07/18/2016: Successful SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Launch & First Stage Recovery

Spacewalk Friday: Installing a New "Parking Spot" on Station

This Friday, Aug. 19, two U.S. astronauts will install a new gateway for American commercial crew spacecraft at the International Space Station. 

Commercial crew flights from Florida’s Space Coast to the International Space Station will restore America’s human spaceflight launch capability and increase the time U.S. crews can dedicate to scientific research.

The adapter being installed (imaged below) was launched on a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft and arrived on orbit July 20. NASA astronauts Jeff Williams and Kate Rubins will perform the spacewalk to install the equipment this Friday, Aug. 19. This will be the fourth spacewalk in Williams’ career and the first for Rubins.

Four previous spacewalks…like the one below…helped set the stage for installation of this docking adapter. During those previous spacewalks, other crew members laid hundreds of feet of power and data cables outside the space station. 

On Wednesday, the robotics team using the Canadarm2 and its attached “Dextre” manipulator, will reach into the SpaceX Dragon trunk and pull out the docking adapter and position it for Friday’s spacewalk activities.

The morning of the spacewalk, while the astronauts are getting suited up, the robotic arm will position the docking adaptor near the port so that it will be ready for installation.

The two astronauts will venture outside the space station to install the first International Docking Adapter (IDA). This new adapter port will provide a parking space for U.S. Commercial Crew vehicles.

Watch LIVE!

Coverage of the spacewalk begins at 6:30 a.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 19; with the spacewalk scheduled to begin at 8:05 a.m. EDT. Stream live online HERE. 

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We sincerely thank NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, who was kind enough to address our NASA Social group at Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia today.

Let History Never Forget the Name Enterprise

Just as the captains of the fictional 24th century Starfleet blazed a trail among the stars, the space shuttle Enterprise helped pave the way for future space exploration. 

Fifty years ago, Star Trek debuted with the USS Enterprise as the main space-faring vessel used in much of the Star Trek universe. As such, the vessel holds a treasured place in the hearts of Star Trek fans and is as much of a character in the show as Kirk and Spock. Over three different series and a total of 14 seasons on TV and 13 feature films, the iterations of Enterprise have captured the imaginations and provided inspiration for its fans across the globe. 

This brief history of the shuttle tells the tale of humanity’s first reusable spacecraft. Space shuttles were first built in the late 1970s and were flown in space from 1981 to 2011. Their missions ranged from helping to build the International Space Station to repairing the Hubble Space Telescope.   

It’s All In The Name

The first shuttle was originally to be named Constitution, celebrating the country’s bicentennial and was to be unveiled to the public on Constitution Day, Sept. 17, 1976. However, a massive letter-writing campaign by Star Trek fans prompted President Gerald Ford to suggest the change. In the above photo, we see the shuttle Enterprise rolled out in Palmdale, California, with cast members of Star Trek on Sept. 17, 1976. 

To Boldly Go …

This circular red, white and blue emblem was  the official insignia for the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Test flights and became a model for future space shuttle mission patch designs, including placing the names of the crew on the patch . The four astronauts listed on the patch are: 

Fred Haise., commander of the first crew 

Charles Fullerton, pilot of the first crew 

Joe Engle, commander of the second crew 

Dick Truly, pilot of the second crew 

First Impressions

In this image, Enterprise makes its first appearance mated to its boosters as it is slowly rolled to the huge Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Kennedy Space Center. Although she never flew in space, shuttle Enterprise underwent a series of fit and function checks on the pad in preparation for the first launch of its sister craft, Columbia.

Not Meant To Be

Enterprise sits on Launch Complex 39 at Kennedy Space Center undergoing tests after completing its 3.5 mile journey from the VAB. Have you ever wondered why Enterprise never went into space? Converting Enterprise from a training vehicle to space-worthy one was too cost prohibitive, our engineers felt.

Engage

Commander Fred Haise and pilot Charles Fullerton are seen in the cockpit of Enterprise prior to the fifth and final Approach and Landing Test at Dryden Flight Research Center (Armstrong Flight Research Center). The tests were performed to learn about the landing characteristics of the shuttle.

It’s Been An Honor To Serve With You

The Enterprise’s two crews pose for a photo op at the Rockwell International Space Division’s Orbiter assembly facility at Palmdale, California. They are (left to right) Charles Fullerton, Fred Haise, Joe Engle and Dick Truly.

Fair Winds And Following Seas

On July 6, 2012, the Enterprise, atop a barge, passes the Statue of Liberty on its way to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, where is now permanently on display.

Learn more about Star Trek and NASA.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

3 tube (41, 42 & 25) regenerative built inside a case I found at Walgreens. Coils for multi bands. Works great, quite sensitive, but the vents aren't cutting it. Going to need a cooling fan.  Listening to BBC at the moment.

Science Denier Hall of Shame Rep to Attend Launch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE A representative of Science Denier Hall of Shame/Science Strike Force will be attending a NASA Social event for the launch of Orbital ATK Antares Rocket at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

“NASA commercial cargo provider Orbital ATK is scheduled to launch its sixth mission to the International Space Station at 9:13 p.m. EDT Thursday, Oct. 13.”

– NASA (More…

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Orbital ATK Antares Rocket Returns to Flight (Full Video)

Orbital ATK Antares Rocket Returns to Flight (Full Video)

The Orbital ATK Antares rocket returned to flight on October 17th with a launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. I was on-site to witness and document the event for Science Strike Force as part of the NASASocial program. The attached video is one of the results.

The launch was actually scheduled for the previous evening, but an underperforming ground cable (not part of the Antares…

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Disproving 1 through 5 of Eric Dubay's 200 'Proofs'

1 through 5 of Eric Dubay's 200 'Proofs' Disproven

‘Proofs’ 1 through 5 In this video Buster the Pug takes a hard look at the first five of Eric Dubay’s ‘200 Proofs the Earth is Not a Spinning Ball‘ Only a Pug has that kind of patience. Return to this page Note: If you think that we misunderstood any of the ‘proofs’ we responded to, please comment below. Reviewing the ‘proofs’ can be somewhat mind-numbing, so it is a possibility.  

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The 363-foot-tall Apollo 12 Saturn V rocket rolls out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Cape Canaveral, September 8, 1969. (NASA)

Eric Hovind 5, Episode I

Eric Hovind is at it again. Following in his father Kent Hovind’s footsteps, he happily dismisses the theory of evolution, the Big Bang theory, the geologic column and just about everything else modern science has discovered. The alternative he (and Kent) offer? ‘GODDIDIT! In this episode, Eric uses one of his dad’s best tricks;…

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