Science
January 21, 2013
The Last Blast
Few things are as majestic as the launch of the space shuttle. But after nearly thirty years, NASA is sending up its final orbiters. Here's the view from up close.
Space Shuttles
Politics & Policy
January 21, 2013
Lost in Space
Ten years after the Challenger disaster, there are still dark clouds on the horizon for NASA’s space shuttle program.
True Crime
January 20, 2013
Lust in Space
The lovesick antics of diapered astronaut Lisa Nowak are some combination of funny and sad but seemingly not revealing of anything larger, until you realize that her tragic, tabloidy breakdown says everything you need to know about NASA’s many troubles.
The Culture
June 30, 2006
Eileen Collins
“It’s funny: I’ve never been scared on a shuttle mission. It’s just the nature of the job. You’re busy, you’re focused, you’re well trained, and you go, ‘You know, if I’m going to die, there’s nothing I can do about it.’”
Books
April 1, 2006
Liftoff!
In this exclusive excerpt from Stephen Harrigan’s new novel, Challenger Park, a female astronaut confronts mommy-track issues on the way to outer space.
Feature
April 1, 2003
Heaven & Earth
The break-up of the space shuttle Columbia was a chilling reminder that the astronauts who dare to dream and risk their lives for the benefit of all mankind are, at the end of the day, mere mortals.
News & Politics
January 1, 1984
Behind the Lines
“Light this candle.”