Merging Galaxies, Hypersonic Weapons & More
Last week scientists caught a rare look at an ancient galaxy crash, President Obama announced Sally Ride will be awarded the Medal of Freedom posthumously, and U.S. military officials said hypersonic weapons could hit battlefield by 2025. See the top stories of the last week here.
FIRST STOP: NASA's Planet-Hunting Kepler Telescope Will Have Long Legacy, Despite Big Glitch
NASA's Planet-Hunting Kepler Telescope Will Have Long Legacy, Despite Big Glitch
Whether or not NASA's Kepler spacecraft can bounce back from the malfunction that has stalled its search for alien planets, the mission's place in history is assured, scientists say. [Full Story]
NEXT: Hypersonic Weapons Could Hit Battlefield by 2025
Hypersonic Weapons Could Hit Battlefield by 2025
High-tech weapons could be screaming through the skies at five times the speed of sound by the middle of the next decade, U.S. military officials say. [Full Story]
NEXT: NASA's Curiosity Rover Drills Into 2nd Mars Rock
NASA's Curiosity Rover Drills Into 2nd Mars Rock
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has broken out its trusty drill again, pulling samples from deep within a Red Planet rock for the second time ever.[Full Story]
NEXT: 1st British Space Station Astronaut Launching in 2015
1st British Space Station Astronaut Launching in 2015
British astronaut Tim Peake will launch to the International Space Station in 2015, the first UK space traveler ever to visit the orbiting. See details from the European Space Agency here. [Full Story]
NEXT: NASA to Lease Historic Launch Pad for Commercial Rocket Missions
NASA to Lease Historic Launch Pad for Commercial Rocket Missions
NASA is expected to begin soliciting proposals for the commercial use of Launch Pad 39A at the space agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Use of the pad by private industry will continue use of the historic launch complex while also encouraging the growth of commercial space activities along Florida's Space Coast. [Full Story]
NEXT: Extreme Solar Storm Could Cause Widespread Disruptions on Earth
Extreme Solar Storm Could Cause Widespread Disruptions on Earth
A large coronal mass ejection created by an active sun could adversely impact regions and even continents around the world. How can we forecast them before they happen?[Full Story]
NEXT: Amazon CEO's Moon Rocket Engines Being Conserved in Kansas
Amazon CEO's Moon Rocket Engines Being Conserved in Kansas
Parts from at least two F-1 rocket engines, used to power the Saturn V booster that sent Apollo astronauts to the moon, were recovered from the ocean floor and are being conserved at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center. [Full Story]
NEXT: China Space Program Ramping Up Capabilities, Pentagon Says
China Space Program Ramping Up Capabilities, Pentagon Says
China’s growing space prowess shows no signs of slowing, the U.S. Department of Defense said in its annual report to Congress on military and security developments involving the People’s Republic of China. [Full Story]
NEXT: Private Mars Colony Is No Place for Children (Yet)
Private Mars Colony Is No Place for Children (Yet)
The leader of the private Mars colony project Mars One hopes the Red Planet's first few pioneers don't bring children into the world there. Bas Lansdorf says the early Red Planet colony won’t be a place for young children. [Full Story]
NEXT: Rare View of Ancient Galaxy Crash Revealed
Rare View of Ancient Galaxy Crash Revealed
Astronomers have discovered a rare sight in deep space, two galaxies caught in the act of merging to create a single elliptical galaxy. [Full Story]
NEXT: Moon or Asteroid? Congress Debates Best Pit Stop to Mars
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.
