Marking the Future -- and the Past -- of Space Travel

Spacecraft, past and present, were much in the news last week. To great media fanfare, Virgin Galactic unveiled the final design of the launch system that will one day take paying passengers into space. The vehicle is initially lifted by a carrier plane before rocketing into space.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported that NASA is concerned about potential vibration in a moon rocket that hasn't yet been built. The rocket is meant to replace the space shuttle, but engineers are concerned that the current design will cause it to shake violently during the first minutes after launch.

And the Los Angeles Times looked back at the events that brought the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to prominence in the era of the space race. It was 50 years ago this month that America put its first satellite into orbit.

In other news, data from NASA's Stardust spacecraft is causing researchers to rethink the long-accepted notion that comets and asteroids are made of different stuff. Stardust flew through the tail of a comet and landed in the Utah desert in 2004.

And, speaking of asteroids, one at least 500 feet long will pass by Earth this week, but scientists say there's no chance of an impact. The closest it will come is 334,000 miles, almost half again as far as the moon is from Earth.

Healthy River Healthy You

The National Park Service is loaning free iPods with a pre-loaded podcast that guides you on a 4 mile walking tour along the Mississippi River in St. Paul. Stop by the Mississippi River Visitor Center, located in the lobby of the Science Museum, to borrow an iPod and then head out on your very own guided Mississippi River trek!

iPods may be checked out up to a week at a time. Stop by anytime the Visitor Center is open to pick up an iPod and walk at your convenience. Call the Visitor Center at (651) 293-0200 or visit their website for more information