First Human-Rated Spacecraft Launched from Europe's Spaceport

For the first time in 40 years of space activities, a silent revolution is taking place at the European launch site in Kourou. Jules Vernes, the first human-rated spacecraft to be launched from Europe's Spaceport, is being prepared for launch. The launch and maiden voyage to the International Space Station is scheduled on the first Ariane 5 flight of the new year in February 2008. Read more...

NASA Announces Discovery of Assault by a Black Hole

Astronomers will hold a media teleconference Monday, Dec. 17, at 1 pm EST to announce the discovery of a first-of-its-kind phenomenon involving a black hole and a neighboring galaxy. Researchers made the finding by combining data from NASA's space-based telescopes and ground-based observations. Audio of the event will be streamed live on the Web at:

http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio

Launch of Atlantis postponed to January 2008

The launch of the European Columbus laboratory on board Space Shuttle Atlantis' STS-122 mission to the International Space Station now is targeted to launch no earlier than 2 January 2008 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The liftoff date depends on the resolution of a problem in a fuel sensor system.

The Universe in a totally new view - An exciting era for science

Next spring NASA plans to launch the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST). This will open new views of the universe since the gamma ray sky looks different from anything we have experienced so far. With GLAST scientists will be able to explore supermassive black holes and neutron stars, which generate enormous power in high-energy gamma rays. At the same time, CERN, the European laboratory for particle physics near Geneva, will begin providing an unparalleled view of nature’s fundamental building blocks and their interactions at the smallest distances by using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). GLAST may probe some of the same microscopic phenomena as the LHC does and show how these processes work in their natural cosmic settings. Such exciting and revolutionary times in science are rare. More can be read in the December issue of ScientificAmerican.