astronaut

Space Travel Slows Thinking Speed. But Astronauts Can Still Complete Tasks Accurately, Says New NASA Study

NASA's research could provide useful information as humans venture farther out into space.

The pharmanauts: how will astronauts produce drugs on deep space missions?

Scientists have come up with some pretty inventive ways to produce interstellar drugs -- because astronauts will likely need them.

Cristina Birch, former national track champion, selected as NASA astronaut

From the track to outer space.

How many astronauts have gone to the moon?

Only 12 astronaut boots touched down on the lunar surface. But more are about to arrive soon (and they likely won’t be American).

Iranian propaganda tries to pass $20 children's Halloween costume as an astronaut suit

Yup, they seriously tried to pull this off...

Astronauts' blood can flow in reverse and even stagnate

The findings could have important implications for deep space missions.

Natural compound found in grape skins, berries, and red wine, could help Mars explorers stay fit

It doesn't necessarily have to be red wine...

Stephen Colbert ridicules administrator's plan to allow NASA corporate sponsorships

Astronaut suits plastered in ads like NASCAR racers? Now that's a thought...

The First Woman in Space: The Story of Valentina Tereshkova

From humble beginnings to stellar heights.

Long-term exposure to microgravity changes brain structure of astronauts

Seems like the brain of astronauts starts to float upward.

Waste not, want not: astronauts to turn pee into nutrients, tools on deep-space missions

Stay hydrated up there, ladies and gents.

After record number of applications, NASA announces the future generation of astronauts

Take a good look at these people. A few years from now, they will be conducting research off the Earth and in deep space.

Peggy Whitson becomes oldest female in space, shoots for longest-serving astronaut

Not a small feat.

Internet schools man for trying to "mansplain" a NASA astronaut

'It's simple thermo,' he said.

Astronaut food: what astronauts eat in space

Many of you reading this hope to one day be able to explore outer space; the thrill of discovery, entwined with the peace and solitude that only the silent void can provide. It's awesome stuff, I'm completely on board. But as it usually goes, great adventures come with great sacrifices.

Want to become an astronaut? Maybe even go to Mars? Now you can apply

From Dec. 14, NASA is opening applications for its new astronaut crew. The minimal requirements aren't that strict, but as you might imagine to make the cut you'll have to prove you're better than a stellar class of applicants.

Ballantine creates whiskey glass to be used in zero G, spill free

Scottish manufacturer Ballantines comes to the aid of space-dwellers the world round (and beyond) with a new, high-tech glass that promises to make getting hammered with style in space a reality.

The Moon is shrouded by a dust cloud, and a mystery still stands

The Moon doesn’t have an atmosphere, but it is surrounded by a thick dust cloud; the dust constantly falls down to the lunar surface, but new dust constantly jumps to replenish it. The pattern of dust falling back to its home “in due time … will fill in craters,” says the University of Colorado, Boulder’s Mihaly […]

Gecko-hand-gloves helps human climb wall like spiderman

Watch out, Spiderman! Stanford engineers recently demonstrated a pair of gecko-inspired hand pads strong enough to pull the weight of an adult man and to allow him to climb a wall. Scaling walls like a gecko At the center of the gecko’s clinging ability are its specialized pads, located on the reptile’s toes, comprised of various satae (bristle- or […]

The sleek, sexy suit that could take astronauts to Mars

The clunky and heavy astronaut costumes used today are very useful and well thought – they provide oxygen, scrub CO2, and keep astronauts safe from radiation and outside negative factors. But they are, still, clunky and heavy, and not really suitable for the kind of intensive exploration astronauts have to conduct on Mars. Dava Newman, […]

X-rays reveal what lies beneath spacesuits in new Smithsonian exhibit

We’ve all come to love and cherish the visionary images of astronauts out in space in their spacesuits. There’s something truly incredible about getting to see a humanoid form right in space, overlooking our beautiful blue marble, wrapped inside a protective suit that shelters the new millennium explorer from the cold, deadly grips of vacuum. […]

China plans first manned space docking

After the successful docking of the first private space shuttle, China announced it is preparing its next step in the ambitious space flight project: the country’s first manned space docking. The Shenzhou 9 spacecraft will dock with the Tiangong 1 orbital module “sometime in mid-June,” according to official statements. However, the government didn’t announce how […]

NASA accepting new astronaut applications - have you got what it takes ?

Many children dream of becoming astronauts, but for most, the dream just gets lost somewhere along the way; but that no longer has to be the case, especially considering the exciting times we are living in. NASA may have retired its space orbiters, but there are still many manned missions planned for the International Space […]

Got what it takes? You could be NASA's next astronaut!

Well hopefully the days when children dream about being astronauts haven’t withered, and there are still people out there who dream of going into outer space and see our planet from orbit. If this is the case, then you now have a chance of joining the elite group that the space agency chooses as its […]

Spacewalker astronaut runs into trouble

Spacewalking isn’t all fun and games – things can go bad at any moment, and in the latest spacewalk, this is exactly what happened: Mike Fincke, one of NASA’s most experienced spacemen, reported that while they were lubricating a joint in the life-sustaining solar power system of the International Space Station, they lost one bolt […]