Who pays in a space fender bender (when stuff falls from the sky)?

This support came from the NASA flight support equipment used to mount the International Space Station batteries on a cargo pallet.  The upright survived reentry through Earth's atmosphere on March 8, 2024, hitting a house in Naples, Florida.

When a Florida family filed a claim against NASA earlier this year over “space debris” that fell through their roof, it launched a potentially precedent-setting question: Who is liable if debris from space causes damage or injury? No one was injured when a cylindrical object that was part of a pallet of spent batteries from … Read more

NASA astronauts remain in space while the crew assesses problems with Starliner

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore say goodbye to friends and family Wednesday, June 5, 2024, as they leave the astronaut crew quarters en route to the launch pad.

Boeing and NASA are once again “adjusting” the return home of two astronauts from the International Space Station Starliner. Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were scheduled to stay on the ISS for just a week after docking there on June 6. Now they are not expected to make the trip back to Earth until at … Read more

Are we ready for an asteroid to hit Earth? NASA sees work to be done.

In NASA's scenario, humanity has 14 years to face an asteroid with a 72% chance of hitting Earth.

Is humanity willing to shoot down an asteroid with a 72% chance of hitting Earth within 14 years? Scientists and experts say there is work to be done. When NASA presented the hypothetical scenario, devised by the Planetary Defense Coordination Office, to a group of nearly 100 government representatives, they found that their plan to … Read more

Space debris in Florida, North Carolina draws attention to danger

A family in Naples, Florida, is filing a claim against NASA for damage to their home after a piece of space debris from the International Space Station tore through their roof earlier this year. NASA confirmed last week that a large piece of debris found along a path in North Carolina last May came from … Read more

How to get rid of beetles, grubs and more

A small sawfly larva is seen resting on the vein of a leaf.

With the arrival of warm weather comes the arrival of summer’s threats: insects. While some people may detest insects because they are so buggy, for gardeners every year it can feel like a new battle against the bugs as they determine which pest is ruining their plants and how to protect their crops from complete … Read more

The successful launch of SpaceX’s Starship adds to the legacy of space travel in Texas

SpaceX's Starship will launch its fourth flight test from the company's Boca Chica launch pad on June 6, 2024.

NASA’s Houston base offers one of the many iconic aspects of Texas’ identity, but in recent years the government’s aerospace agency has taken a step back and encouraged private companies to further fuel space exploration. One of the winners of this new approach from NASA was SpaceX. So far, the company, led by technology billionaire … Read more