Space / Astronomy: What's Hot Now: Apollo 1 Fire

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Apollo 1 Fire Sep 30th 2011, 10:09 It was January 27, 1967 and the crew of Apollo/Saturn 204 (more commonly known as Apollo 1 mission) were training for the first crewed Apollo flight, an Earth orbiting mission scheduled to be launched on 21 February. They were involved in a "plugs-out" test, with the Command Module mounted on the Saturn 1B on the launch pad just as in the actual launch, but the rocket was not fueled. This test was a simulation, going through an entire countdown sequence. On board were astronaut Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, (the second American astronaut to fly into space) astronaut Edward H. White II, (the first American astronaut to "walk" in space) and astronaut Roger B. Chaffee, (a "rookie" astronaut on his first space mission). At 1:00 PM the crew entered the capsule, located on Pad 34 to start the test. From the beginning, there were problems. Several minor problems appeared, delaying the process quite a bit. Finally, a communications failure caused a hold to be placed on the count at 5:40 PM. At 6:31 PM, a voice (later believed to be Roger Chaffee) exclaimed, "Fire, I smell fire." Two seconds later, Ed White's voice came over the circuit, "Fire in the cockpit." The final voice transmission from the crew was very garbled. "They’re fighting a bad fireâ€"let’s get out. Open ‘er up" or, "We’ve got a bad fireâ€"let’s get out. We’re burning up" or, "I’m reporting a bad fire. I’m getting out." The transmission ended with cry of pain, perhaps from the pilot. The fire spread quickly through the cabin. That last transmission ended within 17 seconds after the start of the fire. All telemetry information was lost shortly after that. Although personnel were dispatched quickly to help, many things conspired to slow the rescue effort. The hatch was held closed by several clamps which required extensive ratcheting to release. Under the best of circumstances, it could take at least 90 seconds to open. Since it opened inward, pressure had to be vented before the hatch could be forced open. It was nearly 5 minutes after the start of the fire before rescuers could get into the cabin. By this time, the oxygen rich atmosphere which had seeped into the materials of the cabin had caused the fire to spread rapidly. The crew most likely perished within the first 30 seconds from smoke inhalation or burns. Resuscitation efforts were futile. A hold was placed on the entire Apollo program while an exhaustive investigation was made of the accident. Although a specific initiator could not be determined, the final report of the investigation board blamed the fire on arcing. It was further exacerbated by the large quantity of flammable materials in the cabin and the oxygen enriched atmosphere. For future missions, most flammable materials were replaced with self-extinguishing materials. Pure oxygen was replaced by a nitrogen-oxygen mixture at launch. Finally, the hatch was redesigned to open outward and to be able to be removed quickly. The Apollo/Saturn 204 mission was officially assigned the name "Apollo 1" in honor of Grissom, White, and Chaffee. The first Saturn V launch (uncrewed) in November 1967 was designated Apollo 4 (no missions were ever designated Apollo 2 or 3).

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Space / Astronomy: What's Hot Now: Biography of Buzz Aldrin

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Biography of Buzz Aldrin Sep 30th 2011, 10:09 Born Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr. on January 20, 1930 in Montclair, New Jersey, he seemed destined to be an aviator. Though he was named after his father, it was his mother, Marion Moon, whose name brings a twist of irony. Perhaps he was always destined to make history, and become only the second man ever to walk on the Moon. The nickname “Buzz” began in childhood when his sisters pronounced brother as buzzer. This was later shortened to Buzz, as he would become known. However, it was not until 1988 until Adlrin legally changed his name. Early Life After graduating from Montclair High School, Aldrin went on to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He graduated third in his class with a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering. After graduation Aldrin was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, and served as a fighter pilot during the Korean War. He flew 66 combat missions flying F-86 Sabres, and is credited with shooting down at least two enemy aircraft. Upon returning from the war, Aldrin was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base as an aerial gunnery instructor. This was short lived however, as he soon found his next assignment as the aide to the dean of faculty at the U.S. Air Force Academy. After his next station as a flight commander at Bitburg Air Base in Germany, where he flew F-100 Super Sabres, Aldrin returned to the United States to pursue a doctorate in Astronautics from MIT. Life as an Astronaut After completing his thesis, titled Line-of-sight guidance techniques for manned orbital rendezvous, Aldrin began work at the Air Force Space Systems Division in L.A., before ending up at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base. Since he was the first astronaut recruited that had a doctorate, he became known as Dr. Rendezvous, a reference to the techniques that he developed that would become critical to the future of space exploration. Aldrin served as a member of the back-up crew for the Gemini 9 mission. And it was Aldrin that designed an exercise for the capsule to rendezvous with a coordinate in space, after the original task of docking with a target vehicle failed. After this success, Aldrin was given the command of the Gemini 12 mission. This mission was of vital importance, as it was the last of the Gemini missions, along with serving as a test bed for Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) as previous attempts had proven unsuccessful. During the flight Aldrin set records for EVA, including time spent outside the craft (5.5 hours), and proved unequivocally that astronauts could successfully work outside the spacecraft. Aldrin would not fly another mission until the famed Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. (Though he did serve as the back-up command module pilot for Apollo 8.) Serving as the command module pilot it had been assumed that he would be the fist person to set foot on the Moon. But it was determined that because of how the astronauts were positioned within the module, Aldrin would have to crawl over fellow astronaut Neil Armstrong in order to reach the hatch. Therefore Aldrin had to follow Armstrong down to the surface on July 20, 1969. Some reports indicated that NASA chose to have Armstrong go down to the surface first because of his humble attitude, but these reports are unfounded. Life After the Moon Landing The astronauts returned from the Moon, after a 21 hour stay, carrying 46 pounds of moon rocks. Aldrin was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor bestowed during peace time. He also received awards and medals from 23 other countries. Aldrin retired from the Air Force in 1972 after 21 years of faithful service. Despite personal problems and bouts with clinical depression and alcoholism, Aldrin continued to provide insight and expertise to NASA. Among his important contributions are the proposal of having astronauts train under water to better simulate the conditions of space. He also did work on devising a trajectory path between Earth and Mars along which a space craft could travel in continuous orbits. In 1993 Aldrin patented a design for a permanent space station. He is also the founder of a rocket design company called Starcraft Boosters, Inc., as well as a non-profit, ShareSpace, which is dedicated to making space tourism available to all people. Dr. Aldrin has also published several books, the most recent of which Magnificent Desolation recounts his life, including the Apollo missions, the Moon landings and his own personal struggles. On September 9, 2002, Aldrin was confronted outside a hotel in California by filmmaker Bart Sibrel. Mr. Sibrel is a staunch proponent of the theory that the Apollo program, and the Moon landings themselves, are a hoax. Mr. Sibrel reportedly called Aldrin a “coward, and a liar, and a thief”. Understandably, Dr. Aldrin did not appreciate the comments and punched Mr. Sibrel in the face. The local prosecutor refused to press charges, and Mr. Sibrel did not sustain any serious injuries. In non-space related activities, Aldrin has appeared in numerous television and radio programs, including most recently the reality television series Dancing With The Stars in 2010. Though competing well, he was voted off the show after only a few weeks. Buzz Aldrin currently lives with his third wife, Lois Driggs Cannon, whom he married in 1988. He also has three biological children, all with his first wife Joan Archer.

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Space / Astronomy: What's Hot Now: Laws of Planetary Motion

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Laws of Planetary Motion Sep 30th 2011, 10:09 Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) was a German astronomer and mathematician. After Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) settled in Prague in 1599 (then the site of the court of the German emperor Rudolf) and became court astronomer, he hired Johannes Kepler to carry out his calculations. Kepler had studied astronomy long before he met Tycho; he favored the Copernican world-view and corresponded with Galileo. Kepler's Task Kepler was assigned the task by Tycho Brahe to analyze the observations that Tycho had made of Mars. Tycho's observations included some very accurate measurements of the position of the planet Mars, which did not agree with either Ptolemy or Copernicus. Of all the planets, the predicted position of Mars had the largest errors and therefore posed the greatest problem. Tycho's data were the best available before the invention of the telescope. While paying Kepler for his assistance, Brahe guarded his data jealously. Accurate Data When Tycho died, Kepler was able to obtain Brahe's observations and attempted to puzzle them out. In 1609, the same magic year when Galileo first turned his telescope towards the heavens, Kepler caught a glimpse of what he thought might be the answer. The accuracy of the observations was good enough for Kepler to show that Mars' orbit would precisely fit an ellipse. Shape of the Path Johannes Kepler was the first to understand that the planets in our solar system move in ellipses, not circles. He then continued his investigations, finally arriving at three principles of planetary motion. Known as Kepler's Laws, these principles revolutionized planetary astronomy. Many years after Kepler, Sir Isaac Newton proved that all three of Kepler's Laws are a direct result of the laws of gravitation and physics which govern the forces at work between various massive bodies. Here, then are Kepler's Three Laws of Planetary Motion: 1. Planets move in ellipses with the Sun at one focus NASA Kepler's first law states "all planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one focus and the other focus empty". Applied to Earth satellites, the center of the Earth becomes one focus, with the other focus empty. For circular orbits, the two foci coincide. 2. The radius vector describes equal areas in equal times Nick Greene Kepler's 2nd law, the law of areas, states "the line joining the planet to the Sun sweeps over equal areas in equal time intervals". When a satellite orbits, the line joining it to the Earth sweeps over equal areas in equal periods of time. Segments AB and CD take equal times to cover. Therefore, the speed of the satellite changes, depending on its distance from the center of the Earth. Speed is greatest at the point in the orbit closest to the Earth, called perigee, and is slowest at the point farthest from the Earth, called apogee. It is important to note that the orbit followed by a satellite is not dependent on its mass. 3. Squares of periodic times are to each other as cubes of the mean distances NASA Kepler's 3rd law, the law of periods, relates time required for a planet to make 1 complete trip around the Sun to its mean distance from the Sun. "For any planet, the square of its period of revolution is directly proportional to the cube of its mean distance from the Sun." Applied to Earth satellites, Kepler's 3rd law explains that the farther a satellite is from Earth, the longer it will take to complete and orbit, the greater the distance it will travel to complete an orbit, and the slower its average speed will be. One problem which can be calculated using the third law involves the question "How long does it take to reach Mars, in the most efficient orbit?" The answer is called the "Hohmann Transfer Orbit" (Wolfgang Hohmann, 1925).

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Space / Astronomy: Most Popular Articles: Shuttle Challenger Disaster

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Shuttle Challenger Disaster Sep 30th 2011, 11:02 Challenger was a NASA tragedy. NASA's Shuttle program was begun in the 1970s, to create reusable craft for transporting cargo into space. Previous space craft could only be used once, then were discarded. The first shuttle, Columbia was launched in 1981. One year later, the Challenger rolled off the assembly line as the second shuttle of the US fleet. They were followed by Discovery in 1983 and Atlantis in 1985. The Challenger flew nine successful missions before that fateful day of the disaster in 1986. Mission 51L: Shuttle mission 51L was much like most other missions. The Challenger was scheduled to carry some cargo, the Tracking Data Relay Satellite-2 (TDRS-2), as well as fly the Shuttle-Pointed Tool for Astronomy (SPARTAN-203)/Halley's Comet Experiment Deployable, a free-flying module designed to observe tail and coma of Halleys comet with two ultraviolet spectrometers and two cameras. One thing made this mission unique. It was scheduled to be the first flight of a new program called TISP, the Teacher In Space Program. The Challenger was scheduled to carry Sharon Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher to fly in space. The Crew on the Challenger: Selected from among more than 11,000 applicants from the education profession for entrance into the astronaut ranks, McAuliffe was very excited about the opportunity to participate in the space program. "I watched the Space Age being born and I would like to participate." Besides McAuliffe, the Challenger crew consisted of mission commander Francis R. Scobee; pilot Michael J. Smith; mission specialists Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, and Judith A. Resnik; and payload specialists Gregory B. Jarvis. Christa was also listed as a payload specialist. From the beginning, though, Shuttle Mission STS-51L was plagued by problems. Liftoff was initally scheduled from at 3:43 p.m. EST on January 22, 1986. It slipped to Jan. 23, then Jan. 24, due to delays in mission 61-C and finally reset for Jan. 25 because of bad weather at transoceanic abort landing (TAL) site in Dakar, Senegal. The launch was again postponed for one day when launch processing was unable to meet new morning liftoff time. Predicted bad weather at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) caused the launch to be rescheduled for 9:37 a.m. EST, Jan. 27, but it was delayed another 24 hours when ground servicing equipment hatch closing fixture could not be removed from orbiter hatch. The fixture was sawed off and an attaching bolt drilled out before closeout completed. During this delay, the cross winds exceeded limits at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. There as a final delay of two hours when a hardware interface module in the launch processing system, which monitors fire detection system, failed during liquid hydrogen tanking procedures. The Challenger finally lifted off at 11:38:00 a.m. EST. Seventy three seconds into the mission, the Challenger exploded, killing the entire crew. Challenger Next page > The Challenger Aftermath > Page 1, 2, 3, 4

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Space / Astronomy: Most Popular Articles: 10 Things About the Sun

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10 Things About the Sun Sep 29th 2011, 10:52 Our Sun has inspired mythology in almost all cultures, including ancient Egyptians, Aztecs, Native Americans, and Chinese. Our Sun is actually the closest star to Earth. The Sun is a massive shining sphere of hot gas. The connection and interaction between the Sun and the Earth drive the seasons, currents in the ocean, weather, and climate. Discover more about the sun and its place in our solar system. 1. The sun is by far the largest object in the solar system NASA The sun contains more than 99.8% of the total mass of the Solar System (Jupiter contains most of the rest). Equatorial Radius: 695,500 km Equatorial Circumference: 4,379,000 km Volume: 1,142,200,000,000,000,000 km3 Mass: 1,989,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg Density: 1.409 g/cm3 Surface Area: 6,087,799,000,000 km2 2. Our Sun is actually the closest star to Earth NASA Our Sun is an average star, meaning its size, age, and temperature fall in about the middle of the ranges of these properties for all stars. While some in our galaxy are nearly as old as the universe, about 15 billion years, our sun is a 2nd-generation star, only 4.6 billion years old. Some of its material came from former stars. Spectral Type: G2 V Synodic Period: 27.2753 days Velocity Relative to Near Stars: 19.7 km/s Solar Constant (Total Solar Irradiance): 1.365 - 1.369 kW/m2 3. We've always known the sun NASA/ESA Unlike many other objects in our solar system, the sun has been known to humans since the dawn of time. There is no discovery date or discoverer. 4. Since its creation, the sun has used up about half of the hydrogen in its core SOHO/Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) consortium Over the next 5 billion years or so, it will grow steadily brighter as more helium accumulates in its core. As the supply of hydrogen dwindles, the Sun's core must keep producing enough pressure to keep the Sun from collapsing in on itself. The only way it can do this is to increase its temperature. Eventually it will run out of hydrogen fuel. At that point, it will go through a radical change which will most likely result in the complete destruction of the planet Earth. 5. The Greeks named the sun Helios NASA However, the Romans used the name Sol, which is still in use today. Because of the important role the sun plays in our lives, it has been studied, perhaps, more than any other object in the universe, outside out own planet Earth. Our Sun has inspired mythology in almost all cultures, including ancient Egyptians, Aztecs, Native Americans, and Chinese. 6. Ulysses was the first spacecraft to study our Sun's poles NASA Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery and sent towards Jupiter with powerful booster rockets. After studying Jupiter for 17 days, Ulysses used the giant planet's gravity to hurl it into an orbit out of the Ecliptic Plane, where planets orbit our Sun. The other primary Solar mission is SOHO. The international Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) has been keeping a steady watch on the Sun since April 1996. 7. The sun's strong gravitational pull holds Earth and the other planets in place NASA It keeps the planets orbiting inside the solar system: Equatorial Surface Gravity: 274.0 m/s2 Escape Velocity: 2,223,720 km/h 8. The sun is made up of distinctive areas NASA In addition to the energy-producing solar core, the interior has two distinct regions: a radiative zone and a convective zone. From the edge of the core outward, first through the radiative zone and then through the convective zone, the temperature decreases from 8 million to 7,000 K. It takes a few hundred thousand years for photons to escape from the dense core and reach the surface. 9. How does the sun's "surface" and "atmosphere" compare to planets? NASA The "surface," known as the photosphere, is just the visible 500-km-thick layer from which most of the Sun's radiation and light finally escape, and it is the place where sunspots are found. Above the photosphere lies the chromosphere ("sphere of color") that may be seen briefly during total solar eclipses as a reddish rim, caused by hot hydrogen atoms, around the Sun. Temperature steadily increases with altitude up to 50,000 K, while density drops to 100,000 times less than in the photosphere. 10. One unsolved mystery of the sun involves the corona ("crown") NASA Above the chromosphere lies the corona ("crown"), extending outward from the Sun in the form of the "solar wind" to the edge of the solar system. The corona is extremely hot - millions of degrees kelvin. Since it is physically impossible to transfer thermal energy from the cooler surface of the Sun to the much hotter corona, the source of coronal heating has been a scientific mystery for more than 60 years.

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Space / Astronomy: What's Hot Now: Dr. Bernard Harris, Jr.

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Dr. Bernard Harris, Jr. Sep 29th 2011, 10:08 Dr. Bernard Harris, Jr. was born on June 26, 1956, the son of Mrs. Gussie H. Burgess, and Mr. Bernard A. Harris, Sr. A native of Temple, Texas, he graduated from Sam Houston High School, San Antonio in 1974. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from University of Houston in 1978 before follwoing that up with a doctorate in medicine from Texas Tech University School of Medicine in 1982. After medical school, Dr. Harris completed a residency in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic in 1985. While working on a National Research Council Fellowship at NASA Ames Research Center in 1986, he conducted research in the field of musculoskeletal physiology and disuse osteoporosis. He finished his fellowship in 1987, then trained as a flight surgeon at the Aerospace School of Medicine, Brooks AFB, San Antonio, Texas, in 1988. His duties included clinical investigations of space adaptation and the development of countermeasures for extended duration space flight. Assigned to the Medical Science Division, he held the title of Project Manager, Exercise Countermeasure Project. Selected by NASA in January 1990, Dr. Harris became an astronaut in July 1991. He was assigned as a mission specialist on STS-55, Spacelab D-2, in August 1991, and later flew on board Columbia for ten days, (April 26 to May 6, 1993), marking the Shuttle's one year of total flight time. Dr. Harris was part of the payload crew of Spacelab D-2, conducting a variety of research in physical and life sciences. During this flight, Dr. Harris logged over 239 hours and 4,164,183 miles in space. Later, Dr. Bernard Harris, Jr. was the Payload Commander on STS-63 (February 2-11, 1995), the first flight of a new joint Russian-American Space Program. Mission highlights included the rendezvous with the Russian Space Station, Mir, operation of a variety of investigations in the Spacehab module, and the deployment and retrieval of Spartan 204. During the flight, Dr. Harris became the first African-American to walk in space. He logged 198 hours, 29 minutes in space, completed 129 orbits, and traveled over 2.9 million miles. He also accomplished his childhood dream by completing his first walk in space, becoming the first African-American to do so. In 1996, the year of his departure from NASA, Dr. Harris also received a master's degree in biomedical science from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He later served as Chief Scientist and Vice-President of Science and Health Services, and then as Vice President, SPACEHAB, Inc., where he was involved in business development and marketing of the company's space-based products and services. Later, he was Vice President of Business Development for Space Media, Inc., establishing an international space education program for students. Dr. Bernard Harris, Jr. is a member of the American College of Physicians, American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, Aerospace Medical Association, National Medical Association, American Medical Association, Minnesota Medical Association, Texas Medical Association, Harris County Medical Society, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Texas Tech University Alumni Association, and Mayo Clinic Alumni Association. Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association. Association of Space Explorers. American Astronautical Society. Member, Board of Directors, Boys and Girls Club of Houston. Committee Member, Greater Houston Area Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Member, Board of Directors, Manned Space Flight Education Foundation Inc. He has also received a number of honors, including 1996 Honorary Doctorate of Science, Morehouse School of Medicine. Medal of Excellence, Golden State Minority Foundation 1996. NASA Award of Merit 1996. NASA Equal Opportunity Medal 1996. NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal 1996. The Challenger Award, The Ronald E. McNair Foundation 1996. Award of Achievement, The Association of Black Cardiologists 1996. Space Act Tech Brief Award 1995. Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, Zeta of Texas Chapter 1995. Election of Fellowship in the American College of Physicians 1994. Distinguished Alumnus, The University of Houston Alumni Organization 1994. Distinguished Scientist of the Year, ARCS Foundation, Inc., 1994. Life Membership, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. NASA Space Flight Medals 1993, 1995. NASA Outstanding Performance Rating 1993. JSC Group Achievement Award 1993. Physician of the Year, National Technical Association, 1993. And many others. Dr. Harris is married to the former Sandra Fay Lewis of Sunnyvale, California. They have one child. He enjoys flying, sailing, skiing, running, scuba diving, art and music. He is also a licensed private pilot. Most recently, Dr. Harris is President and Founder of the Harris Foundation, which supports math/science education and crime prevention programs for America's youth. He describes himself as a “dreamer who believes nothing is impossible.” I believe he has proven himself correct.

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Space / Astronomy: What's Hot Now: Space Firsts - Basics

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Space Firsts - Basics Sep 29th 2011, 10:08 The first Earthling in space: Laika, a dog, was launched into space on the Sputnik 2 in 1957. She survived the launch and for a time in space, but after a week, the air ran out and Laika died. The following year, as its orbit deteriorated, the craft exited space and re-entered the Earth's atmosphere and, without heat shields, burned up along with Laika's body. The first human in space: Yuri Gagarin, a cosmonaut from the USSR, launched into space on April 12, 1961 aboard the Vostok 1. His flight lasted one hour and forty-five minutes, orbiting the Earth one time. Describing the view of the Earth from space, Gagarin radioed, "It has a very beautiful sort of halo, a rainbow." The first American in space: Alan Sheppard was launched into space aboard Mercury 3 on May 5, 1961 to become the first American in space. His craft did not achieve orbit, but rose to a height of 116 miles and traveled 303 miles before safely parachuting into the Atlantic Ocean. The first American to orbit the Earth: On February 20, 1962, the Friendship 7 capsule carried astronaut John Glenn around the Earth 3 times on a 5 hour space flight. He was the first American to orbit the earth. The first woman in space: Valentina Tereshkova flew in space aboard the Vostok 6 on June 16, 1963. The first American woman in space: On June 18, 1983, the space shuttle Challenger lifted off with Sally Ride aboard. She was the first American woman in space. The youngest American in space: Besides being the first American woman in space, Sally Ride was also the youngest American when she rode the Challenger in 1983. The first person to make a second trip into space: Gemini 3, the first piloted Gemini flight, included Virgil "Gus" Grissom among its crew as it lifted off in March of 1965. He had previously flown in space in July, 1961 aboard the second suborbital Mercury mission. The first African American in space: August 30, 1983, the space shuttle Challenger lifted off with Guion "Guy" Bluford, Jr., the first African American in space. The first African American woman in space: Mae Jemison lifted off in the space shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992, first African American woman in space. The first space walk: Alexei Leonov, a Soviet cosmonaut, was the first person to step outside of his spacecraft while in Outer Space, on March 18, 1965. He spent 12 minutes as he floated as far as 17.5 feet from his Voskhod 2 craft, enjoying the first space walk ever. The first American to walk in space: During the Gemini 4 mission, Ed White made a 21 minute EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity), also known as a space walk. The first American woman to pilot a spacecraft: Eileen Collins piloted the space shuttle Discovery in 1995. The first man on the moon: With his famous words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Neil Armstrong, on the Apollo 11 mission, stepped onto the Lunar surface on July 20, 1969, becoming the first man on the Moon. The second human to step on the moon: Armstrong's Apollo 11 crewmate, Buzz Aldrin, was the second person to step on the moon, also on July 20, 1969. ---------------------------- For more in-depth information about space, check out our Astronomy 101, free online basic astronomy course. You can earn a certificate.

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Space / Astronomy: Most Popular Articles: Apollo 13

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Apollo 13 Sep 28th 2011, 11:02 It was the thirteenth scheduled lunar space exploration mission, scheduled for liftoff at the thirteenth minute after the thirteenth hour. The Lunar landing was scheduled for the thirteenth day of the month. All it lacked was a Friday to be a paraskevidekatriaphobe’s worst nightmare. Unfortunately, no one at NASA was superstitious. Or, perhaps, fortunately. If anyone had stopped or made changes to the schedule of Apollo 13, the world may have missed one of the greatest adventures in space exploration history. Problems Began Before Launch Apollo 13, the third planned Lunar-landing mission, was scheduled for launch on April 11, 1970. There were problems even before the launch. Just days before, Astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly was replaced by Jack Swigert when it was learned he may have been exposed to German measles, and did not have the antibodies necessary to be immune (Mattingly never contracted the disease.). Shortly before launch, a technician noticed a higher pressure on a helium tank than expected. Nothing was done about it besides keeping a close watch. A vent for liquid oxygen would not close at first and required several recyclings before it would shut. The launch, itself, went according to plan, if an hour late. Shortly afterward, though, the center engine of the second stage cut off more than two minutes early. In order to compensate, controllers burned the other four engines an additional 34. Also the third stage engine was fired for an extra 9 seconds during its orbital insertion burn. Fortunately, this all resulted in a mere 1.2 feet per second greater speed than planned. Smooth Flight - No One Watching The first part of the flight went fairly smooth. As Apollo 13 entered the Lunar corridor, the Command Service Module separated from the third stage and maneuvered around to extract the Lunar Module. Once this was completed, the third stage was driven on a collision course with the moon. This was done as an experiment and the resultant impact was to be measured by equipment left behind by Apollo 12. The Command Service and Lunar Modules were then on "free return" trajectory, which, in the case of complete engine loss, would slingshot them around the moon and on course back to Earth. The evening of April 13 (EST), the crew of Apollo 13 had just finished a television broadcast explaining their mission and about life aboard the ship. Commander Jim Lovell closed the broadcast with this message, "This is the crew of Apollo 13. Wish everybody there a nice evening and a, we're just about to close out our inspection of Aquarius and get back to a pleasant evening in Odyssey. Goodnight." Unknown to the astronauts, the television networks had decided that traveling to the moon was such a routine occurrence; none of this was broadcast over the air. No one was watching, though soon the entire world would be hanging on their every word. Routine Task Goes Awry After completing the broadcast, flight control sent another message, "13, we got one more item for you when you get a chance. We'd like you to err, stir up your cryo tanks. In addition err, have a shaft and trunnion, for a look at the comet Bennett if you need it." Astronaut Jack Swigert replied, "OK, stand by." Moments later, the technicians in flight control heard a disturbing message from Apollo 13. Jack Swigert said, "OK Houston, we've had a problem here." Next page > Part 2: A Dying Ship And A Crew Fighting For Life > Page 1, 2, 3, 4 Full Size Images Apollo 13 Mission Patch View Of Damaged Apollo 13 Service Module View Of Earth As Seen From Apollo 13 Apollo 13 Crew

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Space / Astronomy: What's Hot Now: Space Rock - Pop Songs Guid...

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Space Rock - Pop Songs Guid... Sep 28th 2011, 10:10 For all practical purposes, the Space Age began on October 4, 1957, with the Soviet launch of Sputnik-1, and peaked with American astronauts walking on the Moon in the years 1969-72. It clearly had its influence on popular culture, including the rock music scene. Public interest in the space program may have dimmed a bit, but our fascination with space, itself hasn't. 10. Peter Schilling - Different World (Story of Lust) 80s Synth-pop musician Peter Schilling scored a hit in 1983 with his sequel to David Bowie's Space Oddity. The song Major Tom ended on a happier note with Major Tom coming home instead of being lost in space. 9. Deep Purple - Machine Head Described by some as the greatest hard rock album of all time, Machine Head was recorded under some difficult circumstances (as told in the song "Smoke On the Water"), and is a testament to the talents of the bandmembers and their production crew. Space Truckin' is a top Space song. 8. David Bowie - Space Oddity The song Space Oddity is one of the best known Bowie songs, alongside Changes, Let's Dance and Fame. Whether it was inspired by the plight of the Apollo 8 astronauts or by Bowies own drug use and desire to simply "let go" of the world, the song is still very popular. 7. The Carpenters - Greatest Hits Passage includes a cover of a song originally performed by Klaatu, a Canadian band whose name id from a character in the 1951 sci-fi movie classic "The Day The Earth Stood Still". "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" is the recognized anthem of World Contact Day. An event organized by UFO investigators to attempt contact with alien presences. The Carpenters won a grammy for their cover. 6. The Byrds - Fifth Dimension Although this album was not as commercially successful as the group may have hoped for, it produced one of the Byrd's best known songs, "Eight Miles High." It also contains a 2 1/2 minute version of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. 5. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd began life in 1965 as a group called Sigma-6. Through several years of personnel and name changed, they metemorphed into the mystique laced rock group we associate with the name today. Perhaps one of the most successful "concept" albums in history, Dark Side of the Moon had and continues to have a profound impact on the Rock Music world. Top Space Songs; Brain Damage/Eclipse. 4. Smash Mouth - Fush Yu Mang In 1997 novelty rock group, Smash Mouth burst on the music scene with their hit, the '50s-influenced "Walkin' on the Sun." Since then, they have continued to demonstrate their talent with a number of other excellent hits. 3. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River On the 1969 song, "It Came Out of the Sky" Creedence Clearwater Revival asked a question about what would happen if an alien actually landed on Earth. That same year, on the album, Green River, there is another celestial CCR song, Bad Moon Rising. 2. Meco - Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk In 1977, an electronic disco musician by the name of Meco Monardo shocked the world when he topped the chart for 2 weeks with his version of the Star Wars Theme and Cantina Band. The original theme music from Star Wars, composed by John Williams, had also enjoyed success on the radio. 1. Elton John - Honky Chateau (CD) In 1972, Elton John sang, "All this science I don't understand. It's just my job 5 days a week." The song, Rocket Man, may have been an indication that our fascination with astronauts was dimming. That was also the last year that NASA astronauts, or anyone for that matter, visited the Moon.

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Space / Astronomy: What's Hot Now: Pluto Picture - Pluto & Charon Eclipse a Triple Star

Space / Astronomy: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Pluto Picture - Pluto & Charon Eclipse a Triple Star Sep 28th 2011, 10:10 From Nick Greene, former Guide Pluto & Charon Eclipse a Triple Star NACO Team, 8.2-meter VLT (Yepun), ESO Occasionally, a planet in our Solar System will pass in front of a bright star. Since stars and planets take up so little space on the sky, such events are quite rare. Two months ago, however, dwarf planet Pluto and its large moon Charon passed in front of a comparatively bright triple star system known as P126. By noting how P126 A dimmed, the event was useful for studying Pluto's relatively unknown atmosphere. A Very Large Telescope in Chile using a deformable mirror to counter the blurring effect of Earth's atmosphere captured the above image. 7 of 11 Gallery Index: Pluto Pictures Gallery Other Recommended Resources Free Printable PostersGreat Moon Landing HoaxBig Bang Theory Related Resouces to Earth Pictures Gallery Pluto QuizVisual Solar System TourFree Email Course: 9 Planets in 9 Days Purchase Items Related to the Planet Pluto & the Solar System Discovery Star Theater Home PlanetariumDiscovery 3-D Space Projector See More About: pluto pluto pictures dwarf planets kuiper belt objects Related Articles What is a Planet? Stars Planets and Galaxies The Outer Planets - Guide to 2012 On This Date in History - February 18 Pluto - Pictures and Astronomy Facts - Solar System Planetary Astronomical ...

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Space / Astronomy: What's Hot Now: Galileo Galilei and the Leaning Tower of Pisa Video

Space / Astronomy: What's Hot Now These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Galileo Galilei and the Leaning Tower of Pisa Video Sep 28th 2011, 10:10 Galileo Galilei - Dropping The Balls How Galileo Galilei Demonstrated The Rate of Fall of Objects Legend has it that while teaching at the University of Pisa, Galileo Galilei demonstrated to his students that Aristotle was wrong about speed of fall being related to the weight of an object by dropping two items off the leaning tower. Watch this video about Galileo Galilei to learn more.

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Astrología: Most Popular Articles: Características de Plutón

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Características de Plutón Sep 17th 2011, 10:14 Tipo: Planeta espiritual Elemento: Agua Palabra clave: Transmutación Significador: Regeneración Sexo: Masculino Carga: Eléctrica, positiva, trasmisor Regente de: Escorpio Exhaltado en: Acuario Exiliado en: Tauro Caída en: Leo Casa natural: VIII - Herencias, crisis, esoterismo Ciclo alrededor del zodíaco: 248 años Dioses: Hades, Plutón Algunas analogías: Plutón es el gran transformador. Busca diluir las barreras que nos separan de la unidad. Es de naturaleza extrema. En su capacidad integradora expresa las polaridades hasta sus límites. Estimula la indagación y la investigación. Conoce y devela todo lo oculto. De este modo facilita el acercamiento a la participación consciente en la transmutación. Remueve y destruye para regenerar. Es seductor y con gran magnetismo sexual. Si no está favorecido en el horóscopo, puede ser perverso, obsesivo, violento. En resumen, Plutón es comparable a la meditación, la autosuperación, el yoga, el autoconocimiento, la revelación, las iniciaciones, el petróleo, los terremotos, los cataclismos, los deseos perversos, la lujuria, las peleas y el sufrimiento interior.

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Astrología: Most Popular Articles: Características de Urano

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Características de Urano Sep 15th 2011, 10:13 Tipo: Planeta espiritual Elemento: Aire Palabra clave: Intuición Significador: Invención Sexo: Masculino Carga: Neutro, trasmisor y receptor Regente de: Acuario Exhaltado en: Escorpio Exiliado en: Leo Caída en: Tauro Casa natural: XI - Conciencia social, filantropía, padrinos Ciclo alrededor del zodíaco: 84 años Color: azul celeste Dioses: Uranos Algunas analogías: Urano propicia una capacidad excepcional para el ser humano: la intuición. Esa clase de sabiduría que no es conocimiento, no es erudicción, no es experiencia, pero está más cerca de la verdad que todas ellas. Es la marca del tiempo por venir, de la evolución. Permite planear la realidad que aún no ha sido creada. Imprime originalidad a todo lo que toca. El convencionalismo es aburrido e innecesario para este planeta. Es totalmente independiente. Su anhelo de libertad puede parecer a veces desesperado y se resiente al menor indicio de control. Es genial. Gracias a su inteligencia de tipo analógica y a su intuición es un gran innovador. Domina la ciencia y la tecnología. Es sorprendente en su expresión, conducta y soluciones. No puedes anticipar cómo va a comportarse Urano, qué le va a motivar o a seducir. Si no está favorecido en el horóscopo, puede ser extravagante, indisciplinado, inestable, desordenado y anti-social. En resumen, Urano es comparable a la TV, la internet, el idealismo, la ciencia ficción, la mente superior, la analogía, la renovación, el rayo, el electromagnetismo, el desapego, los cambios bruscos, la revolución, la utopía, el anarquismo, el fanatismo, la rebeldía.

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Astrología: Most Popular Articles: Características de los signos zodiacales (Libra a Piscis)

Astrología: Most Popular Articles These articles are the most popular over the last month. // via fulltextrssfeed.com

Características de los signos zodiacales (Libra a Piscis) Sep 13th 2011, 10:14 Las características de los signos zodiacales, mencionadas en este artículo y el anterior, se hacen evidentes en el signo natal y en el ascendente. Los signos zodiacales igualmente, modulan la expresión de los planetas, favoreciendo o limitando la manifestación de sus características. También dan el tono general de cada una de las áreas de la vida, por su relación con el sistema de casas, del que el ascendente forma parte. El estudio de estas influencias es parte integrante del análisis astrológico. Pero continuemos con la descripción de los 6 últimos signos del zodíaco. Libra ♎. Septiembre 23 â€" Octubre 22. Simbolizado por la mariposa, este signo de aire ama la estética y la armonía en todo. Es diplomático, pacífico y refinado. Busca entender el punto de vista de los demás, sin ánimos de excluir a nadie. Pero si se trata de una injusticia, sin vacilar sale en defensa del más débil. Es un signo amigo de la comodidad y algo caprichoso. Muestra indecisión e inseguridad, quizás por su tendencia a querer encontrar siempre la salida más justa y equilibrada. Su frase clave es Yo Busco Equilibrio. Escorpio ♏. Octubre 22 â€" Noviembre 21. Simbolizado por los arácnidos, este signo de agua es siempre intenso. De un magnetismo sin igual y muy apasionado, Escorpio se hace notar donde quiera que llega, por su aspecto enigmático y misterio. Muy astuto y de gran profundidad mental, cae víctima de sus propios laberintos deductivos, que lo pueden llevar a sentir celos, desconfianza y sed de venganza. Puede atacar cuando menos se le espera. Le gustan los secretos y lo oculto. Es muy sexual. Su frase clave es Yo Deseo. Sagitario ♐. Noviembre 22 â€" Diciembre 20. Simbolizado por el caballo, este signo de fuego necesita la sensación de libertad y de espacio. Es por eso que suelen inclinarse a viajar mucho, pero tratan de conservar un lugar donde regresar para recuperar fuerzas. Tienen su mirada puesta en lo lejano. Les cuesta mucho estar en el presente. Son caprichosos y susceptibles al mismo tiempo. Sólo siguen instrucciones, pero dentro de un juego de reglas que conozcan y aprueben. Les gusta soñar su futuro. Su frase clave es Yo Veo. Capricornio â™'. Diciembre 21 â€" Enero 19. Simbolizado por la cabra, este signo de tierra vive una vida de estructuras y planes. Es un signo responsable y muy perseverante. No le asusta el trabajo, donde suele tener un desempeño muy eficiente. De carácter serio y con poca o ninguna expresividad emocional, Capricornio es frío. La ambición y el cálculo le dominan. Prefieren actuar en solitario y manejar su entorno en función de sus intereses. La manipulación es una de sus herramientas como líder. Su frase clave es Yo Utilizo. Acuario â™'. Enero 20 â€" Febrero 18. Simbolizado por el adolescente, este signo de aire se caracteriza por la innovación y la originalidad. Es un rebelde natural como corresponde a un adolescente. Muy independiente; piensa y actúa por sí mismo. Su excentricidad no es sólo aparente. Es un rasgo central de su carácter que colorea todo lo que hace. Le gustan las utopías y tiene madera de reformador. Es un soñador sabelotodo que culpa a los demás por un presente que él siempre desaprueba. Su frase clave es Yo Conozco. Piscis â™". Febrero 19 â€" Marzo 20. Simbolizado por el pez, este signo de agua vive en su propio mundo, como si estuviera aislado. En realidad se trata del signo más místico e intuitivo del zodiaco. Son tolerantes, compasivos y humildes. El servicio a los demás es uno de sus rasgos más prominentes. Si se sienten confundidos se vuelven evasivos. Su credulidad y entrega, los convierte fácilmente en seguidores, por lo que pueden convertirse en fanáticos o viciosos si no se orientan adecuadamente. Su frase clave es Yo Creo. Estas descripciones están muy lejos de agotar lo que se puede decir de los signos zodiacales, pero marca rasgos centrales que no siempre son tomados en cuenta en una síntesis de este tipo. En la página relativa a cada signo, se relaciona una información más detallada para seguir profundizando en este fascinante tema que son los signos zodiacales.

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