Posted on

Twin NASA Science Probes Start Lunar Gravity Mapping

[/caption] NASA’s twin lunar orbiting GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) spacecraft christened Ebb and Flow have kicked off their science collection phase aimed at precisely mapping our Moon’s gravity field, interior composition and evolution, the science team informed Universe Today. “GRAIL’s science mapping phase officially began Tuesday (March 6) and we are collecting science …

Continue reading “Twin NASA Science Probes Start Lunar Gravity Mapping”

Posted on

Thierry Legault: Astrophotography is an ‘Adrenaline Rush’

[/caption] During one of the final space shuttle missions, photographer Thierry Legault traveled nearly 4,000 km across various locations in Europe to try and capture the shuttle docked to the International Space Station as the two spacecraft transited across the surface of the Sun. “Essentially, I was trying to catch the clear sky so I …

Continue reading “Thierry Legault: Astrophotography is an ‘Adrenaline Rush’”

Posted on

America’s Youth Christen NASA’s Twin New Lunar Craft – Ebb & Flow

[/caption] A classroom of America’s Youth from an elementary school in Bozeman, Montana submitted the stellar winning entry in NASA’s nationwide student essay contest to rename the twin GRAIL lunar probes that just achieved orbit around our Moon on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day 2012 “Ebb” & “Flow” – are the dynamic duo’s …

Continue reading “America’s Youth Christen NASA’s Twin New Lunar Craft – Ebb & Flow”

Posted on

Doomed Phobos-Grunt Mars Mission Destructively Plunges to Earth

[/caption] Story and Crash Zone Map updated 1 p.m. EST Jan 16 Today (Jan. 15) was the last day of life for Russia’s ambitious Phobos-Grunt mission to Mars after a desperate two month race against time and all out attempts to save the daring spaceship by firing up a malfunctioning thruster essential to putting the …

Continue reading “Doomed Phobos-Grunt Mars Mission Destructively Plunges to Earth”

Posted on

2011: Top Stories from the Best Year Ever for NASA Planetary Science!

[/caption] A year ago, 2011 was proclaimed as the “Year of the Solar System” by NASA’s Planetary Science division. And what a year of excitement it was indeed for the planetary science community, amateur astronomers and the general public alike ! NASA successfully delivered astounding results on all fronts – On the Story of How …

Continue reading “2011: Top Stories from the Best Year Ever for NASA Planetary Science!”

Posted on

Curiosity Starts First Science on Mars Sojurn – How Lethal is Space Radiation to Life’s Survival

[/caption] Barely two weeks into the 8 month journey to the Red Planet, NASA’s Curiosity Mars Science Lab (MSL) rover was commanded to already begin collecting the first science of the mission by measuring the ever present radiation environment in space. Engineers powered up the MSL Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) that monitors high-energy atomic and …

Continue reading “Curiosity Starts First Science on Mars Sojurn – How Lethal is Space Radiation to Life’s Survival”

Posted on

Revolutionary Air-Launched Commercial Rocket to Orbit Announced by Microsoft Billionaire Paul Allen

[/caption] A mega quartet of luminaries led by Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen and legendary aerospace designer Burt Rutan have joined forces to create a revolutionary new approach to space travel. This new privately funded venture entails the development of a mammoth air-launched space transportation system that aims to dramatically cut the high costs and …

Continue reading “Revolutionary Air-Launched Commercial Rocket to Orbit Announced by Microsoft Billionaire Paul Allen”

Posted on

Dawn swoops to lowest orbit around Vesta – Unveiling Spectacular Alien World

[/caption] NASA’s Dawn Asteroid Orbiter successfully spiraled down today to the closest orbit the probe will ever achieve around the giant asteroid Vesta, and has now begun critical science observations that will ultimately yield the mission’s highest resolution measurements of this spectacular body. “What can be more exciting than to explore an alien world that …

Continue reading “Dawn swoops to lowest orbit around Vesta – Unveiling Spectacular Alien World”

Posted on

NASA Planetary Science Trio Honored as ‘Best of What’s New’ in 2011- Curiosity/Dawn/MESSENGER

[/caption] A trio of NASA’s Planetary Science mission’s – Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), Dawn and MESSENGER – has been honored by Popular Science magazine and selected as ‘Best of What’s New’ in innovation in 2011 in the aviation and space category. The Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory was just launched to the Red Planet on Saturday, …

Continue reading “NASA Planetary Science Trio Honored as ‘Best of What’s New’ in 2011- Curiosity/Dawn/MESSENGER”

Posted on

Curiosity Majestically Blasts off on ‘Mars Trek’ to ascertain ‘Are We Alone?’

[/caption] Atop a towering inferno of sparkling flames and billowing ash, Humankinds millennial long quest to ascertain “Are We Alone ?” soared skywards today (Nov. 26) with a sophisticated spaceship named ‘Curiosity’ – NASA’s newest, biggest and most up to date robotic surveyor that’s specifically tasked to hunt for the ‘Ingredients of Life’ on Mars, …

Continue reading “Curiosity Majestically Blasts off on ‘Mars Trek’ to ascertain ‘Are We Alone?’”