Armchair Explorer: Postcards from the Red Planet
Self-Portrait of Mars Rover Curiosity – NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS No matter how far you go, it’s always nice to keep in touch with the folks back home. That’s especially true for a spacecraft that has...
View ArticleFalling Felix
Imagine a roller coaster plunge that lasts over four minutes… So there was this guy, Felix, who fell from outer space to the earth, without a spaceship. For real! He fell faster than a .22 caliber...
View ArticleSaturn: Weirdo of the Solar System
This is an artists concept of Cassini during the Saturn Orbit Insertion (SOI) maneuver, just after the main engine has begun firing. The spacecraft is moving out of the plane of the page and to the...
View ArticleSpotting the International Space Station
Astronaut Chris Cassidy works outside the space station on May 11, 2013. Credit: NASAAlmost everyone has heard of the International Space Station (ISS). It is one of the most spectacular technological...
View ArticleFar Out, Dude! (Really, We Mean It…)
This artist’s concept shows NASA’s Voyager spacecraft against a field of stars in the darkness of space. (NASA/JPL-Caltech).When I was 11 years old, my family went on a 1,500 mile, two-week, car trip...
View ArticleBrave New Worlds and Goldilocks
In this photograph, taken by an astronaut on board the International Space Station, Venus is seen moving in front of, or transiting, the sun. Although the planet is small in comparison to the sun, it...
View ArticleOne (More) Small Step: Orion Spacecraft Set to Launch
When NASA launches its brand-new Orion spacecraft later this year, it is also launching what it hopes will be a new era of human spaceflight. It will be a test flight, but the ultimate goal of the...
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