China confirms lunar mission plans
Posted: Mon, May 21 8:30 AM ET (1230 GMT)
Chinese officials confirmed Sunday that the country will launch its first lunar orbiter mission by the end of this year. Sun Laiyan, head of the...

Exoplanet found to be made of "hot ice"
Posted: Fri, May 18 6:40 AM ET (1040 GMT)
Astronomers this week said that a previously-discovered extrasolar planet appears to be made of exotic forms of ice that can exist at high temperatures....

Enceladus plumes linked to tidal friction
Posted: Thu, May 17 6:39 AM ET (1039 GMT)
Frictional heating along fault lines on the surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus may be the explanation for plumes of vapor emitted by the moon,...

Orbital Express suffers anomaly
Posted: Thu, May 17 6:29 AM ET (1029 GMT)
A pair of spacecraft launched earlier this year to test satellite servicing technologies are drifting apart from one another after suffering a computer problem. The...

Hubble detects ring of dark matter
Posted: Wed, May 16 8:44 AM ET (1244 GMT)
Astronomers announced Tuesday that they have discovered a ring of dark matter created by the collision of two massive galaxy clusters. The ring, located in...

MSV signs launch contracts with ILS, Sea Launch
Posted: Tue, May 15 8:52 PM ET (0052 GMT)
Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV) announced Tuesday that it has signed launch contracts with two companies for the launch of two high-power communications satellites at...

Shuttle rolled out to launch pad
Posted: Tue, May 15 8:40 PM ET (0040 GMT)
NASA moved the space shuttle Atlantis to the launch pad early Tuesday, one day ahead of schedule, in preparation for its launch next month. Atlantis,...

Progress docks with ISS
Posted: Tue, May 15 8:18 AM ET (1218 GMT)
A Russian cargo spacecraft carrying over two tons of supplies docked with the ISS early Tuesday. The Progress M-60 spacecraft (designated Progress 25 by...

China launches satellite for Nigeria
Posted: Mon, May 14 8:59 AM ET (1259 GMT)
China launched a communications satellite it built for Nigeria early Monday. A Long March 3B rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at...

Loral wins New Skies satellite contract
Posted: Mon, May 14 8:46 AM ET (1246 GMT)
Space Systems/Loral announced last week that it will build a communications satellite for SES New Skies that will replace one lost in a launch...