http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. NASA needs new technology breakthroughs to revitalize its mission to explore the universe, President Barack Obama said Wednesday as the shuttle Atlantis was preparing for its final mission. http://phys.org/news229190843.html Space & Earth Wed, 06 Jul 2011 17:07:40 EST news229190843 There will be some very interesting passengers on the final mission of the NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis scheduled to launch July 8, 2011: thousands of bacteria. http://phys.org/news228122082.html Biology Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:15:28 EST news228122082 (AP) -- The astronauts circling Earth got another VIP call from Rome on Monday. http://phys.org/news225368916.html Space & Earth Mon, 23 May 2011 11:35:29 EST news225368916 (PhysOrg.com) -- The newly-installed Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 is visible at center of the International Space Station's starboard truss. http://phys.org/news225354324.html Space & Earth Mon, 23 May 2011 07:48:00 EST news225354324 (PhysOrg.com) -- The largest and most complex scientific instrument yet to be fitted to the International Space Station was installed today. Taken into space by the Space Shuttle, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer will sift ten thousand cosmic-ray hits every minute, looking for nature’s best-kept particle secrets. http://phys.org/news225114293.html Physics Fri, 20 May 2011 12:45:15 EST news225114293 Countdown has begun for the final flight of the Endeavour, scheduled to lift off Monday on the American space program's second to last mission to the International Space Station. http://phys.org/news224574706.html Space & Earth Sat, 14 May 2011 06:52:06 EST news224574706 A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying second-time space tourist Charles Simonyi docked Saturday at the International Space Station, media reports quoted the control centre near Moscow as saying. http://phys.org/news157482357.html Space & Earth Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:06:16 EST news157482357 (AP) -- Shuttle Discovery and its crew of seven returned to Earth on Saturday and successfully wrapped up a construction mission that left the international space station with all its solar wings and extra electrical power. http://phys.org/news157481732.html Space & Earth Sat, 28 Mar 2009 17:55:57 EST news157481732 A Russian Soyuz capsule carrying second-time space tourist Charles Simonyi along with a US and a Russian astronaut docked Saturday at the International Space Station, media reports quoted the control centre near Moscow as saying. http://phys.org/news157453352.html Space & Earth Sat, 28 Mar 2009 10:02:58 EST news157453352 A US software mogul who made history this week as the first person to travel to space twice as a tourist could also be the last paying passenger to head into space for several years. http://phys.org/news157452749.html Space & Earth Sat, 28 Mar 2009 09:53:11 EST news157452749 (AP) -- Their mission almost complete, space shuttle Discovery's astronauts checked out their ship's flight systems Friday to ensure a safe return to NASA's spaceport. http://phys.org/news157376663.html Space & Earth Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:45:01 EST news157376663 (AP) -- Astronauts aboard space shuttle Discovery conducted a final inspection of the vehicle Thursday and at first glance found no significant damage which would prevent it from returning to Earth. http://phys.org/news157290545.html Space & Earth Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:44:51 EST news157290545 (PhysOrg.com) -- The space shuttle Discovery's crew is expected to complete its mission to the International Space Station with a landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 1:43 p.m. EDT on Saturday, March 28. The return to Earth will conclude a 13-day flight. Nine of those days were spent docked to the station. http://phys.org/news157224348.html Space & Earth Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:26:26 EST news157224348 (AP) -- After eight days together, space shuttle Discovery pulled away from the international space station Wednesday, beaming down stunning photos of the orbiting outpost, finally balanced and boasting all its solar wings. http://phys.org/news157218168.html Space & Earth Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:43:26 EST news157218168 (AP) -- President Barack Obama says he is extraordinarily proud of the astronauts aboard the linked shuttle-space station complex. http://phys.org/news157113500.html Space & Earth Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:38:35 EST news157113500 (AP) -- The astronauts aboard the linked shuttle-station complex are getting some time off before parting company. http://phys.org/news157098052.html Space & Earth Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:21:27 EST news157098052 (AP) -- NASA's online contest to name a new room at the international space station went awry. Comedian Stephen Colbert won. http://phys.org/news157054346.html Space & Earth Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:12:47 EST news157054346 (AP) -- Two astronauts who were teaching math and science to middle school students just five years ago went on a spacewalk together Monday, their path cleared of dangerous orbiting junk that had threatened the space station and shuttle. On Sunday, the linked shuttle-station complex had to move out of the way of a 4-inch piece of debris that had been projected to come perilously close during the spacewalk. http://phys.org/news157032900.html Space & Earth Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:47:30 EST news157032900 On March 19th, astronauts onboard the International Space Station checked themselves for microbes before stepping outside on a space walk. It was a first-ever test of planetary protection technology that, one day, could keep humans from contaminating the sands of Mars. http://phys.org/news157044445.html Space & Earth Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:28:06 EST news157044445 Discovery and the International Space Station maneuvered to avoid debris during Monday's spacewalk, dropping into a lower orbit, NASA officials said. http://phys.org/news157033111.html Space & Earth Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:19:22 EST news157033111 (AP) -- Shuttle Discovery's astronauts have one last spacewalk ahead of them. http://phys.org/news157001483.html Space & Earth Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:34:40 EST news157001483 (AP) -- Recession or no, billionaire Charles Simonyi couldn't pass up another shot at space, even if it meant shelling out $35 million more. http://phys.org/news157001377.html Space & Earth Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:30:03 EST news157001377 Discovery astronauts prepared for a third and final spacewalk Monday, with a busy to-do list that may include unsticking a jammed restraint pin used to clamp a toolbox to the outside of the International Space Station. http://phys.org/news156957555.html Space & Earth Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:20:45 EST news156957555 (AP) -- The astronauts aboard the orbiting station-shuttle complex are finally getting a break. http://phys.org/news156913388.html Space & Earth Sun, 22 Mar 2009 04:03:59 EST news156913388 (AP) -- Astronauts took another spacewalk at the international space station Saturday, this time to lighten the workload for future crews. http://phys.org/news156842454.html Space & Earth Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:12:44 EST news156842454 (PhysOrg.com) -- Bone loss in long-duration spaceflight has been identified for decades as a significant problem affecting astronauts. More recently, scientists have found that the absence of gravity is causing astronauts on the International Space Station to lose up to 10 times more bone mass in key regions of the body each month than most post-menopausal women do in the same period of time back here on Earth. http://phys.org/news156781949.html Space & Earth Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:33:03 EST news156781949 (AP) -- Astronauts successfully unfurled the newly installed solar wings at the international space station Friday, a nerve-racking procedure that went exceedingly well and brought the orbiting outpost to full power. http://phys.org/news156751916.html Space & Earth Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:17:19 EST news156751916 (AP) -- Spacewalking astronauts installed the last set of solar wings at the international space station Thursday, accomplishing the top job of shuttle Discovery's mission. Steven Swanson and Richard Arnold II struggled with some cable connections, but managed to hook everything up. http://phys.org/news156695997.html Space & Earth Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:55:03 EST news156695997 (PhysOrg.com) -- At 5:19:53: p.m. EDT, space shuttle Discovery docked to the Pressurized Mating Adaptor on the front of the International Space Station's Harmony module. http://phys.org/news156536256.html Space & Earth Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:17:55 EST news156536256 (AP) -- With a kick of its rocket thrusters, space shuttle Discovery zoomed to the international space station Tuesday to deliver one last set of solar wings that should bring the orbiting complex to full power. http://phys.org/news156527120.html Space & Earth Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:45:43 EST news156527120