Air & Space Magazine

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Magnetic Art

This visualization from ESA's Planck mission shows interstellar dust aligned by the magnetic field of the Milky Way galaxy. Scientists are using this to study the formation of the galaxy and how it led to star formation.

Albert Einstein in 1921, the year he won the Nobel Prize.

Einstein’s Thoughts on SETI

“Why should earth be the only planet supporting human life?” asked the physicist in 1920.

Curiosity's rover tracks on Mars, as seen from orbit in December 2013.

Exciting New Findings About Martian Methane

Could life be the source?

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An Ultraluminous Collision

Two galaxies graze each other in this composite image that includes X-ray light (shown in pink) from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, optical light from the Hubble Space Telescope (in blue, white, orange, and brown), and infrared light (in red) from the Spitzer Space Telescope. As the galaxies collide, they've produced three supernovas in the last 15 years, along with one of the biggest collections astronomers have found -- 28 so far -- of "ultraluminous X-ray sources," or ULXs.

This artist's rendering of Hayabusa 2 shows the craft with its snout-like "sampler horn" deployed. The craft is scheduled to rendezvous with asteroid 1999 JU3 in June 2018.

Hayabusa 2 Heads Off to Hunt an Asteroid

And this time, it’s got a gun.

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Some Serious Lift

Airman 1st Class Kyle Daniels secures the toes of the ramp on this C-5 Galaxy.

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Motorcycles of the Air

Trike flyers are all about the fun.

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Orion Comes Ashore

After the <a href="http://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/orion-era-begins-180953526/">successful first launch and test</a> of NASA's Orion capsule during two loping orbits around Earth, it bobbed in the Pacific ocean off Baja California waiting for a ride back to land. The spacecraft hitched a ride with the USS <i>Anchorage</i>, and came ashore at San Diego late Monday night. Photographer Kevin Baird <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kevlar/sets/72157649614735916/">was there to see it disembark</a>, greeted by U.S. Navy and NASA officials, including astronaut Suni Williams. Watch a timelapse of the event <a href="http://youtu.be/hZCc8wz-CE0">here</a>.

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Mirror Inspection

An engineer from Ball Aerospace inspects two mirror segments that will be part of the <a href="http://www.airspacemag.com/space/infrared-dawn-next-space-telescope-will-be-hubble-x-100-180951409/">James Webb Space Telescope</a>.

Best Children’s Books of 2014

The year’s best aviation- and space-themed books for young readers

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Team Portrait

This 1954 NACA photo shows the teams that supported the <a href="http://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/in-the-museum-over-50-and-fabulous-41800399/">D-558-2 Skyrocket</a> (front) test flights, including two Sabre chase planes and the P2B-1S launch aircraft, along with the personnel from the air and ground teams. Pilot Scott Crossfield stands in front.

A TEXUS suborbital rocket launches from the Kiruna range in Sweden.

DNA is Hardier Than We Thought

It can survive suborbital spaceflight, but what about longer interplanetary trips?

Artist's view of the Orion capsule during the EFT-1 test.

The Orion Era Begins

What to watch for during tomorrow’s test.

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Is Anyone Up There?

A night sky full of stars in southwest Asia accompany First Lieutenant Drew Parks, a joint terminal attack controller, as he communicates with a Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet during Operation Spartan Shield.

Artist's conception of the Orion spacecraft and Delta upper stage in orbit during the EFT-1 (Exploration Flight Test-1) test scheduled for December 4.

The Flight of Orion

A new spacecraft takes flight, but to where?

The message on the Pioneer plaque launched in the 1970s. Could you decipher it? Could aliens?

Speaking With Extraterrestrials

Composing a message that can be understood by aliens will be extremely difficult. And conversation may be impossible.

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Long Way Down

ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst takes a photo of the Earth while strapped to the Canadarm during a spacewalk on October 7, 2014.

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Hurricane Hawk

NASA sends this Global Hawk on missions for the Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel, to study hurricane formation in the Atlantic Ocean.

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds perform at this year's Wings and Waves Air Show in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The Air Show’s Ringmaster

For an Air Boss, most of the work happens before the show even opens.

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It's T-0 for NASA's Countdown Clock

Add one more thing to the End of the Era list. On Monday, workers at Kennedy Space Center <a href="http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/detail.cfm?mediaid=71042">removed the classic countdown clock</a> from the press site that faces Launch Complex 39. (The launch pads, originally built for the Apollo program and used for 30 years by the space shuttle program, are currently undergoing modification for use by NASA's Space Launch System and Space X's Falcon rockets.) Officials at Kennedy have asked NASA's artifacts office for permission to display the clock, in use since 1969, in the KSC's Visitor Complex. The press site will soon get a "new modern multimedia display...similar to the screens seen at sporting venues," according to NASA.

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