On Earth, all life comes down to the polymeric molecules known as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). These two building blocks contain all of the instructions for every living organism and its many operations. In turn, these are made up of five informational components (nucleobases), which are composed of organic molecules (purines and pyrimidines). For decades, scientists have been scouring meteorite samples for these building blocks.
Space News & Blog Articles
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Three Americans, one Italian launch on SpaceX’s new “Freedom” spacecraft
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon Freedom spacecraft take off from pad 39A early Wednesday to begin the Crew-4 mission. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
Four astronauts rocketed into a clear predawn sky early Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, riding SpaceX’s newest Dragon spacecraft — named “Freedom” — to kick off a planned four-and-a-half month science expedition at the International Space Station.
Beam up these 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Starfleet boots from designer John Fluevog
The "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" fashionable Starfleet boots from designer John Fluevog can be yours for $399.
Ingenuity helicopter flies over leftover wreckage from Mars landing last year
The supersonic parachute and back shell from NASA’s Perseverance rover on the surface Mars. Credit: NASA-JPL/Caltech
NASA’s flying drone on Mars has recorded aerial views of debris left behind from the landing of the Perseverance rover last year, showing remarkable details of the craft’s supersonic parachute and part of its aeroshell.
NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins to become first Black woman on ISS crew
NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins is making history as the first Black woman to be on an International Space Station crew.
Hubble has Characterized 25 Hot Jupiters. Here’s What we Know so far
Hot Jupiters are giant exoplanets – even more massive than Jupiter – but they orbit closer to their star than Mercury. When they were first discovered, hot Jupiters were considered oddballs, since we don’t have anything like them in our own Solar System. But they appear to be common in our galaxy. As exoplanets go, they are fairly easy to detect, but because we don’t have up-close experience with them, there are still many unknowns.
'Star Trek: Voyager's' triumphant creation stars in crowdfunded documentary 'To the Journey'
"Star Trek: Voyager" scores a comprehensive new making-of documentary from filmmaker David Zappone.
How to Observe and Measure Naked-eye Sunspots
As Solar Cycle 25 ticks up, naked-eye sunspots are becoming more frequent. They're not only fun to observe, but with this simple method you can determine just how big they are. We also have news on a bright supernova!
This NASA 'lunar backpack' will help Artemis astronauts explore the moon
As Artemis astronauts walk on the moon, these NASA backpacks will chronicle lunar features in context.
SpaceX: Facts about Elon Musk's private spaceflight company
SpaceX is the maker of Starship and a private space company known for its International Space Station missions.
Falcon 9: SpaceX's workhorse rocket
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is the vehicle that launches satellites, Dragon cargo spacecraft and Crew Dragon spacecraft to orbit.
Solar power is better than nuclear for astronauts on Mars, study suggests
Photovoltaic systems would be better than nuclear fission for missions that set up shop near the Martian equator, according to a new study.
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will visit asteroid Apophis
NASA's OSIRIS-REx will visit the infamous near-Earth asteroid Apophis.
Mysterious dunes on Jupiter's volcanic moon Io may be formed by lava
Jupiter's super-volcanic moon, Io, boasts grand, meandering dunes created by lava flows beneath the moon's surface, a new study shows.
Rocket Lab catches dummy booster with a helicopter in dramatic new video
Rocket Lab aims to catch a falling booster with a helicopter for the first time ever this week, and a new video shows us how the action is supposed to go down.
In pictures: Amazing launch photos of SpaceX's Crew-4 mission
See photos of Crew-4, the fourth operational astronaut mission that SpaceX is flying to the International Space Station for NASA.
SpaceX launches Crew-4 astronauts to space station on a Dragon named Freedom
SpaceX has launched its fourth mission to the International Space Station for NASA, bringing the company's total crewed flight tally to seven.
Liftoff of Crew-4 to the International Space Station
Video: 00:03:55
The Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule carrying ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert “Bob” Hines and Jessica Watkins to the International Space Station lifts off from Launchpad 39A.
NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission rolls off the launch pad for repairs (photos)
NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission has returned to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center following incomplete "wet dress rehearsal" attempts earlier this month.
Crew-4 mission timeline
The timeline below covers major vehicle and crew activities during the Crew-4 countdown and rendezvous with the International Space Station. All times assume liftoff of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 3:52:55 a.m. EDT (0752:55 GMT) on Wednesday, April 27. All times in Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-4).
Live coverage: Four astronauts ready for launch on five-month flight on space station
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on NASA’s Crew-4 mission. The Crew-4 mission will carry astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Samantha Cristoforetti, and Jessica Watkins to the International Space Station. Follow us on Twitter.
