From stray pens to birds, Mike Leinbach, retired launch director, explains why shuttle launches sometimes got scrubbed.

It launches like a rocket and returns to the runway like an airplane. The Space Shuttle looked different from conventional spacecraft even just by its appearance, and it captivated my heart when I was ...

With SpaceX now launching its reusable Falcon 9 rocket up to several times a week, the U.S. company has quickly become a giant of global spaceflight. It's a far cry from the days of America's Space ...

One of the four RS-25 engines now being bolted into the core stage of NASA’s next moon rocket is not new hardware at all.

The two solid rocket boosters flew in different directions as the external fuel tank became a fireball.(AP: Bruce Weaver / File) Forty years ago, the Challenger space shuttle disintegrated just after ...

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) is ready to fly with its four shuttle-era engines. The rocket, outfitted with the RS-25 engines, recently passed a critical milestone that put the integrated system to ...

When Artemis II blasts off for its lunar flyby, its powerful SLS rocket will include some "heritage hardware." The core engines are mostly recycled space shuttle engines, along with some reused ...

In 1984, NASA astronauts undertook a daring mission to recover two stranded satellites, Westar 6 and Palapa B-2, using innovative techniques and tools. This unique operation not only highlighted ...

This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set us as preferred The California Science Center will open the ...