Prof. Steve Squyres ’78 Ph.D. ’81, astronomy, told a Senate committee on Wednesday that U.S. space exploration programs risk significant delays and setbacks because they are severely underfunded. Despite the importance of the issue, only two senators attended the hearing.

In an effort to promote interdisciplinary education, Cornell will offer 13 new “University Courses” this fall, which will give students a chance to approach a subject from different angles of various fields of study.

The courses do not have any prerequisites and students from all seven undergraduate colleges have been encouraged to enroll.

NASA’s Mars rover Opportunity discovered a mineral vein telling of a warmer, wetter and potentially more conducive to life past for the seemingly cold, dry and desolate Red Planet.

The new mars rover Curiosity is equipped with 10 scientific instruments, two of which — the Sample Analysis at Mars and its Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer — Prof. Steven Squyres ’78 Ph.D. ’81, astronomy, helped build.

After sending rovers to Mars and diving deep in the ocean with astronauts, Prof. Steven Squyres '78 Ph.D. '81, astronomy, was appointed chair of the NASA Advisory Council on Oct. 31.

Becoming an “aquanaut,” Prof. Steven Squyres, astronomy, plunged into the waters off Key Largo, Fla., on Oct. 20 to help NASA prepare for the first-ever asteroid exploration mission, scheduled to take flight in 2025.

The Mars rover "Spirit," which was being led by Prof. Steve Squyres, astronomy, may have finally lost power for good, after greatly exceeding all initial expectations.