Space

NASA's groundbreaking rocket launch was scrubbed Monday after a slew of mechanical and weather-related issues.

So much is riding on the massive Artemis 1 mission ... it's the first launch of the massive, most powerful rocket ever ... it's an unmanned flight that will circle the moon and forge a path for astronauts to revisit the astronomical body in 2024 or 2025.

The flight was postponed due to an offshore thunderstorm, but then a fuel leak and other problems dogged mission control at the Kennedy Space Center.

There have been problems with the rollup to the launch all weekend ... 5 lightning bolts struck towers near the rocket, although the rocket was never hit or affected.

The endgame is to build and send up a space station near the moon, where astronauts can live and regularly visit the satellite planet. Eventually, the space station will be a stopping off point for missions to Mars.

The first set of astronauts to visit space will include the first woman ever to step foot on the moon.

Monday's mission had 2 mannequins in the Orion capsule -- Helga and Zohar -- which contained fake female organs ... designed to test the effects of space radiation on women.

Buzz Aldrin's jacket from the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon just sold at auction ... and it set a record for American space-flown memorabilia.

The history-making piece of flight gear, which Buzz wore on NASA's 1969 mission to the moon and back, sold to an unidentified buyer for $2,772,500.

Sotheby's, which auctioned off the jacket and a bunch of other Aldrin space memorabilia, says Buzz's Teflon-coated jacket is the most valuable American artifact flown in outer space.

Buzz didn't wear the jacket when he was walking around on the moon's surface, he was in his spacesuit for that part of the mission, but he actually spent more time in the jacket than anything else during the Apollo 11 mission.

Aldrin says he wore the jacket in the NASA spacecraft for 3 days on the way to the moon, plus another 3 days on the way back to Earth.

NASA's James Webb Telescope continues to stun our world with images of galaxies and stars from billions of light-years away ... just releasing a new set of pics that look like they're straight out of a sci-fi movie.

On Tuesday, viewers got a look at the Southern Ring planetary nebula (NGC 3132) and its two stars. It's truly incredible how clear and defined the images of the two stars are ... some of the first of their kind.

The new images weren't just a showcase of NGC 3132, though, we also got a look at five galaxies known as Stephan’s Quintet, which NASA describes as, "These colliding galaxies are pulling and stretching each other in a gravitational dance."

The Carina Nebula was Tuesday's "Grand Finale" for the Webb images ... NASA says, "Webb’s new view gives us a rare peek into stars in their earliest, rapid stages of formation. For an individual star, this period only lasts about 50,000 to 100,000 years.⁣⁣"

Of course, Monday's sneak peek from NASA of what is "The deepest, sharpest infrared image of the universe ever.⁣" promised to deliver ... and it certainly already has.

UFO expert Jeremy Corbell says at least 100 crafts from out of this world swarmed a fleet of Navy warships ... pushing back against a Naval chief who told Congress it was just drones.

Corbell -- who's long been calling on the U.S. government to take UFOs seriously -- says a dozen crewmembers on the warships told him the unknown objects showed otherworldly capability and definitely weren't drones.

The documentary filmmaker told the Daily Mail the UFOs present a serious national security issue and should not be dismissed out of hand ... in response to Deputy Director for Naval Intelligence Scott Bray, who told Congress he's reasonably confident the objects captured on video back in July 2019 off the Southern California coast are drones.

Corbell says the videos, which have been verified by the Pentagon, show UFOs hovering above Navy warships for hours on end, with at least one disappearing into the ocean without a trace.

While the Navy told Congress during last month's historic UFO hearing the objects were likely battery-powered drones, Corbell says the flight maneuvers would rule out drones ... he says witnesses in the Navy told him the objects moved from air to sea and even darted up into the upper atmosphere. He also says the objects were in the air for at least 4 hours, with flashing lights the entire time, which would drain man-made batteries in way less time.

Congress is holding a hearing about unexplainable objects in the skies from experts who say they are baffled .... finally, after over 50 years, our government is taking UFOs seriously.

A House panel is hearing from experts Tuesday on 144 UAPs -- Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, aka UFOs. This comes after years of silence, cover-ups and retribution against Defense Dept. officials and others who dared to express the belief ... something is out there.

Rep. Andre Carson expressed a sentiment shared by many experts over the years ... that UAPs represent a serious national security threat and must be treated as such.

Carson echoed what TMZ presented in a FOX Network documentary ... profiling Navy pilots who said they were hesitant to even report these UAPs because they feared they'd be laughed at and viewed as wackos ... possibly compromising their position in the military.

Carson said, "For too long, the stigma associated with UAPs has gotten in the way of good intelligence analysis. Pilots avoided reporting or were laughed at when they did. DOD officials relegated the issue to the backroom or swept it under the rug entirely, fearful of a skeptical national security community," Carson said. "Today, we know better. UAPs are unexplained, it's true. But, they are real. They need to be investigated. And, any threats they pose need to be mitigated."

The Pentagon's UAP Task Force released a report last year, concluding more than 140 objects they analyzed could not be explained.

Pentagon officials say the number of UAPs has now surged to over 400 since last year's report was published.

Originally Published -- 8:34 AM PT

NASA is giving us a gleaming look at the stars ... releasing shockingly sharp images courtesy of the James Webb Space Telescope.

NASA officials breathed a sigh of relief Monday, saying the telescope's optical alignment was "perfect" ... allowing them to capture a crystal clear view of our galaxy and beyond.

Michael McElwain, a scientist at NASA, gushed ... "I'm delighted to report that the telescope alignment has been completed with performance even better than we had anticipated".

The images were a test, to make sure the $10 billion telescope was working properly.

NASA's goal is to study how stars were created and investigate other objects in the solar system ... in hopes of figuring out how the first stars and galaxies formed.

The image on the left shows a view of the now-retired Spitzer Space telescope and the image on the right displays the improved images from the Webb Space Telescope.

Scientists say, this is only the beginning of what Webb will do in the coming years.

E.T. might want to phone home after this one ... scientists are looking to finally get a response back from alien life by sending some cheeky sketches into the unknown.

As we reported, NASA's new project, "Beacon in the Galaxy," is hoping the messages they transmit into space will result in some contact back. One of the things being sent is a nude drawing of a man and a woman ... before your imagination runs awry, take a look for yourself.

Scientists hope the simple sketch of 2 naked humans waving "hello" will attract whatever's out there ... it also comes with a drawing of DNA and a representation of gravity.

This isn't the first time nude drawings have been floating in space ... plaques on Pioneer missions 10 and 11 have similar sketches attached to their space crafts.

The string of messages will be sent out in binary code and will include some basic math and physics concepts that can help establish their level of communication.

If alien life is out there in this great, big universe, we're doing our best to reach it with a new message -- and this time, it's got some algebra attached. Just in case they're big on math.

NASA is partnering with some of the country's top scientific minds in hopes of broadcasting a new radio message via a high-tech telescope -- very similar to what we did in 1974 from a telescope in Puerto Rico (then called the "Arecibo").

Not to get all math-y on ya, but that message to the stars only included binary code, plus some images of our Solar System and DNA sequences. This time, we're calling it the Beacon in the Galaxy message -- and we're kicking things up a notch by transmitting math equations.

There will be other graphical information communicating some basic principles and features of our world ... including cosmic landmarks that could help aliens find Earth in the Milky Way.

Sounds neat, of course, especially if some E.T.s actually pick up our signal and respond -- but this sort of reaching out actually spurred a warning from the late, great Stephen Hawking ... who once said we should refrain from chatting, and to do more listening instead.

The reason -- he said not all potential alien life might come in peace, and if they're able to receive what we send, they can presumably come down here and do major damage with way more advanced tech than we have.

Pete Davidson is officially taking off, not just in his celebrity status -- but in space too ... 'cause he's now got a launch date for the next manned flight that Jeff Bezos sends up in the air ... and he's learned who his fellow passengers will be as well.

The announcement was made Monday ... Pete's going to be joining 5 others on the forthcoming mission, which is scheduled to hit the skies and beyond on March 23 (next Wednesday) in West Texas. It'll be Blue Origin's fourth human flight.

As far as who else he's going with -- all of whom are paying customers BTW -- Pete will be joined by Party America CEO Marty Allen, hubby and wife duo Sharon and Marc Hagle, entrepreneur Jim Kitchen and Commercial Space Technologies Prez Dr. George Nield.

And, of course ... there's Pete, whom we're told continued talks with Bezos about potentially going up back in January, when he had dinner with the guy in L.A.

Another cool thing about this flight, specifically, is that it'll be incorporating a kids element -- namely, through a program called Postcards to Space ... which is being deployed by Blue Origin's foundation, Club for the Future. It's actually kinda neat.

Essentially, students write up postcards that they'd like to see in the stars, and Blue Origin provides the vehicle to get their dreams into orbit ... carried by all the different passengers. The whole idea is to encourage young people to join STEM fields as they pursue their education.

Pete will join a growing list of celebs that have already gone up, including Michael Strahan and William Shatner. Bezos himself also went up during the initial manned-flight.

Jeff Bezos is very particular about his family jewels and how they're framed -- he threw a fit before his historic spaceflight because his Blue Origin jumpsuit didn't make his crotch look too hot.

The Amazon founder was quite upset when he first slipped on the spacesuit for a photo shoot last July, complaining it was a bad fit around his junk ... this according to a new Bloomberg report.

Jeff didn't run to Amazon for a quick fix, though ... instead, he flew his personal tailor down to Texas for some alterations before the big launch. Ah, the perks of being in the triple comma club.

Remember ... Jeff and Richard Branson were in a space race among billionaires and Branson made it up first. Jeff blasted off in a Blue Origin rocket that many mocked for its phallic shape. Now that we know, ya could say the spacesuit issue was perfect foreshadowing for Jeff's spaceship!!!

When Jeff and co. made it back down to Earth, social media lit him up for rocking a cowboy hat at the news conference -- so, his concerns about how his crotch looked in the suit might have been warranted.

When people say Pete Davidson is a rising star, you can take that literally now -- dude's talking to Jeff Bezos about blasting off in a Blue Origin spacecraft!

TMZ has confirmed the 'SNL' star is in serious discussions with Bezos about becoming a newly-minted astronaut.

If you know anything about Pete, he's been yearning for a ticket to space for years. Sources with knowledge tell TMZ ... the discussions between Bezos and Davidson have been going on for a while now.

Remember, we saw Pete and his GF, Kim Kardashian, heading into the Amazon founder's Bev Hills estate back in January. The couple had a dinner date with Jeff and Lauren Sanchez. Our sources say a topic of conversation during the meal was Pete going to space in the Blue Origin New Shepard space capsule.

We're told reps for Pete and Jeff are hammering out details, and although it's not a done deal, we're told it's "highly likely" it will happen. Our sources say if they reach an agreement, Pete will blast off sometime this year.

Page 6 was first to break the story.

Pete is just the latest celeb to sign up for a Blue Origin flight -- Bezos has previously tagged Michael Strahan and William Shatner for astronaut status ... and, of course, Jeff himself went on the initial launch back in July 2021.

Fun fact: the closest Pete's previously come to space travel was when he played his popular Chad character for an 'SNL' skit last May ... when Elon Musk was hosting.

Elon Musk has vowed to become a real-life action hero, saving the world -- or at least part of it -- by thwarting any attempt by the Russian Government to send the International Space Station hurtling toward earth.

Musk is reacting to a Russian space official who menacingly suggested the ISS could lose its trajectory and careen toward the U.S. or Europe if the Russians sabotage the craft. The official suggested sanctions could trigger the move. Russia controls the engines on the ISS, and it can direct the trajectory accordingly.

Musk's Twitter response ... a SpaceX logo.

Someone on Twitter inquired if E.M. was suggesting SpaceX would prevent the ISS from plummeting to earth. His response -- "Yes."

Musk acknowledged another tweet with the ISS, but one thing was missing -- any evidence of Russia. Instead, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft was front and center.  Elon responded, "Good thread."

The ISS could do lots of damage for sure ... it weighs in at 500 tons.

As for how serious the threat, the Russian official said, "The ISS does not fly over Russia, therefore all the risks are yours. Are you ready for them?"

NASA says nothing's changing with respect to ISS operations. What's unclear ... can Russia do what it's threatening?

Don't count Musk out ... NASA has increasingly relied on SpaceX for space exploration.

There's gonna be less space in space, because the newest clutter is the most powerful telescope ever hurled into the heavens, and it promises a new, never-before-seen look that could alter the way earthlings live.

We're talkin' The James Webb Space Telescope, which lifted off early Xmas morning from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.

NASA described the launch this way ...  "At 7:20am ET (12:20 UTC), the beginning of a new, exciting decade of science climbed to the sky. Webb’s mission to #UnfoldTheUniverse will change our understanding of space as we know it."

That may not be an overstatement ... the telescope is the most powerful and most complex ... a space observatory that will study exoplanets -- those are planets outside our solar system.

Thing is ... scientists think some of the exoplanets could be habitable, and that means 1) is there existing life on any of them? And 2) could we live there either by choice or necessity?

There have been years of delay in launching the scope for various reasons. As for specs -- its mirror can extend more than 21 feet, which gives it the ability to capture more light from the objects it's photographing ... and that will enhance the details scientists will study.

The mirror has 18 hexagonal, gold-coated segments ... fancy!

Bottom line ... scientists should be able to see things, including planets, they've never seen before.

Michael Strahan just went where no news anchor has gone ... to the edge of space!!!

It was a flawless flight after a short hold at 15 minutes. Blue Origin hurled into space with Strahan and 4 other astronauts on board, including Laura Shepard Churchley, the oldest daughter of America's first astronaut, Alan Shepard.

The capsule was atop the New Shepard rocket ... named, of course, after Alan.

When they experienced weightlessness, the astronauts were giddy with excitement ... you can hear the joy as they floated in space.

The New Shepard rocket was originally supposed to take off for the 10-minute flight on Thursday but Bezos gave it the yellow light, due to high wind.

This Blue Origin flight is the third launch with people on board. Astronaut Strahan and others had lots of training before they boarded. The TV host says he went to the Blue Origin facility for a week-and-a-half training prior to today's launch.

If taking a trip to space isn't already a good enough incentive, apparently all passengers get some sort of stipend... and Strahan says he is donating his to The Boys & Girls Club.

A SpaceX rocket blasted off Tuesday night for a mission of self-destruction ... and its end game is to save planet earth!

NASA commissioned Elon Musk's rocket company to hurl a Falcon 9 rocket into a nearly year-long journey which will end with the spacecraft bashing into a faraway asteroid.

Scientists want to see if the impact could actually change the asteroid's trajectory ... something that could be lifesaving if it were headed toward mother earth.

The spacecraft -- dubbed DART, short for Double Asteroid Redirection Test -- left earthly terra firma at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Cali ... and the whole thing is kinda like a ripoff of "Armageddon."

DART is supposed to violently connect with Dimorphos -- an asteroid that measures 525 feet across -- at a speed of 15,000 MPH.

Scientists say the impact will not destroy the asteroid ... but the goal is to change its orbit.

It's complicated, but if the asteroid moves for a minimum of 73 seconds, the mission is considered a raging success!

Michael Strahan is the new Rocket Man!!!

The 'GMA' host just revealed a secret ... that one Jeff Bezos gave him a ring not too long ago and invited him to hitch a ride into space on the Amazon founder's Blue Origin rocket.

Michael says it took about a nanosecond to say yes ... after being super inspired having been on hand for a previous launch.

Here's the thing about Bezos -- he's like one of the best PR guys in PR even though he's not really in PR. He's using every trick in the book to grab attention away from Elon Musk and Richard Branson. This time ... Bezos' rocket is flying the daughter of Alan Shepard -- the first American who ventured into space -- and a father/son duo. And, of course, there's Michael.

Strahan will blast off on December 9 and there's lots of training to do. He says he's headed to the Blue Origin facility for a week-and-a-half of training. So far, he's only met his crewmates via Zoom.

Didn't know this, but apparently, astronauts on Blue Origin get some sort of stipend. Strahan's donating his to The Boys & Girls Club.

Speaking of $$$ ... MS didn't say, but we're guessing he's getting a free ride.