Helping space shuttles achieve liftoff
MIT has contributed 27 alumni-astronauts, plenty of earthbound expertise.
3 Questions: Richard Binzel on near-Earth asteroids
'2011 MD,' found by a Lincoln Lab team, will pass close to the planet on Monday.
Doc Draper in space
A letter written by Charles Stark Draper in 1961 hitches a ride on Space Shuttle Endeavour.
New Endeavour for an MIT experiment
Space shuttle propels MIT-led Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station.
Exploring exploration
From deep space to deep sea, two-day symposium examined MIT’s impacts and innovations.
3 Questions: Jeffrey Hoffman on the Space Shuttle at 30
Anniversary of the first shuttle flight comes just as it nears retirement, but the vehicle has changed space travel dramatically.
Cold asteroids may have a soft heart
Partially molten small bodies may be abundant in space, and may have given the Earth its oceans.
Explained: Transiting exoplanets
How astronomers learn whether a planet is habitable by observing slight changes in light emanating from its parent star.
And then there was light
Astronomers probe ancient radio waves for clues about the universe’s first light.
Earth’s final growth spurt
NASA team suggests that massive projectiles added mass to Earth, Mars and the Moon during final phase of planet formation
The final frontier
Now that an Earthlike planet has been discovered, the key to confirming that it can host life will be to study its atmosphere in detail
Learning from hot Jupiters
By studying how massive planets may have formed, MIT astrophysicist sets the stage for studying smaller, more Earthlike planets.
Building a list of Earth candidates
MIT researchers increase their odds of detecting an Earthlike planet by working on a combination of satellite missions.
Astronomers detect first carbon-rich exoplanet
Discovery opens door to new class of exoplanets, including rocky planets rich in diamond and graphite.