Vote Now! Top Space Stories of the Week - Oct. 14, 2012
Asteroids, a 'Space Jump and Endeavour's L.A. Home
Last Week scientists discovered a planet likely made of diamond, Space Shuttle Endeavour took a road trip, and a house-sized asteroid zoomed close to Earth. See the top stories of the last week here.
FIRST STOP: Skydiver Makes 'Space Jump'
World's Highest Skydive
An Austrian daredevil plummeted into the record books today (Oct. 14), breaking the mark for highest-ever skydive after leaping from a balloon more than 24 miles above Earth's surface. Add one more feat: Going supersonic.
Felix Baumgartner stepped into the void nearly 128,000 feet (39,000 meters) above southeastern New Mexico Sunday at just after 12 p.m. MT (2 p.m. ET, 1800 GMT), then landed safely on the desert floor about 20 minutes later. [Full Story]
NEXT: House-Size Asteroid Passes Earth
House-Size Asteroid Gives Earth a Close Shave Today
An asteroid the size of a house will buzz Earth today (Oct. 12) but poses no risk of hitting our planet, scientists say. [Full Story]
NEXT: Space Shuttle Endeavour Embarks on L.A. Road Trip
Space Shuttle Endeavour Embarks on L.A. Road Trip
Space shuttle Endeavour has come home — finally.
The iconic black and white orbiter, which flew 25 times to space over the past two decades, arrived at the California Science Center (CSC) Sunday afternoon (Oct. 14) to begin its new mission as a museum exhibit. [Full Story]
NEXT: Curiosity Rover's Pet Mars Rock 'Jake'
Curiosity Rover's Pet Mars Rock 'Jake'
A rock on Mars being studied by NASA's Curiosity rover is unlike any Martian stone ever seen, and is surprisingly similar to an unusual, but well-known, kind of rock on Earth. [Full Story]
NEXT: Super-Earth Planet Likely Made of Diamond
Super-Earth Planet Likely Made of Diamond
A planet made largely of diamond has been discovered orbiting a nearby star. [Full Story]
NEXT: New Rules for Meteorite Hunters Unveiled
New Rules for Meteorite Hunters Unveiled
It’s official! A fishing license for the sky. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) under the U.S. Department of the Interior has issued Instruction Memorandum No. 2012-182. It establishes policy governing the collection of meteorites found on public lands. [Full Story]
NEXT: SpaceX Dragon Capsule Arrives at Space Station With Precious Cargo
SpaceX Dragon Capsule Arrives at Space Station With Precious Cargo
A privately built robotic space capsule arrived at the International Space Station early Wednesday (Oct. 10) to make the first-ever commercial cargo delivery to the orbiting lab under a billion-dollar deal with NASA. [Full Story]
NEXT: 'Bright Object' On Mars Actually Plastic from Curiosity Rover
'Bright Object' On Mars Actually Plastic from Curiosity Rover
A small piece of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has apparently fallen off into the Red Planet dirt, scientists announced today (Oct. 9). [Full Story]
NEXT: 2012 Nobel Physics Prize Goes to Quantum Optics Pioneers
2012 Nobel Physics Prize Goes to Quantum Optics Pioneers
The 2012 Nobel Prize in physics went to French physicist Serge Haroche and American physicist David Wineland for their work on quantum optics, which has probed the relationship between light and matter. [Full Story]
NEXT: Singer Sarah Brightman Will Ride Russian Rocket to Space
Singer Sarah Brightman Will Ride Russian Rocket to Space
British soprano singer Sarah Brightman has announced her plan to ride a Russian rocket into space for a 10-day visit to the International Space Station. [Full Story]
NEXT: 'Angry Birds Star Wars' Launching Next Month
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