North Korrea

North Korea launched a satellite into orbit over the weekend, saying it was for scientific and peaceful uses.

Many nations, however, see the launch as another step towards Pyongyang developing an ICBM capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.

Edgar Mitchell

Former astronaut Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to stand on the Moon, died Thursday.  He was 85.

Mitchell was not your stereotypical astronaut.  He conducted ESP experiments while on the Moon, and he believed aliens had visited Earth.

Maybe No Planet Nine

Last month, two astronomers argued the movements of some objects in rhe Kuiper Belt points to the existence of a huge planet far out in the Solar System.  A new study, however, says many smaller bodies could accomplish the same thing.

Observation should settle the matter in a few years.

That Star..... Continued

That star that could potentially have an alien megastructure orbiting it?  Astronomers had said the likeliest explanation for the observed dips in the star's brightness was a swarm of huge comets.  Now, researchers say that doesn't really fit.

Currently, they have no good explanation for the dimming.

Luxembourg

Luxembourg is taking steps to build a legal structure to support the utilization of space resources.

Coupled with a recent U. S. move in the area, Luxembourg's initiative suggests governments are beginning to grasp the possibilities of space.

Quasar No More

Quasars are some of the brightest objects in the universe, created when huge amounts of gas falls into black holes.

Astronomers have recently seen a quasar blink out.   When the supply of gas runs out, the shining stops.

Columbia

Thirteen years ago today, space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry, killing all seven members of the crew.

The tragedy marked the beginning of the end of the shuttle program, and, as it happened, a return to capsule style manned spacecraft.