Category Archives: International Space Station

“Space Oddity” Sung by Chris Hadfield


This is really fun! Chris Hadfield, Commander of the International Space Station sings “Space Oddity” written by David Bowie to the world.

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Comment on Story: “How the Air Force and SpaceX Saved Dragon from Doom”


Yesterday Ken Kremer published a story on-line at universetoday.com entitled “How the Air Force and SpaceX Saved Dragon from Doom.” He quoted liberally from an e-mail I had sent to Nancy Atkinson on March 5, 2013, when she contacted me about … Continue reading

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Are Humans or Robots the Future of Space Travel?


On February 20 I participated in a NASA “Social,” an event for space observers who tweet, blog, and otherwise electronically communicate to the world about what they see. I talked about the two robots we have in the National Air … Continue reading

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A Chronology of Space Anniversaries for 2013


Many people have asked what anniversaries are upcoming in 2013 in space history. Here is a quick list. Are there items that I should add to this accounting? 1923—90 years ago December: Die Rakete zu den Planetenräumen (The Rocket into … Continue reading

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Announcing a New Book: “Coming Home: Reentry and Recovery from Space”


Dennis R. Jenkins and I have just published a new book,  Coming Home: Reentry and Recovery from Space, issued as NASA Special Publication-2011-593. It’s available now, free as a downloadable a PDF here. One of the most difficult tasks with which … Continue reading

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Great NASA Video: “Walking On Air”


This video features a series of time lapse sequences photographed by the Expedition 30 crew aboard the International Space Station. Set to the song “Walking in the Air,” by Howard Blake, the video takes viewers around the world, through auroras, … Continue reading

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Envisioning Limits: Outer Space and the End of Utopia


I am attending the conference, “Envisioning Limits: Outer Space and the End of Utopia,” sponsored by the Emmy Noether Research Group, Friedrich-Meinecke-Institut, at the Freie Universität Berlin. It is a very engaging program and between April 19 and 21, 2012, … Continue reading

Posted in Apollo, Applications Satellites, Cold War Competition, Earth Science, History, International Space Station, Lunar Exploration, Politics, Science, Space, Space Shuttle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

International Prestige and Soft Power in the History of Spaceflight


Almost from the beginning of thought about the potential of flight in space, theorists believed that the activity would garner worldwide prestige for those accomplishing it. For example, in 1946 the newly-established RAND Corporation published the study, a Preliminary Design … Continue reading

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Join Us for the 3rd Space Policy and History Forum, Crystal City, Virginia, March 12, 2012


For those in the Washington, D.C., area on Monday March 12, please consider attending the 3rd Space Policy and History Forum. It will be held at the the Lockheed Martin Global Vision Center in Crystal City at 4:00 P.M. on … Continue reading

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Space and Beyond in 2011: An Extraordinary Year in Review


It was quite a year that was in space. Just in the United States, NASA retired the Space Shuttle, a plethora of potential human spaceflight vehicles were pursued from plenty of parties, scientists discovered new extrasolar planets, NASA sent several … Continue reading

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