Orion

Beautiful, Glowing Dust in Orion

May 2, 2012

On Earth, dust can be pretty mundane. But in space, dust can be beautiful, especially when the dust reflects starlight – and even more so when we have the chance to see the reflections in different wavelengths. Here in NGC 2068, also called Messier 78, this dazzling submillimetre-wavelength view from the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) [...]

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Video: Drop Test for Orion Crew Capsule’s New Parachutes

April 10, 2012

NASA successfully conducted a drop test of the Orion crew vehicle’s entry, descent and landing parachutes in preparation for the vehicle’s first orbital flight test, currently scheduled for 2014. Orion is the crew vehicle that NASA is building to bring astronauts to new destinations in space. It will be launched on the new rocket being [...]

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Astronomers See Stars Changing Right Before Their Eyes in Orion Nebula

February 29, 2012

A gorgeous new image from the tag team effort of the Herschel and Spitzer Space telescopes shows a rainbow of colors within the Orion nebula. The different colors reflect the different wavelengths of infrared light captured by the two space observatories, and by combining their observations, astronomers can get a more complete picture of star [...]

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Night Sky Guide: February 2012

February 1, 2012

Special thanks to Ninian Boyle astronomyknowhow.com for information in parts of this guide This month, the Solar System gives us a lot to observe and we’ll even start to see the ‘spring’ constellations appear later in the evenings. But February still has the grand constellations of winter, with mighty Orion as a centrepiece to long [...]

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Orion Capsule Embarks on Cross Country Public Tour

January 27, 2012

Here’s your chance for a birds-eye view of an Orion capsule, up-close and personal ! Catch it if you can ! A full scale test version of one of NASA’s Orion spacecraft has embarked on a cross country tour from White Sands, New Mexico, across several states in the southern United States that ultimately lands [...]

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Why Does Sirius Twinkle?

January 16, 2012

At this time of year, after dark we in the northern hemisphere are able to see the mighty constellation of Orion rise high in the sky with a very bright companion in a nearby constellation: Sirius – The Dog Star. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky and can easily be found in the [...]

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What Does It Take to Build a Spacecraft for Human Flight?

January 13, 2012

Here’s a look the latest achievements and milestones for the Orion spacecraft as engineers build, test and test some more to get the vehicle ready for its first orbital test flight in 2014.

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Night Sky Guide: January 2012

December 30, 2011

January brings us striking views of the night skies! You’ll be able to see well known constellations during the long hours of darkness in the Northern hemisphere, with crisp cold skies. This is an ideal time to get out and look at the wonders of the night sky as there is so much to see [...]

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Comet Curiosity? MSL Looks Like a Comet as it Heads Toward Mars

November 28, 2011

What does a spacecraft look like as it lights-out for another world? This incredible time-lapse video was taken by astronomers at the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium in Australia. The sequence shows a plume drifting against the background stars, probably caused by venting from the Centaur rocket stage that sent the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity Rover on [...]

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Orion Spacecraft to Launch in 2014

November 11, 2011

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla – NASA has announced its intention to launch an unmanned flight of the Orion Spacecraft atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle – by 2014. This flight test will be added to the contract that the space agency has with aerospace firm Lockheed Martin. The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew [...]

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NASA Up Close Tour: VAB and Space Shuttle Endeavour On Display

November 3, 2011

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla – When guests visited the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in the past, they never knew if they would have the opportunity to see an actual space shuttle in some stage of being processed for a mission. The operators of the Visitor Complex have changed that – guests will now not only [...]

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Aerojet: Small Space Firm Has Big Space History

October 27, 2011

When it comes to space flight pedigrees, few companies have one that can compare to Aerojet’s. The California-based company has a resume on space operations that is as lengthy as it is impressive. Universe Today sat down with Julie Van Kleeck – the firm’s vice-president of space and launch systems business unit.

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Bolden Visits Kennedy Space Center, Talks SLS and the Future

October 12, 2011

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla – NASA Administrator Charles Bolden stopped by Kennedy Space Center in Florida to tour NASA’s Mobile Launch Platform. Bolden was joined by fellow former shuttle astronaut and current Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana. The duo toured the 355-foot-tall structure Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 11 a.m. EDT.

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What are the experts saying about SLS?

September 22, 2011

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla – NASA’s recent unveiling of what its Space Launch System or SLS would look like created a buzz in the aerospace industry. Some experts in this field have weighed in on what they thought of the design, the politics and the time involved in producing the space agency’s next heavy-left launch vehicle.

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Construction Begins on the 1st Space-Bound Orion Crew Module

September 16, 2011

Production of NASA’s first space-bound Orion crew module has at last begun at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans – that’s the same facility that for more than three decades was responsible for manufacturing the huge orange colored External Tanks for the just retired Space Shuttle Program. The first weld of structural elements [...]

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ATK and Astrium’s Liberty Launcher Added to NASA’s Commercial Crewed Roster

September 13, 2011

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla – Liberty has wings. That is to say that the launch vehicle proposed by Alliant Techsystems or ATK as they are more commonly known has been given the green light by NASA – albeit unfunded – as part of a Space Act Agreement. The announcement was made at the Kennedy Space Center [...]

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Book Review: A Dictionary of the Space Age

September 12, 2011

Writing a dictionary is not the same as writing a novel. While it might seem difficult to mess up a dictionary, even one with terminology that is as complicated as that used within the space industry – getting it right can be challenging. For those that follow space flight having such a dictionary can be [...]

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Human Mission to an Asteroid: The Orion MPCV

August 25, 2011

Back in 2007, when the Constellation program to return to the Moon was still the program of record for NASA, a group from Lockheed Martin began investigating how they might be able to use the Orion lunar capsule to send humans on a mission to an asteroid. Originally, this plan — called Plymouth Rock — [...]

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Human Mission to an Asteroid: Why Should NASA Go?

August 23, 2011

Imagine, if you can, the first time human eyes see Earth as a distant, pale blue dot. We’ve dreamed of deep space missions for centuries, and during the Apollo era, space enthusiasts assumed we’d surely be out there by now. Nevertheless, given the current state of faltering economies and potential budget cuts for NASA and [...]

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First Orion Assembled at Denver, Another Orion Displayed at Kennedy Space Center

July 3, 2011

Assembly of NASA’s first Orion Crew vehicle that could actually launch to space has been accomplished by prime contractor Lockheed Martin Corporation at the firm’s Waterton space systems facility located near Denver, Colorado, where the spacecraft is slated to begin a severe testing process that will help confirm crew safety. Orion is NASA’s next generation [...]

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