WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–June 4, 2013.  A flash of light from a stellar outburst has provided a rare look at the 3-D structure of material ejected by an erupting nova. Astronomers used NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to observe the light emitted by the close double-star system T Pyxidis, or T Pyx, a recurring[Read More…]

ATV-4 ready for launch EU–(ENEWSPF)–3 June 2013.  ESA’s fourth Automated Transfer Vehicle, Albert Einstein, is ready for launch on an Ariane 5 to the International Space Station on 5 June from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.  Liftoff is set for 23:52 CEST (21:52 GMT), and three hours and four[Read More…]

EU–(ENEWSPF)–3 June 2013. New global maps of Mars released on the 10th anniversary of the launch of ESA’s Mars Express trace the history of water and volcanic activity on the Red Planet, and identify sites of special interest for the next generation of Mars explorers. The unique atlas comprises a[Read More…]

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–May 31, 2013.  In preparation for a future where parts and tools can be printed on demand in space, NASA and Made in Space Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., have joined to launch equipment for the first 3-D microgravity printing experiment to the International Space Station. If successful, the 3-D[Read More…]

PASADENA, Calif.–(ENEWSPF)–May 31, 2013.  NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission has uncovered the origin of massive invisible regions that make the moon’s gravity uneven, a phenomenon that affects the operations of lunar-orbiting spacecraft. Because of GRAIL’s findings, spacecraft on missions to other celestial bodies can navigate with greater[Read More…]

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–May 30, 2013.  Jaden Smith, star of Columbia Pictures’ movie “After Earth,” is featured in a new NASA public service announcement that describes the contributions of the agency’s Earth science program to environmental awareness and exploration of our home planet. The public service announcement features imagery from “After Earth” as[Read More…]

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–May 30, 2013. Data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) have led to a new and improved family tree for asteroids in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter. Astronomers used millions of infrared snapshots from the asteroid-hunting portion of the WISE all-sky survey, called NEOWISE, to identify 28[Read More…]

EU–(ENEWSPF)–29 May 2013. A Soyuz spacecraft launched from Kazakhstan last night safely docked with the International Space Station this morning, delivering ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano and his crewmates to the orbital outpost where they will live and work for five months. Luca Parmitano is an ESA astronaut flying on board[Read More…]

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–May 24, 2013.  The following is a statement from NASA’s associate administrator for space technology, Michael Gazarik, about his meetings this week in Europe to discuss potential cooperation on development of space technologies that will enable NASA’s future missions. These include the asteroid initiative announced in the president’s fiscal year[Read More…]

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–May 23, 2013.  The Ring Nebula’s distinctive shape makes it a popular illustration for astronomy books. But new observations by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope of the glowing gas shroud around an old, dying, sun-like star reveal a new twist. “The nebula is not like a bagel, but rather, it’s like[Read More…]