Issue #8 (July 2014)
Apollo 11: A giant leap for mankind
We missed the whole thing It was a wondrous opportunity to be part of something historical. We just had a hard time comprehending what it would mean to other people, what it would mean to ourselves. – Buzz Aldrin It was too much for us to grasp at the time. America was in hot battles …
Jack King: The Voice of Apollo
Most people have crushes on astronauts, but I’m smitten by a voice. Jack King has never been to the Moon. He has never had a ticker tape parade. You wouldn’t recognize him if you passed him on the street. But the moment he begins speaking, chances are you’d want a front row seat, because Jack …
Buzz Aldrin: It’s time to colonize the Red Planet
At 84 years of age, Apollo 11’s Buzz Aldrin still has a lot to say. And with a lifetime of experiences behind him – and ahead of him yet as well – he’s hoping those in power in Washington D.C. and at NASA will listen to his plans to colonize the planet Mars during the next four …
Antares rocket launches cargo to space station
A multitude of NASA research investigations, crew provisions, hardware and science experiments from across the country is headed to the International Space Station aboard Orbital Sciences Corp.’s Cygnus spacecraft. The cargo craft launched aboard Orbital’s Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on July 13, 2014. The mission is the company’s second cargo delivery …
OCO-2 studying the atmosphere
A United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket carrying the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) payload for NASA lifts off from California. This launch marks the 51st Delta II mission for NASA and Delta II’s return to flight. Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) will be NASA’s first dedicated Earth remote sensing satellite to study atmospheric carbon dioxide from …
MoonBots Challenge inspiring kids
The MoonBots Challenge is an interactive competition that emulates the real Google Lunar X Prize and increases students’ interests in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). The challenge is considered a “game of skill” and is designed to help youth teams learn how to produce videos, create digital platforms, design playfields, program Lego Mindstorms robots, …
Teams vie for $20 million lunar prize
The race to the Moon is on. However, this race isn’t a pride-filled competition between nations. Now it is several teams consisting of engineers, entrepreneurs, and anyone with a vision, racing to build a moon roving robot – to the tune of $30 million in prizes. The Google Lunar X Prize is a next-generation competition …
Penn State students aim for the Moon
Landing a spacecraft on the Moon is an audacious undertaking, one that has only been accomplished by three nations of the world, the United States, Soviet Russia, and most recently, China. However, in December 2015, that will all change as the Pennsylvania State University’s Lunar Lion team will attempt to go to the Moon and …
All about the Earth’s moon
As this issue commemorates 45 years since the first human placed foot on the Moon it seems rather fitting to feature the Moon in this astronomy item. As we all know the Moon is our nearest astronomical body at about a quarter of a million miles or 405,000 Km away. Unlike other planets in our …
Take a closer look at the Moon
Observing the Moon The object of the month this time is the closest celestial body to us: The Moon. The Moon plays a big part in Astronomy for a number of reasons, the main one being light. Although the Moon does not generate light itself, it acts as a giant reflector for the sun. When …