Another stunning view from the Space Station, this photo was taken by Expedition 28 astronaut Ron Garan on July 31, 2011 and shows the Moon seeming to sink into the ocean of air that is our life-supporting atmosphere. As the Moon passes behind Earth’s limb it appears to get squished because of light being refracted…
Category: Spaceflight
On Top of the World
In what may be the best single representation of the visual feast of images we have enjoyed from Expedition 28 flight engineer Ron Garan during his 5 1/2 month stay aboard the ISS, this amazing image shows him inside the Station’s cupola as he took his last images of Earth before departing. I must say,…
Around the World in 60 Seconds
Want to blow your mind? Watch this: Now watch it 14 more times for an idea of what the astronauts aboard the ISS get to see every day. No wonder after five months up there they still don’t want to come down! This gorgeous video was made by science teacher James Drake using images downloaded from…
To the Moon! GRAIL Successfully Launches on 9/10/11
Can’t see the video below? Click here. And away she goes! NASA’s GRAIL spacecraft launched successfully – and beautifully! – at 9:08 am EDT this morning from Cape Canaveral aboard a Delta II Heavy rocket. This was the third day for launch attempts after several scrubs due to high-altitude winds on both Thursday and Friday….
STS-135: A Final Tribute
Can’t see the video below? Click here. Kennedy Space Center recently released this wonderful video, an emotional farewell to the space shuttle program with a recap of the launch and landing of the STS-135 Atlantis mission. From the preparation of the four-person crew to the systems go for launch, the hundreds of thousands who gathered…
Juno Launches!
(Can’t see the video below? Click here.) Today, at 12:25 pm EDT, an Atlas V 551 rocket took off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base with the Juno spacecraft aboard, headed for the planet Jupiter. And I was there, along with 149 other “space tweeps”, watching from the press site at Kennedy Space Center. It…
One Week: Remembering the Last Landing of Atlantis
At 5:57 am EDT on July 21, 2011 the orbiter Atlantis landed at Kennedy Space Center, completing the STS-135 mission and bringing an end to the shuttle program. With memories of the launch still very fresh in my mind it’s hard to believe it’s already been a week since Atlantis’ final wheelstop. Very hard to…
A Love Letter to the Space Shuttle
“A man’s reach should exceed his grasp.” – Robert Browning Here’s a wonderful video compilation showing highlights from all the shuttle missions, from STS-1 to STS-135, created by the folks at Nature. It’s a lot of emotions packed into eight minutes, but above all there’s a powerful feeling of awe at what was accomplished through…
The End.
The final landing of Atlantis, and the end of the space shuttle program.
Atlantis: The Last Launch
Can’t see the video below? Click here. Check out this powerful and dramatic video showcasing highlights of the STS-135 shuttle mission, up to and including launch and booster separation. If this doesn’t stir some emotions in you, you’re made of tougher stuff than me. Credit: NASA TV
Thank You, Atlantis
“Thank you for your 12 missions helping build the ISS.” – ISS Expedition 27 Engineer Ron Garan NASA astronaut and Expedition 27 Flight Engineer Ron Garan captured this amazingly beautiful image of Atlantis from the window of the Space Station after the shuttle undocked on July 17, 2011. It was the final visit of a shuttle…
Reflections on a Tweetup
It’s been over a week since the NASA Tweetup (note: these are now called “NASA Socials”) and I’m still thinking about it. For good reason, of course… it was awesome. Over the course of two days I saw a capsule that had been to space and back, talked with five astronauts (one currently in orbit!),…
Lights in the Dark 