The historic steel platform from which the first astronauts departed Earth to fly around and land on the moon now, itself, only has a limited time left on the planet. Mobile Launch Platform-3 (MLP-3) (opens in new tab), or Mobile Launcher-1 (ML-1) as it was known when NASA used it for the Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 lunar missions more than 50 years ago, is set to be demolished, having recently been moved out of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to a nearby yard at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.…
Read MoreMonth: May 2023
Spacewalkers Stephen Bowen and Sultan Alneyadi Exit the Quest Airlock
Spacewalkers Stephen Bowen and Sultan Alneyadi are pictured in their Extravehicular Mobility Units, or spacesuits, exiting the International Space Station’s Quest airlock and beginning a spacewalk.
Read MoreAsian-American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month
In honor of Asian-American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we recognize astronauts with Asian roots who have flown to the International Space Station and contributed to its assembly, operations and research activities. They were preceded in space by other pioneers.
Read MorePlumes from Popocatépetl Volcano
Popocatépetl, one of Mexico’s most active volcanoes, has been erupting since 2005.
Read MoreNASA, Rocket Lab Launch First Pair of Storm Observing CubeSats
Two NASA CubeSats designed to study tropical cyclones, including hurricanes and typhoons, successfully launched at 1 p.m. Monday NZST (9 p.m. EDT Sunday).
Read MoreStrange winds blow on Saturn’s moon Titan. New clues could solve this decades-old mystery
New research is shedding light on peculiar winds swirling on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, whose mysterious weather patterns have puzzled astronomers for decades. The answers may help to explain how Titan became the only moon in the solar system that still hosts a planet-like atmosphere, researchers say. Astronomers have long known that seasons on Titan — each of which lasts nearly 7.5 Earth years — affect the moon’s winds. But they haven’t been able to pin down the speeds of those winds; two related studies, done nearly 30 years apart,…
Read MoreSee 1st lunar eclipse of 2023 darken the full Flower Moon in eerie photos
Skywatchers taking in the full moon this month got to witness the first lunar eclipse of 2023. A penumbral lunar eclipse of the full Flower Moon took place on May 5, 2023 and was visible for much of the Eastern Hemisphere and Antarctica. This type of lunar eclipse occurs when the moon enters the outermost part of Earth’s shadow, known as the penumbra. While these eclipses aren’t nearly as dramatic as a total or partial lunar eclipse, they nonetheless offer skywatchers the chance to visualize the astronomical alignment of the…
Read More‘Star Trek Online’ grapples with a space-time rip in new episode coming on May 9
Dive into the final frontier with a fresh episode from Star Trek Online. The next major “Star Trek Online” (STO) content update, called “Unravelled”, drops for PC on Monday (May 9). You can warp into the universe and read up on its latest updates on the official website (opens in new tab). STO, created by Cryptic Studios and Gearbox Publishing under license from CBS, is the largest existing free-to-play role-playing game linked with the franchise. As of 2022 it had a player base of over 2.5 million. If you’re ready…
Read MoreRoy Bridges, Senator Mark Kelly inducted into US Astronaut Hall of Fame
A retired general and a sitting senator were honored by their peers as the newest inductees into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Retired Major General Roy Bridges (U.S. Air Force) and Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) were hailed on Saturday (May 6) at a public ceremony (opens in new tab) held under the display of the space shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The two astronauts flew on other orbiters in NASA’s now grounded fleet, Bridges as pilot and Kelly as both pilot and commander. “Roy…
Read MoreVisit the edge of space in style with new luxury balloon tourism startup
Space tourism has never looked this fancy. France-based startup Zephalto has partnered with Centre national d’études spatiales (CNES), the French space agency, in a plan to begin offering elegant high-altitude stratospheric balloon flights. Lofted by a huge balloon filled with hydrogen or helium, Zephalto’s pressurized capsule will ascend high into Earth’s atmosphere as high as 15.5 miles (25 kilometers) to offer passengers a unique view of the world below. Flights are scheduled to begin by 2025, with the company’s website already taking reservations for a $11,000 (€120,000) deposit, according to…
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