astronaut
Latest
Hitting the Books: NASA's Kathy Sullivan and advances in orbital personal hygiene
Journalist Loren Grush recounts the trailblazing efforts of America's first female astronauts in The Six.
Hitting the Books: NASA's Class 8 broke color barriers and glass ceilings alike
In The New Guys, author Meredith Bagby follows the exploits of NASA's Astronaut class of 1978 — "Class 8," America's first women, African Americans, Asian American, and gay person to fly to space.
UK surgeon named world's first astronaut with a disability
The European Space Agency selected 41-year-old John McFall as the first astronaut with a disability.
NASA's Nicole Aunapu Mann will be the first Native American woman to visit space
NASA has revealed that Nicole Aunapu Mann will be the first Native American woman to visit space when she travels to the ISS in September.
US and Russia agree to swap seats on space station flights
The first flights under the deal are scheduled for September.
Pioneering astronaut Sally Ride will appear on a limited-run US quarter
The US Mint has revealed plans for a special quarter featuring Sally Ride, the country's first woman astronaut.
NASA's AR graphic novel is meant to recruit a new wave of astronauts
NASA has released an augmented reality graphic novel that could help recruit more astronauts... and teach you a few things in the process.
Can Richard Branson really call himself an astronaut after Sunday's Virgin Galactic flight?
Does flying 50 miles above the Earth's surface make you an astronaut? Depends on which aviation agency you ask.
NASA names the astronauts eligible for early Artemis Moon missions
NASA has named the 18 astronauts eligible for Artemis' first crewed Moon missions, and they include both veterans and newcomers.
Scientists might know why astronauts develop health problems in space
Researchers have found that a key component of cells likely explains why astronauts develop health problems in space.
NASA wants your help designing future moon toilets
NASA needs help designing the next astronaut toilet.
NASA accepts applications for astronauts for the first time in four years
Want to be one of the earlier astronauts to return to the Moon or explore Mars? You now have your chance. NASA has started taking applications for its next round of astronauts, some of them likely to be part of future Moon and Mars expeditions. You'll have until the very end of the month (March 31st at 11:59PM Eastern) to apply, although time isn't the main constraint here -- qualifying is.
Christina Koch returns to Earth after a record 328 days in space
After 328 days in space, NASA astronaut Christina Koch is back on Earth. She returns holding the record for the longest stay in space by a woman, and she has earned bragging rights for another major milestone: she and fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir completed the first all-female spacewalk during Koch's extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Christina Koch breaks record for longest spaceflight by a woman
NASA's Christine Koch just made history. As expected, the astronaut just broke the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman as of December 28th, eclipsing Peggy Whitson's 288 days from 2016-2017 thanks to an extended stay at the International Space Station. She should hold a comfortable lead, too. Koch is poised to spend a total of 328 days in orbit before she returns to Earth in February 2020.
Soyuz 61 leaves a ghostly trail as it tracks toward the ISS
Yesterday, NASA's Expedition 61 mission launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on a Soyuz MS-15 rocket and docked to the International Space Station (ISS) some six hours later. From the ground, it was a spectacular liftoff as usual, but this time, the best view might have been from the space station itself. With her best friend Jessica Meir onboard, astronaut Christina Koch captured an eerie, magnificent photo of the Soyuz craft as its second stage rockets propelled it toward the ISS.
These engineers and tech execs want to create a peaceful lunar settlement
A group of Silicon Valley tech executives and engineers want to create a peaceful, multinational lunar settlement. According to Bloomberg, the San Francisco-based Open Lunar Foundation plans to invest in hardware "to accelerate the exploration and settlement of the moon." And it's committed to creating a kind of cooperative that wouldn't be tied to one particular country or billionaire.
Watch astronauts reach space on Apollo 11's 50th anniversary
Earth is about to mark Apollo 11's 50th anniversary in one of the most fitting ways possible: sending people to space on the same day. NASA's Andrew Morgan (shown at left), Roscosmos' Alexander Skvortsov and the ESA's Luca Parmitano are launching on a trip to the International Space Station at 12:28PM ET today (July 20th), with NASA's live coverage starting at 11:30AM Eastern. The rendezvous with the ISS is slated for around 6:50PM ET. The crew will be joining NASA's current ISS residents Nick Hague and soon-to-be record setter Christina Koch, as well as Russia's Alexey Ovchinin.
NASA, ESA will study how artificial gravity can keep astronauts healthy
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have to exercise and alter their diet to endure extended stays in microgravity, but NASA and the ESA hope to find a better way. They're about to start a study that will explore how artificial gravity might keep astronauts in good shape. Volunteers at the German Aerospace Center will spend 60 days in bed starting on March 25th at an incline that will send blood away from their heads. Once a day, a "selection" of the subjects will take a spin in the Center's short-arm centrifuge in a bid to send blood back toward their legs.
'Lucy In The Sky' trailer shows a darker side of space travel
Today, we got our first glimpse of the Lucy In The Sky trailer. Starring Natalie Portman and Jon Hamm, this is the first feature film directed by Noah Hawley, who's behind Fargo and Legion. Lucy In The Sky is loosely based on the headline-grabbing story of astronaut Lisa Marie Nowak. After returning from space, Nowak had a breakdown in which she drove from Houston to Orlando, where she attempted to kidnap a woman involved in a love affair with another astronaut.
Japan's moon rover will be made by Toyota
Toyota is going to the moon. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has teamed up with the carmaker to build a pressurized self-driving rover that will land on the lunar surface in 2029. The six-wheeled transporter will be able to carry two humans for a distance of 10,000 kilometers using solar power and Toyota's fuel cell technology. The rover will be about the size of two minibuses, with 13 square meters of habitable space, and the astronauts on board will be able to take their suits off inside the vehicle as they explore. It will land on the moon before the human expedition arrives, and travel independently to meet them.
