Vote Now! Best Space Stories of the Week - April 7, 2013

Dark Matter Possibly Found, Building Blocks of Life on Mars and More

NASA

In the last week elusive dark matter might have been detected, the building blocks of life could have been found on Mars, and the farthest star explosion was revealed. See the top stories of the last week here.

FIRST STOP: North Korea Nuclear Strike on US Unlikely

North Korea Nuclear Strike on US Unlikely

DigitalGlobe via Getty Images

There's little reason to believe that North Korea can actually make good on its recent threats to turn major American cities into "seas of fire," experts say. North Korea’s rockets just aren’t that good. [Full Story]

NEXT: NASA to Get $100 Million for Asteroid-Capture Mission, Senator Says

NASA to Get $100 Million for Asteroid-Capture Mission, Senator Says

Rick Sternbach/Keck Institute for Space Studies

NASA will likely get $100 million next year to jump-start an audacious program to drag an asteroid into orbit around the moon for research and exploration purposes, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson says. [Full Story]

NEXT: Has NASA's Curiosity Rover Found Clues to Life's Building Blocks on Mars?

Has NASA's Curiosity Rover Found Clues to Life's Building Blocks on Mars?

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

The Curiosity Mars rover may have gathered evidence for the presence of perchlorates in Rocknest - a sand patch within Gale crater on the Red Planet. If so, it shores up the case the material may well be globally distributed on Mars. [Full Story]

NEXT: Destination Moon: Russia to Launch New Wave of Lunar Robots

Destination Moon: Russia to Launch New Wave of Lunar Robots

IKI

Russia is developing a renewed robotic exploration program for studying the moon, building upon a history-making legacy of orbiters, landers, rovers and return sample missions that were carried out decades ago. [Full Story]

NEXT: Astronaut Catches Alien on Space Station in April Fools' Prank

Astronaut Catches Alien on Space Station in April Fools' Prank

Canadian Space Agency/Chris Hadfield (Cmdr_Hadfield)

Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield used the power of his Twitter account to craft an elaborate April Fools' Day prank from on board the International space Station. [Full Story]

NEXT: NASA Mega-Rocket Could Lead to Skylab 2 Deep Space Station

NASA Mega-Rocket Could Lead to Skylab 2 Deep Space Station

NASA Images

NASA's first manned outpost in deep space may be a repurposed rocket part, just like the agency's first-ever astronaut abode in Earth orbit. [Full Story]

NEXT: Dark Matter Possibly Found by $2 Billion Space Station Experiment

Dark Matter Possibly Found by $2 Billion Space Station Experiment

NASA

A massive particle detector mounted on the International Space Station may have detected elusive dark matter at last, scientists announced today (April 3). [Full Story]

NEXT: Farthest Star Explosion Yet Revealed by Hubble

Farthest Star Explosion Yet Revealed by Hubble

NASA and ESA

Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have spotted the most distant massive star explosion of its kind, a supernova that could help scientists better understand the nature of the universe. [Full Story]

NEXT: 40 Years Later, NASA's Pioneer 11 Probe's Solar System Legacy Lives On

40 Years Later, NASA's Pioneer 11 Probe's Solar System Legacy Lives On

NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory

On April 5, 1973, exactly 40 years ago today, Pioneer 11 blasted off from Cape Canaveral for a risky mission that would take the small satellite dangerously close to Jupiter's surface and through Saturn's outer rings, paving the way even more ambitious explorations of the solar system. [Full Story]

NEXT: Does Tom Cruise Want to be 'Top Gun' in Space? (Video)

Does Tom Cruise Want to be 'Top Gun' in Space? (Video)

Powered by Newslook

The actor Tom Cruise is reportedly considering buying a ticket to space through a private spaceflight company offering suborbital travel. [Full Story]

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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.