Lee Hutchinson has a really cool, in-depth look at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, the 6.2 million gallon pool the agency uses to train astronauts for spacewalk missions.
Category: Space
Curiosity Rover in ‘Safe Mode’ ⇢
Clara Moskowitz at Space.com, on the Mars rover:
The computer problem is related to a glitch in flash memory on the A-side computer caused by corrupted memory files, Cook said. Scientists are still looking into the root cause the corrupted memory, but it’s possible the memory files were damaged by high-energy space particles called cosmic rays, which are always a danger beyond the protective atmosphere of Earth.
NASA says the rover should be good to go, as it can run on the B-side computer for some time.
On the Columbia Disaster ⇢
Ten year ago, the space shuttle Columbia launched for the last time.
The mission — STS–107 — was the 113th flown.
Everything was normal until re-entry, but the disaster was a result of an incident at take-off. A briefcase-sized piece of foam came off the external tank, striking Columbia on the leading edge of the left wing.
Such foam strikes were considered normal. In fact, on STS–112, a 4”x5”x12” section of foam came off the external tank and struck Atlantis’ left solid rocket booster, leaving a 3“ deep dent just shy of 4” wide.
The Last Lunar Landing Launch ⇢
collectSPACE:
Apollo 17, the last of the missions to land men on the moon, began 40 years ago today with the dawning of a man-made sun.
Lifting off just after midnight (EST) on Dec. 7, 1972, the Apollo 17 mission was the final of NASA’s moon-bound manned flights — and the first night launch. The massive, 363-foot tall (111 meters) Saturn V rocket turned night into day as the long flames from its five powerful F–1 engines bathed the dark sky with a brilliant, bright-as-the-sun light that appeared to spectators to slowly climb skyward from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Back to the Moon ⇢
Sean Hollister:
50 years ago, President John F. Kennedy told the United States that man would go to the moon. Soon, another American president may announce that the same celestial body will serve as a waypoint for manned space exploration. The Verge has learned that NASA intends to deploy a robotic lunar rover on the Moon in 2017 to search for water and other resources necessary for space travel, and that NASA may have secured support from the White House for an actual manned outpost — a space station — floating above the far side of the moon.
DIY Apollo Guidance Computer ⇢
Well, this is one hell of a hobby project.
Inside the Mission Control Center ⇢
Apollo vet Sy Liebergot took Ars Technica writer though the Apollo Mission Control Center. These rooms were used to get men to the moon and back, on technology that is laughably weak by today’s standards.
Dome Over Enterprise Damaged ⇢
The tail appears damaged, but the rest of the shuttle looks to be intact.
The Ultimate Photobomb ⇢
A View from the ISS ⇢
This video is stunning.
Endeavour Rolls Through LA ⇢
These photos are nothing short of surreal.
Voyager 1 Nears Edge of Solar System ⇢
The Voyager program is insane.