Sounds of Space

Posted on April 18, 2012 by asteitel

Have you ever stopped to wonder why, during planetarium presentations filled with stunning images from other worlds, there is always a classical music soundtrack? That’s because no one has managed to capture planetary sounds, but not for lack of trying.  NASA’s Mars Polar Lander carried a microphone but the spacecraft crashed during its descent in 1999, and a French mission designed to record sound on Mars never flew. NASA’s successful Mars Phoenix Lander carried a microphone, but it failed to return any audio data during its 2008 mission. Simulated sounds, on the other hand, are easier to capture. Adjusting sound waves to reflect the environments on other bodies, we can start to get a sense of what space sounds like. Read the full article on Motherboard. (Left, Mars rover Opportunity’s half self portrait. 2004.)

Posted in Planetary Science, Unmanned Spaceflight | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Carnival of Space #245

Posted on April 16, 2012 by asteitel

It’s time for another Carnival of Space! There are some really interesting stories this week from a cosmos that isn’t slowing down.

Today’s fun Vintage Space images shows John Glenn entering the Astro-Penthouse. It was less sexy that you’d think. This was where the astronauts trained on the gimbaling rig in the altitude wind tunnel at NASA’s Lewis Research Centre. 1960. Continue reading →

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Unlucky Apollo 13

Posted on April 13, 2012 by asteitel

When Apollo 13 launched on April 11, 1970, the world wasn’t all that excited. Going to the Moon had become routine; the Vietnam war and Paul McCartney leaving the Beatles were bigger stories in America. The one aspect of the mission that did have people talking was its numeric designation: 13. Man’s greatest scientific endeavour was about to go head to head with one of its most enduring superstitions. Read my full article on Discovery News. (Left, the damage sustained to Apollo 13′s service module when the oxygen tank exploded, taken by the crew before reentry, 1970. It’s worth noting that NASA has never since launched, nor does it plan to launch, another mission designated ’13.’)

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Vintage Space Fun Fact: Slayton’s Bow Tie

Posted on April 9, 2012 by asteitel

On Thursday April 9, 1959, the seven Mercury astronauts were introduced to the world at a press conference. Six nervous men sat shifting in their seats at a long table facing a room full of press; John Glenn was the only one smiled at the cameras, pleased as punch to be there. Sitting in alphabetical order, Deke Slayton sat on the far left of the table, fingers intertwined on the table in front of him looking up at the room with only his eyes. On his right sat Alan Shepard, leaning back looking much more calm. Slayton’s mannerisms could be chalked up to nerves, or it could be discomfort after a prank Shepard played moments earlier. (Left, Shepard and Slayton as the press conference began on April 9, 1959.) Continue reading →

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JWST: Cosmic TiVo

Posted on April 7, 2012 by asteitel

This week, the James Webb Space Telescope (JSWT) got its brain, or at least the bit responsible for its memory. The first solid-state electronics unit that will store the telescope’s data was delivered from SEAKR Engineer to the telescope’s builder, Northrop Grumman. It’s the same technology that’s inside devices like DVRs, meaning JWST is about to turn into a cosmic TiVo. Read the full article on Discovery News, where I am pleased to say I am a new writer! (Left, the JWST. NASA.)

Posted in Unmanned Spaceflight | Tagged | 2 Comments

How NASA Didn’t Drive on the Moon

Posted on April 6, 2012 by asteitel

When President Kennedy promised America a Moon landing in 1961, getting there was only part of the challenge. The astronauts would need to go outside, explore the surface, and, to make to most of their time there, cover as much of the lunar surface as possible. On this last point, NASA considered multiple methods before settling on the lunar rover we all recognize from pictures of Apollo 15, 16, and 17. Read my full article at America Space. (Left, a prototype for the lunar bike is tested in a one-sixth gravity environment. 1969.) As an added source, here’s a great compilation of images of early rover concepts.

And speaking of America Space, I’m very happy to be joining the writing staff of this excellent website!

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Recovering Apollo 11′s Engines from the Atlantic

Posted on March 31, 2012 by asteitel

This week, Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos announced a bold plan: to recover at least one of Apollo 11′s engines from the bottom of the Atlantic. The engines sunk to the briny deep after the Saturn V’s spent first stage jettisoned a little less than three minutes after launch on July 16, 1969. Bezos’ team of underwater experts armed with state-of-the-art sonar technology have located the engines, and he hopes to donate the recovered hardware to the Museum of Flight in Seattle. But NASA still owns the engines, and the agency gets to decide what happens to this piece of history, which may not even be form Apollo 11 at all.  It’s an interesting proposal, and however Bezos’ plan for recovery unfolds, its sure to be interesting (particularly to historians). Check out my full article on Motherboard. (Left, Apollo 11 shortly after launch. The first stage’s five F-1 engines are responsible for the fiery trail the Saturn V is leaving across the sky. 1969.)

Posted in Apollo, Manned Spaceflight, Rockets | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

NASA’s LRO: Shedding New Light on Old Mysteries

Posted on March 28, 2012 by asteitel

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter keeps finding interesting things on the moon. Last week, LRO’s camera photographed the landing sites of Luna 23 and 24, two Soviet probes that landed in the 1970s. The images have enabled scientists to solve mysteries about these missions, specifically what happened to Luna 23 and why the samples returned by Luna 24 were drastically different than anticipated. It seems these nearly 40-year-old missions are still unfolding. Read the full article on Motherboard. (Left, the Soviet Luna 16 spacecraft. One of many in the long-lasting program.)

Posted in History of Space Science, Soviet, Unmanned Spaceflight | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The Life and Times of Don McCusker

Posted on March 24, 2012 by asteitel

I got an email from a reader a few months ago who was particularly pleased that an old post mentioned his father, Don McCusker. McCusker was a North American Aviation test pilot and one of the few men to fly the full scale Gemini manned Test Tow Vehicle (TTV), the full scale Gemini spacecraft mated to the paraglider wing. Some research in unusual places, and a fascinating correspondence with his wife Helena, gave me fairly good picture of McCusker’s life. So while my research isn’t quite finished, I thought I’d write a short overview of the very interesting life of a test pilot that almost no one knows about. (Left, the Martin-built B57 that was used in research and development tests of a guidance systems. Don McCusker is on top, at the time serving as manager of the simulated MACE program. USAF.)

Continue reading →

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The Unsinkable Gusmobile

Posted on March 23, 2012 by asteitel

On March 23, 1965, Gus Grissom and John Young launched on the first manned Gemini mission, Gemini 3. First planned as a followup to Mercury known as Mercury Mark II, development of the Gemini spacecraft took nearly six years. The finished product was an expression of what Grissom wanted in a spacecraft, from the cockpit layout to the placement of each switch and instruments. It was, in many ways, his baby. Grissom’s close hand in its design prompted many of his fellow astronauts to call NASA’s second-generation spacecraft the Gusmobile.  (Left, the Gemini 3 crew, Gus Grissom and John Young in 1965.) Continue reading →

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