Rocket Racing League Takes to the Sky
	The Rocket Racing League company was created by Granger Whitelaw and X-Prize Foundation chairman Peter Diamandis in 2005. Participants in the challenge that will be held for the first time on August 1st, 2008, will need to pilot rocket-powered airplanes and compete with each other for the 350,000 US dollars prize money. The event will take place at the EAA AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, where two pilots will fly identical airplanes built ... [read more >>]
	14 April 2008, 10:50GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Space Elevators, Too Shaky for Use
	Today, anybody or anything which must be transported into Earth's orbit is carried with the help of space rockets. Nonetheless, alternative space transportation devices such as space elevators, for example, could one day make space travel a whole lot faster, safer and cheaper than the conventional methods currently available. Albeit, space elevators have two fundamental flaws related to their building and operation. First of all, ... [read more >>]
	29 March 2008, 06:06GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

More Weird Objects Raining from the Heavens
	No surprise here! Out of the few couple of millions of objects floating around in Earth's orbit, at least some must come back from time to time. Just last week, a cattle farmer from Australia reported another incident in which a strange object suddenly appeared in a remote region of the northern outback. He believes that the giant ball of twisted metal, which appeared for no reason, might be a piece of space junk from a rock ... [read more >>]
	28 March 2008, 06:45GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Watch Out, It's Raining Rocket Parts
	The Russian Roskosmos agency was recently sued by an inhabitant of Russia's Altai region for 42,000 US dollars, in compensation for the fact that a 3 meters piece of metal from one of its space rockets fell on his property, near the outdoor toilet. Shepherd Boris Urmatov lives in a area which is located right in the flight path of the spacecrafts being launched from the Baikonur launchpad, in Kazakhstan. Urmatov said in ... [read more >>]
	27 March 2008, 06:45GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

One Down Two to Go, Iran Officials Say
	Exactly a week ago, the state-run Iranian television published a brief news report which stated that Iran had officially opened its first space center and launched its first rocket into space. Not much has been said about the rocket, except that it carried a payload consisting of some scientific instruments to measure the high altitude atmosphere and that its is name Kovashgar-1, which in English means Explorer-1. Although information ... [read more >>]
	11 February 2008, 07:17GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

What's Iran Really up to?
	Iran had a field day on Monday after reporting that it had successfully launched into space its first rocket, thus becoming one of the 11 countries in the world to have capabilities of launching satellites into space. The launch hasn't been confirmed yet by the international community, but could be one of those 'true' claims, similar to the technological achievements reported in the last year which haven't bee ... [read more >>]
	04 February 2008, 07:23GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Mini-balloons to Deploy Motes to Alien Planets
	Successfully landing micro sensor device on the surface of a planet, during planetary exploration missions, could prove somewhat difficult, especially when trying to deploy them without causing critical failures during the impact phase. Swiss and German researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, along with colleagues from the Universite de Neuchatel, believe they have the solution: dropping the compact sensors into the pla ... [read more >>]
	30 January 2008, 09:21GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

How Do Rockets and Missiles Work?
	Missiles were first launched 8 centuries ago by the Chinese, during their battles with the Mongols. The first Chinese missiles were propelled by gunpowder. When arrows and spears were stuck to it, the missile made a dreadful weapon. The Mongols were so impressed, that they made their own missiles employed against the Arabs. Arabs too assumed them and, from the Arabs, they passed into Europe. In 1429, the French troops led by Joanne of ... [read more >>]
	17 January 2008, 14:06GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Estes Oracle Digital Video Rocket Can Record Liftoff, Flight and Landing...
	"Come Josephine in my flying"… digital video rocket?! Surprised? Wait until you hear all of it. From the same series that includes weird digital cameras, the guys from Hammacher Schlemmer are selling this item to the ones that always appreciate a good old spying. This baby can unbelievably fly 500 feet high, while carefully recording the landscape in VGA file format, just like the black box does if the plane goes dow ... [read more >>]
	03 September 2007, 02:54GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Spaceship Explosion at the Mojave Desert Test Area Kills 2
	A test flight of the SpaceShipOne went terribly wrong, resulting in an explosion that killed two people and critically injured four others, at the test site in the Mojave Desert, California. The ship, belonging to Scaled Components, is the first private manned rocket to reach space. The airport site was used by the pioneering company to test the shuttlecock-shaped, hybrid rocket motor-powered craft that became the first priva ... [read more >>]
	27 July 2007, 04:26GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Brazil Revives Space Program with New Rocket Launch
	A new rocket was launched this week from the Alcantara launch site near the northeastern city of Sao Luis, in an effort to revive Brazil's space program, halted after a terrible accident that claimed the lives of 21 people, in 2003, including several scientists, when a satellite-launching rocket exploded at the same launch site. But that is now a thing belonging to the past, which the Brazilian Space Agency wants to put ... [read more >>]
	20 July 2007, 11:05GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

How Hard Can It Be to Land a Rocket on the Moon?
	Ever had problems braking from 100 km/h (60 mph) to a full stop when seeing a red light in front of you? Braking is a huge stress factor for your tires, which try to make the most out of friction with the road. But how would you brake in a rocket to land on the surface of the Moon? Atmospheric friction can no longer be used, since it almost doesn't exist, parachutes are not effective for the same reason, so what is it left? Eng ... [read more >>]
	18 July 2007, 09:10GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Space Shuttle Endeavour Is Being Prepared for the Next Mission
	Yesterday, the space shuttle Endeavour rolled out of the hangar and was taken to the vehicle assembly building at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where a fuel tank and the booster rockets were mounted on it, in preparation for the next mission, scheduled on August 7. Endeavour, one of the original five spaceships in US fleet, was named after the first ship commanded by 18th century British explorer James Cook. On its maiden ... [read more >>]
	03 July 2007, 02:50GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Company Sells Tickets for the First Private Expedition to the Moon
	Investing in space technology now may be similar to buying Microsoft shares two decades ago: highly profitable. It seems the next industry area to experience an economic boom will be the exploration of space and space tourism. That's exactly what a company called Space Adventures, headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, is proposing. It may be an investment for your own amusement, but the destination is worth every dollar. T ... [read more >>]
	29 June 2007, 08:18GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Nuclear Rockets Could Send Astronauts to the Moon
	The new spaceship currently under development at NASA, Ares V, will be able to transport people on the Moon and maybe even on Mars. A scientist is proposing a new type of rocket that, if mounted on Ares V, could dramatically reduce the costs of future manned missions. Steven Howe, director of the Center for Space Nuclear Research (CSNR) at the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls, US, said that nuclear rockets will not o ... [read more >>]
	28 June 2007, 08:31GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

The Next Terrorist Targets Could Be the Satellites, Said US and Romanian Scientists
	China's shootdown of an old communication satellite two months ago using a new missile was the first successful demonstration of an anti-satellite missile by any country in more than 20 years. The U.S. perceived the test not only as a proof of China's increasing military capabilities and ambitions, but also as a possible threat to its dominance in military space. The problem is that anti-satellite systems could also be used b ... [read more >>]
	25 June 2007, 03:33GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

US Cancel Spy Satellite Program
	The director of US national intelligence stated this week that a multibillion-dollar spy satellite program has been canceled, but gave no reason for his recent decision. Mike McConnell is the spy chief that almost ventured into disclosing some juicy details about the mission, but, unfortunately for us, he stopped in time. It's kind of strange that this announcement comes three days after the National Reconnaissance Offi ... [read more >>]
	22 June 2007, 02:49GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

US Rocket Carrying Spy Satellite Had Technical Problems
	The Atlas 5 rocket - built by Lockheed Martin Corp. and marketed under a new Lockheed-Boeing Co. joint venture called United Launch Alliance and directed by the National Reconnaissance Office that was carrying a secret spy satellite into space, encountered some technical problems right after launch. The NRO - one of the 16 intelligence agencies in the U.S. which designs, builds and operates the reconnaissance satellites of the United S ... [read more >>]
	18 June 2007, 15:36GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

China Develops a New Generation of Rockets, Large Enough to Launch a Space Station
	China's ambition seems to be surpassed only by the number of inhabitants, when it comes to space exploration. The official state media reported plans to develop a new generation of carrier rockets having the largest payload capacity ever, able to launch a space station into orbit. China is the third country, after the United States and the former Soviet Union, to put an astronaut in space in a space shuttle "Made in China,&qu ... [read more >>]
	18 June 2007, 10:49GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

US Launched Rocket on Secret Spying Mission
	NASA's space program is not the only one to carry people and equipment into orbit. There is also the spy-satellite program, which is not so exposed to the media, and not much is disclosed about the secret cargo of some rockets that also take off from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. As secret as their cargo is, they can't hide a launch from the press, so the news about the unmanned heavy-lift Atlas 5 rocket tha ... [read more >>]
	16 June 2007, 06:15GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

How Would New Plasma-Powered Spaceships Work?
	A new plasma rocket design underwent thorough testing and eventually broke the endurance record for its class, and could provide the next generation of propulsion systems for future space missions. Plasma propulsion engines use accelerated plasma for propulsion. Though far less powerful than conventional atmospheric rocket engines, plasma engines are able to operate at higher efficiencies and for longer periods of time, and a ... [read more >>]
	14 June 2007, 11:24GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

How Does the World's Largest Nuclear Submarine Work?
	Among the arsenal of the most advanced military superpowers, one weapon is the most feared. It's not the atomic bomb, it's even more powerful, while being almost undetectable and can launch a devastating surprise attack on almost any country in the world. Operating underwater at pressures beyond the range of unaided human survivability, submarines, first widely used in World War I, are used by all major navies today. They are ... [read more >>]
	05 June 2007, 11:18GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Russia's New Inter-Continental Nuclear Missile Can Penetrate Any Defense!
	Russia performed a test fire of its newest Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) this week and officials say it was a complete success. Capable of carrying multiple independent warheads, it's also able - according to government officials – to penetrate any defense system in the world. An intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, is a long-range (greater than 5,500 km or 3,500 miles) ballistic missile typically designed for ... [read more >>]
	30 May 2007, 02:50GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

How Does The Space Elevator Work?
	It might sound strange, but there are some scientists (not few) who propose building a space elevator to take people to space on a cable. That would eliminate the need for rockets, or at least today's spaceships. This would be the supreme high-rise project in the world. The concept of the space elevator is actually not that new, appearing in 1895 when Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Pari ... [read more >>]
	28 May 2007, 12:16GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

NASA Tested New Rocket Motor for Manned Mission to the Moon
	NASA tested a new reusable solid rocket motor last week at the Utah test facility. It was a full scale 2-minute test that would help the development of new engines for the next generation of space shuttles, possibly even the one that will carry the next human spacecraft to the moon. It was a static firing, the engine being mounted on a support structure and it lasted for 123 seconds, the same time each reusable solid rocket ... [read more >>]
	28 May 2007, 09:03GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Dream Chaser – The New Suborbital Space Tourism Vehicle
	In recent years, space tourism has been a refreshing alternative and even if for the moment the pioneers pay around $20 million for a trip to the International Space Station, future trips will get more affordable, as many companies are trying to get a piece of the space cake. One of them is Benson Space Company of Poway, California, whose CEO, Jim Benson, announced a new design of the company's first space tourism veh ... [read more >>]
	26 May 2007, 06:30GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Scotty Still Lost in Space
	Two weeks ago, on April 29, the ashes of the actor James Doohan, who played the starship Enterprise's chief engineer Montgomery Scott in the original 1966-1969 Star Trek series, have been sent to the edge of space by a Houston-based company. The rocket, belonging to Space Services Inc., which organized the "memorial spaceflight," descended with the help of a parachute, but is thought to have landed into rough terrain, wh ... [read more >>]
	14 May 2007, 15:31GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

Look Out! Nigerian Satellite on Chinese Rocket Coming Through
	Once again, China has proved that it's a force not to be taken lightly. Sure, it's a communist country, but who cares. We all have some piece of electronics with the nice Made in China label that we all know and "love." Last month, they shot down one of their own satellites with a missile launched from Earth. Now, they launched a new satellite. Only it's not theirs. The Chinese rocket blasted ... [read more >>]
	14 May 2007, 09:59GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

A Piece of Space Junk Fell Through a Roof
	A mysterious silvery space object crashed through the roof of a house. The owners of a New Jersey home were alarmed by the loud noise coming from the bathroom. First, they thought a piece of the ceiling had fallen. Srinivasan Nageswaran and his family were startled to see a chunk of metal that had crashed through the roof and dented the tile bathroom floor. The object was slightly bigger than a golf ball and about as heavy as a can ... [read more >>]
	12 May 2007, 04:33GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

The First Space Postal Service
	How do you send a package from space down to Earth without using expensive rockets and fuel? You drop it from space and hope it won't land in the ocean? Well, not exactly, but close enough. The answer is called YES2 (Young Engineers Satellite) and it's a joint project involving almost five hundred students from the most prestigious universities and the European Space Agency. "YES2 represents a whole collect ... [read more >>]
	10 May 2007, 06:59GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia

NASA Tested a Methane Rocket Engine
	The Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) used on NASA's current space shuttles use solid fuel to get the thrust required to defeat the Earth's gravitational pull. The fuel is made of grains molded from a thermoset elastomer, fuel, oxidizer and catalyst. This fuel mixture is known as Ammonium perchlorate composite propellant (APCP), named after ammonium perchlorate, the most commonly used oxidizer. Now, it seems that the spa ... [read more >>]
	07 May 2007, 05:30GMT | (c) 2008 Softpedia