Topic: Johnson Space Center

UARS satellite (video): Where will this space junk crash?

NASA is tracking the bus-sized Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) and expect it to fall to Earth Friday afternoon. Precisely where the UARS satellite will land is still uncertain - but not in North America, says NASA.

Southern Lights (Aurora Australias): A rare video from above

Check out this video of the Southern Lights, a.k.a. Aurora Australias taken from aboard the International Space Station.

Russian spacecraft falls from the sky. Is the International Space Station in trouble?

The second embarrassing loss of a Russian space vehicle in a week spells trouble for Russia's space program and its ability to maintain the International Space Station.

The 9 weirdest things ever flown on the Space Shuttle

When NASA's space shuttles launch into orbit, they don't just carry astronauts and supplies into the final frontier. There's a lot of other weird stuff that makes the out-of-this-world journey, too. NASA's last space shuttle mission will launch Friday, July 8 on the Atlantis orbiter to deliver spare parts to the International Space Station. The mission will be the 135th and last flight for the program, which began in 1981. But over the course of 30 years, the space shuttles have flown some peculiar objects into orbit. The list of odd stuff that flew aboard the shuttles is a long one, and includes the Olympic torch, a replica of the golden spike from the First Transcontinental Railroad, and rocks from the top of Mount Everest and the surface of the moon, just to name a few. Here nine recent space oddities carried into orbit on NASA shuttles:

Moon dust from Apollo 11 mission discovered at St. Louis auction house

Moon dust that had returned to earth from the historic flight that brought Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins to the moon was set to be auctioned off at a St. Louis auction house, say NASA officials.

After the space shuttle, astronaut corps awaits a new mission

NASA's once-iconic astronaut corps will shrink but still play a vital role as the space shuttle era comes to an end.

Space shuttle launch canceled again

Space shuttle launch: the shuttle Endeavour will not launch this week. Canceled first on Friday and rescheduled for Monday, the shuttle Endeavour has been canceled again, due to mechanical problems.

Antarctic meteorite reveals new mineral

Antarctic meteorite: a new mineral has been discovered in a known Antarctic meteorite first discovered in 1969.

Astronauts observe Japan's tsunami aftermath from space

High-resolution photos taken from the International Space Station show some of the areas hit the hardest by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck the northeastern coast of Japan.

Alien fossils found in meteorite? Scientists urge skepticism.

Alien fossils have been discovered in meteorites from outer space, claims a NASA astrobiologist. Other scientists are urging caution.

Mark Kelly hopes wife Gabrielle Giffords will attend shuttle launch

Astronaut Mark Kelly announces he will resume training for his last shuttle mission, something he had originally thought unlikely after his wife, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, was shot Jan. 8

Why US astronauts are celebrating Thanksgiving early

Three American astronauts will host a Thanksgiving dinner for their three Russian crew mates aboard the International Space Station on Nov. 24 because half of the crew returns to Earth Thursday.

Mars may have been habitable underground, new research suggests

Evidence from an ancient meteor strike on Mars indicates the presence of liquid water at some point in the Red Planet's ancient past.

Mars a 'dead' planet? Its water history may suggest otherwise.

Carbon and water isotopes found in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere of Mars tell scientists that the red planet may not be dead after all.

Trapped miners should not smoke or drink, according to NASA

Trapped miners: A NASA team advised officials to remember even after the miners are rescued, the road to psychological recovery is not over.

NASA finds trapped miners in Chile in good spirits

Trapped miners impress NASA team

Trapped miners are similar to astronauts – held in confined spaces under dangerous conditions – so NASA sent scientists to the site of the Chilean mine collapse to advise officials there.