Space Exploration
Space exploration is a broad topic covering many facets of deep-space and planetary science. Learn about space probes, Mars Rovers, SETI and other out-of-this-world subjects.
Comic books have happily subscribed to the theory of multiple universes for decades. After all, how else could flying and leaping versions of Superman exist at the same time? In the real world, things are a little different.
You're parched. Do you know what planetary thirst quencher to reach for? Is Martian water of a vintage you'd rather not try? And how are those lunar additives going to work out for you?
Human beings have only gone as far as the moon and back -- and that's certainly an accomplishment in and of itself. But what other methods do scientists use to learn about our galaxy and beyond? What have we achieved so far in our exploration of the final frontier?
If the Earth is struck by calamity, will survivors find salvation in the proposed Doomsday Ark? The lunar-based vault will contain information that could help jumpstart a new civilization.
NASA has an SUV-sized rover on Mars, and it’s sending new data back to Earth all the time. Landing Curiosity (and other rovers) on the red planet is no small affair. Check out these pictures of rovers and the extreme engineering that goes into a successful mission.
The Voyager space probes took dazzling pictures of planets no one had ever seen. And they're still on the move, carrying golden records with a message for aliens -- complete with bagpipes and Louis Armstrong.
Has space camp gone out of style? NASA's going after the MySpace generation with a new Web site design and strategy, but why?
Since its inception in the late '50s, NASA has accomplished some amazing technical feats. But what are some of the agency's greatest moments?
Although most people today will never set foot on the moon, it's likely you come into contact with a NASA byproduct every day.
The moon landing is just one of many sources of debate among space conspiracy theorists. This image gallery wades into the discussion on this theory and a few others.
It was a small step for a man, a giant leap for mankind. But some people say that the moon landings never happened at all. Why all the conspiracy theories?
People around the world watched as Neil Armstrong touched the moon and declared, "That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind." But how did we put a man on the moon?
Because an Earth-like environment is created within a spacesuit, it allows you to walk around in space in relative safety. But outer space is an extremely hostile place and could kill you if you aren't protected.
If you spent a year on Mars, you would need to take more food and water than you could possibly carry. But if you had to go, how much would be enough?
Not by a long shot, self-centered earthlings. So the question is, exactly how many Earth wannabes are cruising around the universe and what are they like?
If you take cosmic dust and add plasma ... do you get life? Findings suggest that plasma crystals may be the key to one of the universe's greatest mysteries: Is there life out there?
NASA's next generation of telescopes will collect 1,736 times more light than the Hubble and will penetrate the depths of the universe to see objects nearly as old as the Big Bang.
Scientists might be able to create a universe in a laboratory. How is this possible?
Of course we want to go to Mars. Until we figure it out though, roving robots with names like Spirit, Opportunity, Sojourner and Curiosity are our best bet for digging up dirt on our nearest planetary neighbor. Want to go along for the ride?
Don't worry. We still love you, Earth, but we've been wondering about the possibility of life on other worlds for centuries, and now we have the tools to do some exploring. What have astronomers found so far?
SETI is the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, and it's dedicated to discovering signals sent to Earth from far, far away. Find out what would happen if an extraterrestrial were to make contact.
Mars Odyssey is NASA's latest Mars spacecraft, and it's going to the red planet in search of water. Learn how this orbiter could pave the way for manned missions to Mars!
A massive planet 10 times the size of Earth seems to have been lurking on the edge of our solar system for some time now. How come we never noticed it before?
Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has ranked as one of man's greatest achievements in space or otherwise. What does the future hold for the great observatory, and will its space telescope successor measure up to Hubble?
The Voyager spacecraft use 23-watt radios. This is higher than the 3 watts a typical cell phone uses, but in the grand scheme of things it is still a low-power transmitter. The key to receiving the signals is therefore not the power of the radio, but a combination of three other things.
