THE TELEGRAPH: There are no aliens up there, as far as we know, but NASA is preparing to bomb the moon. A space mission blasted off from Cape Canaveral today carrying a missile that will fire a hole deep in the lunar surface. The unmanned Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission (LCROSS) will fire a Centaur rocket into the surface at twice the speed of a bullet. The aim is to see whether any traces of water will be revealed by the disruption caused to the surface. Nasa will analyse the space cloud caused by the explosion for any sign of water or vapour. MORE
BBC: The US is “in a good position” to protect its territory from a potential North Korean missile strike, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said. His comments came in response to a report that North Korea was considering launching a missile towards Hawaii. “We do have some concerns if they were to launch a missile to the West, in the direction of Hawaii,” Mr Gates said. The US has approved the deployment of missiles and radar to “provide support” in the event of an attack, he added. MORE