Frankenstein's Monster Mystery, China Blasts off and Rednecks Who Love Science
This week we solved a mystery about Frankenstein's monster, watched China blast off and saw stunning solar flares on the sun in just some of the stories that came from space this past week. Vote for your top space story of the week:
Potentially Damaging Meteor Shower in October Highlights Risk to Spacecraft
Scientists are studying what types of damage tiny meteoroids can cause when they strike satellites and crewed spacecraft. [Full Story]
Primitive Black Holes Could Shine Light on Dark Matter
Collisions between stars and an elusive type of black hole could help scientists finally find proof of dark matter. [Full Story]
New Forecast: Sun's 'Superstorms' Could Doom Satellites
Magnetic storms could harm weather, communication, military and other satellites closer to Earth than previously thought, potentially having devastating economic impacts, scientists now suggest. [Full Story]
NASA Pinpoints Pacific Ocean Grave of Fallen UARS Satellite
NASA and the military have pinned down exactly where and when a huge dead climate satellite fell to Earth on Saturday (Sept. 24). [Full Story]
'Rocket City Rednecks' Launches Reality TV into Final Frontier
If you like drinking beer, explosions, cussing and shooting rockets, then boy, does the National Geographic Channel have a show for you. "Rocket City Rednecks," a new DIY science reality show, makes its cable TV debut on the National Geographic Channel Wednesday night. [Full Story]
SpaceX Announces Reusable Rocket Plan
The private spaceflight firm SpaceX will try to build the world's first completely reusable rocket and spaceship, a space travel method that could open the gates of Mars for humanity, the company's milionaire CEO Elon Musk announced Thursday (Sept. 29).[Full Story]
US & China: Space Race or Cosmic Cooperation?
The United States must decide whether to cooperate with China in space or enter a new space race. [Full Story]
Under a 'Frankenstein' Moon: Astronomer Sleuths Solve Mary Shelley Mystery
A group of astronomers used some crafty celestial sleuthing to put to rest a 19th Century mystery surrounding the events that inspired Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, author of the classic novel "Frankenstein," to pen her tragic tale of the infamous monster. [Full Story]
China Launches 1st Space Lab Module Into Orbit for Docking Tests
China successfully launched its first prototype space lab module, Tiangong 1, today, marking an important step forward for the country's growing space program. [Full Story]
Earth Surrounded by Fewer Potentially Dangerous Asteroids Than Thought, NASA Finds
A NASA space telescope that meticulously mapped the entire sky has found fewer potentially dangerous asteroids that orbit near Earth, space agency officials announced today (Sept. 29). [Full Story]
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