Monthly Archives: February 2012

Vintage Space Fun Fact: the 900-pound Cake

Posted on February 23, 2012 by asteitel

Everybody wanted to be a part of the celebration of John Glenn’s return, including Henri Landwirth. Polish born Landwirth, a holocaust survivor, arrived in Miami Beach in 1954. He began managing the Starlight Motel that was quickly a hit with … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

On Space

Posted on February 22, 2012 by asteitel

I’m very pleased to be a new contributing writer on Aviation Week and Space Technology’s blog On Space. My first article, which went live this morning, covers a story about the DynaSoar program that didn’t make it into my previous article … Continue reading →

Posted in History of Space Science, Manned Spaceflight | Tagged | 2 Comments

John Glenn: the Man Behind the Hero

Posted on February 20, 2012 by asteitel

In the early days of the Mercury program, John Glenn looked like the perfect astronaut. Tall with boyish good looks, he was always smiling and happy to share his love of family, country, and God with the media. (Left, the … Continue reading →

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Fun Facts and Finds About John Glenn

Posted on February 19, 2012 by asteitel

Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of John Glenn’s Friendship 7 flight. The first orbital mission of the Mercury program, which launched on February 20, 1962, was a major achievement for NASA and a significant milestone to the American people. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Manned Spaceflight, Mercury | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

More Mystery Surrounding Venus

Posted on February 17, 2012 by asteitel

I’ve always been fascinated with Venus, the planet closest to Earth in size that is different in every other respect. It rotates in the opposite direction, not just from Earth but from every planet in the Solar System. A day … Continue reading →

Posted in Planetary Science | Tagged | 4 Comments

Vintage Space Fun Fact: Tang in Space

Posted on February 13, 2012 by asteitel

When people think about what NASA has done for the Earth-bound among us, most cite the invention of space foam and Tang among its greatest accomplishments. That’s not entirely true. Offshoots of technologies NASA has developed have given us things … Continue reading →

Posted in Apollo, Gemini, Manned Spaceflight, Mercury | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Vintage Space Fun Fact: Cape Canaveral Monsters

Posted on February 12, 2012 by asteitel

Last weekend, I saw Cape Canaveral Monsters. The 1960 sci-fi release epitomizes B movie with awful effects, emotionless acting, and a paper-thin plot that attempts to explain the high fail rate of America’s launch vehicle by the presence of aliens … Continue reading →

Posted in Manned Spaceflight, Mercury | Tagged , | 7 Comments