Alien Planet Hunt Gets Rare Boost, 'Albert Einstein' Ship Launches & More
Last week China geared up for its next crewed space launch, a rare stellar alignment helped the hunt for the closest alien planet and the European Space Agency launched “Albert Einstein” cargo ship to the International Space Station. See the top stories of the last week here.
FIRST STOP: China Gears Up for Next Crewed Space Launch
China Gears Up for Next Crewed Space Launch
China is readying its next piloted space mission with a three-person crew set to rendezvous and dock with that country’s Tiangong 1 space module now in Earth orbit. [Full Story]
NEXT: Mock Mars Mission Will Test Stresses of Red Planet Living
Mock Mars Mission Will Test Stresses of Red Planet Living
Six people will spend a year inside a small Arctic research station simulating a deep space mission to Mars. [Full Story]
NEXT: Small Step 'Frrr(uh)' Man: Neil Armstrong's Accent May Have Hid 'a' in Moon Quote
Small Step 'Frrr(uh)' Man: Neil Armstrong's Accent May Have Hid 'a' in Moon Quote
Did astronaut Neil Armstrong's famous first words on the moon include the "a" in "one small step for (a) man" or not? Debated for more than four decades, the answer may be in the Apollo moonwalker's midwest accent, researchers say. [Full Story]
NEXT: Hunt for Closest Alien Planet Gets Rare Boost From Stellar Alignment
Hunt for Closest Alien Planet Gets Rare Boost From Stellar Alignment
The stars will align for planet hunters twice in the next three years, allowing them to probe the nearest star to our own solar system for Earth-size alien worlds. [Full Story]
NEXT: Multiverse or Universe? Physicists Debate
Multiverse or Universe? Physicists Debate
The idea that the early universe expanded with impossible rapidity is one of only a number of possible explanations for the size of the cosmos, and the potential multiverse beyond.[Full Story]
NEXT: New Telescope Strategy Could Resolve Dark-Matter Mystery, Scientists Say
New Telescope Strategy Could Resolve Dark-Matter Mystery, Scientists Say
Scientists are petitioning for NASA's Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope to change observing strategies to clarify whether a possible signal from dark matter really exists.[Full Story]
NEXT: Donated Spy Satellite Telescope Would Suit NASA Dark Energy Mission, Report Finds
Donated Spy Satellite Telescope Would Suit NASA Dark Energy Mission, Report Finds
NASA could use a donated spy satellite to carry out a high-priority mission that would hunt for alien planets and mysterious dark energy, a new report found.[Full Story]
NEXT: What's Next for Astronaut Chris Hadfield?
What's Next for Astronaut Chris Hadfield?
Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield just returned from five months in space. At age 53, it's unclear what he will do next. [Full Story]
NEXT: 'Albert Einstein' in Space: Europe Launches Cargo Spacecraft Named for Scientist
'Albert Einstein' in Space: Europe Launches Cargo Spacecraft Named for Scientist
The European Space Agency launched the “Albert Einstein” Automated Transfer Vehicle-4 Cargo Ship to the International Space Station today at 5:52 p.m. EDT. [Full Story]
NEXT: Curiosity Rover Leaving 'Mars Rat' Behind
Curiosity Rover Leaving 'Mars Rat' Behind
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity will apparently perform no follow-up studies of a Red Planet rock that resembles a rodent, dealing a blow to the nascent field of Martian mammalogy. [Full Story]
NEXT: Space Shuttle Atlantis Exhibit Enters Final Countdown to Launch
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