People, Businesses, Places & Events
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 …
Endeavour to discover at the California Science Center
The California Science Center in Los Angeles is on a mission to inspire kids while also pursuing grand display plans for Space Shuttle Endeavour.
Salute to the Pioneers of Space
The last man to walk on the Moon decided to celebrate the 40th anniversary of this occasion at the place where his flight career started. Held Dec. 15 at the National Naval Aviation Museum, with 1,200 of his friends, the event was split up into several different panel discussions. The morning panel included individuals such …
Gene Cernan: A conversation with the last men on the Moon
Forty years have passed since he left mankind’s last bootprint on the Moon, but Gene Cernan is a man focused on the future. He strongly believes that inspiring dreams within children, and encouraging STEM education is the path to a future where we walk on the Moon again. Cernan: “What we have to do is …
Harrison Schmitt: A conversation with the last men on the Moon
Of the 12 men who explored the Moon, only Dr. Harrison ‘Jack’ Schmitt was a professional geologist. After years spent training those who had gone before him, he blazed a trail for the scientist-astronauts who would later follow him into space. Schmitt: “Well I think it was important to the space program because it set …
Julian Leek has an eagle’s eye view of Space Coast
It may seem like nothing more than a tall tale, to hear that after arriving at the Space Coast in the last 1960s, a teenager from England soon would be riding atop the launch tower for a Saturn V as it rolled out to the launch pad. But in this case, it is the real …
Emily Nelson working to keep astronauts safe aboard the ISS
At all times, astronauts live aboard the International Space Station (ISS). They carry out their daily activities working in a zero gravity habitat orbiting Earth, while their lives are in the hands of a ground crew hundreds of miles below them back on the ground. These “professional problem solvers” monitor everything happening inside and outside …
Getting Social with NASA at MSL Landing
The city of Los Angeles is no stranger to celebrity sightings. But for a few days last summer, well-heeled movie stars traded places with some of NASA’s best and brightest scientists and engineers. In what was described by John Holdren, President Obama’s senior science advisor, as “the most challenging mission ever attempted in the history …