Space news for NeRDs
iss070e002415 (Oct. 4, 2023) — ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut and Expedition 70 Commander Andreas Mogensen is pictured trying on his spacesuit and testing its components aboard the International Space Station’s Quest airlock in preparation for an upcoming spacewalk. NASA
Read MoreA SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with the Psyche spacecraft onboard is seen as it is rolled out of the horizontal integration facility at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the Psyche mission, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Psyche spacecraft will travel to a metal-rich asteroid by the same name orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter to study its composition. The spacecraft also carries the agency’s Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration, which will test laser communications beyond the Moon.
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Students from Alabama A&M University near Huntsville, Alabama, pilot their vehicle through the obstacle course at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center during NASA’s Human Exploration Rover Challenge event on April 22, 2023. Credits: NASA NASA has selected 72 student teams to begin an engineering design challenge to build human-powered rovers that will compete next April at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, near the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2024, the Human Exploration Rover Challenge tasks high school, college, and university…
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The month of October marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The NDEAM observance was declared in 1988 by the United States Congress in efforts to raise awareness of disability employment needs and to celebrate the many and varied contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. This year’s NDEAM theme, chosen by the Office of Disability Employment Policy, is “Advancing Access and Equity” to honor the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the first major legislation to prohibit disability discrimination by federal agencies. One such disability many…
Read MoreThey may not be as iconic as Endeavour or as large as the orbiter’s external tank, but the sight of twin rockets moving through the streets of Los Angeles was enough to once again draw a crowd to watch the space shuttle components being delivered to the site of their future display. The last major parts needed to exhibit Endeavour in its vertical, ready-for-launch configuration, the two solid rocket motors (SRMs) completed a two-day, 100-mile (160 kilometers) trip from the Mojave Air and Space Port to the California Science Center…
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iss070e001516 (Sept. 30, 2023) — A full Moon is pictured from the International Space Station. The Moon lingers to the left of the image, with a horizon of Earth’s blue glow splitting the image nearly in half, blending into the black of space.
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iss070e001502 (Sept. 30, 2023) — September’s Harvest Moon can be seen from the International Space Station as it soared 260 miles above the Northwestern coast of Canada. A few scatters of clouds can be seen hovering over Earth, while the Moon centers itself above. NASA
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Popular astronomy app SkySafari has added a special set of features for tracking and viewing this week’s annular solar eclipse. On Saturday (Oct. 14), the moon will pass in front of the sun, blocking most of it while leaving a “ring of fire” visible in what is known as an annular solar eclipse. To help skywatchers track the eclipse, learn about these events and stay up-to-the-minute with alerts, SkySafari has released a new set of 2023 annular solar eclipse features, available for iOS users. (An Android eclipse feature will be…
Read MoreClouds are such a regular part of daily life in most places on the planet that it’s quite easy to forget about them — unless they’re about to rain on you or ruin your perfectly planned astrophotography shot! But clouds are crucially linked to temperature regulation on Earth, reflecting some of the sun’s energy to keep us cool and trapping some to keep us warm, according to NASA. Plus, clouds can be an indication of the weather that’s on the way. Related: Mars’ clouds are strangely Earth-like, despite wildly different…
Read MorePatrick Stewart has enjoyed an enviable career in show business spanning 60 years. At the age of 83, the acclaimed actor has finally paused to pen a comprehensive portrait of his astounding stage and screen life, a new autobiography called “Making It So: A Memoir.” Released on Oct. 3, 2023 by Gallery Books, this addictive 480-page volume chronicles everything from the distinguished performer’s early days growing up in Yorkshire, England, to his formative time with the Royal Shakespeare Company, to his trek to Tinseltown in the 1980s, where he eventually…
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