space travel news stories on Newser

SpaceX Counts Down to Maiden ISS Mission

Rob Quinn — Wed, 02 May 2012 06:35:23 CDT

Commercial space firm SpaceX may be just days away from going where no private company has gone before: the International Space Station. The company is preparing to send its unmanned Dragon capsule on a mission to supply the ISS with 1,100 pounds of food, water, and other cargo. The...

Ashton Kutcher Buys Ticket to Space

Rob Quinn — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 13:10:05 CDT

Ashton Kutcher has become the latest celebrity to shell out $200,000 for a ticket off the planet. The actor has been confirmed as the 500th customer to buy a ticket to space on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, MSNBC reports. Other customers reportedly include Tom Hanks, Katy Perry, Brad Pitt, Angelina...

For Rent: Slightly Used Space Shuttle Launchpad

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:50:05 CST

Wondering where to park your space shuttle? Consider Cape Canaveral's Kennedy Space Center. "We’re putting out the word officially and unofficially that Kennedy Space Center is open for business," says a chief architect at the facility. "I have a lot of facilities that we, NASA, no longer need," adds Kennedy’s...

NASA Probes to Reach Moon Over New Year's

Dustin Lushing — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:57:42 CST

Two NASA probes are poised to reach the moon over the New Year's holiday. After a journey of more than three months, the $496 million Grail probes—short for Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory—will soon be in place, reports AP . Grail A is set to arrive on New Year's...

NASA-Backed 'Space Taxi' to Fly Next Year

Rob Quinn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 02:21:00 CDT

With the space shuttles retired, NASA currently has to rely on the Russians to ferry astronauts and cargo to and from the International Space Station. But it hopes to be able to hail a taxi soon. Dream Chaser, one of four "space taxis" being developed by private industry with support...

Russian Company Plans Outer-Space Hotel

Neal Colgrass — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:50:05 CDT

A mere million bucks will soon earn you five days in a futuristic hotel, as long as you enjoy traveling at 17,500 miles an hour and having stellar views of planet Earth. The nimbly titled Commercial Space Station, designed by a Russian company, is the latest in a series...

Space Station Will Plunge Into Pacific After 2020

Rob Quinn — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 05:41:29 CDT

The International Space Station's grave will be a watery one, not a cosmic one. The colossal orbiting outpost will be deliberately crashed into the Pacific Ocean when it reaches the end of its working life some time after 2020, AP reports. "It cannot be left in orbit, it's too complex,...

10 Bizarre Ways Google Spends Its Money

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 02 May 2011 12:33:05 CDT

Google has made billions, and there are only so many YouTubes or Androids you can buy—so why not spend some of that hard-earned cash in some decidedly stranger ways? Business Insider rounds up the 10 weirdest: Windmills : Yes ... windmills. Google spent $40 million on them, probably because it likes...

NASA Scraps Endeavour Launch Tomorrow

Polly Davis Doig — Sun, 01 May 2011 10:01:26 CDT

NASA has scrapped tomorrow's tentative launch of space shuttle Endeavour, reports Space.com, saying that it needs more time to fix the broken auxiliary power unit that delayed the launch on Friday. "We're looking more toward the end of the week, maybe next weekend," says a NASA spokesman. "We won't...