my-blog

Juno Lifts Off on Mission to Jupiter

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:45:58 +0100

The Juno spacecraft launched aboard an Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Friday, Aug. 5, 2011. Juno will make a five-year, 400-million-mile voyage to Jupiter, orbit the planet, investigate its origins and evolution with eight instruments to probe its internal structure and gravity field, measure water and ammonia in its atmosphere, map its powerful magnetic field and observe its intense auroras. Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

This Is What the Moon Looks Like From Space

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:44:29 +0100

On Sunday, July 31, 2011, when Expedition 28 astronaut Ron Garan aboard the International Space Station looked out his window, this is what he saw: the moon. And, he saw it 16 times. Said Garan, "We had simultaneous sunsets and moonsets." For Garan and the rest of the station crew, this extraordinary event is a daily occurrence. Since the station orbits the Earth every 90 minutes, each day the crew experiences this about 16 times a day. Image Credit: NASA

Another Take on Supersonic Aircraft

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:43:09 +0100

Our ability to fly at supersonic speeds over land in civil aircraft depends on our ability to reduce the level of sonic booms. NASA has been exploring a variety of options for quieting the boom, starting with design concepts and moving through wind tunnel tests to flight tests of new technologies. This rendering of a possible future civil supersonic transport shows a vehicle that is shaped to reduce the sonic shockwave signature and also to reduce drag. Image credit: NASA/Lockheed Martin

Driving on the Moon

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:10:25 +0100

Apollo 15 lunar module pilot Jim Irwin loaded the lunar rover with tools and equipment in preparation for the first lunar spacewalk at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. The Lunar Module 'Falcon' appears on the left in this image. The undeployed Laser Ranging Retro-Reflector lies atop Falcon's Modular Equipment Stowage Assembly. Apollo 15 launched 40 years ago today on July 26, 1971, from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Image Credit: NASA

Through the Astronaut's Eyes

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:24:06 +0100

Astronaut Ron Garan took this image during the spacewalk conducted on Tues., July 12, 2011. It shows the International Space Station with Space Shuttle Atlantis docked on the right and a Russian Soyuz on the far left. In the foreground is the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) experiment installed during the STS-134 mission. AMS is a state-of-the-art particle physics detector designed to use the unique environment of space to advance knowledge of the universe and lead to the understanding of the universe's origin by searching for antimatter and dark matter, and measuring cosmic rays. Image Credit: NASA

The Shuttle Mission's Final Spacewalk

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:22:06 +0100

Spacewalker Ron Garan rides on the International Space Station's robotic arm as he transfers a failed pump module to the cargo bay of space shuttle Atlantis. Garan and fellow Expedition 28 astronaut Mike Fossum wrapped up a six-hour, 31-minute spacewalk Tuesday afternoon, performing upgrades and maintenance on the orbiting outpost. It's the final scheduled spacewalk during a shuttle mission. Image Credit: NASA

The View

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:19:19 +0100

NASA managers look on from Firing Room Four of the Launch Control Center as space shuttle Atlantis lifts off from Launch Pad 39A on Friday, July 8, 2011, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The launch of Atlantis is the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program. Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Congratulations

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:07:46 +0100

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden congratulates Launch Director Michael Leinbach, facing camera, in Firing Room Four of the Launch Control Center shortly after the space shuttle Atlantis launched on Friday, July 8, 2011, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The launch of Atlantis on the STS-135 mission is the final flight of the shuttle program. STS-135 is slated to be a 12-day mission to the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Ready for Launch

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:06:11 +0100

The STS-135 crew ride in the Astrovan to Launch Pad 39A to board space shuttle Atlantis on the morning of Friday, July 8. The launch of Atlantis on the STS-135 mission is the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program. Clockwise from the left are: Sandra Magnus, Rex Walheim, commander Chris Ferguson and pilot Doug Hurley. In the back of the van in white is a member of the closeout crew, whose members assist the astronauts with final preparations for launch. Image Credit: NASA/Jerry Ross

Lift Off!

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:03:28 +0100

This image, taken through the window of a Shuttle Training Aircraft, shows the final liftoff of space shuttle Atlantis as it ascended from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center on the STS-135 mission, Friday, July 8, 2011. This is the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program, during which the STS-135 crew will deliver the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module containing supplies and spare parts for the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA/Dick Clark