototype of a new manned spacecraft is scheduled to launch Tuesday morning from the Kennedy Space Center. But a White House panel of experts recently raised doubts as to whether the Ares I-X is right for the job.

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