Tag Archives: NASA
“Space Oddity” Sung by Chris Hatfield
This is really fun! Chris Hatfield, Commander of the International Space Station sings “Space Oddity” written by David Bowie to the world.
Exoplanets: The Kepler-62 System Compared to Our Solar System
This is so cool. This graphic diagram comes courtesy of the stunning Kepler mission searching for extra-solar planets. Here is the description of this poster: The diagram compares the planets of the inner solar system to Kepler-62, a five-planet system … Continue reading
Nuclear Power Systems for Spacecraft: The Transit Navigational Satellite Connection
Flying in space requires reliable, uninterrupted, stable electrical power, not only for engines to maneuver and navigate but for systems on spacecraft performing a range of functions. During the first two decades of the space age in the 1950s and … Continue reading
Venturing to the Outer Solar System: Pioneer 10 and 11 and the Technology of Long Duration Space Exploration
As the first attempt to send robotic probes to any part of the outer solar system, in 1964 NASA scientists first conceived of what became Pioneer 10 and 11, missions that undertook a “windshield tour” of Jupiter and Saturn as … Continue reading
Redirect: Chicken Little Was Right
I published on March 4, 2013, a new commentary on the policy issues surrounding what to do about asteroid/meteor/comet impacts. Chicken Little Was Right just appeared on the National Air and Space Museum’s blog. It notes that yes, indeed, the … Continue reading
“Lost and Gone Forever”? Clementine and the Blending of Civilian and Military Space Science
I have been working on a study of the Clementine program, a lunar orbiter that flew in 1994. Here is the abstract for this study. I would welcome any thoughts about it. In the early 1990s, just as the Cold … Continue reading
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
How Do Space Activities Contribute to Our Daily Lives?
I was recently asked this question, how do space activities contribute to our daily lives? I must confess that I have been asked it many times previously. Virtually every time this question is asked, however, it is because the person … Continue reading
Reflections on the Loss of STS-107: Ten Years Ago (Redirect)
I posted on the National Air and Space Museum website this morning a reflection of the tenth anniversary of Columbia, STS-107, on February 1, 2003. For those who would like to read this blog post, it is available here.
