Space has been much in the news lately, particularly with the death of astronaut Sally Ride. But how much do you really know about the “final (some would say “next) frontier?” Take this quiz and find out.

When Richard Garriot de Cayeux, the founder of the Ultima series of computer games and the world’s sixth space tourist, went to the International Space Station ( ISS) in 2008, he didn’t just kick back and bask in zero gravity. No, during his twelve-day journey he conducted experiments on the crystallization of protein molecules, took photographs, conducted an art show (really) and…made a horror movie.

Buzz Aldrin, second man on the moon and member of the Gemini 12 and Apollo 11 missions, will appear on the popular reality show “Dancing with the Stars,” where contestants are challenged to perform different dances each week, like paso doble and swing. The 80-year-old retired astronaut will be the show’s oldest contestant.

According to an article in MSNBC, the Rocket Racing League, which plans brings high-speed, high-altitude racing to spectators across the globe, is teaming up with fashion label DKNY.

by Carol Pinchefsky

At 2:19 pm today, the Space Shuttle Discovery carried US Senator John Glenn and six other astronauts into orbit in a nearly flawless launch. Glenn, the second American in space in 1961, returns to space at age 77.

Under the dramatic headline "Allegre Blasts Station, ESA Management" Space News (June 22-28) reported on some blunt comments by the French Space Minister, Claude Allegre. While complaining about a long list of things (including ESA, the European Commission, Britain, etc) he explained why the French government would not support crewed space activities: