Panel says NASA should skip moon, fly elsewhere; suggests landing on asteroid or Martian moon

WASHINGTON — NASA needs to make a major detour on its grand plans to return astronauts to the moon, a special independent panel told the White House Thursday.

NASA moves new rocket to launch pad for test flight next week for moon program

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s lofty new rocket arrived at the launching pad Tuesday for a test flight next week that comes at a time when the future of the country’s spaceflight program is up in the air.

Scientist who worked for Defense Department, president’s space council charged with spying

WASHINGTON — A Maryland scientist who worked for the Defense Department, a White House space council and other agencies was arrested Monday on charges of passing along classified information to an undercover FBI agent he believed was an Israeli intelligence officer.

Russian space agency: Cargo craft delivers food, fuel, oxygen to International Space Station

MOSCOW — A cargo ship has delivered food, fuel, oxygen and other supplies to the International Space Station.

NASA photos reveal moon strike may have yielded important data

LOS ANGELES — NASA’s much-hyped mission to hurl a spacecraft into the moon turned out some worthwhile data after all, scientists said.

Flying NASA lab peers under a melting Antarctica to study collapsing ice sheets, implications

ABOVE ANTARCTICA — Hoping to better understand how a melting Antarctica could swamp the planet, a NASA plane outfitted with lasers and ground-penetrating radar made its first flight over the icy continent on Friday.

Russian spacecraft with circus tycoon, Russian and US astronauts lands safely in Kazakhstan

MOSCOW — The Russian Soyuz capsule carrying Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte and two other space travelers landed safely in Kazakhstan Sunday, ending the entertainment tycoon’s mirthful space odyssey.