ISS astronaut enjoy holidays, reflect on busy year ahead

Taking time off for the holidays, the crew of the International Space Station is preparing for a busy start to the new year, with the arrival of a SpaceX cargo ship next week and three U.S. spacewalks in February.
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Kelly, Kornienko eager for launch on one-year mission

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko are gearing up for launch March 27 to kick off a record one-year stay aboard the International Space Station, an orbital marathon crucial for planning future flights beyond Earth. Read More...

ESA optimistic Philae lander will wake up as comet nears sun

The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft is beaming back high-resolution photos of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko this week that engineers hope will reveal the location of the Philae lander.
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SpaceX readies barge for Falcon 9 landing try

SpaceX is gearing up to launch a Dragon cargo ship atop a Falcon 9 rocket Friday for the company's fifth operational space station resupply mission. And if all goes well, the Falcon 9's first stage will attempt to land on an off-shore barge. Read More...

Mars rover detects methane spike

Carefully analyzing data collected by NASA's Mars Curiosity rover, scientists discovered a sudden, unexpected spike in methane levels in the martian atmosphere over a two-month period one year ago, researchers announced Tuesday.
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Atlas 5 lifts NRO satellite into space

A powerful United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket thundered away from a California launch pad Friday, boosting a classified National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite into space.
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NASA's Orion capsule completes smooth test flight

A Delta 4 rocket boosted NASA’s Orion deep space exploration vehicle to an altitude of 3,600 miles Friday, setting up a dramatic re-entry and a successful splashdown to close out a milestone test flight. Read More...

Delta 4/Orion launch delayed by wind, valve problems

Launch of a powerful Delta 4 rocket carrying NASA's new Orion deep space exploration craft was called off Thursday because of high winds and trouble with sluggish propellant valves. Read More...

Engineers make final preparations for Orion launch

Engineers made final preparations Wednesday for the maiden launch of NASA's new Orion deep space exploration craft early Thursday on a long-awaited test flight. Read More...

Japan launches Hayabusa2 asteroid mission

An H-2A rocket blasted off from Japan's picturesque Tanegashima Space Center late Tuesday, boosting an innovative science probe into space for a six-year mission to rendezvous with an asteroid and bring soil samples back to Earth. Read More...

NASA poised to launch first Orion test flight

NASA is gearing up for a milestone unmanned test flight Thursday, the first launch of the agency's Orion deep space exploration spacecraft intended to one day carry astronauts on missions beyond low-Earth orbit and, eventually, Mars.
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