Astronauts to get helping hand from soccer ball robots

FLOATING robots the size of soccer balls, with cellphones for brains, may soon be flying through space. Hacked smartphones have turned NASA's dull SPHERES robots into sensor-laden automatons with enough smarts to one day take over menial tasks aboard the International Space Station. The goal is to free up astronauts for more demanding jobs.

NASA experimenting with 3D printing for space exploration

President Obama said 3D printing 'has the potential to revolutionize the way we make almost everything.' So why not start with NASA? CNET's Sumi Das visits NASA Ames to look at how they're making space parts from 3D-printing machines. Read this article by Jason Pepper on CNET News.

Stephen Hawking predicts end-of-Earth scenario

The renowned theoretical physicist urges humans to go into space in order to save ourselves. (Credit: BBC Screenshot: Chris Matyszczyk/CNET) Stephen Hawking, one of the world's greatest physicists and cosmologists, is once again warning his fellow humans that our extinction is on the horizon unless we figure out a way to live in space.

Astronauts don't cry: Chris Hadfield shows tears in space

The commander of the International Space Station shows how crying in space only leads to a big water bubble on your eye. (Credit: Video screenshot by CBSNews.com) There's no crying in baseball, and there's no crying in space. While zero gravity doesn't have an impact on tears forming, it has an effect on if they fall -- and they don't.

Astronaut Chris Hadfield shows off his spacesuit waltz

Aboard the International Space Station, Commander Hadfield explains how he inspects the safety of his spacesuit. (Credit: Screenshot by CBSNews.com) Flying aboard the International Space Station isn't just fun and games; members of the crew have to examine their equipment to keep everything in ready-to-use condition.

Feast your eyes on the Small Magellanic Cloud

For the first time, astronomers detect the presence of X-rays being emitted from young stars outside of the Milky Way. (Credit: NASA/CXC/Univ.Potsdam/L.Oskinova et al; Optical: NASA/STScI; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech) Astronomers describe it as a "dwarf galaxy," but the Small Magellanic Cloud, which happens to be one of the Milky Way's closest neighbors, is entirely majestic.

Watch astronaut Chris Hadfield's zero-gravity workout

ISS Commander Chris Hadfield continues his entertaining video series by giving fans a glimpse of his workout routine in space. If you think your workout is reaching a plateau, don't complain to the men and women in space. They have to constantly work out to stave off the loss of muscle tissue.