Posted: Thu, Aug 3 5:33 AM ET (0933 GMT)
A key antenna of NASA's Deep Space Network will remain offline longer than planned, potentially disrupting a number of missions. The 70-meter antenna at the DSN facility near Madrid has been offline since the end of June for routine maintenance, and had been scheduled to return to operations in October. However, inspections of the antenna discovered two damaged bearings used to turn the telescope; replacing the bearings will keep the antenna offline until at least January. The delay could affect a number of missions, including Cassini and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, that planned to use the antenna to relay spacecraft commands and data. Another mission scheduled for launch at the end of August, STEREO, also planned to make extensive use of the DSN.

Related Links:

•  New Scientist article
•  SPACE.com article

Posted: Sat, Mar 24 12:04 PM ET (1704 GMT)
Although it has been more than a day since the Russian space station met its fate in a fiery reentry, news about the station continues to trickle in. A SPACE.com article notes that the demise of the station has met with mixed reactions in Russia, with three members of lower house of the Duma, including two former cosmonauts, demanding that Russian president Vladimir Putin fire Rosaviakosmos chief Yuri Koptev. A foundation for the support of Mir called on Russians to observe a moment of silence Friday to mark the station's passing, a request that the article said was largely ignored. Meanwhile, some of the early claims of Mir debris being auctioned on the Internet have turned out to be false: collectSPACE said that several auctions of debris, including one the started less than a half-hour after remnants of the station hit the ocean, have been shut down. And what about those free tacos American fast food chain Taco Bell promised if a piece of debris hit a 40x40-foot target? Sorry, the company said, but the station missed the target, which apparently was thousands of kilometers from the predicted impact point. The company claims it "captured the imagination of people around the globe and re-focused attention on one of the most miraculous events in space travel," and while they may offer no free tacos, they're happy to sell you two "crunchy" tacos for 99 cents...

Related Links:

•  SPACE.com article
•  collectSPACE meMIRabilia watch
•  Taco Bell Mir challenge

Farewell, Mir
Updated: Fri, Mar 23 10:00 AM ET (1500 GMT)
Originally Posted: Fri, Mar 23 6:10 AM ET (1110 GMT)
The Russian space station Mir completed its 15-year mission early Friday with a fiery reentry over the South Pacific Ocean. After two successful deorbit...

Mir's final day
Posted: Thu, Mar 22 11:41 AM ET (1641 GMT)
The Russian space station Mir entered its final day in orbit Thursday as plans to orbit the station proceeded as planned. The first of three...

Mir saga becomes bizarre as deorbit day approaches
Posted: Tue, Mar 20 10:02 AM ET (1502 GMT)
With only a few days before the Russian space station Mir is scheduled to plummet to Earth over the South Pacific, the news related to...