How NASA Mars Lander's 'Steampunk' Claw Will Work (Video) By Mike Wall NASA's InSight Mars lander carries a five-fingered metallic claw at the end of its robotic arm that's crucial to the robot's mission. Here's how that claw will work.
Moon Science! NASA Needs Experiment Ideas for Commercial Lunar Landers By Meghan Bartels NASA has opened a submission period for commercial moon-lander proposals, noting that selected technology might fly as soon as next year.
How Close Are We to Kubrick's AI-Controlled Vision of the Future? By Mindy Weisberger AI like the malevolent HAL in the movie "2001" are already among us.
Space Agencies Welcome New Entrants Developing Satellites for Tracking Greenhouse Gases By Jeff Foust
Here's What Today's Soyuz Launch Failure Means for Space Station Astronauts By Meghan Bartels The three astronauts currently aboard the International Space Station were supposed to welcome two new roommates today; here's what will happen instead.
Air Force Awards Launch Vehicle Development Contracts to Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, ULA By Sandra Erwin
Boeing Invests in Satellite Propulsion Startup Accion Systems for Tiny Thrusters By Sandra Erwin Boeing is investing in Accion Systems Inc., a Boston startup focused on scalable electric propulsion technology for satellites.
Follow Neil Armstrong to The Moon! New VR Experience Debuts in U.S. By Elizabeth Howell If you ever wanted to follow in Neil Armstrong's footsteps to the moon, you can do so this month — in virtual reality.
No, Particle Accelerators Will Not Destroy the Planet, But Humans Might By Yasemin Saplakoglu "The stakes are very high"
Going Up? Waiting for the Space Elevator By Leonard David A space-elevator experiment is now at the International Space Station. The technology it's testing, if implemented on a large scale, could revolutionize spaceflight, advocates say.
Innovative Single-Person Spacecraft Design Passes Leak Test (Exclusive) By Elizabeth Howell A spacecraft designed to eventually replace many spacewalking astronaut activities passed two key pressure-leak tests in September, the company recently told Space.com.
MASCOT 2.0? Mars Moon Rover to Fly on Japanese Mission to Phobos in 2024 By Mike Wall A rover following in the footsteps of the MASCOT asteroid lander will be incorporated into Japan's Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) sample-return mission, which is scheduled to launch in 2024.
Curiosity Rover Activates Backup 'Brain' on Mars By Meghan Bartels As engineers scramble to fix a glitch in the Curiosity rover on Mars, they have switched the rover from a misbehaving computer to the craft's second, backup brain.
Lockheed Martin Unveils Plans for Huge Reusable Moon Lander for Astronauts By Mike Wall Today (Oct. 3), aerospace giant Lockheed Martin revealed its concept for a reusable, single-stage spaceship capable of ferrying four astronauts between lunar orbit and the surface of the moon.
'Moon Race' Backed by Blue Origin, Airbus Aims for 2024 Lunar Flight By Elizabeth Howell A new contest for lunar exploration was unveiled yesterday (Oct. 2) at the International Astronomical Congress in Bremen, Germany, promising to develop technologies for a 2024 flight date.
What Is A Drone? By Elizabeth Howell In aviation and in space, a drone refers to an unpiloted aircraft or spacecraft.
Satellite Photos Help Indonesian Relief Workers Sort Through Earthquake, Tsunami Aftermath By Doris Elin Salazar Relief workers can now use freely available satellite imagery to navigate destruction from the recent earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia.
