space exploration

It’s hundreds of thousands of miles from Arizona’s San Francisco Volcanic Field to the Moon. But strong ties bind these two places.

It’s the middle of summer, but a science laboratory at Northern Arizona University is full of ice. Not just any ice, but bizarre kinds only found on faraway planets. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny took a tour to see how scientists are making so called “exotic ices” that might exist in the outer reaches of the solar system.

The epic geology of the Grand Canyon was the perfect training ground for Apollo astronauts half a century ago. Now, a researcher is trying to retrace their steps. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny spoke with Kevin Schindler, historian of Lowell Observatory and the Grand Canyon’s current astronomer in residence.

Walter Cunningham was one of three astronauts aboard the 1968 Apollo 7 mission, which paved the way for the moon landing.

NASA’s Artemis program intends to return humans to the moon after a half-century hiatus. But first, astronauts and engineers have to train and test lifesaving equipment here on Earth. So they’re returning to the same places where Apollo astronauts used to practice fifty years ago—the moonlike lava fields of Northern Arizona. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports.

A 26-year-old electrical and hardware engineer will become the first Mexican-born woman in space when she joins a diverse international crew for a 10-minute flight launched by Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

When Apollo 16 astronauts landed on the moon fifty years ago today, one of their first stops was a crater they named Flag. That’s a secret tribute to Flagstaff, Arizona, where the astronauts did their geology training. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny spoke with local space historian Rich Kozak about Flagstaff’s unique connection to Apollo 16. Kozak has amassed a collection of archival tape about the revolutionary moon mission.

A team at Northern Arizona University will take the wheel of NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover for its next phase of research. The scientists plan to compare satellite images of the Red Planet with what the rover is learning on the ground.

Cochise County officials don’t have to consider possible emergency responses or road closures when thousands of migratory birds drop in on the Willcox…