Nasa
Failure is an option. Here’s why some new space ventures go sideways
Within the span of a few days, another SpaceX Starship broke up on re-entry, and two other space companies faced failures. This reflects a new "fail-fast, learn-fast" ethos of spacecraft development.
SpaceX’s latest Starship test flight ends with another explosion
Nearly two months after an explosion sent flaming debris raining down on the Turks and Caicos, SpaceX launched another mammoth Starship rocket but lost contact minutes into the test flight.
NASA’s upcoming telescope launch aims to address some existential questions
The new 8.5-foot telescope is set to launch this Tuesday by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory with a clear objective: to explore the origins of the universe.
Is Trump preparing to cancel America’s ride back to the moon?
President Trump launched the Artemis program to return U.S. astronauts to the moon for the first time since Apollo. Now, the plan could be a casualty of the cost-cutting drive overseen by Elon Musk.
A former NASA scientist has big dreams for his small business. Will Trump dash them?
Ryan Dowdy, a former NASA food scientist, won a USDA innovation grant to further develop a meal replacement bar for first responders. Trump's freeze on government awards has jeopardized those plans.
What is RFK Jr.’s favorite bird? Why is this woman smiling? Find out in the quiz!
This week was hard on the conflict-averse. But if you're up on nursery rhymes, prehistoric bodily fluids and Renaissance art, you'll get at least three right this week.
2 private lunar landers head toward the moon in a roundabout journey
In a two-for-one moonshot, SpaceX launched a pair of lunar landers Wednesday for U.S. and Japanese companies looking to jumpstart business on Earth's dusty sidekick.
The first full moon of 2025 is here
This moon phase is nicknamed the Wolf Moon, which is rooted in Native American culture.
Alabama’s John Christy may be the country’s best known and most criticized climate change skeptic
Alabama’s State Climatologist John Christy is no stranger to controversy and doesn’t shy away from the spotlight. His critics say his work has been plagued by errors and many of his conclusions dismissed.
Meet the Alabama scientists connecting soaring global temperatures to carbon dioxide
Two Alabama researchers study ice cores and fossil records from Antarctica, helping connect an alarming increase in the earth’s temperature to rising levels of carbon dioxide.
Alabama has escaped the worst of climate change. Is our luck about to run out?
This summer, headlines have screamed climate change. Globally, July was the hottest month on record. Smoke from forest fires choked many parts of the U.S., and the Gulf of Mexico hit a record high for average weekly sea surface temperatures. Here in Alabama, we’ve been spared many of the effects of climate change, but that appears to be changing. We take a look in a new series on climate change called “ Alabama's Hot Topic.”
In the quest for new cancer treatments, researchers look to outer space
The Southern Research team is studying how bacteria reacts in the microgravity environment, and whether it prompts the development of novel cancer therapies.
Remembering An Alabamian Driven To Figure Out How Things Worked
Fred Bischoff worked hard and played hard. The devoted family man a died in June from COVID-19.
Comet Passing is “Space Mission in Reverse”
There is plenty of activity in the night sky this weekend. In addition to the Geminid meteor shower, one of the brightest comets of the year will pass overhead.
High Technology Could Solve Solar Mysteries During Eclipse
Cutting-edge imaging technology from a Birmingham nonprofit could take advantage of the August 21 eclipse to solve solar mysteries. The telescopic camera system will fly almost 10 miles high on two revamped bombers that tag-team as they chase the moon's shadow.
A Birmingham/NASA Connection and Amendment 11
Alabama has a long history with space exploration thanks to the Marshal Space Flight Center and other NASA facilities in Huntsville. But Birmingham is taking a small step toward that space industry through a project at UAB. We hear about it along with Amendment 11, a ballot proposal economic development leaders want to see passed, in this week’s Magic City Marketplace
3D Printing Pediatric Prosthetics: Changes For A Little Girl, And Much More
In Huntsville, there's a little girl who was born without fingers on one hand, but she now has an affordable prosthetic. Three-dimensional printing made it possible. That technology is spreading, which means her story is just one example of life-altering changes on the horizon. In this national story, with previously unpublished photos, WBHM's Dan Carsen has more.
Grooming The Next Cyber-Warriors
Eric Snowden. NSA code-cracking. Chinese government hackers. It’s hard to avoid cybersecurity issues in the news. And many experts think the United States is simply not up to the threats. That’s mainly because there aren't enough good guys with the skills to do battle in this expanding arena. But there’s a unique partnership in an Alabama school district that’s working to change the scenario. WBHM’s Southern Education desk reporter Dan Carsen has more, with previously unpublished photos.
