The first launch of astronauts from US soil and from Kennedy Space Center in 9 years will proceed this week, also the first flight of humans onboard SpaceX vehicles. Both Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken are veteran astronauts, with Hurley having flown on the last flight out of Florida as well, Shuttle mission STS-135, in 2011. More details in the article.
Our talking points in each meeting were three: human space exploration, science missions, and planetary defense; Artemis and the Moon/Mars, the Mars 2020 sample return, and the Neosurveyor space telescope, respectively. I did well discussing specifics, having much NASA terminology under my belt, but as a group, we stressed the importance of human space exploration to Floridian culture and our economy, even down to the district level.
With the transition to the next generation of Spacefesters, Spacefest X demonstrated change with the times, growing and diversifying in subject, scope, and attendees in what makes a gripping and fascinating new flavor.
2019 has seen the release of many new Apollo books, but where should the spaceflight reader begin? Let this annotated bibliography by a spaceflight historian be your guide.
A small group of computer scientists and spaceflight enthusiasts descend into a lamplit living room with the only operational AGC in existence. One year ago, the computer, its owner, Jimmie Loocke, and its chief operator, Mike Stewart, were at Spacefest IX in Tucson demonstrating that the computer was in good enough condition to be fired up for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11. Loocke’s team and the AGC pulled through.
Instead of listening to the launch chatter and livestream, counting down with the clock, and cheering with friends, I decided on a more cerebral experience, and witnessed the pure events as they happened in front of my eyes, with little other sensory input.
The panelists recount their days working on Apollo with such clarity and passion, the 50 years between then and now seem to shrink, and in this room, Apollo is no longer the past, but a very real project these people were dedicated to.
As the only college student who was accredited media at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, David Chudwin was there when Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin left Earth for the Moon, covering the entirety of Apollo 11 from Cape Canaveral.
Article 4 of 4: Living Space covers the launch of NG-11.
Article 3 of 4: Living Space covers the launch of NG-11.
Article 2 of 4: Living Space covers the launch of NG-11.
Article 1 of 4: Living Space covers the launch of NG-11.
In the spacefaring community, we are facing a question like one that was asked 58 years ago . . . Their question was: “how do we go to the Moon?” Our question today, which we ask as twenty and thirty year olds just like they were, is: “how do we go to Mars?”
Mitchell’s endeavors and beliefs towards mysticism are no longer strange to me, having heard his own explanation for them. Unlike the way some people remember his interests and dedication to them, Mitchell himself does not claim to be a mystic, nor does he insinuate that his experience on Apollo 14 separates him from others on Earth who share the same worldview.
*cross-posted from Stardom*
Musgrave exudes an infectious sense of sheer joy and astonishment at the beauty of planet Earth. His descriptions of the photos are interlaced with such exclamations as “I can hardly stand to look at it, it’s so beautiful,” “this was an unbelievable sight,” or “gosh, look at that!”
Today is the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8's day orbiting the Moon. At the end of a tumultuous 1968, NASA crowned the end of the year with the spellbinding achievement of sending people to the Moon for the very first time.
Launches are always made better by meeting people whose work is onboard. Years’ worth of scientific experiments with the potential to change the world were on their way to the International Space Station. The work of everyone at NASA Wallops and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport was taking flight and coming to fruition.
The Weiss School returned to give an update on the progress of their CubeSat, and were joined as special guests by Myron “Ron” Fortson, Director of Government and Commercial Operations at United Launch Alliance.
Spoiler Alert
In the theater, you could hear a pin drop. No one wanted to ruin the silence. That insulating, still, and fuzzy silence of those lunar surface scenes creates the otherworldliness for the audience.
In today’s action and superhero devouring pop-culture, I was concerned that studios and producers would butcher history in the name of profit. That belief changed after being present for the First Man panel, and meeting people involved with the film’s creation.
