Shuttle Crew Completes Landing Systems Tests

The shuttle crew earlier this morning checked out two systems for tomorrow’s landing. The astronauts completed a test of the Reaction Control System steering thrusters that will help control Endeavour’s attitude and speed after the deorbit burn. During that test, one of the jets, F2F, failed. This will not be an issue for landing. The crew also tested the shuttle aerosurfaces and flight control

Moon and Mars at Kennedy - Ares Processing Update

The Constellation Program's Ares I-X rocket has transformed during the past few weeks for its targeted flight test in late August.The four motor segments were stacked on the Mobile Launcher Platform and tested, in addition to tests on the vehicle's instruments.The Super Stack 1 assembly is complete. Stack one is made up of eight pieces: interstages 1 and 2, the frustum, the forward skirt

Harnessing the Sun

This image, taken during the fifth and final spacewalk of the STS-127 mission, is of one of the International Space Station's solar panels intersecting Earth's horizon. Eleven astronauts and cosmonauts remained inside the orbital outpost and the shuttle to which it was docked, while Tom Marshburn and Christopher Cassidy made their spacewalk on July 24, 2009.

NASA's Shuttle Discovery Moves to Launch Pad, Practice Liftoff Set

Reporters are invited to cover space shuttle Discovery's move to the launch pad on Aug. 3 and the mission crew's dress rehearsal activities Aug. 5 to Aug. 7 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.The first motion of Discovery from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A is scheduled for 12:01 a.m. EDT. The 3.4 mile journey is expected to take approximately six hours. Activities include

Space Shuttle Crew Set To Return To Earth Friday

Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven-member crew are scheduled to return to Earth on Friday after a 16-day mission. There are two landing opportunities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:48 a.m. and 12:23 p.m. EDT.NASA will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before permitting Endeavour and its crew to land. If weather prevents a return to Kennedy on Friday, the backup landing

New Spin On Saturn's Rotation

New meteorological data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft indicates the value for Saturn's rotation period could be more than 5 minutes shorter than previously believed - and that Saturn is more like its larger neighbor Jupiter than previously considered. The rate at which Saturn spins provides important data for planetary scientists interested in the ringed world. Obtaining an accurate fix on that

NASA to Provide Web Updates on Objects Approaching Earth

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is introducing a new Web site that will provide a centralized resource for information on near-Earth objects – those asteroids and comets that can approach Earth. The "Asteroid Watch" site also contains links for the interested public to sign up for NASA's new asteroid widget and Twitter account."Most people have a fascination with near-Earth objects," said Don