Monthly Archives: December 2011

Vintage Space Fun Fact: The Overshadowed Arrow

Posted on December 29, 2011 by asteitel

In the 1950s, Canada was as much at risk of nuclear attack as was the United States; the country lies in the direct path of any Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) the Soviet Union could launch over the North Pole towards … Continue reading →

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Vintage Space Fun Fact: Mink Coat from the Man in the Moon

Posted on December 24, 2011 by asteitel

Jim Lovell was supposed to spend Christmas 1968 with his family in Acapulco. Instead, he spent the holiday with Frank Borman and Bill Anders in orbit around the Moon. But being 250,000 miles from home didn’t stop him from giving … Continue reading →

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Taking Gemini to the Moon

Posted on December 22, 2011 by asteitel

Apollo 8 is usually synonymous with Christmas — at least among spaceflight enthusiasts. In 1968, NASA made the daring decision to send Apollo 8 into lunar orbit in the name of getting American men to the moon ahead of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Apollo, Gemini, Manned Spaceflight, Mercury | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Vintage Space Fun Fact: High Flying Gemini

Posted on December 20, 2011 by asteitel

With the exception of Apollo flights, manned spaceflight has operated exclusively in low Earth orbit, the area in space that extends up to about 1,300 vertical miles. In 1966, the Gemini XI crew set an as-of-yet unbroken altitude record within … Continue reading →

Posted in Apollo, Gemini, Manned Spaceflight | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Vintage Space Fun Fact: Gene Kranz’s Vests

Posted on December 17, 2011 by asteitel

Flight director Gene Kranz is perhaps best known as the man behind the team that got the Apollo 13 crew home safely. He is also known for his trademark flattop hair style and his vests. In training and during missions, … Continue reading →

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Remembering Apollo’s Last Moonwalk

Posted on December 13, 2011 by asteitel

Today marks the thirty-ninth anniversary of the last Apollo mission’s, Apollo 17′s, final moonwalk. On December 13, 1972, Commander (and Apollo 10 veteran) Gene Cernan and Lunar Module Pilot Jack Schmitt made their last of three lunar EVAs. NASA commemorated … Continue reading →

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Vintage Space Fun Fact: The Mercury ’7′s

Posted on December 7, 2011 by asteitel

Each of the Mercury missions had a name followed by the number 7. Alan Shepard flew Freedom 7, Gus Grissom in Liberty Bell 7, John Glenn aboard Friendship 7 (pictured), Scott Carpenter in Aurora 7, Wally Schirra flew Sigma 7, … Continue reading →

Posted in Manned Spaceflight, Mercury, Unmanned Spaceflight | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments