"NASA" news, interviews, and features

Slideshow about NASA

In Pictures: Houston, we have a bug - 9 famous software glitches in space

There’s never a good time to run into software bugs, but some times are worse than others - like during a mission to space. Spacecraft of all shapes and sizes rely heavily on software to complete their objectives. But those missions can be quickly ended by the simplest of human errors when writing code. The omission of an overbar here or overflow error checking code there can mean the difference between success or failure, not to mention the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars, years of work and, on manned missions, human life. Use the arrows above to read about 9 examples that show that, despite the care with which these systems are built, bugs have occurred in spacecraft software since we started to fling rockets into space - and will, no doubt, continue to crop up.

In Pictures: Houston, we have a bug - 9 famous software glitches in space
In Pictures: NASA’s cool, radical and visionary concepts

From satellite swarms to interstellar subs NASA is advancing transformative aerospace projects.

In Pictures: NASA’s cool, radical and visionary concepts
In Pictures: Spaced out tech auction - 8 vintage space items go on the block

Incredible space memorabilia that will make you geek out!

In Pictures: Spaced out tech auction - 8 vintage space items go on the block
In Pictures: Mars gets close encounter with a comet

The Red Planet will entertain an uninvited guest this weekend in the form a comet moving at 200,000 km/h through its space in the universe. NASA, ESA will point the Mars spacecraft at streaking Sliding Spring comet.

In Pictures: Mars gets close encounter with a comet
In Pictures: NASA’s human space flight return

NASA teams with Boeing, Space X to bring human spaceflight back to reality

In Pictures: NASA’s human space flight return
In Pictures: NASA tests supersonic Mars flying saucer

NASA system looks to safely land larger spacecraft on Mars

In Pictures: NASA tests supersonic Mars flying saucer
In Pictures: NASA’s coolest 'way-out' future projects

From space submarines to solar wind powered spacecraft, a look at the coolest space technologies

In Pictures: NASA’s coolest 'way-out' future projects
In Pictures: Inside evolving satellite technology

Take a look inside Russian NASA, ESA spacecraft construction

In Pictures: Inside evolving satellite technology
In pictures: How to protect Earth from asteroid destruction

NASA and others are looking to protect the world from asteroid strikes

In pictures: How to protect Earth from asteroid destruction
In Pictures: NASA - Kepler's most excellent space discoveries

NASA’s Kepler space telescope continues to amaze

In Pictures: NASA - Kepler's most excellent space discoveries
In Pictures: NASA’s ambitious asteroid grabbing mission

NASA is developing plans for space mission to visit an asteroid

In Pictures: NASA’s ambitious asteroid grabbing mission
In Pictures: Skylab, NASA's first space station marks 40 years

NASA's first space station was a pacesetter for current International Space Station and a trendsetter for scientific experiments in space

In Pictures: Skylab, NASA's first space station marks 40 years
In Pictures: NASA's hot radiation mission

NASA is set to launch its Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) to explore the most intense areas of radiation around Earth.

In Pictures: NASA's hot radiation mission
11 cool robots you may not have heard of - check 'em out

What do Mars, the Terminator, an ostrich and hair-washing have to do with each other? Ask the robots

11 cool robots you may not have heard of - check 'em out
NASA amps up wicked cool competitive prize program

NASA this month greatly expanded its public prize competition program known as the Centennial Challenges.

NASA amps up wicked cool competitive prize program