The energy in this video is all you need to feel to understand the importance of SpaceX’s recent landing of the Falcon 9 rocket from orbit. It’s truly history in the making.
If you were curious about the difference between this launch and the recent launch by Blue Origin, take a quick look at this quick video describing sub-orbital and orbital flight:
Blue Origin went up about 62 miles, and then came straight back down to Earth. SpaceX went all the way into orbit (>100 miles up) and many miles across the surface of the Earth, reaching about 3,500 miles per hour, then the rocket did a crazy flip and returned back to the exact launch spot where it started.
It’s an impressive technological feat and the impact will be wide-reaching. This is going to reduce the cost of putting satellites into orbit so much that global satellite WiFi has become a real possibility. However, the next crucial step is to see if the booster that was returned to the launch site can actually be used again for further launches. The materials have to stand up to repeated use, and that is not easy. Nonetheless, it was a great day for space technology.
The Saturn V was a NASA rocket used between 1966 and 1973. It is the only launch vehicle that has been able to transport humans beyond low Earth orbit, making it responsible for bringing 24 different astronauts to the Moon.
I love these sort of infographics because they give you a sense of the design and engineering that went into these colossal machines. This illustration comes from a Stephen Biesty Incredible Cross-Sections book. Looking through these books is giving me a strong rush of nostalgia for the countless hours spent in my youth pouring over all of these intricate details.
If you want to get involved, NASA is looking for new astronauts! The job application opens in December, 2015. You need to have at least a bachelor’s degree in Science, Engineering, or Math with a few years of experience in those fields. Best of luck!
Fire & Ice… The red hue comes from the iron oxide which is plentiful in this area of the Namib dessert of Namibia. BUT, the colors are not quite realistic. This is one of the European Space Agency satellite photos that have been recolored as part of an art/science collaborative exhibition called Spaceship Earth.
Here the location via Google maps if you are curious: link.
And here a few more of my favorite images from taken from ESA satellite:
Kipp Teague is a Virginia-based space enthusiast who has been collecting and cataloging NASA content since 1999. The Project Apollo Archive is the result of the almost 2 decade effort which serves as “an online reference source and repository of digital images pertaining to the historic manned lunar landing program.”
It’s a large collection, but I’ll feature some of my favorites from each Apollo Mission here, starting with…
book. Looking through these books is giving me a strong rush of nostalgia for the countless hours spent in my youth pouring over all of these intricate details.
