Spaceflight

The not-so-distant future, regular people will be able to take flights into space. So how do you score a spot on a Virgin Galactic flight?

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

Space food has come a long way from Project Mercury's paste-filled tubes. Today's astronauts select menus that include everything from macaroni and cheese to brownies. So do astronauts really eat space ice cream?

By Stephanie Watson

When most people think of NASA, they probably think of astronauts and the Kennedy Space Center. But there's a whole lot more to this 60-year-old organization.

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D. & Patrick J. Kiger

Internet king turned rocketman? After making his fortune on the Web, Elon Musk entered the commercial space race. Will this businessman and his SpaceX company make space tourism affordable?

By Jane McGrath

When nature calls, you have to listen. But when you're in microgravity, going to the bathroom can be a major challenge. How do astronauts get the job done?

By Stephanie Watson

A new space race is on -- who will be the first to build a space hotel? One company has gathered 3 billion dollars to do just that. Find out what life in a luxury space hotel might be like.

By Jacob Silverman

It's launch time for the first privately funded space flight. In the course of battle for the X Prize, a group called Scaled Composites has built and tested SpaceShipOne, a sub-orbital spacecraft intended to carry tourists on the ride of their life. Learn all about the craft.

By Robert Valdes

As the International Space Station astronauts return to Earth after a three-month stay, learn about the effects of weightlessness on the body.

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

On Earth, we have a constant supply of fresh air. But what happens in the tiny, confined cabins of spacecraft, like the space shuttle or space stations? How is oxygen supplied to the people on board?

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

In the confined cabins of spacecraft, like the space shuttle or space stations, carbon dioxide, which is toxic, poses a problem for astronauts. Keep reading to see how that CO2 is eliminated.

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

Humans in space may age just a bit more slowly than the rest of us, but they also experience rapid muscle and bone mass loss. Why does this happen, and do astronauts recover?

By Jessika Toothman

When you think about space travel, you probably don't take the time to wonder how astronauts go to the bathroom. However, the annals of aeronautic history abound with space bathroom tales. Here are 10 of our favorites.

By Stephanie Watson

Showering every day is likely something you take for granted. But for astronauts on the International Space Station, it's not an easy task.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

On July 20, 2021, Wally Funk will blast off. Her trip to space has been delayed since 1961, when the 'Mercury 13' Woman in Space Program was cancelled.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

Today, Blue Origin flew its billionaire founder Jeff Bezos and three others into space, a week after Virgin Galactic flew its billionaire founder Richard Branson on the same mission. Will space tourism be more than a millionaire's hobby?

By Valerie Stimac

When you think of NASA, you probably think of an all-around professional organization. And you're right. But, those astronauts like to have a lot of fun, too.

By Mark Mancini

GPS is great, but it's kind of Earth-centric. If we have our hearts set on traveling to distant planets and faraway stars, then it's time to come up with a new navigation system. NASA, of course, has an idea.

By William Harris

From sporting goods to movie memorabilia, members of the space program have been inventive about what they take into space. Here are 10 offbeat items that have taken the ride.

By Laurie L. Dove

In space, poop is often a problem. Maybe it will be part of the solution, thanks to a study showing waste can become protein and fat.

By Nathan Chandler

The little flies have way more in common with us than you think. And it made them the perfect test animal to send to space.

By Mark Mancini

NASA astronauts have to undergo serious training before becoming approved for a trip to space. But some of that training is certainly not what you'd expect.

By Mark Mancini

NASA's historic Beach House on Cape Canaveral is the last place many astronauts visit before they blast off into space. Today it's full of mission memories and NASA artifacts.

By Mark Mancini

For the first time since 2011, NASA will launch astronauts into space from U.S. soil. It will also be the first time ever a private company will get them there.

By Mark Mancini

NASA and other agencies have been studying artificial gravity in hopes they will someday use it to help astronauts combat the effects of weightlessness in space. How close are we to that reality?

By David Warmflash, M.D.

We know space is awash in ultraviolet radiation. So how are astronauts protected from all those UV rays?

By Mark Mancini