In the last seven days we've learned the search for alien life might be more challenging than previously thought, witnessed another massive solar flare, and discovered a fifth moon orbiting Pluto. But which story comes out on top? <p>Root for your favorite space news story of the week here in our latest voting round! <p>FIRST STOP: Milky Way's Mystery Wave
An unprecedented wave in the Milky Way suggests a smaller galaxy may have crashed into it recently, astronomers say. [<a href=http://www.space.com/16488-milky-way-galaxy-wave-collision.html>Full Story</a> <p>NEXT STOP: Northern Lights Oddity: Strange Sounds of Auroras Explained
Researchers think they've identified the source of a strange clapping noise associated with the northern lights. [<a href=http://www.space.com/16498-northern-lights-clapping-sound-explained.html>Full Story</a> <p>NEXT STOP: NASA's Final Space Shuttle Mission — Where Are They Now?
One year after launching on NASA's final space shuttle mission, the orbiter Atlantis is parked today just a few miles from the launch pad where it lifted off on July 8, 2011. [<a href=http://www.space.com/16502-final-space-shuttle-mission-1-year-anniversary.html>Full Story</a> <p>NEXT STOP: How the Euclid Telescope Will Probe the Invisible Universe
Nearly a thousand scientists will work together to shed light on dark matter and dark energy when the Euclid telescope is launched in 2020, the largest collaboration of astronomers in the world. The visual and infrared telescope, which received the go-ahead for construction in June, will peer into space to map the galaxies and the dark matter that surrounds them in 3D. [<a href=http://www.space.com/16505-euclid-spacecraft-dark-matter-energy.html>Full Story</a> <p>NEXT STOP: 'Arsenic Life' Debate Reveals Challenge of Alien Microbe Search
As the recent arsenic-life brouhaha suggests, it probably will be tough to find (and confirm) the existence of lifeforms fundamentally different than the ones we're used to observing here on planet Earth. [<a href=http://www.space.com/16517-alien-life-arsenic-microbes-debate.html>Full Story</a> <p>NEXT STOP: Military's Hypersonic Rocket Plane by 2016
DARPA aims to test-fly a full-scale hypersonic plane by 2016, officials say. [<a href=http://www.space.com/16524-darpa-hypersonic-rocket-plane-2016.html>Full Story</a> <p>NEXT STOP: Virgin Galactic Unveils LauncherOne Rocket for Private Satellite Launches
Sir Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of the private space tourism company Virgin Galactic, unveiled plans today (July 11) to add satellite launches to its list of commercial space services, with the first flights to blast off in 2016. [<a href=http://www.space.com/16530-virgin-galactic-satellite-launches-launcherone.html>Full Story</a> <p>NEXT STOP: Pluto Has a Fifth Moon, Hubble Telescope Reveals
A new moon has been discovered orbiting Pluto, bringing its total to five satellites, scientists announced today (July 11). Alan Stern, lead scientist for NASA's New Horizons probe to Pluto, announced the discovery on Twitter. [<a href=http://www.space.com/16531-pluto-fifth-moon-hubble-discovery.html>Full Story</a> <p>NEXT STOP: Asteroid Crashes Likely Gave Earth Its Water
A new study helps narrow the search for the origin of water in the Solar System, suggesting that asteroids are the most likely source of water on Earth. [<a href=http://www.space.com/16556-asteroid-impacts-earth-water.html>Full Story</a> <p>NEXT STOP: Major Solar Flare Erupts From Giant Sunspot
A huge X1.4 solar flare erupted from the sun on Thursday, July 12, marking the second major solar flare in less than a week. The solar flare erupted from giant sunspot AR1520. [<a href=http://www.space.com/16560-major-solar-flare-erupts-giant-sunspot.html>Full Story</a> <p>NEXT STOP: TV's 'Big Bang Theory' Gives Away Free Trip to Space
Friday the 13th proved to be lucky for at least one fan of the popular TV sitcom "The Big Bang Theory." The hit CBS sitcom gave away a high-flying prize — a free trip to space — today at the Comic-Con festivities in San Diego, according to news reports. [<a href=http://www.space.com/16582-big-bang-theory-comic-con-space-trip.html>Full Story</a> NEXT STOP: New Crew Launches to Space
A Russian Soyuz rocket blasted off today (July 14) carrying new residents for the International Space Station, a trio of veteran spaceflyers representing Russia, the United States and Japan. The new complement includes NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency spaceflyer Akihiko Hoshide. [<a href=http://www.space.com/16591-new-space-station-crew-launches-into-orbit-on-russian-spacecraft.html>Full Story</a>]
