The new space race heats up: Russia and Japan unveil plans for moon bases

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2149240/The-new-space-race-heats-Russia-plans-permanent-bases-moon.html Russia has said it aims to put man on moon by 2030 ‘Permanent bases’, rather than simply repeating previous missions By Rob Waugh PUBLISHED: 04:40 EST, 24 May 2012 | UPDATED: 08:45 EST, 24 May 2012 The Russian space agency Roscosmos is planning to travel to the moon – and stay there. ‘We’re not […]

SpaceX finally launches! First private commercial flight takes off – taking with it the ashes of Star Trek legend Scotty

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2147981/SpaceX-Falcon-9-launch-First-private-commercial-flight-takes-Cape-Canaveral-International-Space-Station.html Launch was delayed last week after ‘computer problems’ on board commercial rocket Trip is first time private firm have sent flight to International Space Station By Eddie Wrenn PUBLISHED: 02:51 EST, 22 May 2012 | UPDATED: 12:19 EST, 22 May 2012 After one false start, the final frontier has finally become open territory for […]

Engineer Details Plans to Build a Real, Burj-Dubai-Sized Starship Enterprise in 20 Years

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-05/build-real-starship-enterprise-make-it-so-ambitious-engineer-says By Rebecca Boyle Posted 05.14.2012 at 2:25 pm   Real Starship Enterprise BuildTheEnterprise.org The year 2245 is just too distant — we should build and commission a real USS Enterprise right now, cracking the champagne across her hull within 20 years, according to an enterprising engineer. The gigantic ship would use ion propulsion, powered […]

Heat is on: ‘Monster’ sunspot could put Earth in the crosshairs of powerful solar storms

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2141488/Monster-sunspot-Earth-crosshairs-powerful-solar-storms.html It could result in a gigantic coronal mass ejection, which would blast the Earth with radiation and possibly knock-out power lines and disrupt satellites By Ted Thornhill PUBLISHED: 15:48 EST, 8 May 2012 | UPDATED: 16:04 EST, 8 May 2012 A mind-bogglingly big sunspot has appeared in the past few days, which could mean […]

Here comes the sun: Nasa cameras catch spectacular solar flare

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2130954/Spectacular-solar-eruption-caught-Nasa-cameras.html By Damien Gayle PUBLISHED: 05:27 EST, 17 April 2012 | UPDATED: 09:24 EST, 17 April 2012 A spectacular solar flare erupted from the Sun’s northeastern limb yesterday, sending an beautiful arcing jet of super-heated plasma blasting off into space. The explosion, captured by Nasa’s Solar Dynamics Observatory at about 5.45pm yesterday evening, was one […]

‘It’s 99% certain there is life on Mars’: Shock finding as scientists re-analyse soil samples from Seventies Viking lander

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2129152/Its-99-certain-life-Mars-Shock-finding-scientists-analyse-soil-samples-Seventies-Viking-lander.html Soil samples from Viking 1 lander which visited Mars in 1976 Mathematical analysis shows strong sign of organics Samples had been dismissed as contaminated ’99% probability of life’ claims one scientist By Rob Waugh PUBLISHED: 03:08 EST, 13 April 2012 | UPDATED: 03:49 EST, 13 April 2012 In July 1976, the Viking 1 probe […]

Top-secret US spy satellite blasts off amid mystery of what it will do (and why did the US blackout footage of launch?)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2124917/Top-secret-American-spy-satellite-blasts-California–US-blacks-web-broadcast-observers-puzzle-whats-inside.html U.S. cuts off broadcast three minutes after lift-off Secret satellite payload thought to be hi-tech replacement for current radar satellites National Reconnaissance Office will not reveal details of new satellite Experts think new ‘eye in the sky’ can see through clouds and at night By Rob Waugh PUBLISHED: 03:03 EST, 4 April 2012 | […]

Formation of high-speed laser-armed ‘fighter’ satellites in development – could they be our best hope against asteroids

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2121162/Could-formation-fighter-satellites-defend-planet-huge-asteroid.html ‘Squadron’ of laser satellites would ‘chip away’ at large asteroid Previous research focused on large craft with equally large lasers Solar-powered satellites would ‘fly in formation’ with deadly space rocks New approach could also help destroy space debris By Rob Waugh PUBLISHED: 11:37 EST, 27 March 2012 | UPDATED: 11:37 EST, 27 March 2012 […]

New sunspot group unleashes barrage of huge solar flares as astronomers predict two years of storms which could cause chaos on Earth

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2111506/Sign-things-come-New-group-sunspots-unleashes-huge-solar-flare-years-violent-solar-storms-predicted.html ‘X-class’ flare is most powerful kind of solar flare Two years of violent solar storms predicted By Rob Waugh Last updated at 3:45 PM on 7th March 2012 A powerful new group of sun spots has unleashed a barrage of solar flares – including an X1 class flare, the most powerful kind of solar […]

Armageddon 2040: Nasa identifies new asteroid threat which ‘could hit Earth’ in 30 years’ time – and UN teams are working out how to divert it

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2107654/Nasa-identifies-new-asteroid-threat-hit-Earth-2040–UN-begun-discussing-divert-it.html Asteroid has 1 in 625 chance of hitting Earth UN team debating options including nuclear weapons and ‘steering’ it away with a probe Scientists will measure rock further in 2013 By Rob Waugh Last updated at 3:50 PM on 28th February 2012 It is 460ft wide and soaring through space – on a possible […]