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How Noisy Is Your Neighborhood? Now There's A Map For That

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Bureau of Transportation Statistics/Screenshot by NPR

How Noisy Is Your Neighborhood? Now There's A Map For That

March 23, 2017 • For the first time, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics has released a handy map tracing the noise produced by airports and interstate highways in locations across the U.S.

Woman's Headphones Caught Fire Midflight, Australian Authorities Say

A photo provided by the Australian Safety Transport Bureau shows an airplane passenger whose headphones caught on fire midflight. Australian Safety Transport Bureau hide caption

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Australian Safety Transport Bureau

Woman's Headphones Caught Fire Midflight, Australian Authorities Say

March 15, 2017 • On a flight from Beijing to Melbourne, a passenger's personal headphones caught fire while she was sleeping, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau says.

WATCH: SpaceX Successfully Launches Falcon 9 Rocket, Months After Blast

In this handout provided by the NASA, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket sits on the launching pad with the JCSAT-14 communications satellite in May 2016. NASA/NASA via Getty Images hide caption

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NASA/NASA via Getty Images

WATCH: SpaceX Successfully Launches Falcon 9 Rocket, Months After Blast

January 14, 2017 • The private space company's Falcon 9 rocket is bearing 10 satellites into orbit. SpaceX's launch came months after a blast wrecked its most recent test.

Air Traffic Controllers And Pilots Can Now Communicate Electronically

Air traffic controllers at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., are using new technology that lets them exchange digital messages with pilots. Cliff Owen/AP hide caption

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Cliff Owen/AP

Air Traffic Controllers And Pilots Can Now Communicate Electronically

October 3, 2016 • Texting has long become a common way for people to talk with each other. Now text-based messaging is becoming a way for air traffic controllers to communicate with aircraft pilots.

Air Traffic Controllers And Pilots Can Now Communicate Electronically

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Tray Tables Stowed, Seat Backs Upright — And Galaxy Note 7s Off, Please

A Galaxy Note 7 smartphone is on display at the IFA electronics trade fair in Berlin on Sept. 2. Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images

Tray Tables Stowed, Seat Backs Upright — And Galaxy Note 7s Off, Please

September 9, 2016 • The Federal Aviation Administration is warning owners of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone not to turn their phones on or charge them during flights — and not to put the devices in checked bags, either.

What Does It Take To Map A Walrus Hangout? 160 Years And A Lot Of Help

"An Old Walrus, Or 'Morse' " was drawn by Henry Wood Elliott in 1872. He included it in his book Our Arctic Province, next to a description of a walrus haulout in Alaska's Punuk Islands in 1874. Wikimedia hide caption

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The Two-Way

What Does It Take To Map A Walrus Hangout? 160 Years And A Lot Of Help

August 17, 2016 • Groups of walruses are vulnerable to disturbances, but it's hard to avoid them if you don't know where they are. A new tool from U.S. and Russian researchers draws on history to protect the animals.

Florida Company Gets One Bureaucratic Step Closer To Landing On The Moon

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Moon Express via AP

The Two-Way

Florida Company Gets One Bureaucratic Step Closer To Landing On The Moon

August 4, 2016 • Moon Express Inc. has been given a green light to send a robot off the planet, aiming for the moon. It's a milestone in the effort to privatize space exploration.

Florida Company Gets One Bureaucratic Step Closer To Landing On The Moon

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WATCH: Drone Falls From Sky, Narrowly Misses Skier In Slalom Competition

December 22, 2015 • The crash is just the latest drone incident to interrupt a sporting event this year. As the popularity of drones has grown, governments are grappling with how to regulate them.

5 Things To Know: FAA Task Force Recommends A Drone Registry

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Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

All Tech Considered

5 Things To Know: FAA Task Force Recommends A Drone Registry

November 23, 2015 • A task force created by the Federal Aviation Administration recommends that people flying drones heavier than a half-pound should register with the government. Here are a few things to know.

The Two-Way

FAA Study: Air Traffic Controllers' Schedules Can Lead To Fatigue

August 11, 2015 • Controllers who were closely monitored averaged 5.8 hours of sleep a day during the workweek. The number of hours dropped to 3.25 ahead of midnight shifts.

The Two-Way

United Flights Grounded For More Than An Hour Due To Network Router Problem

July 8, 2015 • The FAA issued a ground stop order for all U.S. airports at United's request Wednesday morning. On its Twitter feed, United apologized for delays and promised to help unhappy travelers.

The Two-Way

2 Die As F-16 Collides With Cessna In Midair Close To Charleston, S.C.

July 7, 2015 • The fighter jet was based at Shaw Air Force Base; its pilot safely ejected. Two people were aboard the civilian Cessna; both are dead, according to the National Transportation Board.

As Rules Get Sorted Out, Drones May Transform Agriculture Industry

Jimmy Underhill, drone technician for Agribotix, holds a drone at a farm in rural Weld County, Colorado. Luke Runyon/KUNC hide caption

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Luke Runyon/KUNC

All Tech Considered

As Rules Get Sorted Out, Drones May Transform Agriculture Industry

KUNC

February 16, 2015 • At farm shows across the country, drones have become as ubiquitous as tractors. Drone flights are mostly banned in the U.S., but on Sunday the FAA released long-awaited draft rules.

As Rules Get Sorted Out, Drones May Transform Agriculture Industry

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The Two-Way

AP: No-Fly Zone In Ferguson Meant To Keep Media Out

November 2, 2014 • During the unrest in Ferguson, Mo., this August, police requested a no-fly zone in the area. Audio recordings show those restrictions were aimed at news helicopters, The Associated Press reports.

After Fire, FAA Orders Review Of Contingency Plans, Security

Dennis McCormack of Rockaway, N.J. checks the departure board only to find out that his flight to Newark, N.J. has been canceled at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. Paul Beaty/AP hide caption

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The Two-Way

After Fire, FAA Orders Review Of Contingency Plans, Security

September 29, 2014 • On Friday, a contractor intentionally set fire to an FAA air traffic facility that has caused flight delays and cancellations for days.

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Air Traffic Controllers And Pilots Can Now Communicate Electronically

Florida Company Gets One Bureaucratic Step Closer To Landing On The Moon

KUNC

As Rules Get Sorted Out, Drones May Transform Agriculture Industry