News on International Space Station

Microscopic worms may hold key to living on Mars

2011-11-29T16:30:12Z

LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists believe microscopic worms which are biologically very similar to humans may be the key to helping humans colonize other planets like Mars by giving clues on coping with long-term space living.

A team of scientists led by Nathaniel Szewczyk from Notthingham University blas...

Branson opens world's first 'spaceport' in US

2011-10-18T06:31:25Z

British billionaire Richard Branson opened the world's first-ever commercial spaceport in the New Mexico desert, the new home for his company, Virgin Galactic.

The eccentric businessman, with usual flair, sported a black jacket and waves of hair flying as he inaugurated the building by breaking a ch...

Russia launches US telecoms satellite into orbit

2011-10-05T20:30:20Z

Russian successfully launched a US Intelsat satellite into space late Wednesday, aboard a Zenit carrier rocket from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan, a Russian space agency official...

Commercial space deliveries 'within months': NASA

2011-10-03T14:30:31Z

The US space agency NASA said Monday it expects commercial operators will deliver cargo to space within months, stressing that private missions were crucial to its future human activities.

"It is months before we have commercial entities carrying cargo to the Russia has "successfully completed the launch of a Soyuz-2 rocket with the GLONASS-M (satellite) at 0015 (2015 GMT)," Colonel Alexei Zolotukhin was quoted as saying by the California-based rocket maker SpaceX said that it will make a test flight in late November to the International Space Station, now that NASA has retired its space shuttle program.

"SpaceX has...

Emotional shuttle crew say goodbye to "old friend"

2011-07-21T11:00:09Z

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - The end of the U.S. space shuttle program launched the Atlantis crew on an emotional roller coaster on Thursday, with pride at a successful finale vying with sadness that their 30-year undertaking is over.

The CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - As the United States prepares to end its space shuttle program, technologies developed to nurture the reusable spaceships through three decades of flight will live on in day-to-day use on Earth.

US astronaut Terry Virts says.

Asked to describe his most savored moment in space, the Air Force colonel and 11-year NASA veteran was unable to settle on a single high point during his first and only two-week flight aboar...

Tourists jam Florida for last shuttle launch

2011-07-07T19:30:50Z

Tourists crowded into central Florida on Thursday as NASA forged ahead with plans to launch Atlantis on the final mission of the US shuttle program despite stormy weather.

Up to 750,000 people are expected to pack Atlantis's final mission to the International Space Station a day or two, NASA said Wednesday.

A tropical storm system moving north from the Ca...

Space debris risks colliding with orbital station

2011-06-28T09:30:15Z

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Six astronauts were forced to take refuge aboard the International Space Station's "lifeboat" crafts on Tuesday, bracing for the threat of a collision with floating space debris, the <...

NASA releases first photo of shuttle docked in space

2011-06-07T17:30:22Z

NASA on Tuesday released the first ever pictures of a US space shuttle docked at the International Space Station, taken by astronauts aboard a departing Russian spacecraft last month.

The shots of the US astronaut Drew Feustel learned a valuable lesson about being teary-eyed on a spacewalk, NASA said Wednesday after the Endeavour crew's third jaunt outside the International Space Station.

"Tears in space don't run down your face," he said, a...

Astronauts to try spacewalk 'hokey pokey': NASA

2011-05-24T18:30:39Z

US astronauts on Tuesday will try out a new set of exercises to prepare them for the change in pressure they encounter on their spacewalk outside the International Space Station, NASA said.

Known in part as the "slow motion hokey pokey," the exercises are designed to prevent decompression sickness known as the bends, the type scuba divers can face if they ri...

Shuttle astronauts begin second space walk

2011-05-22T09:30:38Z

Two astronauts on Sunday began a second of four scheduled space walks of the Endeavour shuttle's final mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the US space agency announced.

Drew Feustel and Mike Fincke emerged from a decompression chamber at 0605 GMT, or 11 minutes ahead of schedule, ...

ISS astronauts inspect tile damage, chat with pope

2011-05-21T17:30:14Z

NASA took a closer look Saturday at a damaged heat shield tile on the underbelly of the space shuttle Endeavour, after astronauts chatted with Pope Benedict XVI for the first-ever papal video call to space.

Mission managers, who have downplayed the inspection as no cause for concern, instructed astron...

Astronauts unload space-scanner at station

2011-05-19T10:30:20Z

Astronauts installed a massive physics experiment at the International Space Station on Thursday, the fourth day of the US shuttle Endeavour's 16-day mission to spruce up the orbiting lab.

The International Space Station on Thursday, the fourth day of the US shuttle Endeavour's 16-day mission to spruce up the orbiting lab.

The CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Astronauts aboard the International Space Station prepared to install a $2 billion particle detector outside the orbiting outpost after

NASA says Endeavour will not launch before May 10

2011-05-02T17:30:25Z

Engineers have identified the technical problem that delayed the space shuttle Endeavour's final mission last week, but the next liftoff attempt will not be before May 10, NASA said Monday.

"NASA space shuttle and International Spac...

Boeing, Sierra Nevada, SpaceX win NASA funds

2011-04-18T14:30:15Z

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA awarded more than $269 million on Monday to several companies vying to build commercial spaceships to carry astronauts to the SpaceX unveiled Tuesday what its chief executive Elon Musk has called the world's most powerful rocket, the Falcon Heavy, which will have its first demonstration flight at the end of 2012.

The launcher is designed to lift into orbit satellites or spacecraft weighing more than 53 metric tons, or 117,000 pounds -- more t...

'Star Trek' moment for Earth-bound shuttle Discovery

2011-03-07T15:30:24Z

US astronauts awoke to actor William Shatner's voice and theme music to the movie Star Trek on their final day at the International Space Station before starting their journey back to Earth.

"Space, the final frontier. These have...

NASA extends Discovery shuttle mission again

2011-03-04T14:30:35Z

The US space agency on Friday extended the shuttle Discovery's mission to the International Space Station by another day, adding a total of two days to the shuttle's final mission before retirement.

Discovery and its six-member crew of American astronauts will now...

US space shuttle unharmed after tool accident

2011-02-10T17:30:35Z

Inspectors found no damage to the Space Shuttle Discovery or to its external reserve tanks after a thin multi-piece measuring tool fell during repair work, NASA said Thursday.

The accident has not compromised Discovery's February 24 mission to the US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords said Friday he will lead the final mission of the space shuttle Endeavour in April and plans to resume training next week.

Mark Kelly, 46, took a leave of absence to be at his wife's side after she was shot...

Capsule docks with space station, 3 new tenants

2010-12-17T16:00:17Z

Capsule docks with International Space Station, brings 3 new tenants from US, Italy, Russia

The International Space Station got three new tenants Friday, doubling in crew size with the arrival of a Russian Soyuz capsule.

The Soyuz d...

Russia says in contact with shuttle after glitch: Ifax

2010-12-16T12:30:30Z

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's flight command center is receiving all necessary information from space shuttle Soyuz and the international space station after a brief l...

Soyuz crew ready for space station mission

2010-12-14T23:30:08Z

Soyuz crew undergoes final preparations for flight to international space station

A three-person crew is undergoing final preparations to blast off for a five-month stint at the International Space Station.

Russia's Dmitry Kondratyev,

NASA, SpaceX giddy over historic orbit launch

2010-12-08T18:30:33Z

NASA and SpaceX chiefs shook their heads with disbelief and joy Wednesday after a perfect launch into orbit and back of the company's Dragon capsule, a historic first for the future of space travel.

Never before has a private enterprise attempted to launch its own spacecraft to orbit the Earth and splash back down intact, and Sp...

US company could try spacecraft launch Wednesday

2010-12-07T10:30:50Z

An American company may attempt to launch its first space capsule into orbit as early as Wednesday, in a key test for the future of commercial space flight as NASA winds down its shuttle program.

The Dragon spacecraft, unmanned for now but designed with seats for seven and an ample cargo hold, aims to hurtle into orbit and then splash into the Pacific Ocean about four to f...

US company aiming to try spacecraft launch

2010-12-07T02:30:35Z

An American company may attempt to launch its first space capsule into orbit as early as Wednesday, in a key test for the future of commercial space flight as NASA winds down its shuttle program.

The Dragon spacecraft, unnamed for now but designed with seats for seven and an ample cargo hold, aims to hurtle into orbit and then splash into the Pacific Ocean about four to fi...

US company's spacecraft launch delayed to Thursday

2010-12-06T16:30:58Z

American company SpaceX will attempt Thursday to launch its first space capsule into orbit and back, in a key test for the future of commercial space flight as NASA winds down its shuttle program.

Technical issues with the rocket, Falcon 9, caused the company to postpone the demonstration launch from Tuesday, according to SpaceX...

It's Dark Up There

2010-11-30T12:37:05Z

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Astronauts open up world to Earthlings via photos

2010-11-19T13:30:59Z

Big smiles to the sky: Space station astronauts open up world to Earthlings via photos

2010-11-16T23:00:07Z

Russian manned spacecraft docks with ISS: official

2010-09-30T22:10:39Z

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NASA budget approved by US Congress

2010-09-30T00:15:32Z

The US Congress has approved NASA's 2011 budget, which provides funds for the development of commercial spaceflights and an additional space shuttle flight.

The House of Representatives voted 304 to 118 to approve the budget late Wednesday in a final series of votes befor...

The International Space Station

2010-09-29T21:27:51Z

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Kazakhstan Russia Space

2010-12-15T12:01:08Z

Russian Space Agency experts help to U.S. astronaut Catherine Coleman, , crew member of the mission to the International Space Station, ISS, to stand up after inspecting her space suit prior the launc...

Spaceships for Hire

2010-11-25T07:31:29Z

This Nov. 19, 2010 photo provided by Sierra Nevada Space Systems shows the company's first test vehicle, for the Dream Chaser spacecraft, DC1, which shows the Dream Chaser on its way to start structural testing. The company hopes that by 2014 the Dream Chaser will makes its first orbital flight and then eventually take space travelers to the International Sp...

APTOPIX Space Shuttle

2010-11-04T08:37:21Z

The sun begins to set behind the space shuttle Discovery, Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Discovery, and her crew of six astronauts, are scheduled to lift off Thursday on a trip to the space shuttle Discovery as the sun sets Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Discovery is scheduled to lift off Thursday afternoon with a crew of six astronauts for a trip to th...

Kazakhstan Russia Space Station

2010-09-24T20:00:20Z

A rescue helicopter stands at the airport of town of Dzhezkazgan, in central Kazakhstan, on Friday, Sept. 24, 2010. The return of two Russian cosmonauts and an U.S. astronaut to Earth from the International Space Station that was scheduled for Friday...