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Science & Space | Science & Technology

Science & Technology | Science & Space

This Plane Hit Mach 6.7: Meet the North American X-15

The X-15's greatest legacy is in how it helped spearhead research in a variety of areas including hypersonic aerodynamics.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

50 Years Ago Humans Walked On The Moon For The Last Time

On Dec. 13, Apollo 17 astronauts Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt undertook their third and final venture outside ‘Challenger.’

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Marvel at the James Webb Space Telescope's largest image of the cosmos yet

The latest James Webb Space Telescope treasure trove contains ancient galaxies and countless cosmic wonders.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

NASA sets launch dates for its return to the moon with giant, new rocket

NASA is shooting for a late August launch of its giant, new moon rocket. Wednesday's announcement came on the 53rd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

NASA’s Webb Captures Dying Star’s Final ‘Performance’ in Fine Detail

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has revealed details of the Southern Ring planetary nebula that were previously hidden from astronomers. Planetary nebulae are the shells of gas and dust ejected from dying stars.

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The speed of sound on Mars is different from Earth, Perseverance rover finds

Lower-pitched sounds travel more slowly on Mars than higher-pitched ones, according to new data from NASA's Perseverance rover.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Hubble telescope was at the perfect angle to capture this nearly impossible shot of two 'dancing galaxies' | Space

The Hubble Space Telescope photographs the tidal interactions of Arp 282, comprising galaxy IC 1559 and galaxy NGC 169.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

WATCH LIVE: NASA's Ingenuity Attempts First-Ever Powered Flight on Another Planet


After a series of delays, the first-ever powered flight to happen on another planet is go for liftoff.

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Watch Perseverance's dramatic landing on Mars in never-before-seen video

NASA released a multi-angle video of Perseverance's entry, descent, and landing on Mars, a unique look at the precise operation.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Mysterious object that flew by Earth has finally been identified

The object originally dubbed Asteroid 2020 SO appears to be a long-lost rocket booster that left Earth in 1966 and finally came back. The booster was part of a failed NASA mission to the Moon, and it has apparently been orbiting the Sun ever since.

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New images show NASA spacecraft's historic landing and sample collection on asteroid

New images taken by the OSIRIS-REx mission show the historic first touchdown of a NASA spacecraft on the near-Earth asteroid Bennu. The spacecraft collected a sample that will be returned to Earth in 2023.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

9 of the Best Space Documentaries You Can Stream Right Now

Explore black holes, hang out with the Curiosity rover, and get to know the team behind the Apollo missions with these space documentaries on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and Disney+.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Reaction Engines’ Mach 5 engine is just the tip of the new aerospace boom | TechCrunch

Imagine a hypersonic passenger aircraft that would cut the journey time between London and New York to around two hours. At Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, the aircraft would complete a trip across the Atlantic in around 120 minutes. Mach 5 is m

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Chris Kraft, legendary flight director for NASA, dead at 95

Chris Kraft, the creator and longtime leader of NASA's Mission Control, died Monday in Houston, just two days after the 50th anniversary of what was his and NASA's crowning achievement: Apollo 11's moon landing.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Why the Moon landing matters, 50 years later

We owe our current digital age to the 1960s Space Race. What will today’s Space Race herald for the future?

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.

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Would we have landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969, if JFK had lived?

JFK’s private conversations and public statements in his last year as president crackle with high-stakes gamesmanship and Cold War intrigue.

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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

NASA Remade Its Apollo Mission Control Room In Houston To Look Exactly Like It Did On The Day The Apollo 11 Mission Touched Down On The Moon | WIRED

The frequent WIRED contributor has been captivated by space since he was a kid. Now he's documenting NASA's freshly retro-furbished mission control.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Your brain works in space. But in 1961, we didn’t know that

Would astronauts sent into space be able to think? It was a genuine question as we embarked upon our mission to get to the Moon.

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The definitive, irrefutable proof that Apollo 11 landed on the Moon

We went to the Moon. Here’s all the proof you’ll ever need.

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Apollo 11 Moon Landing in 1969: TV Shows Celebrating 50th Anniversary

Multiple television channels including National Geographic, Smithsonian and Discovery will air special coverage throughout the month.

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The Washington Monument Is Transforming Into a Full-Scale Saturn V Rocket for the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing

Find out when and where you can watch the full-scale projection, accompanied by a short film about the 1969 Moon landing.

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 & Space

50 Facts About the Apollo 11 Moon Landing for Its 50th Anniversary

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon—and Buzz Aldrin became the first one to pee on it.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

SpaceX contracted by NASA to launch black hole and neutron star research craft | TechCrunch

SpaceX has been awarded a new contract by NASA to launch the agency’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, or IXPE. This research spacecraft will study polarized light from sources including neutron stars, pulsar wind nebulae and supermassive black holes

Science & Technology | Science & Space

When Apollo 10 Nearly Crashed Into the Moon

Apollo 10 marked NASA’s last step before going for the full lunar landing with Apollo 11. But the practice run came close to failure.

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Dying space missions remembered in inspiring final images

Spacecraft and Mars rovers don't live forever. Some run out of power, others succumb to the elements These are the last views they saw of the cosmos.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

US to Return Astronauts to the Moon by 2024, VP Pence Says

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence called on NASA to return American astronauts to the moon by 2024 — just five years from now — during the National Space Council meeting on Tuesday (March 26).

Science & Technology | Science & Space

America, the Moon, and National Memory

Even though we may have lost our way in a moment mired in silliness, fluff, and self-flagellation, we are indeed capable of accomplishing the unimaginable.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

As Apollo 11 moon landing anniversary nears, space fans get ready to celebrate

The countdown is on for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and that means the appointment books for space luminaries and their fans are filling up.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

A “halo drive” could accelerate interstellar spacecraft to close to the speed of light

Borrowing energy from black holes would offer a highly efficient way to navigate our galaxy, an astronomer says.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Beresheet lander bound for the moon hits Ctrl-Alt-Delete

The spacecraft built by an Israeli nonprofit and one of the original Google Lunar XPrize teams misses a planned move to get a little closer to the moon.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Curious 23andMe twin results show why you should take DNA testing with a grain of salt | TechCrunch

If you’ve ever enthusiastically sent your spit off in the mail, you were probably anxious for whatever unexpected insights the current crop of DNA testing companies would send back. Did your ancestors hang out on the Iberian peninsula? What version of y

Science & Technology | Science & Space

You'll Need 286 Pounds of Coal to Fuel That Electric Road Trip - Bloomberg

New Yorkers looking to escape the winter chill by driving to Daytona Beach, Florida, would use about 40 gallons of gasoline to traverse the 1,000 miles in a Chevrolet Impala.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Just Smashed Two Records in a Single Day

NASA’s historic mission to “touch the Sun” just reached two important milestones: It now holds the record for the closest approach to the Sun by a human-built object—and also the record for the fastest spacecraft ever sent into space.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Astronauts forced to escape malfunctioning Soyuz rocket

Astronauts Nick Hague and Alexey Ovchinin have been forced to return to Earth in "ballistic descent mode" after their Soyuz rocket's booster malfunctioned shortly after launch, NASA announced Thursday.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Los Angeles, America’s Future Spaceport - The Atlantic

The city of stars was once a major hub for aerospace. Soon it might be again.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

SpaceX’s rocket booster survived descent despite no landing attempt | TechCrunch

SpaceX flew a mission today that didn’t include a controlled recovery attempt of the Falcon 9 booster involved in the launch. Even still, the first stage..

Science & Technology | Science & Space

How John Young Smuggled a Corned-Beef Sandwich into Space

NASA astronaut John Young, who died Jan. 5, is remembered for a small scandal after he smuggled a corned-beef sandwich into space.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

A new generation of giant rockets is about to blast off

SpaceX's long-awaited Falcon Heavy rocket is just one of a handful of heavy-lift rockets being developed by companies and NASA.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Why Are the Mountains on Mars So Much Taller Than Those on Earth? | Mental Floss

Test your knowledge with amazing and interesting facts, trivia, quizzes, and brain teaser games on MentalFloss.com.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

NASA's MAVEN Discovers How Mars Lost Its Atmosphere

Mars used to be a warm, wet world, filled with oceans, rivers, and maybe even life. But no longer. Here’s how it happened.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Eugene Cernan, last man on the moon, dies - CNN.com

Eugene A. Cernan, the last astronaut to leave his footprints on the surface of the moon, has died, NASA said Monday.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Watching a star explode after 'hibernating' - CNN.com

Amidst the billions of stars in the Milky Way, astronomers have witnessed the evolution of one as it exploded in a classical nova after hibernating for years.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Watch the History of the Apollo Program

LThe Internet Archive has a trove of documentaries about NASA's Apollo Program, produced by NASA in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The blog Silver in a Haystack is dedicated to finding this kind of thing—great, free films available online from the Archive. A year ago, the blog highlighted this 12-part series of Apollo documentaries (including download links to those available online). The author of Silver in a Haystack wrote:

Science & Technology | Science & Space

2016: The Year We Began Mining the Moon - The Daily Beast

Now that Elon Musk’s SpaceX has managed to land upright, the future of travel and commerce in outer space is bright.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Famed Physicist Shuts Down Moon Landing Conspiracy Theorists In 1 Brilliant Tweet

Monday was the 46th anniversary of the first lunar landing, yet a small fringe still believes the whole thing was a hoax. According to the conspiracy theory, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were on a soundstage

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Pluto: Nasa's New Horizons probe makes flyby nine years after leaving Earth!

Nasa’s probe makes history on Tuesday as the first spacecraft ever to reach distant dwarf planet - the last unexplored world in solar system

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.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Forgotten Apollo moon artifacts found in Neil Armstrong's closet - CNET

A hidden treasure trove of gear flown on the Apollo 11 mission to the moon sees the light of day after Neil Armstrong's widow shares the find with the Smithsonian.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

10 Everyday Technologies We Owe to NASA | Mental Floss

You probably haven't been launched into low-earth orbit or enjoyed a lunar stroll. But believe it or not, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration still plays a huge role in your daily life.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

BBC - Future - Psychology: A simple trick to improve your memory

Want to enhance your memory for facts? Tom Stafford explains a counterintuitive method for retaining information.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Astronauts: Spaceflight is 'hard, but worth it'

In the aftermath of last month's Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo test flight crash, which killed one pilot and injured another, many were left wondering if the pursuit of “space tourism” was worth the loss of human life.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

5 Facts About Time That Will Hurt Your Brain

Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping, into the future ... well, sort of.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Oxygen-Generating 2020 Mars Rover to Bring Colonization Closer

One instrument aboard the 2020 Mars rover will generate oxygen from the Red Planet's atmosphere, demonstrating technology that could both keep astronauts alive on Mars.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

45 Unbelievable Photos Of The Apollo 11 Moon Landing

Apollo 11 landed on the Moon 45 years ago this weekend - but it's sometimes all to easy to forget that this amazing thing actually happened. And yes, it did actually happen conspiracy fans. To celebrate the remarkable achievement of Neil Armstr...

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Aldrin backs #Apollo45 campaign to commemorate moon landing

It has been almost 45 years since an estimated 600 million people on Earth watched Apollo 11 crew members Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin take their iconic first steps on the moon.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

U.S. Air Quality Has Improved. Here’s the Time-Lapse to Prove It.

Americans are breathing less air pollution than before.
Specifically, they're inhaling less nitrogen dioxide, a gas that can cause respiratory problems, according to a new time-lapse released by NASA...

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NASA's deep-space craft readying for launch

Orion, NASA's newest manned spaceship, is readying for its first mission in December.

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Vintage photos of NASA Apollo astronauts training in Hawaii

In the 1960s and 1970s, NASA astronauts spent time training in the moon-like volcanic landscape of Hawaii's Big Island; the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems dug out fantastic photos from NASA's archives (thanks, Bob Pescovitz!).

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One Of The Most Iconic Photographs Taken From Space Was A Complete Accident

Tracking down the origin of the iconic "Earthrise" photograph reveals a sense of spontaneity and curiosity that doesn't seem to exist in modern space exploration.

The space program fuels technology and the economy, yet we're cutting funding to NASA every year? Bunk! Bunk, I say!

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Relive Alan Shepard's Harrowing Trip to Space With a View From His Cockpit

53 years ago today, Alan Shepard became the second human to visit space. The first person in space, Russian Yuri Gagarin, completed an orbit of the Earth almost a month before Shepard's 15-minute voyage. Gagarin's craft was fully automated, but Shepard had some control over the Freedom 7...

Science & Technology | Science & Space

NASA Joystick Expected to Sell for $300,000 - IGN

Playing a game with a joystick is pretty cool, but this peripheral was used to land on the freaking moon.

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U-2 spy plane fooled new computer system, halting flights in California

A very old spy plane and a very new computer system played pivotal roles in last week's computer glitch that paralyzed flight operations in California.

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NASA's space shuttle carrier jet is on the move

The jumbo jet that transported NASA space shuttles is on its way to a permanent home

Science & Technology | Science & Space

Like to Stay Up Late? Different Neural Structures Found in the Brains of Night Owls — PsyBlog

For the first time differences in neural structures have been shown between people who are night owls and early risers.

    Science & Technology | Science & Space

    Six reasons why space tourism matters

    It’s easy to dismiss plans to take paying customers into orbit as a pursuit for the rich. But our space correspondent explains how it could benefit all of us.

      Science & Technology | Science & Space

      Scientists Pinpoint The Age At Which Our Earliest Memories Fade

      By very virtue of being human, everyone has experienced infancy and toddlerhood. So why can most adults not remember anything that happened before the age of 3?

        Science & Technology | Science & Space

        New device makes wheelchairs obsolete.

        The TEK Robotic Mobilization Device is a machine developed to replace the wheelchair. In this demonstration video, we see a man with a severe injury to his spinal cord able to move about in ways that a wheelchair would make very difficult.

          Science & Technology | Science & Space

          Why hate portrait-oriented video? Perhaps because of the human field of view

          Discussion of portrait-oriented video--and the widespread hatred for it--has peaked in the wake of Apple's clever new ad for iMovie, which shows a sullen teen spending all of a family Christmas buried in his iPhone.

            Science & Technology | Science & Space

            Comet ISON sweeps near sun, shows signs of life

            Hold the obituary. Experts think Comet ISON -- or at least part of it --survived its close encounter with the sun.

              Science & Technology | Science & Space

              Tesla Motors company exec splashes out $1m on Bond's underwater car

              The mystery movie fan who paid nearly $1 million for the underwater car featured in The Spy Who Loved Me has been revealed as Tesla Motors chief exec Elon Musk.

                Science & Technology | Science & Space

                Scott Carpenter, Mercury Astronaut Who Orbited Earth, Dies at 88

                Mr. Carpenter’s flight into space was in May 1962. Before the first mission to orbit the Earth, in February that same year, he famously told another astronaut, “Godspeed, John Glenn.”

                  Science & Technology | Science & Space

                  Beer Made with Moon Dust Blends Brewer and Spacesuit Maker Skills

                  A beer brewed with moon dust might sound like a lunatic idea, but it is now a reality thanks to a Delaware brewery and the company behind NASA's Apollo spacesuits.

                    Science & Technology | Science & Space

                    Science trumps the Force to create a real-life lightsaber

                    Researchers from MIT and Harvard create a new form of matter and teach us all a lesson about the power of quantum friendship. Read this article by Eric Mack on CNET.

                      Science & Technology | Science & Space

                      Where's The Octopus?

                      When marine biologist Roger Hanlon captured the first scene in this video he started screaming. (If you need to see it again, here's the raw footage.) Hanlon, senior scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, studies camouflage in ce

                        Science & Technology | Science & Space

                        Voyager 1 becomes first human-made object to leave solar system"

                        The Voyager 1 probe has made history as the first man-made object to enter interstellar space, NASA announced Thursday.

                          Science & Technology | Science & Space

                          What’s the World’s Longest Running Science Experiment?

                          Between our look at the longest prison sentences the other day and the 69-year-old pitch drop experiment finally getting caught on camera last month, reader Justin got curious and wrote in to ask, “what’s the longest experiment that scientists have fi

                            Science & Technology | Science & Space

                            Chuck Yeager re-enacts sound barrier flight on its 65th anniversary

                            Sixty-five years after becoming the first human to fly faster than the speed of sound, retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager is still making noise.

                              Science & Technology | Science & Space

                              You Might Be Able to Regenerate Your Finger, Bone and All

                              Amputees will be glad to learn that we might not have to be jealous of a lizard’s ability to regrow its tail much longer. According to recently publish research from NYU's Langone Medical Center, the stem cells found in fingernails might be the sec

                                Science & Technology | Science & Space

                                Meet ATLAS!

                                Say hello to ATLAS, one of the most advanced humanoid robots ever built! ATLAS was developed for DARPA by Boston Dynamics. Software-focused teams from Tracks...

                                  Science & Technology | Science & Space

                                  NASA's Cassini spacecraft captures breathtaking images of Earth from Saturn

                                  NASA's unmanned Cassini spacecraft has already returned some gorgeous views of the planet Saturn, which it is currently flying around. But the latest images should be enough to make it and any...

                                    Science & Technology | Science & Space

                                    NASA - Apollo-Soyuz: An Orbital Partnership Begins

                                    The 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission set the stage for today's international partnership in space.

                                    Science & Technology | Science & Space

                                    What Would We Eat if It Weren’t for California?

                                    Food scientists at Cornell University have produced a strain of broccoli that thrives in hot environments, which may make it possible for states with stiflingly hot summers to grow the vegetable. California, where cool coastal fog is perfect for growing s

                                      Science & Technology | Science & Space

                                      Hubble telescope spots azure blue planet where it rains glass

                                      Astronomers have found an azure blue planet, the first time they've determined the actual color of a planet outside our solar system, NASA said Thursday.

                                            Science & Technology | Science & Space

                                            These Contact Lenses Give You Telescopic Vision

                                            So this is pretty much one of those things you've always wanted from the future, right? Researchers have created a prototype contact lens-and-glasses

                                            Science & Technology | Science & Space

                                            Great mirages of the world

                                            Though mirages are just optical illusions, they are very real manifestations of physics and remind us that the universe is not as linear and straightforward as we’d like to think. While the classic arid-land mirage – a “lake” shimmering in the dis

                                                Science & Technology | Science & Space

                                                Einstein’s ‘Spooky Physics’ Gets More Entangled

                                                A new study found that quantum entanglement can apply even to situations that resemble the larger, everyday world.

                                                  Science & Technology | Science & Space

                                                  NASA - NASA to Chronicle Close Earth Flyby of Asteroid

                                                  NASA Television will provide commentary starting at 11 a.m. PST (2 p.m. EST) on Friday, Feb. 15, during the close, but safe, flyby of a small near-Earth asteroid named 2012 DA14.

                                                    Science & Technology | Science & Space

                                                    Star Trek 'tractor beam' created by scientists

                                                    A team of scientists has created a real-life miniature tractor beam - as featured in the Star Trek series - in a development which may lead to more efficient medical testing.

                                                    Science & Technology | Science & Space

                                                    NASA testing vintage engine from Apollo 11 rocket

                                                    HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Like vinyl records and skinny ties, good things eventually come back around. At NASA, that means looking to the Apollo program for ideas on how to develop the next generation of rockets for future missions to the moon and beyond.

                                                    Science & Technology | Science & Space

                                                    'Strongest evidence yet to there being life on Mars' - Telegraph

                                                    Martian rocks from a crater hit by a meteorite may contain the strongest evidence yet that there is life on Mars.

                                                      Science & Technology | Science & Space

                                                      U.S. had plans to nuke the moon

                                                      By Brian Todd and Dugald McConnell You could easily skip by it in an archive search: a project titled