Vote Now! Top Space Stories of the Week - Aug. 19, 2012

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NASA Names New Chief Astronaut

NASA

- NASA's astronauts have a new chief. NASA’s current top astronaut Peggy Whitson, who became NASA’s chief astronaut in 2009, has stepped down from the post to rejoin the spaceflying ranks. Astronaut Robert Behnken will succeed her. [Full Story

NEXT STOP: Perseid Meteor Shower Wows Weekend Stargazers

Perseid Meteor Shower Wows Weekend Stargazers

Roberto Porto

A weekend meteor shower lit up the night sky with a fiery "shooting star" display to the delight of stargazers and space photographers around the world. [Full Story

NEXT STOP: NASA Names New Chief Astronaut

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Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
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Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.