NASA awards contracts for suborbital test flights
Posted: Tue, Aug 31 8:31 AM ET (1231 GMT)
NASA announced Monday it has awarded contracts to two entrepreneurial space companies to perform experimental test flights of suborbital launch vehicles. The contracts, totaling $475,...

Kepler finds two exoplanets around same star
Posted: Fri, Aug 27 8:17 AM ET (1217 GMT)
Scientists announced Thursday the discovery of at least two extrasolar planets transiting the same star as seen by NASA's Kepler spacecraft. The planets were...

Up to seven planets found around star
Posted: Wed, Aug 25 7:38 AM ET (1138 GMT)
Astronomers announced Tuesday that they have found as many as seven planets orbiting a Sun-like star, the most planets found to date discovered around...

China launches remote sensing satellite
Posted: Tue, Aug 24 7:20 AM ET (1120 GMT)
A Long March rocket placed a mapping satellite into orbit on Tuesday, Chinese media reported. The Long March 2D rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan...

Moon is shrinking slightly
Posted: Fri, Aug 20 6:56 AM ET (1056 GMT)
Scientists announced Thursday they have found evidence that the Moon has shrunk by a small amount over the last billion years, evidence that it is...

WhiteKnightTwo suffers landing gear problem
Posted: Fri, Aug 20 6:43 AM ET (1043 GMT)
WhiteKnightTwo (WK2), the carrier aircraft for Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo (SS2) suborbital spacecraft, had part of its landing gear collapse upon landing after a test...

Report, legislation seek to support commercial space, other businesses
Posted: Thu, Aug 19 7:06 AM ET (1106 GMT)
A report by an interagency task force this week proposes to provide grants to Florida businesses and create a commercial spaceflight center there, while legislation...

Spacewalkers complete ISS pump replacement
Posted: Tue, Aug 17 7:06 AM ET (1106 GMT)
Two spacewalkers successfully completed the replacement of a broken coolant pump outside the International Space Station on Monday. Doug Wheelock and Tracy Caldwell Dyson spent...

Decadal study outlines priorities for astronomy
Posted: Sun, Aug 15 10:29 AM ET (1429 GMT)
A groundbased telescope under development and a proposed space-based infrared observatory are among the top priorities for astronomy and astrophysics research in the coming...

Atlas launches military communications satellite
Posted: Sat, Aug 14 10:42 AM ET (1442 GMT)
An Atlas 5 rocket successfully launched the first in a new series of military communications satellites on Saturday morning. The Atlas 5 531 lifted off...