Tech Entrepreneurs Bet Big On Asteroid Mining

The idea of exploiting the natural resources on asteroids has been around for more than a century. But a new company called Planetary Resources has the financial backing of some big names in high tech, and hopes to launch specially-designed prospecting spacecraft within two years. - READ MORE

Lights Off, Eyes Open: New Moon Darkens Skies For Meteor Shower

The Lyrids aren't known for their flashy shows, but this year they're getting some help. The height of the showers is expected Sunday morning before dawn, and darker skies will make viewing more exciting. - READ MORE

Aboard 747, Shuttle Discovery To Make Final Flight

The first of NASA's retired space shuttles will make its way to it's new retirement home on April 17. The well-traveled orbiter will be flown low over the nation's capital before being placed on permanent display at the Smithsonian. - READ MORE

A Silver Lining When Rockets Fail In The Clouds

Robert Siegel speaks with Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, about what can be learned from rocket failures like North Korea's. - READ MORE

It's Called 'As Hard As Rocket Science' For A Reason

The history of rocket launches is filled with failure, but out of those failures came knowledge that helped lead to success, experts note. The question is whether North Korea's latest failure will put it on a successful path. - READ MORE

Earth Has Just One Moon, Right? Think Again

Everybody knows that there's just one Moon orbiting the Earth. But a new study by a team of astronomers concludes that everybody is dead wrong about that. Tiny mini-moons, just a few feet across, make regular orbits around the planet. But they don't stick around very long — they're easily pulled away by the gravity of neighboring planets. - READ MORE

Weekend Special: What It's Like To Soar Into Space, Then Crash To Earth

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be hurled into the sky, straight up, past the clouds, into starry space, and then, just like that — you slip and start to fall? What would it sound like? Look like? - READ MORE

Debris Makes Space Station Astronauts Hunker Down

A discarded chunk of a Russian rocket forced six space station astronauts to seek shelter in escape capsules early Saturday, but passed safely in front of it. It was the third time in 12 years that astronauts have had to seek shelter from space junk. - READ MORE

Messenger Probe Sends Back New Data From Mercury

Researchers are finding surprises in data from the planet nearest the Sun. Among them: a crater with a base that's been lifted up higher than the rim, and new details on Mercury's core. - READ MORE

Venus And Jupiter Reach Peak Brightness

Kelly Beatty, Senior Contributing Editor for Sky and Telescope magazine, talks to Melissa Block about the brightness and close proximity of Jupiter and Venus. - READ MORE