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NASA

Black NASA astronaut is replaced in sudden crew shuffle

Miami - Al Maghrib Today

Jeanette Epps, 46, a former CIA agent turned astronaut, was about to become the first African-American to embark on a mission lasting several months at the International Space Station. It's still unclear why, but plans for her June liftoff suddenly changed, and another astronaut was chosen in her place, NASA has announced. "A number of factors are considered when makingRead more

John Young, who set records in space

Washington - Al Maghrib Today

John Young, a legendary US astronaut who went into space six times, orbited the moon and then walked on its craggy surface, has died, NASA announced Saturday. He was 87 and died late Friday of complications from pneumonia, the space agency said. He lived in a Houston suburb just minutes from the NASA Space Center. "NASA and the world have lostRead more

Cosmic dust, not 'alien megastructure,' veils mysterious star

Miami - Al Maghrib Today

It's been called the "most mysterious star in the universe," bigger than the sun and yet brightening and dimming in an odd way that suggested to some an alien megastructure might be circling it. But a study out Wednesday, compiled by more than 100 scientists who have been observing the star named KIC 8462852, puts the alien rumors to rest.Read more

Russia loses contact with Angolan satellite

Moscow - Al Maghrib Today

Russia has lost contact with Angola's first national telecoms satellite launched from the Baikonur space pad, its maker said Wednesday -- a fresh embarrassment for Moscow's once proud space industry. The incident involving the Russian-made Angosat-1 followed a similar one in November when Russia lost contact with a weather satellite launched from a new cosmodrome in the country's far east.Read more

McCandless, first astronaut to fly untethered

Washington - Al Maghrib Today

Bruce McCandless, an astronaut who was the first to fly untethered from his spacecraft in a gripping scene watched around the world, has died at the age of 80, NASA announced on its website. The US space agency did not give the cause of death on Thursday for the longtime resident of the western state of Colorado. The son andRead more

Thirsty rocks may contain

Paris - Al Maghrib Today

What happened to all the water that once sloshed in lakes and oceans on Mars? Much of it, researchers proposed on Wednesday, may be locked up in stone. Previous studies had concluded that the water was swept into space by powerful solar winds when the planet's magnetic field collapsed, while some was captured in sub-surface ice. But this did not account for allRead more

NASA picks finalists to explore comet, Saturn's moon

Washington - Al Maghrib Today

NASA on Wednesday announced two finalists for billion-dollar robotic missions -- one to explore a comet and another Saturn's moon Titan -- with a launch by the winner planned in the 2020s. "These are tantalizing investigations that seek to answer some of the biggest questions in our solar system today," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate.Read more

Crew of three docks at International Space Station

Moscow - Al Maghrib Today

A three-man space crew made up of American and Japanese rookie astronauts and an experienced Russian cosmonaut successfully docked at the International Space Station to begin a six-month mission Tuesday. NASA TV footage showed the Soyuz MS-07 capsule containing Scott Tingle of NASA, Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency dock at the ISSRead more

'Dragon back' as cargo reaches space station

Miami - Al Maghrib Today

SpaceX's unmanned Dragon cargo ship docked on Sunday with the International Space Station, bringing supplies and experiments for the astronauts in orbit. "Dragon installed," a NASA commentator said at 1326 GMT after the delicate, hours-long process of sealing 16 bolts joining the two craft was complete. At that moment, they were flying 250 miles above the North Atlantic. Earlier, asRead more

2 rookie astronauts, cosmonaut blast off

Moscow - Al Maghrib Today

A three-man space crew featuring American and Japanese rookie astronauts as well as an experienced Russian cosmonaut blasted off on Sunday for a six-month mission at the International Space Station. Scott Tingle of NASA, Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency powered into the sky in a Soyuz MS-07 spacecraft from the Baikonur cosmodrome in KazakhstanRead more