Station solar joint cleaning continues on today's EVA
Marking the international space station's 10th anniversary, the Endeavour astronauts are conducting a second spacewalk today, a planned six-and-a-half-hour excursion to service the station's robot arm, to continue cleaning and lubricating a damaged solar array rotary joint and to make preparations for the next shuttle assembly flight in February. The EVA began at 12:58 p.m. EST.
 MORNING WAKEUP STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER - live updates!
NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. F (.pdf download)
STS-126 FLIGHT PLAN
HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO - new clips added!
STORE: ENDEAVOUR CREW PATCH
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 VIDEO:
THURSDAY MORNING FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY
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WALKTHROUGH OF SPACEWALK NO. 2 PLAN PLAY
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SHOW-AND-TELL OF SOLAR ALPHA ROTARY JOINT WORK PLAY
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FLIGHT DAY 6 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
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News Headlines |
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10th birthday for the ISS
The first piece of the international space station -- Russia's Zarya control module -- was launched into Earth orbit 10 years ago Thursday, riding atop a Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. We present a video flashback of that historic launch that began the in-orbit assembly of the station complex.
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PROTON ROCKET ROLLS OUT TO THE PAD PLAY
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LAUNCH OF THE ZARYA CONTROL MODULE PLAY
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POST-LAUNCH COMMENTS BY NASA AND RSA PLAY
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SHUTTLE AND STATION COMMANDERS MARK ANNIVERSARY PLAY
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Spacewalker expresses remorse for lost tool bag
Astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper told reporters Wednesday the loss of a $100,000 tool bag during an otherwise successful spacewalk Tuesday was "disheartening" and that it was difficult to face her crewmates when she returned to the shuttle-space station complex. Fellow spacewalker Stephen Bowen, who said he was responsible for making a final tether check of the bag before the EVA began, said he was equally to blame for the mishap.
FULL STORY
MORNING WAKEUP STORY
NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. E (.pdf download)
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VIDEO:
LAUNCH CAMERA REPLAYS
VIDEO:
WEDNESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO:
AP, MINNEAPOLIS AND BOSTON INTERVIEWS WITH CREW PLAY
VIDEO:
WEDNESDAY MORNING FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY
VIDEO:
FLIGHT DAY 5 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
VIDEO:
RIDE ALONG WITH ASTRONAUTS "RACK-CAM" PLAY
VIDEO:
COMBUSTION SCIENCE HARDWARE MOVED INTO STATION PLAY
VIDEO:
AIRLOCK CAMCORDER FOOTAGE AFTER SPACEWALK PLAY
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Scientists dive deeper into Mars' watery past
An international team of scientists working with data gleaned from Mars Odyssey's Gamma Ray Spectrometer report new evidence for the controversial idea that oceans once covered as much as one-third of ancient Mars.
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XMM and Integral unveil magnetar environment
X-ray and gamma ray data from ESA's XMM-Newton and Integral orbiting observatories have been used to make the first tests of the physical processes that define magnetars, an unusual class of neutron star with immense magnetic fields.
FULL STORY
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Astronauts complete first spacewalk of shuttle flight
Astronauts Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Stephen Bowen wrapped up a six-hour 52-minute spacewalk Tuesday, installing a spare coolant system component on the international space station, moving a depleted nitrogen tank to the shuttle Endeavour for return to Earth and cleaning a damaged solar array rotary joint.
HEAT SHIELD OFFICIALLY CLEARED
POST-EVA STORY
SPACEWALK NO. 1 ENDS
BAG OF TOOLS FLOATS AWAY
HARDWARE SWAPPED BETWEEN ISS AND SHUTTLE
MORNING WAKEUP STORY
NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. D (.pdf download)
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VIDEO:
TUESDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO:
EVA NO. 1 CONCLUDES PLAY
VIDEO:
SOLAR ALPHA ROTARY JOINT REPAIRS BEGIN PLAY
VIDEO:
TOOL BAG ACCIDENTALLY FLOATS AWAY PLAY
VIDEO:
GREASE GUN SPILL MAKES MESS IN TOOL CARRIER PLAY
VIDEO:
SPARE FLEX HOSE COUPLER DELIVERED TO STATION PLAY
VIDEO:
EMPTY NITROGEN TANK MOVED FROM STATION TO SHUTTLE PLAY
VIDEO:
TUESDAY MORNING FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY
VIDEO:
SHOW-AND-TELL OF SOLAR ALPHA ROTARY JOINT WORK PLAY
VIDEO:
WALKTHROUGH OF SPACEWALK NO. 1 PLAN PLAY
VIDEO:
NARRATED ANIMATION OF SPACEWALK SWAPOUT PLAY
VIDEO:
FLIGHT DIRECTOR'S SUMMARY OF FLIGHT DAY 5 PLAY
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Cargo-delivery module attached to the station
Astronauts Don Pettit and Shane Kimbrough, operating the space station's robot arm, carefully pulled a 27,000-pound cargo module out of the shuttle Endeavour's cargo bay Monday and attached it to the Harmony module to accomplish one of the major objectives of their mission. Meanwhile, analysis of Endeavour heat shield checks revealed no major problems that would require a so-called focused inspection later this week.
NO 'FOCUSED' INSPECTIONS NEEDED
LEONARDO ATTACHED TO STATION
MORNING WAKEUP STORY
NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. C (.pdf download)
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FLIGHT DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
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CREW OPENS HATCH AND ENTERS LEONARDO PLAY
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ATLANTA AND BOSTON TV STATIONS INTERVIEW CREW PLAY
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MONDAY'S MISSION MANAGEMENT TEAM UPDATE PLAY
VIDEO:
MONDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
VIDEO:
LEONARDO MODULE SUCCESSFULLY MOUNTED TO STATION PLAY
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MONDAY MORNING FLIGHT DIRECTOR INTERVIEW PLAY
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PREVIEW ANIMATION OF LEONARDO MODULE ATTACHMENT PLAY
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SUMMARY OF CARGO BEING DELIVERED TO SPACE STATION PLAY
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Shuttle Endeavour sails up
to the space station
The space shuttle Endeavour, piloted by commander Chris Ferguson from the aft flight deck, glided to a picture-perfect docking with the international space station Sunday as the two spacecraft sailed through orbital darkness 212 miles above northeastern India at five miles per second.
DOCKING STORY
MORNING WAKEUP STORY
NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. B (.pdf download)
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FLIGHT DAY 3 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
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SUNDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
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SHUTTLE CREW WELCOMED ABOARD STATION PLAY
VIDEO:
SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR DOCKS TO SPACE STATION PLAY
VIDEO:
ENDEAVOUR PERFORMS THE 360-DEGREE BACKFLIP PLAY
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VIEWS OF THE SHUTTLE APPROACHING FROM BELOW PLAY
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FLIGHT DIRECTOR'S SUMMARY OF FLIGHT DAY 3 PLAY
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PREVIEW ANIMATION OF RENDEZVOUS AND DOCKING PLAY
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FLIGHT DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
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Crew spends first day in space inspecting Endeavour
The shuttle Endeavour is in good shape after its climb to space Friday and engineers are only working a handful of relatively minor problems, most noticeably glitches with the shuttle's KU-band antenna. Based on an evening video inspection, a presumably lost strip of flexible insulation from the shuttle's left aft fuselage apparently is still in place.
FULL STORY
MORNING WAKEUP STORY
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SATURDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY
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SATURDAY'S MISSION MANAGEMENT TEAM UPDATE PLAY
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FLIGHT DIRECTOR'S SUMMARY OF FLIGHT DAY 2 PLAY
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PREVIEW ANIMATION OF HEAT SHIELD INSPECTIONS PLAY
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NARRATED TOUR OF ENDEAVOUR'S PAYLOAD BAY PLAY
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Lunar impactor dispatched from Indian spacecraft
Chandrayaan 1, India's first deep space probe, released a 75-pound impactor Friday that completed a suicidal nosedive into the moon's south pole about 25 minutes later.
FULL STORY
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OTHER HEADLINES Additional stories today
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Classified Russian spacecraft launched into Earth orbit -- Russia launched a top secret military satellite Friday in an unannounced flight from the country's northern space base, according to news reports.
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Endeavour soars into the night and reaches orbit
The space shuttle Endeavour, carrying urine recycling gear, a new toilet, a galley and private crew quarters needed for a space station "home improvement" makeover, flashed to life and thundered into space Friday, lighting up the night sky for hundreds of miles around as it rocketed away.
LAUNCH STORY
NASA TV SCHEDULE REV. A (.pdf download)
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VIDEO:
FLIGHT DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY
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SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR BLASTS OFF! PLAY
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SPACEFLIGHT NOW'S LAUNCH PAD CAMERA PLAY
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THE FULL STS-126 LAUNCH EXPERIENCE PLAY
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INSIDE MISSION CONTROL DURING LAUNCH PLAY
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POST-LAUNCH NEWS BRIEFING PLAY
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FINAL PRE-LAUNCH POLLS GIVE "GO" FOR LIFTOFF PLAY
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SHUTTLE'S CREW MODULE HATCH CLOSED FOR FLIGHT PLAY
VIDEO:
MISSION SPECIALIST DON PETTIT BOARDS PLAY
VIDEO:
MISSION SPECIALIST SHANE KIMBROUGH BOARDS PLAY
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PILOT ERIC BOE BOARDS ENDEAVOUR PLAY
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COMMANDER CHRIS FERGUSON BOARDS ENDEAVOUR PLAY
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ASTROVAN TAKES CREW TO LAUNCH PAD 39A PLAY
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CREW DEPARTS QUARTERS FOR LAUNCH PAD PLAY
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ASTRONAUTS DON SPACESUITS FOR LAUNCH PLAY
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NARRATED RECAP OF ENDEAVOUR'S PRE-FLIGHT CAMPAIGN PLAY
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NARRATED RECAP OF PAYLOADS' PRE-FLIGHT CAMPAIGN PLAY
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PAD 39A SERVICE GANTRY RETRACTED FOR LAUNCH PLAY
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Hubble images exoplanet
Using the Hubble Space Telescope, a team of astronomers has taken an image of a planet around the star Fomalhaut. It is the first such image of an exoplanet taken in visible wavelengths.
FULL STORY
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Planet family photographed around normal star
Astronomers using the Gemini North telescope and W.M. Keck Observatory on Hawaii's Mauna Kea have obtained the first images of a multi-planet system around a normal star.
FULL STORY
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Mission preview: Shuttle on 'home improvement' flight
The shuttle Endeavour is poised for blastoff Friday on a space station "home improvement" mission with a "yuck factor" twist: Delivery and installation of a new toilet and complex water processing gear designed to convert urine into ultra-pure water for drinking, food preparation, personal hygiene and oxygen generation.
MISSION PREVIEW STORY
NASA TV SCHEDULE (.pdf download)
LAUNCH WINDOWS CHART
COUNTDOWN TIMELINE
ASCENT TIMELINE
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WEDNESDAY'S PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE PLAY
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ENDEAVOUR ASTRONAUTS ARRIVE FOR LAUNCH PLAY
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TUESDAY'S COUNTDOWN STATUS AND WEATHER UPDATE PLAY
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STATION ASTRONAUTS PREPARE FOR SHUTTLE ARRIVAL PLAY
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ENDEAVOUR'S PAYLOADS READIED FOR TREK TO SPACE PLAY
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UPDATE ON SHUTTLE AND STATION PROGRAMS PLAY
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STS-126 MISSION OVERVIEW PLAY
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PREVIEW BRIEFING ON MISSION'S SPACEWALKS PLAY
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THE ASTRONAUTS' PRE-FLIGHT NEWS BRIEFING PLAY
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INTERVIEW WITH COMMANDER CHRIS FERGUSON PLAY
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INTERVIEW WITH PILOT ERIC BOE PLAY
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INTERVIEW WITH MS1 HEIDEMARIE PIPER PLAY
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INTERVIEW WITH MS2 STEPHEN BOWEN PLAY
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INTERVIEW WITH MS3 DON PETITT PLAY
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INTERVIEW WITH MS4 SHANE KIMBROUGH PLAY
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INTERVIEW WITH MS5 SANDY MAGNUS PLAY
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Griffin not optimistic about staying on as head of NASA
NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, answering questions from Kennedy Space Center workers during an "all hands" meeting Thursday, said he does not expect the Obama administration to keep him on as head of the nation's civilian space agency.
FULL STORY
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Controllers cheer as Spirit rover talks from Mars
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit communicated via the Mars Odyssey orbiter Thursday right at the time when ground controllers had told it to, prompting shouts of "She's talking!" among the rover team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
FULL STORY
WEDNESDAY'S STORY
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Richard Garriott interview
Richard Garriott, a significant figure in the video game industry, recently established himself as a self-funded space tourist, spending ten days onboard the International Space Station. We spoke to Garriott about the highs and lows of his space station experiences and his thoughts on the future of space tourism.
FULL STORY
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All systems looking good for Endeavour's launch
The shuttle Endeavour's countdown is continuing with no technical issues of any significance for launch on a critical space station assembly and maintenance mission. Liftoff is targeted for 7:55 p.m. EST Friday.
FULL STORY
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IBEX reaches orbit, begins instrument commissioning
Just over three weeks since its Oct. 19 launch, NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft -- the first mission designed to image the interaction at the edge of the solar system -- concluded its orbit-raising phase and is beginning instrument commissioning in preparation to start science observations.
FULL STORY
OUR LAUNCH COVERAGE
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Dusty shock waves generate planet ingredients
Using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, astronomers have shown that shock waves around dusty young stars could be generating the raw materials needed for planet formation.
FULL STORY
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Glowing stellar nurseries
By using sub-millimetre wavelength astronomy, astronomers have revealed the cold dense clouds of material that are the birth places of new stars.
FULL STORY
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It is launch week at the Kennedy Space Center
The seven astronauts who will rocket into space aboard the shuttle Endeavour arrived at the Florida spaceport Tuesday afternoon, just hours before the countdown clocks began ticking toward Friday's planned 7:55 p.m. EST launch.
MISSION STATUS CENTER
MORNING STORY
IMAGES: CREW ARRIVAL PHOTO GALLERY
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Dust storm cuts energy supply of Spirit rover
A dust storm on Mars has cut into the amount of sunlight reaching the solar array on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, leaving the rover in a vulnerable state.
FULL STORY
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Giant simulation could solve mystery of 'dark matter'
The search for a mysterious substance which makes up most of the Universe could soon be at an end, according to new research. Dark matter is believed to account for 85 percent of the Universe's mass but has remained invisible to telescopes since scientists inferred its existence from its gravitational effects more than 75 years ago.
FULL STORY
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Phoenix mission ends as lander enters deep freeze
After five months investigating soil and ice of the Martian northern arctic plains, NASA's Phoenix lander has depleted its batteries and fallen silent. The shorter periods of sunlight during the onset of winter to recharge the solar-powered spacecraft, plus dustier skies and colder temperatures meant the lander could no longer collect enough energy to survive. The mission had exceeded its 90-day life span.
FULL STORY
NASA STATEMENT
VIDEO: PHOENIX MISSION COVERAGE
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Fingers and loops revealed in the Crab Nebula
The Chandra X-ray Observatory has captured the first clear view of the faint boundary of the Crab Nebula's X-ray emitting pulsar wind nebula.
FULL STORY
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First Indian 'moon craft'
goes into lunar orbit
Chandrayaan 1, India's first deep space mission, successfully entered lunar orbit early Saturday after a circuitous two-and-a-half week journey from a seaside launch pad to the moon.
FULL STORY
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NASA satellites gauge Alaskan glacier ice loss
A NASA-led research team has used satellite data to make the most precise measurements to date of changes in the mass of mountain glaciers in the Gulf of Alaska, a region expected to be a significant contributor to global sea level rise over the next 50-100 years.
FULL STORY
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OTHER HEADLINES Additional stories today
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Oldest commercial communications satellite retires -- After 32 years of serving ships at sea and scientists at the South Pole, an aging communications satellite owned by Intelsat Ltd. has been retired. The Marisat-F2 satellite was manufactured by Hughes Aircraft Inc. and launched in 1976.
Technical issues, more tests delay TacSat-3's liftoff -- The timeless saying every gray cloud has a silver lining aptly fits the Tactical Satellite-3 program during the past 60 days.
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Bullet Cluster: Searching for primordial antimatter
Scientists are on the hunt for evidence of antimatter -- matter's arch nemesis -- left over from the very early Universe. New results using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and Compton Gamma Ray Observatory suggest the search may have just become even more difficult.
FULL STORY
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Proton rocket deploys ASTRA satellite for Europe
A new European communications satellite was launched into space Wednesday, bound for a premier orbital location that broadcasts over 1,000 channels to 93 million homes in 35 countries.
FULL STORY
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OTHER HEADLINES Additional stories today
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Two more satellites placed into orbit by China -- China launched two new satellites aboard a Long March 2D rocket early Wednesday, marking the country's third launch in less than three weeks.
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Strange Martian landforms are climate clues, rover traps
One of the most fun and fascinating aspects of space exploration is discovering geological processes and terrain different from those found on our home planet, says Matt Balme, who is leading a team that's decoding Martian mystery landscapes.
FULL STORY
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Phoenix lander weak but still communicating
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander has communicated with controllers daily since Oct. 30 through relays to Mars orbiters. Information received over the weekend indicates Phoenix is running out of power each afternoon or evening but reawakening after its solar arrays catch morning sunlight.
FULL STORY
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NASA's Spitzer gets sneak peak inside comet Holmes
When comet Holmes unexpectedly erupted in 2007, professional and amateur astronomers around the world turned their telescopes toward the spectacular event. Their quest was to find out why the comet had suddenly exploded.
FULL STORY
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Developing the Falcon 9:
A new rocket in the making
A makeshift rocket suspended more than 10 stories above the Texas prairie is progressing through a step-by-step series of ground tests to prove that SpaceX's new Falcon 9 rocket is ready for launch next year.
FULL STORY
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Discarded station device
re-enters the atmosphere
A refrigerator-size ammonia tank thrown overboard from the international space station more than a year ago finally fell back to Earth late Sunday, a NASA official said.
FULL STORY
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