NASA has recently teamed up with GM to build the latest in robotic technology, the Robonaut 2.  Nicknamed R2 (no, it isn't followed by D2), this robot is a step above the rest.  Each of its human like arms can lift 10 Kilograms, which I hear is substantially more than the competition can claim. For NASA, this robot is the ideal 'assistant'.  It can go places that humans wouldn't want to, and can perform many of the menial tasks that humans are currently doing, like standard... Full Story

With the agreed upon lifespan of the International Space Station coming upon us, the European Space Agency are first to call for an extension of the ISS's life span from 2015 to 2020.  With no current funding planned after 2015, many are wondering what the fate of the ISS will be after this date. The ESA's Director General, Jean-Jacques Dordain, is worried that the fact that the ISS's lifespan is coming to a close, possible research is not being planned for fear that it will never come... Full Story

It's hard to imagine a clown being a billionaire, but here he is. In reality he's far more, but a Soyuz spacecraft carrying Canadian Guy Laliberte and two crew mates lifted off on schedule Wednesday headed for the International Space Station, while his partner, former model Claudia Barilla, watched with tears streaming down her face.While the headlines read "billionaire clown," Guy Laliberte, 50, is actually the founder of Cirque du Soleil. And while billed as a "circus" there are no animals... Full Story

It seems that NASA has finally decided on what to do about sending payloads to space once they retire their Shuttle fleet.  SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft will be providing transportation of pressurized and unpressurized cargo, including resupply, to the International Space Station (ISS) starting in 2010.  Last year, SpaceX, along with a rival in the private launch-vehicle business, Orbital Sciences, received a $3.5 billion NASA cargo resupply contract to provide payload deliveries to... Full Story

Space One of two toilets on the International Space Station is apparently broken, NASA announced Sunday. It's too early to tell if the toilet has a serious problem, or can be fixed quickly, space station flight director Brian Smith said. The station is currently host to 13 people - a record number of crewmembers onboard at once. While that toilet, which is in the U.S. Destiny laboratory, is down, astronauts can use the other almost identical facility in the Russian Zvezda service module, as well... Full Story

Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA Update - NASA is supposed to scrub the launch again due to hydrogen leak from a vent line on space. This would mean that the next try will be no earlier than July 2009. NASA has scrubbed the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour (on a construction mission to the International Space Station) due to a potentially dangerous Hydrogen leak. The repairs are supposed to take at atleast 4 days. The next launch is sheduled at 5:40am this wednesday. The new schedule means that the launch of an unmanned... Full Story

Moscow, Russia Eurovision 2009 has ended!  The show was spectacular.  Dita Von Tease had a surprising performance with Germany.  For dramatic effect, Moscow's Olympic Stadium was decorated with aquarium like structures on the ceiling with girls inside the aquarium and guys hanging from the aquarium ... very interesting to see, I will try to find some pictures.  Even the International Space Station sent their regards and their blessings at the end of the show.  Russian news outlets... Full Story

London, England Virgin Galactic is leading the way in Space Tourism, but it turns out that this is only a stepping stone for the corporate conglomerate.  There is now talk that Space Tourism is only the beginning of Virgin Galactic's space conquest.  One of Virgin's more recent ambitions is to enter the Long Haul business by means of space travel as opposed to standard airlines.  An airline trip from New York to Tokyo takes up to 24 hours, taking into account layovers.  However, this same... Full Story

Space Junk is posing a greater threat to our current and future spacecraft.  There was a recent incident where space debris almost struck the International Space Station.  Just over a month ago, two satellites collided in space increasing the space debris to increase drastically. "The threat posed by orbital debris to the reliable operation of space systems will continue to grow unless the sources of space debris are brought under control," NASA's chief orbital debris... Full Story