#astronauts

History | History

On This Day In Space: Aug. 29, 1965: Gemini 5 breaks spaceflight duration record

On Aug. 29, 1965, two NASA astronauts returned from their record-breaking Gemini 5 mission.

Science & Technology | Science

After Going to Space, You Need to Spend At Least Three Years on Earth Recovering From Brain Damage

A new study shows and it can take as long as 3 years on Earth to recover from brain swelling suffered in space.

Science & Technology | Science

Astronauts that hibernate on long spaceflights is not just for sci-fi. We could test it in 10 years.

First hibernation studies with human subjects could be feasible within a decade, a European Space Agency (ESA) researcher thinks.

News | NEWS

Apollo 7 astronaut Walt Cunningham dies at age 90

Walt Cunningham, who tested the Apollo command module in Earth orbit, has died. Cunningham was America's second civilian to fly in space.

Science & Technology | Science

New Study Reveals Devastating Effect on Astronaut Bones From Living in Space


Astronauts lose decades' worth of bone mass in space that many do not recover even after a year back on Earth, researchers said Thursday, warning that it could be a "big concern" for future missions to Mars.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Here’s how astronauts vote from space

NASA has a system in place so that astronauts who are in space can still cast their votes in elections. The process is relatively straightforward, with a unique ballot sent electronically that only the voter can access.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Attention Aspiring Astronauts: Challenge Yourself With SpaceX's ISS Docking Simulator

Before SpaceX sends its Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station, see what the astronauts onboard will experience with this free docking simulator.

Miscellaneous | Other Kinds of Whatnot

Casio Is Releasing a Retro-Style, NASA-Themed G-Shock Watch

Just because you’re not headed to the Moon doesn’t mean you can’t flaunt your passion for space exploration.

Science & Technology | Science

Astronaut study suggests spaceflight permanently alters the human brain

Scientists discovered a major effect that long duration spaceflight has on astronauts' brains, altering the volume of fluids around the brain.

Miscellaneous | Interesting Links

Space Crime Allegation Leads to Charges Against Astronaut’s Ex-Wife - The New York Times

The astronaut Anne McClain had faced accusations that she had improperly accessed a bank account from the International Space Station. But prosecutors said her accuser lied about some details.

Science & Technology | Science

NASA’s new Moon-bound spacesuit is safer, smarter and much more comfortable | TechCrunch

The next Americans to set foot on the Moon will do so in a brand new spacesuit that's based on, but hugely improved from, the original Apollo suits that last went up there in the '70s. With easier entry, better mobility, and improved communications, these

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Could You Pass This Astronaut Aptitude Test? | Mental Floss

Think you've got what it takes to follow in the footsteps of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin? Take this Astronaut Test and find out.

History | History

The 12 Men Who Walked on the Moon | Mental Floss

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history in 1969 when they became the first people to step foot on the Moon. Ten others have followed in their footsteps.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Michael Collins Is the Forgotten Astronaut of Apollo 11. He's Perfectly Fine With That.

Michael Collins orbited the moon on July 20, 1969, while his colleagues, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, walked on it.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

This is the scariest, most counterintuitive thing astronauts had to do in space

Flying in space to rendezvous with another craft is so hard that the first U.S. astronaut to try it completely failed.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Should Neil Armstrong’s Bootprints Be on the Moon Forever? - The New York Times

With renewed interest in the moon, some say it’s time to consider whether, and how, to preserve humanity’s lunar heritage.

Science & Technology | Science

Video Shows How Hard It Really Is to Walk on Earth After 6 Months in Space

Going to space is serious business. How serious? Well, let this video from NASA astronaut Drew Feustel tell you.

Advice & Self-Help | Meditation and Other Practices

An Astronaut's Guide to Navigating Stress - Mindful

In this video from Big Think, astronaut Chris Hadfield explains how to manage your reaction when stress hits.

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station had to plug this hole with their thumb – BGR

Yesterday, Russian space organization Roscosmos and the European Space Agency broke the news that the International Space Station had sprung a leak. That's a pretty big deal for the astronauts who are riding what amounts to a floating science laboratory,

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

NASA astronaut, 1st to fly untethered in space, dies at 80

HOUSTON (AP) — NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless, the first person to fly freely and untethered in space, has died. He was 80.

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

NASA Twin Study: Year in Space Changed Scott Kelly All the Way to His DNA

In the space agency’s Twins Study—which investigates the effects of space travel on human health—researchers found that being in space encourages methylation, which is the biological process of switching genes on and off. “Some of the most exciti

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

America's longest-orbiting female astronaut has safely returned home

After spending 665 days whizzing 254 miles above the surface of Earth aboard the International Space Station, Astronaut Peggy Whitson has successfully reentered the atmosphere and set down safely in Kazakhstan.

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

NASA displays Apollo capsule hatch 50 years after fatal fire

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A relic from America's first space tragedy is finally going on display this week, 50 years after a fire on the launch pad killed three astronauts at the start of the Apollo moon program.

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

NASA's Moonwalking Apollo Astronauts: Then and Now

Only 18 people have flown on missions to the moon. Here are the astronauts of NASA's Apollo manned journeys to the lunar surface.

News | Interesting Stories

John Glenn, the 1st American to orbit Earth, has died at 95

WASHINGTON (AP) — John Glenn, whose 1962 flight as the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth made him an all-American hero and propelled him to a long career in the U.S. Senate, died Thursday. The last survivor of the original Mercury 7 astronauts was

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

Watch astronaut Tim Peake explain why somersaults in the ISS don't make you dizzy

“On the ground the brain takes cues both from the motion of fluid in our inner ear, which is affected by our motion and by gravity, as well as from our vision to determine our position and motion.”

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

NASA Will Return to the Moon in Preparation for Human Mars Mission

The 2018 mission will be launched from Kennedy Space Center and will travel to a distant orbit around the Moon.

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

Here are astronaut Scott Kelly's most jaw-dropping photos from his year in space

Official site of The Week Magazine, offering commentary and analysis of the day's breaking news and current events as well as arts, entertainment, people and gossip, and political cartoons.

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

Here's what happens to your body in space - Business Insider

NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly just spent a year in space. Here's what it did to his body.

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

Year-in-Space Astronaut Scott Kelly Packs for Home But Skips Souvenir

Scott Kelly, who has been living and working on the space station since last March and is set to return to Earth next week, isn't bringing home a souvenir for himself.

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

'Last Man on the Moon' Documentary Brings Space Exploration Home

"Last Man on the Moon," a documentary about the life and experiences of former astronaut Eugene Cernan, drives home the reasons for humanity's pursuit of the stars.

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

Lost Tapes Reveal Apollo Astronauts Heard Unexplained ‘Music’ On Far Side Of The Moon

"If you’re behind the moon and hear some weird noise on your radio, and you know you’re blocked from the Earth, then what could you possibly think?"

News | Interesting Stories

Astronaut Chris Hadfield Explains The Power of Negative Thinking

The Canadian is the best-known astronaut since Neil Armstrong. He explains how failings can motivate.

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

Two NASA astronauts will perform an unscheduled spacewalk next week

NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Tim Kopra will likely perform an unexpected spacewalk next week, to fix a rail car that stalled on the outside of the International Space Station. The unscheduled spacewalk will address a problem that arose on Wednesday wi

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

‘UFO’ Captured In Photo Of Earth Taken From The ISS - Yahoo News

From Yahoo News: Conspiracy theorists believe that it just might be, after an astronaut on the ISS tweeted this picture - with what appears to be a UFO hanging ominously in the top right hand corner. ‘I would find it hard to believe that Scott Kelly did

Science & Technology | Cosmic Research

To Scale: The Solar System on Vimeo

On a dry lakebed in Nevada, a group of friends build the first scale model of the solar system with complete planetary orbits: a true illustration of our place in…

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

Astronaut photographs a single airplane from space - CNET

It's a long way from the space station down to Earth, but an astronaut still managed to photograph a tiny airplane from orbit.

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

This is Boeing's Starliner: the spacecraft that will take astronauts to the space station - Vox

The vehicle will ferry NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station starting in 2017 or 2018.

News | Interesting Stories

Apollo 14 astronaut claims peace-loving aliens prevented 'nuclear war' on Earth | Fox News

From “The Day the Earth Stood Still” to “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” to “E.T.,” pop culture is filled with stories about friendly, curious extraterrestrials visiting Earth to learn more about mankind. For Apollo 14 veteran Edgar Mitche

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

Watch astronauts dock with the International Space Station

Sometimes reality can be just as stunning as the movies. That's certainly the case with this latest video from NASA. The space agency has released a video documenting the Russian Soyuz capsule as...

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

The first spacesuit designed for astronauts on the moon and it looks like Mr. Stay Puft

A decade before Neil Armstrong ever took that first small step on the moon in 1969, NASA engineer...

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

US Air Force's Next X-37B Space Plane Mystery Mission to Test Thruster

The U.S. Air Force will test an innovative spacecraft thruster this month when it launches the latest mystery mission of its robotic X-37B space plane. A Hall thruster will be one of the payloads riding on the X-37B space plane when it la

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

Here's what NASA plans to do if an astronaut dies in space

Written in an old memo titled "In Event of Moon Disaster" is Nixon's backup speech for the media in case something went horribly wrong during the moon landing.

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

How a (Contraband) Corned Beef Sandwich Ended Up in Space 50 Years Ago

Just about two hours into the flight of Gemini 3, NASA's first two-man space mission 50 years ago, pilot John Young reached into his spacesuit's pocket and pulled out a surprise: a corned beef sandwich.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

24 Historic Photos That'll Make You Want To Be An Astronaut

Featuring Buzz Aldrin taking the first selfie in space. And also a lot of American flags.

Miscellaneous | Interesting Links

Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti captures haunting images from space - AOL.com

Sam Cristoforetti clearly loves her job. The engineer became the first Italian woman to travel to space in November 2014 when she blasted off abo...

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

Aerospace Artists

The Forgotten Space Artist Who Envisioned the End of the Space Race

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

How Many People Have Walked on the Moon?

Ask someone if they know the names of the astronauts who have walked on the Moon, and most people would be able to list Neil Armstrong, and maybe even Buzz Aldrin. But can you name the rest of the Apollo

Science & Technology | Cool Stuff

Image: Orion's first crew module complete

NASA's first completed Orion crew module sits atop its service module at the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew and service module will be transferred together on Wednesday to another facility for

Miscellaneous | Interesting Links

Did Astronauts Really Eat Astronaut Ice Cream?

Of the many specialty items made for space travel, food was obviously a top priority. NASA commissioned several different companies to come up with freeze-dried snacks that the men could nosh on while in orbit, and the Whirlpool Corporation’s contributi