February 2012
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January 2012
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December 2011
1 post
Russia sent up a rocket late last week. It put six satellites into orbit. Six. I thought that was a lot, but in 2008, India launched ten from a single rocket, which is a world record.
And, they built their own rocket to do it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_Satellite_Launch_Vehicle
September 2011
3 posts
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Kudos on the camera angles, China
The launch was well served throughout by some nice clear footage. At one point, we were under a fairing just in time to see it separate, but I didn’t get a picture of that one.
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Tiangong-1
China is about to launch space laboratory Tiangong-1, which will demonstrate technology that will be used to build China’s future space station. The lab will be unmanned for now, but some Chinese astronauts will be paying a visit next year.
Watch the launch here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15078569
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Sea Launch
It somehow escaped my notice until now, but there’s a company that specialises in launching stuff from a converted oil rig at the equator. This is simply too cool.
Less fuel is required to make orbit from the equator, thanks the Earth’s spin being amplified, making for cheaper launches. And also, it’s just ace.
http://www.sea-launch.com/
August 2011
3 posts
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Nose to nose
Endeavour and Discovery, swapping places in the decommissioning process, passed each other by this week at the Kennedy Space Centre.
It’s a shame that these multi-billion dollar pieces of technology will never fly again, except on the back of NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Looking forward to getting to see one in a museum, though.
More images here.
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“First of all, let’s clarify what the NASA budget is. Do you realize that the...”
– Neil deGrasse Tyson (via david)
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July 2011
5 posts
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STS-135
Space shuttle Atlantis will be making her final ascent today, weather permitting. Watch the action here in HD via UStream. Launch is scheduled for 1126 EDT, 1526 GMT. Weather is currently at 30% go, meaning there’s every chance this launch could be taking place sometime over the weekend.
If you’ve been living under a rock, or are not a space nerd, this is the final launch of the US...
June 2011
2 posts
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Endeavour: A round 25
Endeavour is being rolled back to an orbiter processing facility after completing her 25th and final mission.
The US sections of the ISS are now complete, and the alpha magnetic spectrometer (AMS), the main reason this mission was approved, is working great. Other mission highlights included a chat with the Pope, the installation of another Express Logistics Carrier, and a couple of chats with...
April 2011
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The nightmare of Voskhod 2
“Suddenly everything became dark. We had entered cloud cover. Then it grew even darker. I started to worry that we had dropped into a deep gorge. There was a roaring as our landing engine ignited just above the ground to break the speed of our descent. Finally we felt our spacecraft slumping to a halt. We had landed in two meters of thick snow.”
Air & Space Magazine has a detailed...
March 2011
1 post
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Discovery has flown her last
39 missions, including three return-to-flight missions, the deployment of Hubble, Ulysses, and three vital TDRS satellites vital for keeping in constant communication with orbiting spacecraft : that’s just a tiny part of the legacy of Discovery, NASA’s oldest remaining orbiter.
And today, at 1557GMT, her wheels made contact with the runway at Kennedy Space Center for the last...
January 2011
2 posts
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Apollo 1: 44 years ago today
The Apollo 1 astronauts pose in a photo that supposedly expressed their concern about the reliability of the command module.
NASA lost its first astronauts on this day in 1967. Roger Chaffee, Gus Grisson and Ed White died in a fire during a test of the Apollo command module.
During the test, the module was pressurised with pure Oxygen, as it would be during the flight. The increased pressure...
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Discovery Fuel Tank Repairs Complete
Today, Discovery’s fuel tank repairs are scheduled to be completed. The much-delayed final launch of NASA’s oldest surviving shuttle is expected to occur no sooner than 24th February 2011. Discovery begins her rollout to the pad on 31st January.
November 2010
2 posts
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Today's Shuttle Launch Has Been Scrubbed
NASA have detected a leak in the shuttle’s hydrogen tank.
UPDATE Next launch attempt will be Monday at the earliest, but that’s not been decided yet.
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Shuttle Discovery is getting fuelled up, see live...
At 1904 GMT, she’ll be launching from Kennedy Space Center. Coverage of “tanking” (taking on fuel) is live now on NASA TV as usual, but I warn you, it’s not very interesting. Just live shots of the shuttle on the pad, with no visible activity.
Briefings and press conferences about the mission are coming up throughout the next few hours, though.
Nicole Stott, one of the...
October 2010
1 post
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Atlantis flies again (no really)
President Barack Obama has signed off on the conversion of Atlantis’ Launch On Need (LON) mission (in case the final mission of Endeavour hits trouble) into a full mission. As long as she isn’t needed for Endeavour’s STS-134, Atlantis will launch on her final (and the final) ISS supply mission. The launch is targeted for 28th June 2010.
A crew of just four, all veterans, will be...
August 2010
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Atlantis
On 3rd October 1985, the space shuttle Atlantis, named after an ocean research ship used from 1930-1966, blasted off from Kennedy Space Center on the first of her 32 missions. Her cargo was two Department of Defense communications satellites. At the time, the shuttle was a major means of placing satellites into orbit.
As the newest of the original production run of four shuttles, Atlantis was...
May 2010
1 post
WatchThis is simply awesome.
nerdology:
Time Lapse of Space Shuttle Prep and Launch
I’m a sucker for time lapse, don’t get me wrong, but watching this I couldn’t help but think, “they shot this on 5D’s, they should have just shot video.” I also though, “so that’s how they get the shuttle on to the rockets.”
April 2010
2 posts
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Hubble turns 20
Two days ago, scientists around the world celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope’s launch.
On April 24th 1990, space shuttle Discovery blasted off from Kennedy Space Centre, reaching the then second-highest orbit of 600km, in order to release Hubble well clear of the atmosphere.
Scientists found Hubble’s initial images blurry, and the culprit was deemed to be...
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Anniversaries
Two very important anniversaries today: 49 years ago, the first human spaceflight occurred. Yuri Gagarin, atop Vostok I, soared into orbit on a landmark 1hr 48min mission.
29 years ago, a completely different type of space vehicle, the space shuttle, launch on her maiden voyage. Columbia, with a crew of two, began a successful 2 day mission to test flight systems.
March 2010
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The road to STS-1
When I was growing up in the 80s, I never really understood just how recently space exploration had been pioneered. A mere 20 years had passed since a single Soviet man became the first human being to journey into space. On the day of the 20th Anniversary, 12th April 1981, the first spaceflight of a reusable spacecraft began. It seems hard to believe that so much happened in such a short time.
...
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STS-131 is on the pad
Discovery has completed the 3.4 mile trundle to launch complex 39A and the Kennedy Space Centre. On March 2-5, the crew will be performing dress rehearsals of the launch, which is slated for April 5. The shuttle is loaded with science experiments for installation aboard the ISS.
Once this mission is completed, there are just three more missions, one for each shuttle. Each of those missions will...
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Russians in Spaaaace
I feel bad for the Russians. First satellite in space. First human in space. First long-term habitable space-station in orbit, but they never made it to the moon, and their space programme is currently stuck in the seventies.
That’s not entirely fair, their Soyuz programme works, and that’s why it’s still running. When NASA was unveiling the space shuttle programme, the Russians...
February 2010
1 post
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Buzz Aldrin responds to president Obama's NASA... →
January 2010
2 posts
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