Why NASA astronauts are delayed at the space station after Boeing Starliner launch

NEW YORK (AP) — When two veteran NASA astronauts blasted off on a test drive of Boeing's new capsule, they expected to head home from the International Space Station in a week or so. It's now three weeks and counting for Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams as NASA and Boeing...

NASA taps Elon Musk's SpaceX to bring International Space Station out of orbit in a few more years

WASHINGTON (AP) — NASA has awarded SpaceX an $843 million contract to build the vehicle that will bring the International Space Station out of its longtime orbit of Earth when its operating lifespan ends in a few more years. SpaceX, a privately held company controlled by technology...

NASA calls off spacewalk after spacesuit water leak

NASA on Monday canceled a spacewalk at the International Space Station after water leaked from an astronaut's spacesuit. Astronauts Tracy Dyson and Mike Barratt opened the hatch to the space station’s airlock when Dyson reported water leaking from her spacesuit’s cooling system....

Boeing launches new capsule on first test flight with NASA astronauts toward the space station

A Russian cosmonaut becomes the first person to spend 1,000 days in space

A 59-year-old Russian cosmonaut has become the first person to spend 1,000 days in space, Russian space agency Roscosmos said Wednesday. Oleg Kononenko achieved the milestone on Tuesday, having made five journeys to the International Space Station dating back to 2008. ...

Craft unfurls China's flag on the far side of the moon and lifts off with lunar rocks to bring home

BEIJING (AP) — China said its lunar spacecraft unfurled the country's red and gold flag for the first time on the far side of the moon before part of the vehicle blasted off early Tuesday with rock and soil samples to bring back to Earth. The mission was hailed as a success in...

China lands a spacecraft on the moon's far side to collect rocks for study

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon Sunday to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side. The landing module touched down at 6:23 a.m. Beijing time in...

Boeing is on the verge of launching astronauts aboard new capsule, the latest entry to space travel

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — After years of delays and stumbles, Boeing is finally poised to launch astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA. It’s the first flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule with a crew on board, a pair of NASA pilots who will check out the...

China sends a probe to get samples from the less-explored far side of the moon

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China on Friday launched a lunar probe to land on the far side of the moon and return with samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side. It is the latest advance in China’s increasingly...

Chinese astronauts return to Earth after 6 months on space station

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese spacecraft returned to Earth on Tuesday with three astronauts who completed a six-month mission aboard the country’s orbiting space station. The Shenzhou-17 craft carrying Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin landed at the Dongfeng site in north...