Updated 11 December 2023 With the end of the year approaching I would like to make you aware of my three e-books which are available on Kindle. The Moon Most people know a selection of random facts about the Moon and the history of lunar exploration, but in this book I try to remind general… Continue reading Books from Explaining Science 2023
Tag: NASA
4 October 1957 – Sputnik 1
Despite the somewhat difficult relations between Russia and the West in the last few years, it is worth looking back 65 years to October 1957 and the launch of the first artificial satellite Sputnik 1. This historic event, which caught many in the West by complete surprise, was the beginning of the space age. To… Continue reading 4 October 1957 – Sputnik 1
The end of the International Space Station?
There have been stories in the news recently that NASA intend to deorbit the International Space Station (ISS) in 2031. They are largely based upon a recent NASA report outlining the future of the ISS. This report makes interesting reading and describes how NASA will transition away from the ISS towards commercial space stations (which… Continue reading The end of the International Space Station?
James Webb Telescope
On 18 December a Ariane 5 rocket will take off from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana, aboard it will be the $12 billion James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) - the most expensive scientific instrument ever launched into space. In this post I’ll talk about this remarkable telescope and the mission to deploy it.… Continue reading James Webb Telescope
Congratulations Blue Origin!
A week is certainly a long time in crewed spaceflight! Following Richard Branson’s trip to “the edge of space” on Sunday 11 July, Jeff Bezos went one step further on July 20. He made a short journey to space, in the first crewed flight of his Blue Origin rocket ship, New Shepard. As the spacecraft… Continue reading Congratulations Blue Origin!
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