Astronomy, Space | featured news

Molecules of hydrogen peroxide have been found for the first time in interstellar space. The discovery gives clues about the chemical link between two molecules critical for life: water and oxygen. On Earth, hydrogen peroxide plays a key role in the chemistry of water and ozone in our planet’s atmosphere, and is familiar for its use as a disinfectant or to bleach hair blonde. Now it has been detected in space by astronomers using the ESO-operated APEX telescope in Chile..

NBC News’ Jay Barbree narrates a rare time-lapse video of the shuttle Atlantis being prepared for its final mission.

When the United States embarked on its shuttle program decades ago, it set out to build a workhorse vehicle that would make space travel routine and beat the Soviets during the Cold War struggle for dominance in space.

US and European efforts to send joint missions to Mars in 2016 and 2018 are slowed by an inability on the part of the Americans to provide a full financial commitment to the projects.

NASA ordered the six crew members at the International Space Station to "shelter in place" Monday when space debris came tumbling toward the station's orbit.

This month's full moon will pass almost directly through the center of Earth's shadow on Wednesday in what will be an unusually long total eclipse of the moon, 100 minutes. The next total lunar eclipse of exceptional length will be July 27, 2018, and will last 106 minutes.

The chemical building blocks that make life possible on Earth may have aged to perfection in asteroids, according to a new study.

Scientists analyzing bits of hardened lava from long-ago lunar eruptions found about as much water as in similar magmas on Earth.

A spacewalking astronaut ran into trouble Sunday while trying to lubricate a joint in the life-sustaining solar power system of the International ...

The 12 astronauts circling the Earth received a blessing from Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday in the first ever papal call to space.