Gemini 12 launched 50 years ago today

A historic space mission launched 50 years ago today – it would be the last in a series of missions before NASA’s Apollo program begun and landed humans on moon. The program was Gemini; it tested many important components that would become part of the Apollo...

Today’s Deep Space Extra for Friday, November 11, 2016

In Today’s Deep Space Extra… Upcoming National Geographic cable series, Mars, will take viewers through the challenges of a human mission based on the views of top experts. Human Deep Space Exploration New NatGeo Mars series blends today’s realities with...

SLS Highlights for October

Eventually launching payloads destined for deep space, NASA’s new rocket continues its progress toward the very first launch in 2018. The new rocket is Space Launch System, or SLS. On its first mission, SLS will carry Orion, NASA’s new crew capsule. The mission will...

James Webb Space Telescope finishes production, enters testing phase

Launching in 2018 will be the successor to the legendary Hubble Space Telescope, called the James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST. What will the telescope do? JWST will help us understand the Universe. It will study the timespan from our solar system’s evolution all the...

Today’s Deep Space Extra for Wednesday, November 9, 2016

In Today’s Deep Space Extra… Elected U.S. president on Tuesday, Donald Trump could revive National Space Council. Human Deep Space Exploration Republicans win it all Spacepolicyonline.com (11/9): The Republican party secures the White House as well as control of...

U.S. Navy and NASA practice recovering Orion in the Pacific

If you’re going to send humans deep into space, how do you make a spacecraft robust enough for the job? It’ll need several critical components, including a safe habitat with life support systems, propulsion while in space, water and air for crew members, and an escape...

Today’s Deep Space Extra for Tuesday, November 8, 2016

In Today’s Deep Space Extra… U.S. presidential contenders offer broad space policy objectives as anticipated close contest heads to a vote. Human Deep Space Exploration Closing arguments for space in the 2016 campaign The Space Review (11/7): Perhaps too little...

Robotic missions for NASA’s next five years on Mars

Upcoming robotic missions to Mars, currently in development, will enable future exploration of the red planet. How were the rocky inner planets of the solar system formed? InSight–NASA’s upcoming mission to probe underneath Mars’ surface–will find out....

Today’s Deep Space Extra for Monday, November 7, 2016

In Today’s Deep Space Extra… Utah and Hawaii are providing backdrops as experts develop the protocols for future explorers assigned to gather samples of Martian rocks and soil. Human Deep Space Exploration A dress rehearsal for life on Mars Wall Street Journal...