NYT > Science > Space & Cosmos

  • She Is Breaking Glass Ceilings in Space, but Facing Sexism on Earth
    by Steven Lee Myers on 2021-10-23 in Women and Girls, Space and Astronomy, Politics and Government, China Aerospace, China, Content Type: Personal Profile, Wang Yaping

    Sanitary pads and makeup: A Chinese astronaut’s six-month stay aboard the country’s space station has revealed conflicted cultural values toward gender.

  • A Future for People With Disabilities in Outer Space Takes Flight
    by Amanda Morris on 2021-10-23 in Private Spaceflight, Disabilities, Gravitation and Gravity, Space and Astronomy, Regulation and Deregulation of Industry, AstroAccess (Nonprofit)

    People with different types of disabilities tested their skills and technologies on a zero-gravity research flight with the goal of proving that they can safely go to space.

  • NASA Planning Moon Launch in 2022
    by Michael Roston on 2021-10-22 in Artemis Program, Moon, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Rocket Science and Propulsion, Space and Astronomy, United States Politics and Government

    A flight of the Space Launch System and Orion capsule without astronauts aboard is planned for early next year, a first, long-delayed step toward returning astronauts to the moon’s surface.

  • Dying Satellite, Not U.F.O. or Meteor, Likely Caused Midwest Fireball
    by Joey Roulette on 2021-10-22 in Satellites, Defense and Military Forces, Space and Astronomy, Rocket Science and Propulsion, Russia, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Great Lakes

    The fiery trail astonished viewers in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, but a Russian military spacecraft was the probable source.

  • Meteorite Crashes Through Ceiling and Lands on Woman’s Bed
    by John Yoon and Vjosa Isai on 2021-10-21 in Meteors and Meteorites, Space and Astronomy, Golden (British Columbia)

    After a fireball streaked through the Canadian sky, Ruth Hamilton, of British Columbia, found a 2.8-pound rock the size of a large man’s fist near her pillow.

  • South Korea’s First Homemade Rocket Lifts Off but Is ‘One Step Short’
    by Choe Sang-Hun on 2021-10-21 in Satellites, Missiles and Missile Defense Systems, Space Exploration Technologies Corp, Moon Jae-in, South Korea, North Korea, Space and Astronomy

    The country aspires to be a leader in space technology, with plans to land an uncrewed craft on the moon by 2030. President Moon Jae-in said the initial launch was excellent “for a first try.”

  • The Webb Telescope’s Latest Stumbling Block: Its Name
    by Dennis Overbye on 2021-10-21 in Space and Astronomy, Stars and Galaxies, Hubble Space Telescope, Names, Organizational, Telescopes and Observatories, James Webb Space Telescope, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Nelson, Bill (1942- ), Prescod-Weinstein, Chanda, Walkowicz, Lucianne, Tubman, Harriet, Webb, James H Jr, your-feed-science

    The long-awaited successor to the Hubble Space Telescope is scheduled to launch in December. But the NASA official for whom it is named has been accused of homophobia.

  • Why NASA Launched a Robotic Archaeologist Named Lucy
    by David W. Brown on 2021-10-20 in Lucy, Asteroids, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Rocket Science and Propulsion, , Solar System, Planets, Space and Astronomy, Research

    In a vast odyssey across the solar system, the mission will study asteroids known as Trojans that may contain secrets of how the planets ended up in their current orbits.

  • NASA’s Lucy Launches on 12-Year Mission to Jupiter’s Trojan Asteroids
    by Joey Roulette on 2021-10-20 in Space and Astronomy, Jupiter (Planet), Asteroids, Solar System, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

    The elaborate journey of the robotic spacecraft will offer close encounters with some of the solar system’s least understood objects.

  • Boeing Deepens NASA Starliner Probe, Prompting More Delays
    by Joey Roulette on 2021-10-20 in Boeing Company, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Rocket Science and Propulsion, Engines, Private Spaceflight, Space and Astronomy, Engineering and Engineers

    The Starliner capsule for NASA crews is now unlikely to have another orbital flight test until the middle of next year.

  • How to Watch the Orionids Meteor Shower
    by Joey Roulette on 2021-10-20 in Meteors and Meteorites, Comets, Space and Astronomy, Content Type: Service, Moon

    The celestial event caused by debris from Halley’s comet will be most active overnight, but a nearly full moon could interfere with your view.

  • If China Tested a New Orbital Weapon, It’s Not Much of a Surprise
    by William J. Broad on 2021-10-19 in China, Missiles and Missile Defense Systems, Nuclear Weapons, Space and Astronomy, United States Defense and Military Forces, United States International Relations

    Experts report that similar technologies were developed by Russia and the United States starting more than a half century ago.

  • How a Nuclear Bomb Could Save Earth From a Stealthy Asteroid
    by Robin George Andrews on 2021-10-18 in Asteroids, Nuclear Weapons, Bombs and Explosives, Space and Astronomy, Research, Acta Astronautica (Journal)

    An atomic blast is not the preferred solution for planetary defense, but 3-D models are helping scientists prepare for a worst-case scenario.

  • Russian Film Crew Wraps Space Station Shoot and Returns to Earth
    by Joey Roulette on 2021-10-17 in Peresild, Yulia, Shipenko, Klim, International Space Station, The Challenge (Movie), Russia, Movies, Soyuz Project, Roscosmos, Space and Astronomy

    A Russian actress and film director landed near Russia’s spaceflight base in Kazakhstan after 12 days in orbit.

  • Space Station Emergency Prompted by Russian Thruster Firing
    by Joey Roulette on 2021-10-15 in International Space Station, Rocket Science and Propulsion, Space and Astronomy, Roscosmos, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Russia

    While the astronauts were said to not be in any danger, it was the second such incident since July.

  • In a Blue Origin Rocket, William Shatner Finally Goes to Space
    by Joey Roulette on 2021-10-13 in Shatner, William, Blue Origin, Bezos, Jeffrey P, Private Spaceflight, Rocket Science and Propulsion, Space and Astronomy, Workplace Hazards and Violations

    The actor who played Captain Kirk played the role of pitchman for Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight company at a time that it is facing a number of workplace and business difficulties.

  • Astronomers Found a Planet That Survived Its Star’s Death
    by Becky Ferreira on 2021-10-13 in Stars and Galaxies, Planets, Sun, Nature (Journal), Research

    The Jupiter-size planet orbits a type of star called a white dwarf, and hints at what our solar system could be like when the sun burns out.

  • William Shatner’s Star Trek Moment With Jeff Bezos
    by David Streitfeld on 2021-10-13 in Bezos, Jeffrey P, Shatner, William, Star Trek (TV Program), Amazon.com Inc, Blue Origin, Private Spaceflight, Space and Astronomy

    After the Blue Origin crew set down, science fiction met reality.

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fly to Space with Blue Origin?
    by Joey Roulette on 2021-10-13 in Private Spaceflight, Rocket Science and Propulsion, Space and Astronomy, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, Space Exploration Technologies Corp, Daemen, Oliver, Shatner, William, Bezos, Jeffrey P, Travel and Vacations

    The company said in July it had nearly $100 million in sales, but not how many tickets that included.

  • How the Pentagon Could Be Helping to Fight Wildfires
    by William J. Broad on 2021-10-01 in Satellites, California, Wildfires, United States Defense and Military Forces, Defense Department, Federal Budget (US), United States Politics and Government, Space and Astronomy, Newsom, Gavin, Schiff, Adam B, Biden, Joseph R Jr, your-feed-science, Forest Service, audio-neutral-informative

    The military’s satellites excel at spotting new blazes, but for decades they have been mostly off limits to civilian firefighters.