Archive for August, 2012

Thank You, Jimmy

Thank You, Jimmy

Editors note:  I listened with added interest to the Jimmy Buffest concert tonight, brought live via Sirius / XM  from East Troy, Wisconsin,  in the hopes that he would dedicate a song to Neil Armstrong.  Better known for extolling the virtues of boats, beaches bars and bikinis, Jimmy has always maintained a strong interest in space exploration, […]

Posted in: NASA
Where No Man Had Gone Before

Where No Man Had Gone Before

Neil Armstrong.  An American hero, humanity’s first ambassador to a new world, and a symbol of mankind’s highest ambition and ultimate destiny has passed from this Earth. The honors, the superlatives and the memorials will flow in, and well they should.  He fought in one war, yet found his place in history as a civilian,  even as his nation found itself in another war. All eras […]

Posted in: NASA
Soyuz  “Lite” Test Failure

Soyuz “Lite” Test Failure

According to a report on russianspaceweb, a test firing of the new Soyuz “lite” rocket failed on August 16th, possibly causing damage to the test facility. The new rocket is a less expensive version of the venerable Soyuz booster which employing a single NK-33 engine instead of the conventional sustainer core with 4 liquid strap-on boosters which has powered […]

Proton Problems

Proton Problems

With the failed launch of the fourth Russian Proton rocket in the last 48 missions on August 6, 2012 due to a failed Briz-M upper stage, and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev threatening reprisals for producing “low quality products”  one has to wonder if the commercial launch market is due for a major shakeup.  The Proton, which is marketed commercially by International Launch Services of Reston, Virginia, […]

Curiosity Cam Mars touchdown today
By 2012.08.05 0 Comments Read More →

Curiosity Cam Mars touchdown today

UPDATE: Watch Curiosity’s landing (August 6th 1:31 AM Eastern) here: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/nasatv/ Best of luck to NASA’s Mars Odyssey Orbiter and Curiosity Cam rover as it approaches Mars touchdown today Final pre-landing briefing via NASAJPL at http://ustre.am/25IX

Posted in: NASA
Advancing History: The Commercial Crew Awards

Advancing History: The Commercial Crew Awards

NASA announced the winners of the Commercial Crew Integrated Capability Contracts this morning, and the agency couldn’t have made a better decision. The awards went to Boeing ($460 million)  SpaceX ($440 million) and Sierra Nevada ($212.5 million). This next phase of the program is scheduled to last until  May 31st, 2014, and will see all three entrants perform […]

Retreating from History

Retreating from History

Even as American athletes give it their all in the Olympic Games in London, competing against the best the world has to offer, sometimes wining, sometimes not,  the man who leads one of the few institutions globally identified with American exceptionalism,  NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told the editorial board of USA today that he had no wish […]

Judgement Day

Judgement Day

According to a NASA press release, the space agency will formally announce the winners in the next phase of the Commercial Crew Transportation program at 9:00 AM EDT on Friday, August 3rd. The announcement will be held at the OSB-II building, with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, KSC Director Robert Cabana and Commercial Crew Program Manager Ed Mango present, with […]

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