Posted inBusiness, News

Colorado-designed Capstone satellite breaks from orbit around Earth, heads to moon

By Nick Perry, The Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A satellite the size of a microwave oven successfully broke free from its orbit around Earth on Monday and is headed toward the moon, the latest step in NASA’s plan to land astronauts on the lunar surface again. It’s been an unusual journey already for […]

Posted inClimate, Environment, News, Water, Wildfire

The West is baking, burning and drying out. These numbers explain why and how.

By Seth Borenstein, The Associated Press The American West is baking, burning and drying in intertwined extreme weather. Four sets of numbers explain how bad it is now, while several others explain why it got this bad. The West is going through “the trifecta of an epically dry year followed by incredible heat the last […]

Posted inBusiness, News

Colorado-based flight controllers send NASA spacecraft on 2-year trip back to earth with rubble from an asteroid

By Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — With rubble from an asteroid tucked inside, a NASA spacecraft fired its engines and began the long journey back to Earth on Monday, leaving the ancient space rock in its rearview mirror. The trip home for the robotic prospector, Osiris-Rex, will take two years. Osiris-Rex […]

Posted inBusiness, Economy, News, Transportation

Colorado’s Sierra Nevada plans to develop commercial space station and serve space tourists

Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Space Systems division has spent years developing habitats for life in Earth’s orbit and the vehicle to get people there. On Wednesday, the aerospace contractor announced plans to put the two together and build a space station.  Sierra Nevada’s station will be a commercial successor to NASA’s soon-to-be retired International Space Station. […]