Predicting space weather is not for the faint-hearted. Although the Sun appears to have a predictable and regular cycle of activity, the details are a lot more complex. So complex in fact, that the world’s greatest research institutions have to use the most powerful supercomputers on the planet...

In some ways, this was inevitable, but in others, it’s just plain frustrating. In January, the powerful Falcon 9 launch vehicle was hoisted vertically at the new SpaceX launch pad at Cape Canaveral. However, that was only temporary. As the first test launch wasn’t expected until late summer,...

I’m no stranger to abusive emails, but I thought I’d share a run-in I had with a particularly angry reader during the week. Now, why would I be receiving hate mail? You might think it has something to do with my campaign of 2012 smack-downs last year… perhaps it’s an angry author...

In case you were wondering why Astroengine has been a little quiet of late, this is why. I’ve been working with my Discovery Space colleagues to produce a “Wide Angle” all about the current solar minimum, space weather and the influence of the Sun on our planet. It’s been fun...

Not a meteorite crater, this was caused by an underground test in Nevada (NDEP). At 09:54 local time this morning, a magnitude 4.7 earthquake hit a region of North Korea 200 miles north-east of Pyongyang. So what? I’ve experienced a 5.0 sitting in my back garden, and it was a curious experience....

This is an unlikely comparison if I ever saw one. According to ex-NASA Administer Mike Griffin, the US spends more money on pizza in a year than it does on the US space agency. If you thought that was funny, the best has yet to come… …polls have concluded that most US citizens believe NASA...

The cargo bay of the shuttle, a valuable in-orbit repair station (NASA) On the flight back from Washington D.C. last night, United Airlines had the wonderful sense to play the fourth episode of the documentary When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions. It couldn’t have come at a better time, having...

After dragon slayer and space shuttle pilot, yes, I think driving rovers over the Martian terrain is high up there on the list of best jobs ever… Source: Best Jobs Ever (thanks Ryan for the tip!)

Getting the full experience: Twitter provided a ring-side seat during today's Hubble servicing spacewalk (NASA). Earlier today, 500 people meandered through Astroengine.com, and I was a little confused as to where they came from. I checked the social bookmarking sites, but this particular page wasn’t...

I call her Casio, Casio fx-82D. Sitting here at my laptop, like I do most of the time, I see the same stuff on my desk day and night. Occasionally I clean it, but most of the time it’s a mess of the highest order. If I walked away from my desk, I probably wouldn’t remember what I have on...