As NASA’s Shuttle retires, who will give astronauts a ride into space? We investigate the private companies racing to build its replacements

Goodbye Shuttle

Bidding farewell to NASA’s most famous vehicle: a retrospective of the Shuttle moments that defined human spaceflight

Lift-off wanted

Do private enterprises have what it takes to replace the Space Shuttle? We look at the contenders in the race to lift astronauts into space

Eating artificial meat

As the world’s population reaches 7 billion, could meat grown in labs feed all those hungry mouths?

Michael Mosley on drugs

The Story of Science presenter tests class A drugs that could treat depression and even addiction

Douglas Adams: the techhiker’s guide

iPads, the internet and GM meat – the amazing advances Douglas Adams predicted in the Hitchhiker’s Guide books

Apps to make your life easier

40 apps that will improve your life, for iPhone, Android, Windows phones and BlackBerry

PLUS

Next gen electric cars: the plug-in car that could end our dependence on oil
The next Google: the machine that will answer any question you throw at it
Q&A: How do vending machines recognise bank notes? When can a plant be pronounced dead? What makes things ‘smell new’?
MegaPixel: underwater spacemen and sky-high engineering in amazing photographs
Four of the best: off-road vehicles - bikes, quads and mountainboards tested