Space Politics
Stealth Funding for NASA's Constellation
A provision in a bill passed by Congress this week that allots $59 billion to amp-up the war in Afghanistan contains orders for NASA to not cancel any contracts in its embattled Constellation moon program.
As NASA's Plutonium Supply Dwindles, ESA Eyes Nuclear Energy Program
NASA is running low on plutonium, an issue that is causing growing concern for future outer solar system missions. Will Europe step in to alleviate concern for the supply of this valuable energy resource?
YuriGagarin50: Discovery News Goes to Parliament
During an exciting day out in London, I was invited to the launch of YuriGagarin50, a celebration of British and Russian advancements in space science.
LIVE: President Obama Speech at Kennedy Space Center
Facing an audience at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., President Obama will outline plans for NASA's future. Irene Klotz live-tweeting from the scene.
CubeSails to Drag Space Junk from Orbit
Could a nanosatellite inspired by the solar sail be used to pull defunct satellites down to Earth? Is there a passive military application waiting to be unleashed?
Obama to Host Space Summit in Florida
Say what you like about President Obama, but at least he’s no coward. Otherwise, the last place he’d want to show his face is central Florida, ground zero for the next tsunami of job layoffs following the retirement of the ...
Buzz Aldrin's Path to Mars
Sending astronauts to Mars within a decade is do-able, says Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin, pointing to a plan for a deep-space exploration vehicle and a heavy-lift rocket based on space shuttle systems. “I believe we can be well on our ...
The Ethics of Planetary Exploration and Colonization
Humans are no strangers to ravaging the land, but the stars have proven a good deal more elusive. So far, our ethical concerns have remained limited to the contamination of extraterrestrial environments, but what will the future bring? Vatican astronomer ...
Buzz Aldrin: 'Mars is the Next Frontier for Humankind'
This certainly isn't a surprise, considering Buzz Aldrin has been advocating manned missions to destinations other than the moon for some time, but it's certainly worth hearing what the second man on the moon has to say about today's announcement ...
Is Human Spaceflight Running Out of Time?
Not under construction: The Ares I will likely be sidelined (NASA) Now the rocket booster smoke is clearing, it's becoming clear that NASA's direction for manned space exploration have been re-routed. The much feared "5-year gap" between the Shuttle getting ...
