The NASA-backed Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project puts students in charge of a bold scientific endeavor to study the April 8 total solar eclipse.

Few humans have had the opportunity to see Earth from space, much less live in space. We got to talk to one of these lucky people — NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara. She will soon conclude her nearly seven month stay on the International Space Station.

Transmitting from space to your ears, Loral talks to host Regina G. Barber about her dreams in microgravity, and her research on the ISS: 3D-printing human heart tissue, how the human brain and body adapt to microgravity, and how space changes the immune systems of plants.

Have questions you want us to send to outers pace? Email us at shortwave@npr.org!

Tom Stafford commanded the first Apollo mission to dock with a Soviet craft in space. He also served as commander of Apollo 10 - the dress rehearsal before NASA's first landing on the moon in 1969.

When the April 8 solar eclipse draws eyes upward, having proper solar filters and solar eclipse glasses is essential to avoid potentially permanent eye damage, doctors say.

Known as 12P/Pons-Brooks, the rarely seen comet prone to colorful outbursts could soon be viewed without a telescope or binoculars.

From Texas to Maine, they're teaching people how to enjoy the spectacle safely. Some will hand out glasses or answer questions at events. Others plan to take their own advice — and get outta town.

The rocket is the largest ever built. It has yet to complete a full test flight, but the third time might be the charm.

SpaceX has successfully conducted a test launch of its massive Starship rocket in a major success for company, which saw the rocket explode in two previous test flights

From why you need them to how to check if they're legit, here's a guide to eclipse glasses so you can view next month's rare total solar eclipse safely.

The four crewmembers spent a half-year on the International Space Station conducting dozens of experiments and science research. NASA's Crew-8 mission relieved them on the orbital outpost last week.

Mars is seen as the next frontier in space exploration. But given the hostile environment on the red planet, is there a good reason why?

Is this your first total solar eclipse, or did you have your glasses out in 2017, too? However you're celebrating, we want to hear from you.

Lots of urban areas will be either in or adjacent to the path of totality for the eclipse on April 8. Experts advise getting into this path, as even a 99% partial eclipse is nothing like a total one.

Voyager 1 has been traveling through space since 1977, and some scientists hoped it could keep sending back science data for 50 years. But a serious glitch has put that milestone in jeopardy.

The Voyager 1 space probe is the farthest human-made object in space. It launched in 1977 with a golden record on board that carried assorted sounds of our home planet: greetings in many different languages, dogs barking, and the sound of two people kissing, to name but a few examples. The idea with this record was that someday, Voyager 1 might be our emissary to alien life – an audible time capsule of Earth's beings. Since its launch, it also managed to complete missions to Jupiter and Saturn. In 2012, it crossed into interstellar space.

But a few months ago, the probe encountered a problem. "It's an elderly spacecraft," says NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce, "and it had some kind of electronic stroke." Greenfieldboyce talks to Short Wave Host Regina G. Barber about the precarious status of Voyager 1 – the glitch threatening its mission, and the increasingly risky measures NASA is taking to try and restore it.

What interstellar adventure should we cover next? Email the show at shortwave@npr.org.