Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: Commercial ventures have been taking lots of small steps toward the next giant leap in spaceflight — and the federal government is helping them out.

Why should politicians support trips beyond Earth orbit? It's good for jobs in the short term, and good for our survival in the long term. Commentary by NBC News' Jay Barbree.

Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: A picture from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter paints the Red Planet in shades of blue, yellow and green — but there's a method in the madness.

Amateur astronomers and students around the world are taking a close look at the asteroid Eros as part of a hands-on experiment to measure solar-system distances.

NASA may not have space shuttles to launch people into the final frontier anymore, but that hasn't stopped Americans from lining up in droves for the chance to join the agency's iconic astronaut corps during the latest recruitment drive.

NASA's Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland will host a special event on March 2 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of John Glenn's first orbital flight by an American.

More than 6,300 individuals applied to become a NASA astronaut between Nov. 15, 2011 and Jan. 27, the second highest number of applications ever received by the agency.

NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) has captured the best and most complete glimpse yet of what lies beyond the solar system.

Shannon Lucid, a member of NASA's first astronaut class to include women, has retired after more than three decades of service to the agency.

NASA will host a media telecon at 2 p.m. CST today to discuss the status of the International Space Station and the progress toward an updated launch schedule, including international partner and commercial space vehicles.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will lead a discussion with business leaders and higher education professionals at a Listening and Action Session of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. PST on Friday, Feb. 3, in Seattle.

A camera aboard one of NASA's twin Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) lunar spacecraft has returned its first unique view of the far side of the moon.

Students participating in a U.S. Coast Guard Academy mentoring program will speak with Expedition 30 Commander Dan Burbank aboard the International Space Station at 11:15 EST on Thursday, Feb. 2.

NASA and the University of Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering invite the public to a discussion with three astronauts from recent International Space Station expedition missions at 5:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 14, in the Hoff Theater inside the Adele H. Stamp Student Union.

NASA has received the National Research Council (NRC) report "NASA Space Technology Roadmaps and Priorities," which provides the agency with findings and recommendations on where best to invest in technologies needed to enable NASA's future missions in space.