NASA Says Second Mars Rover Experiencing Problems

Here we go again. Just when we thought it was safe to land another spacecraft on Mars, another set of technical glitches have come back to haunt NASA. As NASA scientists poured over striking new photos from Mars revealing finely layered formations of ancient bedrock, engineers labored on Tuesday to diagnose problems with two robotic rovers on opposite sides of the Red Planet. Besides a serious malfunction that has idled the first rover, Spirit, since last Wednesday, mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said they are now contending with a power drain on Spirit's newly arrived twin, Opportunity. Mission manager Jim Erickson told reporters said the power loss appeared to be from one of th

NASA Says Fleet Could Fly Again by September  

Despite a critical report by the investigating commission, NASA officials said on Tuesday the space shuttle fleet -- grounded since last year's Columbia disaster -- could fly again by September.   "There's not a show-stopper that says we can't get there," NASA's Michael Kostelnik said of a possible launch window of Sept. 12-Oct. 10. At the same time, he and other space agency officials acknowledged in a telephone news conference that there is much to be done before then. "It's been a tough year, it's been a hard year, it's been a year full of lessons," said former astronaut William Readdy, now NASA's associate administrator for space flight. "We're about fixing the problems right now and returnin

Promoting Math and Science On The Wings Of Space Flight

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and NASA have joined forces in a new five-year project that will train 10,000 high school teachers how to make math and science more appealing by using human space flight and exploration materials in their classrooms. The project, part of an Embry-Riddle initiative called TeachSpace, will offer an intensive three-day workshop to talented, motivated teachers of high school math, science, and technology. Teachers selected for the three-day summer workshops will receive housing, meals, a $100 daily stipend, and one hour of graduate credit. Workshops for up to 20 teachers each will be held on the campuses of Embry-Riddle. The first workshops will take place in July 200