Spaceflight

Aerospace engineer Joseph Gavin ‘41, SM ‘42 dies at 90Former president of Grumman Aircraft led Lunar Module development for NASA, aided in the rescue of Apollo 13

Lending a handMIT researchers may be closer to understanding why spacesuit gloves hurt astronauts’ hands.

Personal cushion of airInspired by seeds, proposed air-bag system would surround astronauts and protect them during bumpy landings

A hop, skip and a jump on the moon — and beyondTeam envisions robotic spacecraft that can explore hard-to-reach areas on the moon and other planetary bodies by hopping.

Operating in orbitAstronaut and alumnus Bobby Satcher recounts his experience as the first orthopedic surgeon in space

NASA chief defends Obama’s space planIn MIT visit, Charles Bolden touts proposed expansion in R&D funding

The pull of artificial gravityMIT researchers say a centrifuge on the International Space Station — hinted at in Obama’s NASA proposal — would be a boon for physiological research