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Human spaceflight

Former astronaut Mark Kelly, left, stands across from his brother, Scott Kelly, the current commander of the International Space Station.

A study of astronaut twins will give NASA some key genetic insight

Science

Scott and Mark Kelly, like many twins, are taking part in a genetic study to see how environment affects them differently. There’s one key twist, though: Scott is commanding the International Space Station, and NASA hopes to see what his yearlong mission might do to his genes.

A screenshot from a NASA video explaining the development of the zero-gravity cup.

A zero-gravity cup lets astronauts get a handle on their coffee

Science
A vista from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity

That one-way ticket to Mars you were hoping for may not be such a good idea

Science
Sheriffs' deputies look at wreckage from the crash of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo near Cantil, California November 2, 2014. A suborbital passenger spaceship being developed by Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic company crashed during a test flight on Fr

As businesses enter the space race, the need to make a buck leaves questions about safety

Business
Ross Lockwood. Photo by Lucie Poulet.

What would life on Mars be like? A Canadian scientist spent months in a NASA-built dome to find out

Science
NASA technicians work on a Mars-bound spacecraft. Unmanned missions to Mars have mostly been successful, but the effort to sent a human being there is proving a harder task — and a harder sell.

Plans to put a human on Mars are a mess, says a new report. Should we even try?

Environment

Will the US ever land a human on Mars? No way, says a new Congressionally-mandated report. But scientists argue we should look for a new plan, not an excuse to abandon the effort.Will the US ever land a human on Mars? No way, says a new Congressionally-mandated report. But scientists argue we should look for a new plan, not an excuse to abandon the effort.

NASA develops system to recycle space station waste into radiation-protecting tiles

Environment

Hauling trash off the International Space Station can be an expensive proposition, especially without NASA’s Space Shuttle fleet. So NASA has come up with a system to recycle the waste astronauts develop into radiation-protecting tiles for the space station.

Astronauts get Halloween treats delivered as research continues

Environment

Astronauts on the International Space Station celebrated Halloween Wednesday with some treats, but before long it was back to the tricks, keeping the ship running and monitoring Earth, including the progress of post-Hurricane Sandy.

SpaceX rocket launch marks the beginning of the private era in space

Environment

Tuesday’s launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket marks the first commercial flight for a spacecraft bound to the International Space Station, perhaps the opening salvo of a new, private era of space exploration.

NASA building the most powerful rocket on Earth

Environment

NASA’s new rocket — the biggest and most powerful on the planet — is designed to take people and payloads to Mars, asteroids or deep space, and is expected to launch in 2017.