Need that perfect gift for the space buff in your life? Then has NASA got a deal for you: Once the space shuttle fleet retires, probably by 2010, the shuttles will be ready for purchase at a hefty price—about $42 million each.

This year a Russian spaceship will send more than 10 of earth’s toughest life forms on an interplanetary Iditarod of sorts. But these animals, plants and bacteria are tough creatures, and scientists think they may survive against all odds. (Published in the January 2009 issue)

An F-18 fighter jet crashed in a residential neighborhood in San Diego, leaving a fiery trail of wreckage and at least four dead. While investigators have given no word of possible causes, they are investigating error in the plane's fly-by-wire system.

Happy Birthday, International Space Station. On Nov. 20, 1998, a Russian rocket launched the first piece of the station into space. Here are some of the headaches, mishaps and near-misses the ISS has had to confront in its 10 years of existence.

NASA scientists trying to find out what went wrong during last week's repair of the Hubble Space Telescope find themselves dealing with 486 processors and other outdated computer technology. But sometimes, mission managers say, simple is good.