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It's not the hard work that will make astronauts lose it on long planetary missions — it's boredom. And something that can become very boring very fast is a rote menu. A simulated Mars mission reveals why cooking for others will be vital on long space journeys, and why wraps rule.

Two of the four gyroscope-like wheels that keep the planet-hunting probe pointed in the right direction aren't working. NASA is exploring whether there might be other research projects Kepler can still carry out.

Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope say familiar types of galaxies, such as spirals and ellipticals, were present just 2 billion years after the Big Bang.

A 10-story "Grasshopper" rocket was successfully launched, flown sideways and then brought back down. The hope is that some day such rockets can be reused instead of jettisoned and allowed to burn up.

With a new moon and dark skies, the best meteor shower of the year should be a good show Sunday and Monday nights if the weather cooperates.

A U.S. radar system that tracks thousands of objects orbiting Earth — from satellites to harmful debris — has reportedly been slated for a shutdown. The pending shutdown of the system, run by the Air Force, is being blamed on the government's sequestration cuts.

Scientists say the sun will reverse polarity within the next three to four months in an event that marks the midpoint of "solar max" — a period of peak solar activity.

An enterprising grad student staged a striking photograph of Viking re-enactors pillaging through a park. NASA officials joined them — which led to multiple government investigations.

Earth can be seen rotating as it recedes into the distance. The time-lapse was made by stitching 358 frames taken over a 24-hour period.

In its first year on the red planet, the six-wheeled rover has driven a little bit more than a mile, drilled into rocks and performed chemical and mineral analysis. Its next journey is a 5-mile trek to the foothills of Mount Sharp to help study Mars' watery past.