msnbc.com: Space

Space elevator team wins $900,000 from NASA

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 07:31:45 GMT

A Seattle-based team has won $900,000 in this year's Space Elevator Games, a NASA-sponsored contest to build machines powered by laser beams that can climb a cable in the sky.

Space junk buzzes station while crew sleeps

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 07:51:34 GMT

A small chunk of space trash made an uncomfortably close pass by the International Space Station late Friday, but not close enough to force the astronauts aboard to take shelter in their Russian lifeboats.

Moon’s ‘friends’ say no to future lunar crashes

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 02:37:14 GMT

When a NASA spacecraft rammed into the moon in October, the event also stirred an observable cloud of public anxiety and protests in some quarters about "bombing" the moon.

New survey finds 22 of the earliest galaxies

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 02:41:48 GMT

A new survey has found 22 of the earliest galaxies to form in the universe, confirming the age of one at just 787 million years after the theoretical Big Bang.

Cosmic Log: See starbirth up close

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 00:41:57 GMT

Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: The Hubble Space Telescope's new wide-field camera sends down a crackling view of starbirth in a nearby spiral galaxy.

Stars: Cosmic road signs to intelligent aliens?

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 17:38:24 GMT

Learning that sun-like stars are good candidates for life may not sound surprising, but it isn't always what scientists have thought.

Ten alien abductions, from ‘V’ to ‘X-Files’

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 00:12:11 GMT

When you think about it, it seems like aliens have always been abducting Earthlings. The new "Fourth Kind" film is just the latest to depict unearthly kidnappings.

New type of supernova discovered

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 22:21:53 GMT

A new type of supernova — the explosive death of a star — has been discovered in which helium detonates on the surface of a white dwarf star.

New theory tries to explain missing matter

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 20:38:47 GMT

One of the greatest mysteries of astronomy is the problem of the missing mass: All of the matter scientists can see in the universe accounts for only a small percent of the observed gravity.

Slide show: Month in space: What a blast!

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:01:41 GMT

Catch a blast from the sun, a clash between galaxies and other outer-space highlights from October.

Unmanned planes converted to climate scouts

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 17:00:05 GMT

In a modern-day rendition of beating swords into plowshares, a pair of unmanned military aircraft have been turned over to NASA for research on Earth's environment.

Device like ‘Star Trek’ replicator is in the works

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 22:47:36 GMT

NASA has developed a technology that could enable lunar colonists to carry out on-site manufacturing on the moon, or allow future astronauts to create critical spare parts in space.

Countdown begins for NASA's uncertain future

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 14:20:17 GMT

After the release of a key report on space policy and the launch of a controversial new NASA rocket, the countdown is ticking down toward multibillion-dollar decisions about America's future in space.