European Association for Astronomy Education

Source: NASA Mars Science Lab

Eberswalde crater (left) and Gale crater (right).
Image credit: NASA.

NASA's next Mars rover will land either beside the site of a former river delta or beside a mountain of stacked layers. These enticing locations are the two finalists as the Mars Science Laboratory landing sites: Eberswalde crater and Gale crater.

Selection of one of those sites is anticipated this month. The mission's spacecraft, including the rover named Curiosity, is in preparation for launch in the period Nov. 25 to Dec. 18, 2011. (read more)

Source: ESA and NASA

Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off from Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station.
Credits: NASA / KSC

Space Shuttle Atlantis was launched yesterday at 17:29 CEST (15:29 GMT) to the International Space Station on a mission that will end the multi-purpose spaceplane programme’s three-decade era of human spaceflight.(read more)