Best Space Photos of the Week — March 15, 2015

Spectacular Night Launch Sends NASA Satellites on Hunt for Magnetic Collisions

NASA's four Magnetospheric Multiscale satellites launch into space atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket in a late night blastoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on March 12, 2015. — NASA

NASA has successfully launched a quartet of satellites into orbit to study energy eruptions in Earth’s magnetic field caused by space weather. The satellites were launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. [Read the Full Story]

Click through this gallery to see more amazing space photos from the week.

World's Largest Solid Rocket Booster Fired in Ground Test for NASA

During the QM-1 test fire, the solid rocket motor burned 1,385,000 pounds (628,225 kilograms) of propellant, or about 5.5 tons per second. — NASA TV

A giant rocket booster designed to help boost NASA’s next megarocket, the Space Launch System, soar into space roared to life in the Utah proving grounds of Orbital ATK on Wednesday, March 11. What it means for NASA’s new rocket. [Read the Full Story]

Sun Unleashes 1st Monster Solar Flare of 2015 (Photos, Video)

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an image of an X2.2 solar flare on March 11, 2015, seen as a bright flash of light on the left side of the sun. Earth is shown for scale. — NASA/SDO

The sun unleashed its first superpowerful flare of 2015 today (March 11), and the intense eruption was aimed directly at Earth. [Read the Full Story]

US-Russian Space Station Crew Headed Back to Earth

A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore and cosmonauts Alexander Samokutyaev and Elena Serova leaves the International Space Station on March 11, 2015. — NASA TV

An American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts are headed back to Earth tonight (March 11) after undocking from the International Space Station. [Read the Full Story]

US-Russian Space Crew Returns to Earth After 167 Days in Orbit

Russian cosmonauts Elena Serova (left), Alexander Samokutyaev (center) and NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore are recline in blanket-covered chairs after landing on Earth on March 11, 2015 EDT (March 12 local time) on the steppes of Kazakhstan. The trio spent 1 — NASA TV

A Russian Soyuz spacecraft has returned three space travelers to Earth, wrapping up a six-month trek to the International Space Station. The Soyuz is due to land at 10:07 pm ET in Kazakhstan, where the local time will be early Thursday. [Read the Full Story]

World View Makes 1st Commercial Balloon Flight to Near Space

A World View balloon ready to lift off from southeastern Arizona on March 8, 2015, on the company's first commercial flight. — World View

A company that plans to send tourists to near-space by balloon has just completed its first commercial flight. [Read the Full Story]

Trifid Nebula Glows in Stunning Photo By Amateur Astronomer

Trifid Nebula Unnikrishnan — Navaneeth Unnikrishnan

Astrophotographer Navaneeth Unnikrishnan captured the star factory using a DSLR camera and tracking mounted telescopes. [Read the Full Story]

On Mars, Opportunity Rover Spots Weird Rocks Near Marathon Finish Line

NASA's Mars rover Opportunity is taking a close look at the strange flat-faced rock near the center of this view, captured on March 3, 2015. — NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA's Opportunity Mars rover is taking a break in the home stretch of its Red Planet marathon to study some rocks the likes of which it's never seen before. [Read the Full Story]

Lockheed's 'Jupiter' Space Tug Could Fly to Space Station, Moon and Beyond

This artist's illustration shows how a Jupiter spacecraft and Exoliner container could fly with NASA's manned Orion capsule on a mission to the moon. Lockeed Martin Space Systems is developing the Jupiter/Exoliner spacecraft as a utility ship for orbital — Lockheed Martin Space Systems

The aerospace firm Lockheed Martin has unveiled a new spaceflight architecture that it says could take cargo to the International Space Station and help facilitate humanity's spread out into the solar system. [Read the Full Story]

NASA Eyeing Landing Site for 2016 Mars Mission

Map showing the area under evaluation as the landing site for NASA's InSight Mars mission, which is scheduled to launch in March 2016. — NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA is leaning toward one particularly smooth patch of terrain just north of the Martian equator as the landing site for its next robotic Red Planet explorer. [Read the Full Story]

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