Tuesday, February 27, 2018

LUNAR ORBIT PLATFORM GATEWAY

Hey Space Placers!

Orion Spacecraft Approaching the Lunar Orbit Platform Gateway
NASA
I recently blogged about NASA's returning humans to the Moon and wanted to follow up with providing you this informative article about the Lunar Orbit Platform Gateway.

The most important part of the article is that the Gateway is part of NASA's budget. Things do not happen unless they are budgeted. The Gateway is such a  logical and critical element for what NASA does next in terms of its human spaceflight program. It incorporates new propulsion technology,  gives us continued access to the Moon and prepares us for beyond Low Earth Operations.

The lunar future seems bright, especially when you add in all of the other space faring nations' plans for the Moon.

Sky Guy in VA

Monday, February 26, 2018

EXPANSION OF THE UNIVERSE 101

Hey Space Placers!

Hubble Ultra Deep Field 2014
NASA

You may not know it, but we experience ALL kinds of motions here on our planet, the solar system, our galaxy, our local supercluster of galaxies and the Universe.

But so far the supreme motion that we currently know of is the expansion of our Universe. This is science fact because astronomers can directly measure this expansion and have done so since the 20th century. We have also discovered that not only is the Universe expanding but it is ACCELERATING in its expansion.

We know a lot but there is much more that we do not know at present. All of this adds up to a 'Holy Grail' in astronomy that astronomers are striving hard to unravel and understand. When they do it will greatly expand (forgive the pun) our knowledge of the Universe.

Here are two GREAT articles to help YOU understand what this is all about:

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/improved-hubble-yardstick-gives-fresh-evidence-for-new-physics-in-the-universe

http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/how-fast-is-the-universe-expanding-the-answer-depends-on-how-you-measure-it-and-thats-a

Sky Guy in VA

Sunday, February 25, 2018

5,000 SOLS & COUNTING

Hey Space Placers!

How do your cars hold up? Do you get a new one every year with a lease or are you like me, keeping a car for years and years.

How would you feel about a vehicle that was warrantied for 90 days by its manufacturer but lasted you over FIVE THOUSAND DAYS?! Oh, and this is not on vehicle friendly Earth but Mars.

NASA's intrepid rover Opportunity just recently passed the 5,000 Sol (Martian day) mark. Its twin, Spirit, died years ago when it got stuck in sand and couldn't get sufficient solar power to stay alive.

NASA

Opportunity continues to make discoveries on Mars and who knows how long it will keep on ticking. 

Solar powered Opportunity has company on Mars as nuclear powered Curiosity roams the interior of Gale Crater and Mount Sharp. 

Next up for Mars is InSight which is scheduled for launch this May and will study the interior of Mars.

Mars will be on our minds this year as the Red Planet will be at its closes since 2003 and dominate the night skies this summer.

Looking forward to it.

Sky Guy in VA

Saturday, February 24, 2018

JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE BECOMING A REALITY

Hey Space Placers!

Completed Telescope On Display At NASA Goddard
Greg Redfern

JWST is becoming a reality. It is undergoing assembly of the telescope to the spacecraft at Northrop Grumman facilities in Redondo Beach, CA - which I plan to visit this year.

And the astronomical community is gearing up on what to do with the telescope when it becomes operational.

Every day we are closer to the reality of JWST......

Sky Guy in VA

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

NASA TO RETURN HUMANS TO THE MOON

Hey Space Placers!

Sorry for the dearth of blogs these past 6 days but I have been really busy taking care of a lot of things since getting back from cruise especially since I have another coming up.

BIG NEWS yesterday is Acting NASA Administrator Lightfoot announcing that NASA will return humans to the lunar surface in the latter part of the 2020's. This conforms to the policy set forth by the current Administration to go to the Moon 1st and then Mars.

Earth's Moon
Greg Redfern
I have always felt that the Moon is the pathway to our human exploration of the solar system as it is such a natural extension for us here on Earth.

The Moon is 3 days away and has resources we can use there as well as here on Earth.

NASA working with commercial partners and other space faring nations in getting to the Moon will help speed the process along as well as make it more lasting this time around.

I just hope I live to see it......

Sky Guy in VA

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Chelyabinsk Bolide 5th Anniversary

Hey Space Placers!

Artist's Illustration of Chelyabinsk Bolide
NASA
Interior of Chelyabinsk Meteorite

5 years ago today was the Chelyabinsk Bolide.

It will happen again.

Sky Guy in VA


Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Happy Valentine's Day From Pluto/NASA/Voyager 1

Hey Space Placers!

NASA 360

Also on this date in 1990 Voyager 1 took a pic of Earth - the famous "Pale Blue Dot" photo.

Get more space based Valentine Day greetings from NASA here.

May this be a day of peace and love for you and yours.......

Sky Guy <3 greg="" in="" p="" va="">

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

WHOA>>>>PIECE OF MARS GOING TO, WELL, MARS!!!!!!

Hey Space Placers!

Rohit Bhartia of NASA's Mars 2020 mission holds a slice of a meteorite scientists have determined came from Mars. This slice will likely be used here on Earth for testing a laser instrument for NASA's Mars 2020 rover.
Martian Meteorite SAU 0008 To Return Home
NASA-JPL
Is this cool or what?

NASA's Mars 2020 Rover is going to take a piece of Mars - a slice of a Martian Meteorite called SAU 0008 - BACK TO MARS!

This is a space first as we have pieces of the asteroid belt, the Moon and Mars in the 57,395 catalogued meteorites (space rocks) that have been found on Earth as of Feb. 9, 2018. Oh, and we have discovered FIVE meteorites on MARS using our rovers on the Red Planet.

The returned Mars space rock will be used to help calibrate the laser on the Mars Rover 2020 and help it prepare for examining other Mars rocks.

What a mission!

Sky Guy in VA




Sunday, February 11, 2018

Tesla Starman

Hey Space Placers!

In case you haven't seen the video yet, here it is of Elon Musk's 2008 Red (I call it Mars Red) Tesla Roadster with Starman the Mannequin in space! The views of Earth are lovely and it is just so, well, SCI-FI!



Here is a great background article from the good folks at Earth-Sky on where Starman is headed.

Sky Guy in VA

Friday, February 9, 2018

AstrOlympics

Hey Space Placers!

Home from 18 days at sea and I sorry that I could not blog on ship :-(

Jet lagged as I am BACK......

Check out this UBER-COOL website from NASA that has science concepts related to the Olympic winter sports.....I mean this is REALLY cool and a great reference for students, teachers and the general public.

Girl Ice Skating
NASA

Sky Guy BACK in VA