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Lego Kennedy Space Center: 750,000-Brick Kennedy Space Center Is the Mother of All...
Forget about the Lego Airbus A380 and the Lego Death Star, because this video will show you the mother of all Lego models: the 750,000-brick Kennedy Space Center. Using 1,506 square feet, it took 2,500 hours to build. It includes a 6.13ft-tall Space Shuttle on the launch pad, the space center with a 9ft-long Saturn 1B rocket, and the Vehicle Assembly Building—8ft long x 6ft high x 5ft wide—made out of 50,000 Lego bricks. I know. Mindblowing. This thing is so massive that it can probably affect Earth's orbit. Update: if Lego's Kennedy Space Center is the mother of all Lego models, Giz reader Florian Frischmuth has sent us his pictures of the father: the 1,300,000-brick Lego Allianz Arena stadium in Munich, Germany. This titan contains a mindblowing 30,000 mini-figs inside. Forget about the Lego Airbus A380 and the Lego Death Star, because this video will show you the mother of all Lego models: the 750,000... more
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Interview with Astronaut Garrett Reisman
Garrett Reisman calls Parsippany, New Jersey his hometown (though he was born in Morristown), but for three months he made his home in Earth orbit. In an interview with WCBS Newsradio 880, Reisman talked about adjusting to live back on terra firma, the highlights of his mission, being a Yankee fan, being the first Jewish crew member of the International Space Station, and more. Garrett Reisman calls Parsippany, New Jersey his hometown (though he was born in Morristown), but for three months he made his home in... more
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Space shuttle Discovery heads for landing in Florida
The US space shuttle Discovery is poised to land back on Earth today, two weeks after blasting off on a mission to give Japan a permanent entry into space exploration, by delivering its 11-metre-long laboratory to the International Space Station. The shuttle is due to land at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 11.15 am (4.15 pm British time). Debris seen floating out of the ship's cargo bay during landing preparations on Friday turned out to be relatively unimportant hardware.
On board the returning shuttle is crew member Garrett Reisman, returning to Earth after three months in orbit. NASA's Greg Chamitoff replaces him, beginning a six-month mission on the multinational station. Reisman, who stands a little bit over 5 feet tall, joked that his diminutive stature should help him recover more quickly from microgravity, which shifts body fluids and leaves bones and muscles weakened.
Discovery's crew will begin its fiery descent through the Earth's atmosphere roughly an hour before the scheduled landing. Its speed as it begins its descent will exceed 17,000 mph (27,360 kph), far faster than the speed of sound. The US space shuttle Discovery is poised to land back on Earth today, two weeks after blasting off on a mission to give Japan a perman... more -
Space toilet on shuttle is working again
This is good news! I mean, if you were ever in space with a malfunctioning toilet, you would agree.
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Saturday Morning Science, full length, DVD quality
Dr. Don Pettit performs a number of microgravity experiments while onboard the International Space Station.
This is a compilation of the experiments performed for the Saturday Morning Science program. Dr. Don Pettit performs a number of microgravity experiments while onboard the International Space Station. ... more -
"Blast Off" is just an expression ... or was at least.
When the Space Shuttle launched this past weekend, it left behind a bit of a mess on the 1960's built launch pads.
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Discovery shuttle thunders off the launch pad
Nasa's Discovery shuttle has blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a 14-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
The shuttle and its crew of seven are delivering a giant cylinder for Japan's Kibo science lab but also a new pump to repair the station's toilet.
Discovery's flight is the third orbiter mission of 2008 and the first to fly the "in-line" external fuel tank.
The new fuel tank has been built from the ground up with the upgrades demanded after the Columbia disaster in 2003.
The improvements are designed to minimise the shedding of insulation foam on launch - the problem that doomed Columbia and her crew.
All missions prior to Discovery's have had the upgrades retrofitted on to tanks that were already constructed.
Nasa's Discovery shuttle has blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a 14-day mission to the International Space Stati... more -
Real time satellite tracking
... and satellite and space shuttle news.
Also of interest: world wide sighting opportunities - http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/
Another fun link: Earth and moon viewer -
http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Earth/action?opt=-p ... and satellite and space shuttle news. ... more -
Space station's sole toilet out of order
With nowhere to go, international space station residents are forced to piss in a toilet rigged with a bag. Fortunately the solid waste disposal of the space john are still functioning. With nowhere to go, international space station residents are forced to piss in a toilet rigged with a bag. Fortunately the solid wast... more
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Future Nasa Projects
1. Fly the space shuttle as safely as possible until its retirement in 2010
2. Complete the International Space Station according to NASA's commitments
3. Broaden its programs in science and aeronautics, while focusing the human spaceflight endeavors on exploration
4. Develop , build and fly a new Crew Exploration Vehicle (Project Orion) with its launch vehicles (Ares) by 2014
5. Develop and expand partnerships with private industries
6. Develop a program to return humans to the moon, establish a lunar base and pursue subsequent exploration of Mars and other destinations
"The history of NASA has shown that it can do amazing things. But history has also shown that NASA needs strong presidential leadership, strong leadership within NASA, public support, and congressional funding. NASA has the infrastructure in place for leadership, to obtain its scientific and technical goals and to inform and educate the public. NASA will continue to do amazing things in aviation and space exploration."
I guess watching the Nasa Channel with my dad everyday is finally showing. 1. Fly the space shuttle as safely as possible until its retirement in 2010 ... more -
Charred hard drive from Space Shuttle Columbia recovered
It's taken four and a half years, but the data recovery specialists charged with extracting data from a cracked, charred 400MB Seagate drive aboard the ill-fated Space Shuttle Columbia have done their duty, retrieving 99% of the information written to the disk. The Columbia burned up on re-entry on Feb. 1, 2003, over Louisiana and Texas. Computerworld reports that the drive was found in a dry lakebed and handed to a team at Kroll Ontrack about six months after the tragedy, but the successful recovery has only just come to light. So, you ask, what was on the drive that was so important?
Computerworld reports that the shuttle mission included conducting atmospheric tests.
One of those tests was an experiment for the National Institute of Standards and Technology to determine how xenon gas flows in a zero gravity environment. It's taken four and a half years, but the data recovery specialists charged with extracting data from a cracked, charred 400MB Seagate... more -
It Obama wins, kiss NASA goodbye
Interesting article (with actual research!) by American Thinker showing how Obama will gut NASA.
So much for America being a leader in space, research and exploration. Fortunately, we are friends with China, and they will take over for us. Interesting article (with actual research!) by American Thinker showing how Obama will gut NASA. ... more -
Junk Wars: China Now Planet’s Number One Polluter But America Takes Intergalactic ...
China now has the dubious honor of being the world's biggest polluter. Research done by a team from the University of California suggests that we have previously underestimated China's power to pollute, and that the growing superpower probably took the title of polluter number one sometime in 2006 or 2007.
Not to be outdone, the U.S. is putting an intergalactic spin on the international trash wars. China may have taken the "Chief Trasher of the Planet" title, but that pales in comparison to America's goal of trashing the universe to turn our entire galaxy into a giant garbage heap.
Man put his first piece of junk, Sputnik One, into space just 51 years ago. Since then, we've managed to deposit tens of millions of items, with American taking the space junk lead since the end of the Cold War. Much of the debris, which is made up of dead satellites, discarded rocket sections, Shuttle and Space Station refuse, tools, nuts, bolts, fragments of metal, and, believe it or not, the odd glove, now circulates the earth in low orbit 200-300 miles above the surface. New computer generated images show how the trash is forming rings around our planet, an accessory which previously had been exclusive to Saturn in our solar system.
Like our earth-bound rubbish, this space junk has life-threatening ramifications. NASA now tracks the trajectories of thousands of the larger items, which pose a serious threat to the structural integrity of the Space Shuttle and International Space Station, and the astronauts who work on them.
Indeed, the Daily Mail reports that one glove, which was lost in space after it was dropped by Gemini 4 astronaut Edward White in 1965, became the most dangerous item of clothing in history as it orbited the planet at a speed of 17,500 mph. At that velocity the discarded gauntlet could have turned deadly had any space walking astronaut accidentally stumbled into its path. Fortunately that particular item of killer apparel burnt up in the atmosphere upon reentry a few months later, but there are millions more pieces of space junk out there to get you.
China now has the dubious honor of being the world's biggest polluter. Research done by a team from the University of California sugge... more -
S. Korea's first astronaut blasts into space
A Russian capsule carrying two cosmonauts and Korea's first astronaut blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome Tuesday, en route to the international space station.
The Soyuz TMA-12 craft lifted off on time, roaring into the evening skies over Kazakhtsan's barren steppes before turning down range.
South Korean bioengineer Yi So-yeon, 29, and cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Sergei Volkov will spend two days in the cramped capsule before docking at the orbiting station. It's the first space flight for all three, including Volkov, the son of a decorated Soviet-era cosmonaut.
Live footage broadcast from inside the capsule showed Yi smiling and waving and giving the thumbs-up sign. "Everything is in order," Volkov said.
Ahead of the launch, Yi told cheering Russian and Korean well-wishers, including her family, that she felt great as she was escorted to the launch facility. A Russian capsule carrying two cosmonauts and Korea's first astronaut blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome Tuesday, en route to th... more -
On board view of a space shuttle launch sequence
A Space Shuttle launch sequence from an on board camera which is mounted on the top of the EXT Fuel tank. This movie records scenes between 13 seconds before SSME ignission and SRBs jettson. A Space Shuttle launch sequence from an on board camera which is mounted on the top of the EXT Fuel tank. This movie records scenes be... more
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A Marathon Mission in Space?
The crew of the shuttle Endeavor arrived back on Earth Wednesday after a sixteen day flight to the international space station.
The greatest thing about this?
"French spaceflyer Leopold Eyharts, of the European Space Agency, also landed aboard Endeavour to complete a nearly 49-day trek to the space station. Eyharts launched to the station in early February to deliver the station's ESA Columbus lab and handed his Expedition 16 crew assignment over to NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman — who arrived aboard Endeavour — before returning to Earth.
'It was a strange feeling coming back to gravity after such a long time,' Eyharts said via telephone, adding that he may need a couple of days to get back to full strength. 'I feel actually well. I think the adaptation is going as was expecting.'
I would love to have the opportunity to do something in which I would need to adapt to Earth's gravity. The crew of the shuttle Endeavor arrived back on Earth Wednesday after a sixteen day flight to the international space station. ... more -
How to do well at the reunion
Tell me having a picture of yourself like this doesn't get you laid at your high school reunion.
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Space Shuttle Landing
These folks so have it together. The Space Shuttle is a flying brick designed in 1975 by the lowest bidder on a US Government contract...once they fire the engines for landing, this thing is coming down....period.
No pressure. Look at how calm all this is.
What you don't see here are the rest of the teams. Each person in this room has a bunch of people assigned to them. This room only holds the "lead controllers".
Personal soapbox. Yup, it looks easy. Nothing to it. Anyone can do it. It's all "automated". Why are we bothering? That's the general thinking until one of these antiquated, budget-gutted things lands "hard" (crashes). These folks so have it together. The Space Shuttle is a flying brick designed in 1975 by the lowest bidder on a US Government contract... more -
Shuttle completes 16 day mission
The Space Shuttle Endeavor returned safely from a record breaking 16 day mission to the International Space Station. “Wheels stop,” were the words of Dominic L. Gorie, the commander, as the shuttle rolled to a safe stop at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
He said the end of the long mission was bittersweet. “The orbiter’s really been performing really marvelously this whole flight,” he said late Tuesday.
The shuttle delivered the first section of Japan’s large Kibo laboratory, an 18,500-pound storage compartment. The main laboratory, a unit the size of a bus, is scheduled to arrive in May aboard the shuttle Discovery. The Endeavour also ferried up a 12-foot, 3,400-pound Canadian Space Agency robot called Dextre, which is to perform maintenance outside the station.
“There really isn’t anymore a U.S. space flight program or a Russian space flight program,” Dr. Griffin, the NASA administrator said. “There is a world space flight program centered around the space station.”
Exciting times.... The Space Shuttle Endeavor returned safely from a record breaking 16 day mission to the International Space Station. “Wheels stop,” we... more -
Nasa: iPod Pictured Onboard Space Shuttle Endeavour
"A TUAW reader has managed to spot an iPod onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which is currently floating around in a giant vacuum. The hawk-eyed reader spotted the iPod from official NASA photos, which showed the device, barely visible, through a cabin window." "A TUAW reader has managed to spot an iPod onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which is currently floating around in a giant vacuum. ... more
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