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Alan Shepard - First American in Space
On May 5, 1961, NASA launched the first American into space. Alan Shepard took his historic ride in a Freedom 7 capsule, powered by a Redstone missile rocket. Shepard traveled to an altitude of 116 miles and returned to Earth in 15 minutes. From his capsule, Shepard saw the curvature of the Earth, and described a view never seen by any American before.
On May 8, Shepard traveled to the White House to receive a NASA Distinguished Service Medal from President John F. Kennedy. Three weeks later, JFK would announce to a joint session of Congress the goal of sending an American safely to the Moon by the end of the decade.
Tomorrow is the anniversary of the Mercury-Redstone 3 flight, so as you enjoy your first Saturday in May, look up to the skies and raise your glass to Alan Shepard - first American in space. Happy weekend!
Mae Jemison, Space Shuttle Endeavour, 1992.
A chemical engineer, physician, and former Peace Corp volunteer, Mae Jemison was inspired by Star Trek’s Lieutenant Uhuru to join NASA in 1987. On September 12, 1992 she became the first black woman in space. Mae spent a total of 190 hours 30 minutes 23 seconds in space as part of the joint US/Japan Space Shuttle Endeavor mission.
Venus, Jupiter, Prepare For A Heavenly Date
npr:
If you’ve had your eye on the western sky after sundown for the last several nights, you’ve been witness to a breathtaking sight. The two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, have been moving (at least from our perspective) ever closer.
On Thursday night, the two planets will line up in conjunction. Venus is about twice as bright as Jupiter, but they are both unmistakable – just look for the bright orbs in the west. -Scott Neuman
“I look up at the night sky, and I know that, yes, we are part of this Universe, we are in this Universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts is that the Universe is in us. When I reflect on that fact, I look up—many people feel small, because they’re small and the Universe is big, but I feel big, because my atoms came from those stars” - Neil deGrasse Tyson
Just when you thought that Dr. Tyson’s video exploration of everything that makes us special in our world and beyond couldn’t get any better, it gets the GIF treatment. Nice work.
Watch it again, and then again.
jtotheizzoe:crookedindifference:
The Most Astounding Fact by Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Astrophysicist Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson was asked by a reader of TIME magazine, “What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?” This is his answer.
When you take something great, like the musings of the mind of Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, and combine it with something else great, like stunning images of life and wonder on and off of Earth … you get this.
It’s the sort of video that makes you prop your chin up in your hand, with your head tilted just so (yeah, like that), as you stare at your computer screen mumbling things like “Ahhh“ and “Wooahh” and other unintelligible noises that mean “I approve of this, and it makes me feel good.”
Watch it once, then twice, then with a friend.
A pair of steamy explosions on the Sun’s surface in recent days is sparking the biggest radiation and geomagnetic storm the Earth has experienced in five years, space weather experts said Wednesday. Read the full story
Recordings by NASA, they are the sounds made by the planets. This is the planet Saturn.
Antarctica’s Lake Vostok is Test Case for Exploring Icy Jupiter Moon
Russian scientists in Antarctica have reached a lake that’s been buried in ice for more than 14 million years — a milestone that could provide hints of what to expect when the ocean under the icy crust of Jupiter’s moon, Europa, is similarly explored.
After more than a decade of drilling, the team broke through the ice on Feb. 5, reaching a hidden cache of water known as Lake Vostok that has been cut off from the surface since an ice sheet covered it between 14 million and 34 million years ago. The isolated lake bears similarities to features on Europa, whose icy surface is thought to hide a liquid ocean layer.
“When it comes to Europa, there’s no better analog on Earth than Lake Vostok,” Kevin Hand, deputy chief scientist of solar system exploration for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said. “In both cases, the liquid water envelope trapped beneath the ice is cut off from the sun,” he said.
