Vote Now! Best Space Stories of the Week – Sept. 21, 2014

NASA Picks SpaceX, Boeing to Fly US Astronauts on Private Spaceships

SpaceX/Boeing

Sept. 16 - NASA has tapped the private spaceflight companies of SpaceX and Boeing to build and fly the commercial spacecraft for ferrying American astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

[Full Story]

NEXT: The Lure of Mars: Why We Keep Going Back

The Lure of Mars: Why We Keep Going Back

NASA/ESA

Sept. 19 - Mars' proximity to Earth, potential ability to support life and its status as a target for human exploration have made it a primary destination for robotic missions over the years.

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NEXT: SpaceX Delays Dragon Cargo Ship Launch for NASA Due to Bad Weather

SpaceX Delays Dragon Cargo Ship Launch for NASA Due to Bad Weather

NASA

Sept. 20 - A commercial SpaceX Dragon supply ship packed with NASA experiments — including 20 mice destined for the final frontier — will have wait at least one more day to blast into space after bad weather thwarted a launch attempt early Saturday (Sept. 20).

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NEXT: Surprise! Monster Black Hole Found in Dwarf Galaxy

Surprise! Monster Black Hole Found in Dwarf Galaxy

NASA, ESA, D. Coe, G. Bacon (STScI)

Sept. 17 - Astronomers have just discovered the smallest known galaxy that harbors a huge, supermassive black hole at its core. The relatively nearby dwarf galaxy may houses a supermassive black hole at its heart equal in mass to about 21 million suns.

[Full Story]

NEXT: Jaw-dropping Aurora View Wins 2014 Astronomy Photo Contest

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to Build New Rocket Engine for US Launch Provider

United Launch Alliance Instagram

Sept. 17 - Blue Origin, the secretive private spaceflight company led by billionaire Jeff Bezos, has teamed up with a veteran space launch provider to build a new rocket engine designed to reduce U.S. dependence on Russian hardware.

[Full Story]

NEXT: Europe Unveils Comet Landing Site for Historic Rosetta Mission

Jaw-dropping Aurora View Wins 2014 Astronomy Photo Contest

Aurora over a Glacier Lagoon © James Woodend (U.K.)

Sept. 18 - A bright green aurora reflects off a glacial lake against the backdrop of a snow-covered mountain range in an incredible photo that took home first prize in an astrophotography competition.

[Full Story]

NEXT: Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to Build New Rocket Engine for US Launch Provider

Europe Unveils Comet Landing Site for Historic Rosetta Mission

ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

Sept. 15 - European officials have chosen the landing site for Rosetta’s Philae lander, due to make landfall on its target comet in November.

[Full Story]

NEXT: Spectacular Auroras from Solar Storms Wow Stargazers

Spectacular Auroras from Solar Storms Wow Stargazers

Mike Taylor Photography

Sept. 15 - Back-to-back eruptions on the sun sparked a geomagnetic storm last week, which generated dazzling auroras over the northern latitudes. See amazing photos from stargazers lucky enough to see the view.

[Full Story]

NEXT: Asteroid Science: How 'Armageddon' Got It Wrong

Asteroid Science: How 'Armageddon' Got It Wrong

Mopic | Shutterstock.com

Sept. 15 - In the 1998 movie "Armageddon," an asteroid the size of Texas threatens to collide with Earth in 18 days. To save the planet from destruction, a ragtag team of deep-sea oil drillers volunteers to divert the massive space rock by burying a nuclear bomb beneath its surface and blasting it into two pieces that will fly past Earth.

[Full Story]

NEXT: US Military's Meteor Explosion Data Can Help Scientists Protect Earth

US Military's Meteor Explosion Data Can Help Scientists Protect Earth

Don Davis

The on/off use of secret satellite data is back on. The Air Force has detailed issues and solutions to provide a constant flow of bolide data to scientists. The NASA/AF agreement to share this information has been recertified and strengthened. According to one scientist, the new data reveals an unexpected source of bolides.

[Full Story]

NEXT:

Solar Storm Auroras, Monster Black Hole and the Lure of Mars

Mike Taylor Photography

Last week astronomers found the smallest known galaxy that harbors a supermassive black hole and a solar storm wowed stargazers. See the best stories from the week here.

FIRST STOP: NASA Picks SpaceX, Boeing to Fly US Astronauts on Private Spaceships

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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.