Monthly Archives: December 2010

Genesis of a Lunar Christmas

Posted on December 24, 2010 by asteitel

I am not generally one to commemorate a holiday with a themed post. Nevertheless, I thought it would be an appropriate occasion to discuss the only Apollo mission to fly on Christmas – the 1968 lunar orbital mission of Apollo … Continue reading →

Posted in Apollo, Manned Spaceflight | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The X-15 as Space Plane

Posted on December 18, 2010 by asteitel

A number of my previous posts have drawn attention to some of the central aspects in the history and development of land landings in the early space age. But the drawbacks of splashdowns and hazards of the Soviets’ method of … Continue reading →

Posted in Aircraft, History of Space Science, Manned Spaceflight | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Of Machines and Men

Posted on December 14, 2010 by asteitel

I recently published a post about the qualities that make up the perfect astronaut – the most physically and mentally fit men were the desired qualities of America’s first astronauts. The “strapping young Presbyterian lad” is certainly not the ideal … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Space Science, Manned Spaceflight, Planetary Science, Unmanned Spaceflight | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Inventing Landings

Posted on December 11, 2010 by asteitel

A couple of weeks ago I published a post outlining the principle reasons why splashdowns were a not an appropriate long-term method for astronauts returning to earth. Pointing to the ease of splashdowns as the primary reason behind their use … Continue reading →

Posted in Gemini, History of Space Science, Manned Spaceflight, Mercury, Rockets, Space Shuttle | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Designing the Perfect Astronaut

Posted on December 7, 2010 by asteitel

The experimental, creative, and at times imaginative nature of the Mercury program has always fascinated me. The program and the decision that preceded it answer a totally unique question: what do you do when you suddenly need to put a … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Space Science, Manned Spaceflight, Mercury | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

V-2: The Vehicle that Launched the Space Age

Posted on December 4, 2010 by asteitel

Two of my previous posts tease out the main differences in the landing methods employed by both NASA and the Soviet Space Program as a means of illustrating the contrast between the two programs. What these posts don’t draw attention … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Space Science, Rockets, Soviet | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments