Missions
Looming Larger: Dawn Approaches Vesta, Enters Orbit July 15-16
[/caption] As we anticipate the Dawn spacecraft going into orbit of Vesta within the next 36 hours, here's the latest…
Latest Image from Dawn: View of Vesta Getting Sharper
[/caption] The Dawn spacecraft is getting closer to asteroid/protoplanet Vesta, and the view is getting better! Here’s the latest image,…
Landing Site for Next Mars Rover Narrowed to Two
[/caption] Although a rumor came out about a week and a half ago that Gale Crater was the scientists’ preferred…
Gale Crater Reported Front-Runner for MSL Landing Site
A 150-kilometer-wide hollow on Mars named Gale Crater has emerged as the front-runner for the potential landing site for the…
STEREO Spacecraft Provides First Complete Image of Sun’s Far Side
[/caption] Far out! This is the first complete image of the solar far side, the half of the sun invisible…
Spirit’s Last Panorama
[/caption] Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) features an image mosaic put together in part by Universe Today's Ken…
In Memoriam: Spirit Rover, 2004-2010
If you're feeling a little sad today at the news that the Spirit rover is "dead," you're not alone. And…
End of the Road for Spirit Rover
[/caption] In the wee hours of May 25, 2011 the scientists and engineers of the Mars Exploration Rover team will…
Mars Science Lab Backshell Damaged (Updated)
[/caption] UPDATE: According to JPL's Scott Maxwell on Twitter, the aeroshell was not damaged during the improper lifting, which is…
GALEX Confirms Nature of Dark Energy
[/caption] From a JPL press release: A five-year survey of 200,000 galaxies, stretching back seven billion years in cosmic time,…