NASA telescope’s planet-hunting days may be over

LOS ANGELES — NASA’s Kepler planet-hunting telescope is broken, potentially jeopardizing a mission that opened up whole new possibilities on life outside the solar system.

S. Arizona scientists fare well in budget

President Obama's proposed budget had good and bad news for Tucson-area astronomers and space scientists, most of it anticipated.

NASA wants to corral an asteroid

WASHINGTON — It’s been a while since NASA’s been known as a place for space cowboys.

Close shave with asteroid won't be visible from Tucson

You won't be able to see the asteroid that will streak by Earth at a close but safe distance today.

Big asteroid will come close - but miss us

An asteroid about the size of the one that created Arizona's Meteor Crater will whiz by Earth on Feb. 15, getting closer to us than some of our orbiting communications satellites.

Twin NASA spacecraft deliberately crash into moon

PASADENA, Calif. — A pair of NASA spacecraft tumbled out of orbit around the moon and crashed back-to-back into the surface on Monday, ending a mission that peered into the lunar interior.

Cargo ship on course for space station, but satellite hits a snag

WASHINGTON - A private rocket successfully sent a capsule full of cargo zipping toward the International Space Station in a first of its kind delivery for NASA, but couldn't deliver on job No. 2: putting a commercial satellite into the correct orbit.

Shuttle flies over Tucson on its way to retirement

The space shuttle Endeavour, riding piggyback on a modified jumbo jet, flies north of"A" Mountain on its way to the California Science Center in Los Angeles. The low flyover Thursday was a tribute to former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, ex-astronaut Mark Kelly.

Shuttle flies over Tucson on its way to retirement

The shuttle Endeavour flew over Tucson Thursday morning, prompting thousands of people across the city to pull out cameras and cellphones to document a piece of its farewell voyage across the country.

Shuttle flies over Tucson on its way to retirement

Spectators snap photos of Endeavour riding on a NASA 747 as it flew over the University of Arizona Mall.

Shuttle Endeavour to fly over Tucson on Thursday

The space shuttle that flew on NASA’s next-to-last shuttle flight is expected to make an appearance Thursday in the skies over Tucson as it heads to its final home in California.

100 days of science: His widely used software now lets him spread 'gospel of optics'

The firm founded by Bob Breault, above, has marketed the company's optics analytical program worldwide. Al Greynolds was instrumental in developing it.

100 days of science: His widely used software now lets him spread 'gospel of optics'

Al Greynolds

UA-led HiRise cam captures image of latest Mars landing

HiRise has done it again - this time, capturing a photo of the NASA rover Curiosity payload descending toward the surface of Mars beneath its parachute.

NASA rover Curiosity lands on Mars

PASADENA, Calif. — In a show of technological wizardry, the robotic explorer Curiosity blazed through the pink skies of Mars, steering itself to a gentle landing inside a giant crater for the most ambitious dig yet into the red planet's past.

Mars rover touchdown gets a 10 for difficulty

In this artist's rendering, a "sky crane" lowers the Curiosity rover onto Mars' surface. The landing is set for Sunday.

Mars rover touchdown gets a 10 for difficulty

PASADENA, Calif. - It's NASA's most ambitious and expensive Mars mission yet - and it begins with the red planet arrival late Sunday of the smartest interplanetary rover ever built.

History of American Spaceflight

U.S. astronauts laugh while standing around models of the Atlas and nose capsule designed to carry them into space in San Diego, California September 25, 1959. From left are Walter Schirra, J.R. Dempsey, executive of convair, maker of Atlas, John H. Glenn, Jr., Virgil I. Grissom, Alan Shepar…

Sally Ride, first US woman in space, dies at 61

WASHINGTON — Sally Ride, who blazed trails into orbit as the first American woman in space, died Monday of pancreatic cancer. She was 61.

Meteor samples donated to UA lab

A trio of rock hunters have donated two fingernail-sized samples of the meteor that blazed across Nevada and California last month to the UA Lunar and Planetary Lab.