How about this, the opportunity to spend the day with NASA's design department, if you can find it that is... The thing is, NASA doesn't actually have an industrial design department. They don't even have a design department. Not technically, anyway.

The end of the Mars Phoenix Lander's mission is sadly nigh, but astute Twitterers have the chance to compose an epitaph, in 140 characters or less of course, to mark the explorer's passing. NASA will make one last try to power the lander up this weekend, but it's likely that within days, Mars Phoenix's life will come to an end. To mark this exciting, crowd-pleasing, Tweeting trip ... Read full entry

A stunning set of photos taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

NASA is 50 this year, but rather than being able to revel in the occasion, finds itself possibly having to fend off a challenge from, of all organisations, search engine giant Google. In a lecture at the beginning of this year, for instance, Eric Schmidt, Google's chief executive, exhorted NASA to engage more with the outside world by creating "open systems" that others ... Read full entry

NASA's first Moon mission in some years, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, launches on 24 November 2008, and while there's no room on the craft for passengers, you can send your name instead though. Names will be collected and placed onboard the LRO spacecraft for its historic mission bringing NASA back to the moon. You will receive a certificate showcasing your support of the mission. You have until Friday ... Read full entry

Lie in bed for 90 days, earn $5000 NASA are looking for volunteers to stay in bed for 90 days so the effects of being in space for extended periods can be monitored. Being in bed for three months apparently mimics the space travel experience. 90 days, that's like spending 2,160 hours in bed in one hit... you'd need to have something planned for that sort of downtime. We require that ... Read full entry

Many Earth-like planets may exist in Milky Way While SETI is having little luck finding any sign of extra-terrestrial life, the galaxy is nevertheless bristling with Earth like planets, that could in turn, possibly harbour life. Theoretically anyway. As many as 60% of Sun-like stars in the Milky Way may form rocky planets similar to Earth, according to recent findings from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. ... Read full entry

NASA beams Beatles' song into space NASA plans to beam the Beatles' song "Across the Universe" into space on Monday. The Beatles' song Across the Universe will be the first ever to be beamed directly into space next week, NASA said. Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney said it was an "amazing" achievement and John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono called it the "beginning of a ... Read full entry

Largest extrasolar planetary system discovered. I think the time to leave our planetary cradle is fast approaching. It's time we got out of the house, began looking around the (galactic) neighbourhood, and met a few of the people on the other side of the fence (ok, a friendly term for the yawning abyss between stars). It seems there's houses (ok, planets) in the next valley (as it were), so why not ... Read full entry