Vote Now! Best Space Stories of the Week - May 27, 2012

The Dragon Gets to ISS, Rare Solar Eclipse Caught and Mars or Bust!

SpaceX

From complete coverage of SpaceX historic flight to your favorite photos of the solar eclipse, it's been a busy week in space.

FIRST STOP: Amazing Solar Eclipse of May 20

Amazing Solar Eclipse of May 20

Joel Dykstra

On May 20, 2012, a rare annular solar eclipse amazed skywatchers from China to Texas. Vote for your favorite solar eclipse image here! [Full Story]

NEXT: 4,700 Potentially Dangerous Asteroids Lurk Near Earth, NASA Says [Full Story]

NEXT: SpaceX Launches Private Capsule on Historic Trip to Space Station

SpaceX Launches Private Capsule on Historic Trip to Space Station

Robert Pearlman/collectSPACE.com

A private space capsule called Dragon soared into the predawn sky Tuesday, riding a pillar of flame like its beastly namesake on a history-making trip to the International Space Station. [Full Story]

NEXT: Science Fiction Ahead of Space Reality

Science Fiction Barely Ahead of Space Exploration Reality

Planetary Resources, Inc.

Science fiction authors say technology is achieving what many fictional accounts could only dream of, creating a meeting between science fiction and fact. [Full Story]

NEXT: Scientists Flood NASA With Mars Ideas

Mars or Bust! Scientists Flood NASA With 400 Ideas to Explore Red Planet

The Viking Project/NASA

Scientists have responded in a big way to NASA's call to help reformulate its Mars robotic exploration strategy, submitting about 400 ideas and Red Planet mission concepts to the space agency. [Full Story]

NEXT: Ashes of Star Trek's 'Scotty' Ride Private Rocket

Ashes of Star Trek's 'Scotty' Ride Private Rocket Into Space

SpaceX

When it launched this morning, SpaceX's rocket was carrying celebrity ashes in addition to its cargo bound for the International Space Station. [Full Story]

NEXT: Potential Colorado Spaceport Plan Gaining Steam

Potential Colorado Spaceport Plan Gaining Steam

Front Range Airport

Colorado’s mile-high altitude and welcoming attitude could bring a commercial spaceport to the Rocky Mountain state. [Full Story]

NEXT: California Science Center Names Wing for Shuttle Endeavour

California Science Center Names New Wing for Space Shuttle Endeavour

The City of Los Angeles via Facebook

Despite what the movies tell us, any aliens that visit Earth probably won't want to zap us with ray guns, famed E.T. hunter Jill Tarter says. [Full Story]

NEXT: Private Moon Race Will Preserve NASA Lunar Landing Sites

Private Moon Race Will Preserve NASA's Historic Lunar Landing Sites

Moon Express

The teams participating in a private race to the moon will respect NASA guidelines that protect historic and scientifically important sites on the lunar surface. [Full Story]

NEXT: Mystery Mars Formation May Be Ancient Volcanic Ash

Mystery Mars Formation May Be Ancient Volcanic Ash

NASA/JPL/U of A

A new study reveals that a mysterious deposit on Mars is far older than previously thought, and may have once contained water ice. [Full Story]

NEXT: Mystery of Martian Meteorites' Organic Stuff Solved

Mystery of Martian Meteorites' Organic Stuff Solved

© 2011 Darryl Pitt / Macovich Collection

An analysis of 11 meteorites from Mars has found that the complex hydrocarbons found inside them were created by geologic process and not biological actions, scientists say. [Full Story]

NEXT: New Era Begins with Private Capsule at Space Station

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Space.com Staff
News and editorial team

Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.