Tag: Space

VIDEO: Doorcam Captures Shooting Meteor Exploding Into Huge Fireball Over Colorado

A flash of light, three times as bright as a full moon, lit up the night sky over the mountains of Colorado on Sunday, Oct. 3. As fall descends upon us, meteor season’s in full swing, and is expected to increase as we head further into October—It’s already started off with a bang. Multiple eyewitnesses,…


With Scenes From Space, TV Series Shines Light on Team Fixing Spectrometer

LONDON—Filmmaker Ben Turner has turned his lifelong passion for space exploration into an original mini series centered around American astronaut Chris Cassidy. “Among the Stars”, a six-episode docuseries, takes viewers behind the scenes with Cassidy and an international team of experts as they embark on a mission to repair the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a $2…


Russian Actor Blasts Off to Attempt a World First: A Movie in Space

MOSCOW—A Russian actress and a film director blasted off for the International Space Station on Tuesday, beating Tom Cruise in the race to shoot the first movie in space. The Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft is set to dock at 12:12 GMT at the station, which orbits Earth at an altitude of around 220 miles. Russian state…


UAE to Launch Probe Targeting Asteroid Between Mars, Jupiter

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday announced plans to send a probe to land on an asteroid between Mars and Jupiter to collect data on the origins of the universe, the latest project in the oil-rich federation’s ambitious space program. A successful landing would see the UAE join an elite club of…


90-Year-Old Actor William Shatner Joins Mission to Space

LOS ANGELES—Actor William Shatner, who played Capt. James T. Kirk in “Star Trek” TV shows and movies, is planning to boldly go where few men and women have gone before. Shatner and Audrey Powers, the vice president of mission and flight operations for Blue Origin, are set to be part of a crew on board…


Star Trek’s Captain Kirk Rocketing Into Space Next Week

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—Star Trek’s Captain Kirk is rocketing into space this month—boldly going where no other sci-fi actors have gone. Jeff Bezos’ space travel company, Blue Origin, announced Monday that William Shatner will blast off from West Texas on Oct. 12. At age 90, Shatner will become the oldest person in space. He’ll join three…


Astronaut Barbie Doll Jets Off on Zero Gravity Flight

LONDON—A Barbie doll version of Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti has jetted off on a zero-gravity flight with the aim of inspiring young girls to consider a career in space and science, technology, maths and engineering (STEM). Marking the Oct. 4-10 World Space Week, which this year celebrates women in space, toy maker Mattel Inc has…


European-Japanese Space Mission Gets First Glimpse of Mercury

BERLIN—A joint European-Japanese spacecraft got its first glimpse of Mercury as it swung by the solar system’s innermost planet while on a mission to deliver two probes into orbit in 2025. The BepiColombo mission made the first of six flybys of Mercury at 7:34 p.m. EST Friday, using the planet’s gravity to slow the spacecraft…


US Extends Environmental Review for SpaceX Program in Texas

WASHINGTON—The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Thursday it would extend the public comment period for the draft environmental review of the proposed SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy program in Boca Chica, Texas, to Nov. 1. The extension comes after federal and state agencies participating in the review made the request to extend the period for public…


FAA Clears Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo to Fly Again After Investigation Into July Flight Mishap

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has cleared Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo to fly again following an inquiry into a incident during its July spaceflight, the company announced Wednesday. The FAA announced in August that it was investigating the mishap in which a rocket ship carrying Virgin Group founder Richard Branson and five Virgin Galactic employees veered off course during its…