Famed cosmologist Stephen Hawking is scheduled to take a ride on the vomit comet, and experience a bit of what it’s like to fly in zero gravity.
Continue reading “Stephen Hawking Will Experience Zero Gravity”
Unique New Perspectives of Saturn
Now flying in a polar orbit around Saturn, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is now sending back completely unique images of Saturn, seen from overhead. The photograph that I’ve attached to this story shows Saturn seen from almost directly overhead. The planet itself has been removed, so just the rings are visible. But there are other images taken over the last two months.
Continue reading “Unique New Perspectives of Saturn”
Another Reminder: Lunar Eclipse on March 3, 2007
I don’t want to sound like a broken record here, but I wanted to give you all another reminder that there’s going to be a total lunar eclipse on March 3, 2007.
Continue reading “Another Reminder: Lunar Eclipse on March 3, 2007”
Construction for the New Soyuz Launch Facility Begins
Workers broke ground this week on a new construction site at the European Space Agency’s new Soyuz launch base in French Guiana. Currently, Soyuz rockets only blast off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. But at the end of 2008, the rockets will roar from this facility as well.
Continue reading “Construction for the New Soyuz Launch Facility Begins”
A Solution for the Black Hole Information Paradox?
One of the mysteries that has puzzled physicists has to do with black holes. When information goes into a black hole, is it completely destroyed, or is it maintained in some form? Physicist Stephen Hawking believes that black holes will evaporate over long periods of time, slowly releasing featureless particles. Whatever information went into the black hole would then be destroyed.
Continue reading “A Solution for the Black Hole Information Paradox?”
New Horizons Gets a Gravity Boost From Jupiter
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft got a big speed boost today, when it used Jupiter’s gravity to give it a slingshot towards its final destination of Pluto. It didn’t exactly skim the planet’s surface, but New Horizons got as close as 2.3 million kilometers (1.4 million miles) to Jupiter.
Continue reading “New Horizons Gets a Gravity Boost From Jupiter”
Hail Damages Space Shuttle Atlantis, Delays Launch
A hail storm pounded the Space Shuttle Atlantis on Tuesday, chewing up foam at the top of the shuttle’s external fuel tank. The damage was so significant that managers decided to delay the shuttle’s launch until the damage can be repaired.
Continue reading “Hail Damages Space Shuttle Atlantis, Delays Launch”
South Pole Telescope Sees First Light
Telescopes located on the Earth suffer from having to peer through our thick atmosphere. That’s why they’re located at high altitudes, where the air is cold and clear. In fact, the best place on Earth to locate a telescope is in Antarctica – the air doesn’t get any colder or clearer.
Continue reading “South Pole Telescope Sees First Light”
Europe Approves its Mercury Mission
Although NASA has its Messenger spacecraft headed towards the planet Mercury, the European Space Agency is planning a mission of its own called BepiColumbo. The agency recently announced that it has “adopted” the BepiColumbo mission, officially greenlighting its development.
Continue reading “Europe Approves its Mercury Mission”
NASA Reveals a Sample Lunar Base
For the upcoming lunar return missions, the astronauts will be staying on the surface of the Moon far longer than they did during the Apollo. They’ll need someplace safe to live.
Continue reading “NASA Reveals a Sample Lunar Base”