News briefs: March 28
Posted: Fri, Mar 29 8:48 AM ET (1348 GMT)
ESA's Envisat spacecraft has returned its first images of the Earth, the space agency reported this week. ESA released images taken by Envisat ranging...

Shenzhou 3 performing well in orbit
Posted: Thu, Mar 28 9:05 AM ET (1405 GMT)
China's Shenzhou 3 spacecraft is operating well in orbit and should remain in orbit for at least several more days, according to Chinese and...

News briefs: March 27
Posted: Thu, Mar 28 8:57 AM ET (1357 GMT)
Boeing announced Wednesday that it plans to pursue a multibillion dollar contract for the next generation of military communications satellites. Boeing will lead a consortium...

NASA sets April 4 launch date for STS-110
Posted: Wed, Mar 27 7:29 AM ET (1229 GMT)
Shuttle managers approved plans on Tuesday to launch the space shuttle Atlantis on a mission to the International Space Station on April 4. For security...

O'Keefe's vision: technology, not destinations
Posted: Wed, Mar 27 7:15 AM ET (1215 GMT)
NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe said Tuesday that he believes that the space agency should focus on solving key technological problems related to space exploration...

News briefs: March 26
Posted: Wed, Mar 27 6:45 AM ET (1145 GMT)
As expected, European transport ministers unanimously approved funding for the Galileo navigation satellite system on Tuesday. The decision freed up 450 million euros (US$395...

China launches Shenzhou 3
Posted: Tue, Mar 26 7:30 AM ET (1230 GMT)
After months of anticipation, China launched the third Shenzhou spacecraft, the prototype of a future manned spacecraft, on Monday. Chinese media reported that a Long...

News briefs: March 25
Posted: Tue, Mar 26 6:34 AM ET (1134 GMT)
TRW officially recommended Monday that its shareholders turn down a takeover offer by Northrop Grumman. The TRW board of directors voted unanimously to make the...

Europe set to approve Galileo
Posted: Tue, Mar 26 6:14 AM ET (1114 GMT)
European transport ministers are expected to approve plans to fund a satellite navigation system during a meeting that begins Tuesday in Brussels. The transport ministers...

News briefs: March 23-24
Posted: Mon, Mar 25 8:16 AM ET (1316 GMT)
The production of GEO communications satellites will drop 25 percent by the middle of the decade, according to a report by Forecast International. The report...