Space News Archive - April 30, 2008

After its successful launch by a Soyuz Rocket from Baikonur on 27 April and accurate insertion into its target orbit by the Fregat autonomous upper stage, GIOVE-B is now completing its Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP), which will shortly give way to the platform commissioning phase.

Using observations from NASA’s Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), an international team of astronomers has discovered a timing mechanism that allows them to predict exactly when a superdense star will unleash incredibly powerful explosions.

A NASA and French Space Agency (CNES) spacecraft designed to continue a long-term survey of Earth's oceans has arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., for final launch preparations.

One night 24 years ago, Barbara Morgan watched the news and saw an opportunity she said she could not resist, setting in motion two decades of effort, a lot of heartache and a display of "tenacity and perseverance" that the Adler Planetarium will honor Thursday with its 2008 Women in Space Science Award.