Space Exploration
Uncover the wonders of space exploration. Study distant worlds and push the boundaries of human knowledge in the vast expanse of the universe.
US Air Force’s Secretive X-37B Space Plane [Infographic]
The X-37B is an unmanned space test vehicle for the United States Air Force, based on NASA's original X-37 design. It is a lot smaller than the Space Shuttle and is launched via an Atlas V booster. The first test flight was in April 2010, followed by a second test flight in March 2011.
Could Space Junk Be a Threat to Our Hi-Tech Way of Life?
Space waste, space junk, orbital debris…whatever you call this orbiting mass of objects, they are a big issue. Space waste doesn't just make earth's orbital corridors look untidy, it poses a very real threat to the future of space exploration and our way of life. Read on to find out more…
Moscow’s Secret Moon Plan: The N-1 Rocket [Infographic]
“Hoping to beat the Americans to the moon before 1970, Soviet rocket engineer Sergey Korolyov worked in secret to plan the mighty N-1, an equal to the American Saturn V booster. In 1966 however, the sudden death of Korolyov threw Soviet plans into disarray. After four N-1s were lost in catastrophic accidents, the Soviets destroyed the remaining hardware and denied the very existence of the program. The N-1 remained a state secret until being made public in 1990.” Taken from the infographic below: Source Space.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration
The International Space Station: Inside and Out [Infographic]
“Begun in 1998 with the launch of the first component from Russia, the construction of the International Space Station (ISS) is the most complex space project ever undertaken. At $100 billion it is in fact the single most expensive object ever built.” Taken from the infographic below:
What Does Felix Baumgartner’s Jump Mean for the Science World?
On October 14th, 2012, over seven million people would watch live as Felix Baumgartner tumbled out of a capsule tied to a balloon hovering 128,100 feet in the air. Another fifty million would watch his descent on YouTube in the next 24 hours. During his fantastic freefall, Felix would become the first person to break the sound barrier unaided and survive, reaching an estimated speed of Mach 1.24 (824 miles per hour). A huge team of scientists and engineers, many of them from NASA, supported him in his stunt. But what does it mean for science? Image Copyright: Luke Aikins, Red Bull Content Pool. While the stunt was substantially financially…
RIP. Neil Armstrong
Yesterday, August 25, we lost a true hero. Neil Armstrong died at the age of 82 due to complications from blocked coronary arteries. He was an inspiration to many and has taught us to dream big about the future of humanity in space. He will be forever remembered. RIP.
Curiosity Has Landed!
Early this morning at 5:32 UTC, NASA's Curiosity rover has successfully landed on Mars, only one minute later than scheduled. The spectacular landing went without a hitch. "The Seven Minutes of Terror has turned into the Seven Minutes of Triumph," said NASA Associate Administrator for Science John Grunsfeld.
Monthly Stargazing Calendar for August 2012
This month will be very eventful when it comes to astronomy and space exploration. First off on August 6 the Curiosity Rover, also known as Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), is scheduled to land on the red planet at 5:31 AM UTC.
15 Things You Didn’t Know About Outer Space [Infographic]
Since the dawn of history, outer space has always caught the imagination of people across the continents and different cultures. However most of what we currently know about space has been discovered since the beginning of the space age over half a century ago.
How NASA’s Juno Mission to Jupiter Works [Infographic]
Recently, on August 5, 2011, NASA launched a new space probe, called Juno, headed towards Jupiter. When it reaches its destination the spacecraft will be placed in a polar orbit in order to study the planet's composition, gravity field, magnetic field, polar magnetosphere, and the deep winds of its atmosphere.
