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Category Archives: Manned Spaceflight
Sandwiches in Space
Most of NASA’s Apollo program files are publicly available, in many cases digitized and accessible online. But there’s one picture from the Apollo 12 files that I’ve never been able to find much information about: a picture of a suit … Continue reading
Posted in Apollo, Gemini, History of Space Science, Manned Spaceflight, Moon
Tagged Al Bean, Apollo, Apollo12, Dick Gordon, Gus Grissom, John Young, NASA, Pete Conrad
5 Comments
The Gemini Paraglider on SciAm’s Space Lab
Most regular readers of Vintage Space will know that I’m obsessed with the Gemini Paraglider, the landing system that should have made splashdowns obsolete starting in the early 1960s but (to make a long story short) just couldn’t keep pace … Continue reading
Posted in Gemini, History of Space Science, Manned Spaceflight, Mercury
Tagged Gemini, Landing Systems, Landings, Paraglider, Rogallo
4 Comments
Is Wernher von Braun Spaceflight’s Most Controversial Figure?
That he was responsible for both the deadly Nazi V-2 and NASA’s majestic Saturn V makes Wernher von Braun a controversial historical figure. Some hold that his participation in the Nazi war effort necessitates classifying him as a villain. But … Continue reading
Posted in Apollo, History of Space Science, Manned Spaceflight, Mercury, Moon, Rockets
5 Comments
Mars One: A Possible Disaster
Three months ago I wrote this article about Mars One, the Netherlands-based non-profit organization that hopes to fund a one-way mission to build the first colony on Mars by broadcasting it as a reality show. The astronaut selection criteria had just been … Continue reading
Posted in Manned Spaceflight, Planetary Science
3 Comments
McDivitt’s Trials With Orbital Rendezvous
Orbital mechanics and the challenges of orbital rendezvous isn’t a simple thing to explain, particularly as a non-scientist breaking it down for other non-scientists. But it’s a central part of the Apollo mission profile, so it comes up a lot … Continue reading
Posted in Apollo, Gemini, Manned Spaceflight
Tagged Ed White, Gemini, Gemini 4, Jim McDivitt, NASA, Rendezvous
8 Comments
Yuri Gagarin’s Controversial Landing
Today marks the anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s historic Vostok 1 flight. On April 12, 1961, the unknown Soviet Air Force pilot became the first man to orbit the Earth. But there’s a controversy surrounding the flight that’s been lost in … Continue reading
Wernher von Braun Strolling on the Moon
I often post strange or fun space history pictures from NASA’s amazing archives on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter. The other days I posted this one showing Wernher von Braun strolling casually across the Lunar surface. I didn’t realize until after … Continue reading
Posted in Apollo, History of Space Science, Manned Spaceflight
Tagged Exhibit, Moon, Wernher von Braun
5 Comments