"The condition of the frog is uncertain," a NASA spokesperson said.

NASA’s newest robotic explorer rocketed into space in an unprecedented moonshot from Virginia.

The space shuttle Atlantis made a slow, solemn journey to retirement today, accompanied by astronauts and Nasa workers.

IF this had been a space shuttle mission, the driving wind and rain would have grounded it, but not even foul weather could halt the launch yesterday of a series of rockets in the shadow of Blackrock Castle in Cork.

NASA has revealed plans for a new rocket to spearhead its space programme.

Nasa has revealed plans for a new giant rocket to spearhead its space programme.

High wind has forced the postponement of the launch of Nasa’s newest moon spacecraft.

Nasa is on the verge of launching a new solar-powered spacecraft all the way to Jupiter.

The space shuttle Endeavour and its crew of six landed at Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, early today.

Space shuttle Atlantis is speeding after the International Space Station for a Sunday morning hook-up.

The first man to walk on the moon told senators that new plans by Barack Obama would cede America's long-time space programme leadership to other nations.

The space shuttle Endeavour and its six astronauts returned safely to Earth today, ending a mission that resulted in the virtual completion of the International Space Station.

SPACE shuttle Endeavour rocketed into orbit yesterday on what is likely to be the last night-time launch for the programme.

A former stiltwalker and fire-eater is stealing Nasa’s space show.

A new space telescope has started taking pictures of the star-filled patch of sky where it will soon begin searching for Earth-like planets.

Nasa’s planet-hunting telescope, Kepler, rocketed into space early today on a historic voyage to track down other Earths in a faraway patch of the Milky Way.

ASTRONOMERS began the search for another Earth in earnest this morning with the launch of a powerful new space telescope.

Nasa has delayed the launch of an unmanned spacecraft to the moon to scout for potential landing sites for astronauts.

Shuttle Discovery was in fast pursuit of the international space station today following a spectacular launch that one astronaut called “the greatest show on Earth”.

Shuttle Endeavour and a crew of seven blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, early today to begin what is expected to be the longest international space station mission ever.

The shuttle Atlantis blasted off today with Europe’s gift to the international space station, a $2bn (€1.6bn) science lab named Columbus that spent years waiting to set sail.

Nasa today delayed the launch of space shuttle Atlantis until January after a gauge in the fuel tank failed for the second time in four days.

Nasa called off today’s planned launch of the space shuttle Atlantis after a gauge in a fuel tank failed for the second time in four days.

SPACE shuttle Endeavour undocked from the international space station a day early yesterday, as NASA kept a wary eye on Hurricane Dean.

A robotic dirt-and-ice digger blasted off today on a 422 million-mile journey to Mars that Nasa hopes will culminate next spring in the first landing within the red planet’s Arctic Circle.

When former US schoolteacher Barbara Morgan leaves Earth on a space shuttle next week, she hopes her students back in Idaho learn a lesson from her 22-year wait to get into orbit: perseverance and patience.

NASA planned another attempt to return the US space shuttle Atlantis to Earth today after bad weather in Florida a day earlier kept its seven astronauts in space an extra 24 hours.

A revived set of crucial computers aboard the International Space Station still need to undergo one more test before they are given a clean bill of health.

American film star musicians Bruce Willis, Dennis Quaid and Kevin Bacon will perform with their bands in US cities where movies in which they starred were filmed.

As the countdown towards a launch of Atlantis on the first space shuttle flight of the year was set to begin, the threat of a strike by several hundred workers at the US Kennedy Space Centre loomed.

Space shuttle Discovery and its seven astronauts safely returned to Earth tonight after some last-minute suspense over which landing site to use.

Nasa will today hold a meeting in Cape Canaveral, Florida, to decide whether to try to launch space shuttle Discovery overnight.

Clouds of concern gathered for tonight’s lift-off of the US space shuttle Discovery as Nasa downgraded launch chances to 40% due to weather.

Twin spacecraft have blasted off on a mission to study huge eruptions from the sun that can damage satellites, disrupt electrical and communications systems on Earth and endanger spacewalking astronauts.

Space shuttle Atlantis and its six astronauts glided to a safe landing in pre-dawn darkness at Cape Canaveral, Florida, today.

Nasa scrubbed today’s launch of the space shuttle Atlantis, this time because of a problem that has bedevilled the space agency before: a faulty fuel tank sensor.

Nasa postponed the launch of US space shuttle Atlantis after discovering problems with a fuel cell early today.

Space shuttle Atlantis was hauled to its launch pad early today, a major step towards a mission to resume construction of the international space station for the first time in three years.

Space shuttle Atlantis began a slow trek to the launch pad early at Cape Canaveral, Florida, today.

SPACE shuttle Discovery and its crew of six returned to Earth through overcast skies yesterday, ending a successful US mission that put Nasa back in the space station construction business.

Space shuttle Discovery and its crew of six returned to Earth through overcast skies today, ending a successful US mission that put Nasa back in the space station construction business.

North Korea fired a flurry of missiles into the sea today in what was widely seen as a bid to pressure Washington into addressing demands for economic aid and other concessions amid a long-running nuclear stand-off.

The world erupted in outrage today over a series of North Korean missile tests, with wary nations denouncing the launches as provocative, threatening sanctions and vowing to seek UN Security Council action.

The US shuttle Discovery finally blasted off into space today, taking British-born astronaut Piers Sellers with it.