The European Space Agency’s Venus Express probe has reached Venus and is slowing down to make its descent. It will do its analysis as it falls through the atmosphere. As reported at the Register: “The Venus Express orbiter successfully completed its voyage to our inner neighbour this morning with a handbrake turn. Engineers fired up [...]

Routine last minute checks of the Shuttle resulted in a cancellation of today's launch of Space Shuttle Discovery. No announcement yet on when Discovery will be scheduled to take off. It could be as early as tomorrow.<br /> <br /> The problem was a faulty fuel tank sensor — a low-level cutoff switch — was [...]

Liftoff of Space Shuttle Discovery on NASA's Return to Flight Mission is scheduled for 3:51 p.m. EDT July 13.<br /> <br /> There was surprise and worry today when a window cover fell off the Shuttle and struck a panel 65 feet lower on the Shuttle. Workers quickly located a replacement panel and installed it. [...]

<div class="serendipity_imageComment_left" style="width: 200px"><div class="serendipity_imageComment_img"><img width='200' height='200' border='0' hspace='5' align='left' src='http://www.thenextwindow.com/uploads/astronomyimages/DeepImpactHIts_121489main_pia02123-471.serendipityThumb.jpg' alt='' /></div><div class="serendipity_imageComment_txt">Deep Impact probe collides with Tempel-1</div></div><br /> After 172 days and 268 million miles of space travel, the Deep Impact probe successfully collided with Comet Tempel-1 this morning at 12:52 CDT.<br /> <br /> If that doesn't amaze you, think back to [...]

Baton Rouge won't see it, but not because of the usual "clouds in the evening" problem. <br /> <br /> At the time of the collision, the comet will only be 6&deg; above the western horizon. We'll have to hope that the ejecta makes a cloud that stays visible until the next night. No word [...]

If you haven't heard yet, <a href="http://www.thenextwindow.com/exit.php?url_id=466&amp;entry_id=87" title="http://www.nasa.gov" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.nasa.gov';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">NASA</a> launched an exploration spacecraft on January 12th that is scheduled to impact a comet on this July 4th. The impact is scheduled to occur at 1:52am Eastern Daylight Time, so most of the US should be able to stay awake and watch.<br /> [...]