Conspiracy Theories, Cannibals and Cars in Space
This week we hatched conspiracy theories in "Apollo 18", looked into commercial space travel and caught a black hole swallowing another. Vote for your top space story of the week:
Space Cannibal: Ginormous Black Hole Caught Eating Another
Two giant black holes inside a spiral galaxy may reveal telltale clues on how the galaxy formed, a new study finds. [Full Story]
Impossible Star Defies Astronomers' Theories
The discovery of a star with an extremely primitive composition may help astronomers understand what conditions were like in the early universe and how they affected star formation. [Full Story]
How to Send Astronauts to Asteroids? Earth Needs to Know, Report Suggests
Developing the capability to launch human missions to asteroids would aid humanity's ability to foil a potentially devastating asteroid strike and help spur our march to Mars, a new report finds. [Full Story]
Space Agencies Set Roadmap for Manned Mars Mission
Ten space agencies met this week to help draw up plans for a coordinated effort to get humanity to Mars. [Full Story]
At Mars Crater, NASA Rover Finds Evidence of Ancient Water Hotspot
NASA's Mars rover Opportunity has found another spot where warm water may have flowed or percolated on the Red Planet long ago, researchers announced Thursday (Sept. 1). [Full Story]
Space Junk Problem Is More Threatening Than Ever, Report Warns
A new independent report evaluates whether NASA has strong enough programs in place to meet the threat of space junk in orbit around Earth. [Full Story]
Experts: Russian Rocket Crash Spotlights US Need for Private Spaceships
he crash of Russia's Progress 44 supply spacecraft highlights the need for private American vessels that can take astronauts to space, experts say. [Full Story]
Spaceport's Construction Heralds Era of Commercial Space Travel
In an exclusive SPACE.com interview, Spaceport America's newly appointed executive director Christine Anderson discusses clearly the challenges of pushing the nascent New Mexico spaceport into reality. [Full Story]
'Apollo 18' Offers Conspiracy Theory, to NASA's Surprise
Apologies to anyone whose bubble will burst, but "Apollo 18," the film that opened Friday (Sept. 2), is fictional.[Full Story]
Secretive Private Spaceship Builder Reports Rocket Failure
Blue Origin, the private entrepreneurial space group backed by Amazon.com mogul Jeff Bezos, has reported a failure in its suborbital rocket development plans. [Full Story]