When humankind once again ventures out from Earth's neighborhood, where will we go? And how will we get there?
This Way to Mars: How Technologies Borrowed from Robotic Missions Could Deliver Astronauts to Deep Space
By adapting ideas from robotic planetary exploration, the human space program could get astronauts to asteroids and Mars cheaply and quickly
Breaking the Deep-Space Barrier [Interactive]
How a spacecraft propelled by ion drives could deliver humanity deeper into space than ever before. Read more in our special report on deep-space exploration
Forget Asteroids, Send a Manned Flyby Mission to Venus
Once the U.S. regains its ability to send humans into deep space, there's more than one nearby planet for them to explore
New Museum Exhibit Invites Visitors to Smell the Moon, Nuke an Asteroid or Colonize Mars
NASA's New Rocket: Will Congress's Pet Project Fly?
At Heaven's Gate: 50 Years After Humans First Reached Space, What Frontiers Remain?
Humankind has been confined to Earth's orbital environs for decades, but plans abound for manned missions to deeper reaches of the solar system
Rethinking the Dream of Human Spaceflight
Fifty years after the first human ventured into space, we need some creative thinking
NASA's scrapped Ares 1 rocket could be resurrected for commercial spaceflight
Crew of 520-day mock Mars mission nears mock landing
Obama's Goals for Space Exploration Include a Manned Mission to Mars Orbit in the 2030s
In a speech from Florida's Space Coast, the president argued the case for his proposed NASA budget and outlined his vision for human spaceflight
Room for Debate: Where, If Anywhere, Is NASA Headed?
Without a firm destination, will NASA's ambitions for a return to manned spaceflight beyond Earth orbit founder? Or, will scrapping the Constellation Program give the U.S. more options for human exploration of the moon, Mars and the asteroids?
Phased Out: Obama's NASA Budget Would Cancel Constellation Moon Program, Privatize Manned Launches
The president wants to scrap NASA's space shuttle successor, now in development, and relax the agency's focus on returning to the moon
What Will NASA's Next Spacesuit Look Like?
40 years after the first moon walk, designers and engineers discuss the continuing evolution of astronaut apparel
Down to Earth: The Apollo Moon Missions That Never Were
As the U.S.'s lunar landing program wound down, plans for its last three Apollo missions were canceled, leaving unused hardware and questions of what might have been
NASA Return to Lunar Orbit Will Scout for Future Human Exploration
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, launching this week, will set the stage for the planned U.S. return to the moon by surveying locations and resources
Moon Lust: Will International Competition or Cooperation Return Humans to the Moon?
The U.S. has been there, but now that many countries have joined the club of space-faring nations, which will be the first to return?
Space For Both?--Human Vs. Robotic Space Missions
In this episode Cornell University astronomer Jim Bell talks about future space missions and why people need to be part of them. Bell is the leader of the team operating the color cameras on the Mars rovers, and the author of the book Postcards From Mars and of an opinion piece in the August issue of Scientific American on humans in space. Plus we'll test your knowledge of some recent science in the news. Websites mentioned in this episode include www.itswild.org; http://marsrovers.nasa.gov