People, Businesses, Places & Events
Being a cosmonaut was ‘just a job’ for history-making Helen Sharman
The following article is an account of several meetings, chats and short interviews I have had with the first Briton in space, Helen P. Sharman I first met Helen over 15 years ago at the University of Sheffield when I attended a lecture organised by the University of Sheffield’s Chemistry Society at which she told …
Actor Seth Green has his eye on space
Despite being one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood, Seth Green still finds time to stay current on NASA missions and dreams of going into space one day. With three TV shows currently on the air – Dads, Robot Chicken and Family Guy – he’s only a few clicks of a remote away from …
Spacefest V: The ultimate party for space lovers
Recollections of Spacefest V “The past is prologue” as I once heard. A once politicised and technology based race to the Moon has yielded innumerable spin-off benefits and technology, but has also served as a prologue to many other events. The birth and rise of the new commercial space industry. International Space Agency cooperation with …
Students learn about physics from energetic demonstrations
Middle school student Nina-Simone Brown had the chance to experience Newton’s third law of motion in an exciting yet unusual way Monday morning. For those who dozed off in their middle school science class: For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. And there was plenty of action when FMA Live! Forces in …
Green Bank offers unique view to Dr. Lockman
Stargazing to discover secrets of the Milky Way Dr. Felix James (Jay) Lockman has spent the past two decades probing the origin of the Milky Way. He conducts his research from a rural area in West Virginia, a special place for radio astronomy that is unmatched anywhere else in the United States, using the Green …
NASA Socials: An out of this world journey
Neil Armstrong wasn’t the only person who took a giant leap in space. Over the course of the last several decades, humanity has reached further into space than ever before. But one of our most astonishing achievements is actually just over our heads – the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS is an unprecedented partnership …
A conversation with Skylab 4 astronaut Ed Gibson
America’s first space station, Skylab was launched into orbit on a Saturn V rocket in May of 1973. Three manned missions to the outpost were immensely successful. Repairs made to the orbital station during several spacewalks ultimately proved that it was possible for astronauts to conduct work in outer space, which gave NASA the confidence …
Skyborne with the 920th Rescue Wing
The 920th Rescue Wing, based out of Patrick Air Force Base, serves as an Air Force Reserve Command combat-search-and-rescue unit. They are responsible for a variety of demanding missions and ready to deploy at a moments notice, trained to perform some of the most highly specialized operations in the Air Force. They’ve been the primary rescue force serving as “guardians of the astronauts” for 50 years, providing contingency response for a variety of emergencies that could potentially come up during a Space Shuttle launch or landing. These airmen and their elite team of Pararescuemen, known as PJ’s, are among the most highly trained emergency trauma specialists in the U.S. military, capable of performing life-saving missions anywhere in the world, at any time.
Yuri’s Night: The world space party
Human exploration of space began more than a half century ago with the launch of Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961. The small capsule carried cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human to leave to bonds of Earth and enter space. Exactly 20 years later, the United States began a new era in spaceflight with the inaugural launch of the Space Shuttle. 20 years after that, an annual celebration of our exploration of space began by connecting thousands of people around the world to celebrate past accomplishments and to inspire a new generation. That event is Yuri’s Night. Every year on April 12, Yuri’s Night brings the excitement and promise of space travel closer to people of all ages and all nationalities.
Gagarin’s orbital flight secured place in history
On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. His mission lasted 108 minutes and he made one orbit around the globe. Upon his return to Earth, he was lauded as a hero and the Soviet Union enjoyed its continued position as the leading power in space. But in the years and …