Robert Lawrence Jr.: The First African American Astronaut
Air Force Major Robert Lawrence Jr., who was never a NASA astronaut, and never made a flight into space, was our nation’s first African American astronaut.
Three Apollo Astronauts We Lost This Year
Apollo astronauts Gene Cernan, Richard Gordon and Paul Weitz died in 2017. There’s a little known story about each of them.
A Human Base Camp on Mars by 2033!
NASA (and Lockheed Martin?) plan to have humans on Mars by 2033.
Beam Me Down: Chinese Quantum Entanglement
The Chinese teleported two photons to Earth, and proved that faster than light communication is possible!
NASA’s Brand New Asteroid Mission!
NASA has a new spacecraft that can save Earth. Unfortunately, it isn’t funded and it won’t make its first test flight until 2022 at the earliest.
Congressional Funding for NASA in 2017 (Not half bad – who knew?)
Congress unanimously approved NASA’s 2017 budget. Considering the anti-science bias in this Congress, this one is a pleasant surprise (with one glaring exception).
There Are No Photos of Neil Armstrong on the Moon?
There were no useable photos taken of Neil Armstrong during his Apollo 11 walk on the Moon.
Gene Cernan And The Last Flag On The Moon
Apollo 17 Astronaut Eugene Cernan (1934-2017) and the American flag he raised, became the last of their kind to stand on the Moon.
Thank You for Saving 1968 (a parable for our times)
Apollo 8: December 25, 1968 (the spirits of another Christmas)
John Glenn: The Last of the Magnificent Seven
John Glenn was the last surviving member of NASA’s remarkable first group of astronauts, the Mercury 7.
Killer Asteroids: Can We Stop Them?
If a “nation killer” asteroid comes heading our way, Bruce Willis won’t be able to save us.
(Book Review) X-15 Diary: The Story of America’s First Space Ship
In 1960, twenty years before the Space Shuttle, NASA launched another manned, airplane-shaped spacecraft to the fringes of space. Neil Armstrong was one of its pilots.
Killer Asteroids: Can We Track Them?
If an asteroid the size of an 18-wheeler collided with Earth it would cause massive destruction. And since there are a lot of these, can we at least keep an eye on where they are? Not very well.
Asteroids! Why Does It Have To Be Asteroids?
Are asteroids humanity’s Armageddon or the promised land? It depends on which gets here first.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope
The ambitious mission of the James Webb Space Telescope is “to see the first light of the universe”.
Astronaut Mae Jemison: Flew on Space Shuttle and The Starship Enterprise
Astronaut Mae Jemison has flown in space on both the NASA Space Shuttle and on the Starship Enterprise. And, along the way, she became the first female African American astronaut to travel into orbit.
Anna Fisher: Astronaut, Physician (and Rock Band Icon?)
Anna Fisher is an emergency physician, a Shuttle flight veteran, and the longest serving American astronaut. And one photo of her has gone viral!
Astronaut Rhea Seddon: The First Female Surgeon In Space
On Rhea Seddon’s Space Shuttle flights her training as a medical doctor was pivotal.
Eileen Collins: The First Woman Space Shuttle Commander
With the launch of Columbia on July 23, 1999, Eileen Collins became the first woman astronaut assigned Commander of a Space Shuttle mission.
The Mercury 13: NASA’s Secret Women Astronauts in 1961?
In 1961, 13 exceptionally experienced women aviators performed well in tests developed for NASA astronauts. None of them were selected as astronauts.
Sally Ride: First American Woman In Space
Sally Ride was one of the first six women NASA astronauts in 1978. All six made it into space.
Italian Astronaut Captain Samantha Cristoforetti
ISS Astronaut Captain Samantha Cristoforetti is one of the first women fighter pilots in the Italian Air Force, logging over 500 flight hours on six types of aircraft. She’s also a big SF fan!
Balticon 50 Report (May 27-30, 2016)
Attending Balticon 50 were the giants of the genre. See if you know who is who.
Astronaut Mike Mullane on Astronauts Getting the Bends
Not just scuba divers, but spacewalking astronauts could also experience decompression sickness. i.e. “the bends”
Shuttle Astronaut Mike Mullane on the Apollo 1 Fire
Astronaut Mike Mullane has some insights into the ramifications of the Apollo 1 fire. Also, Gus Grissom was buried at West Point and as a cadet Mike marched in his funeral.
The Apollo 1 Fire: “Tough and Competent”
NASA’s “Failure Is Not An Option” culture was born three days after the Apollo 1 fire.
The Apollo 1 Fire: Failure Was An Option
“NASA believed that necessary and sufficient action had been taken to prevent a fire. Of course, all ignition sources had not been eliminated.”
The Apollo 1 Fire: “I’m burning up!”
“Hey!” and Ed White broadcast, “I’ve got a fire in the cockpit!” The Apollo outer hull ruptured and all three astronauts were dead.
The Apollo 1 Fire: Not The First Apollo Astronauts To Die On The Job
Grissom, White and Chaffee weren’t the first Apollo astronauts to die on the job. Four died in NASA training jet accidents. Why didn’t they get more attention?
The Apollo 1 Fire: Astronauts Ed White and Roger Chaffee
Astronauts Ed White and Roger Chaffee were American heroes destined to go to the Moon. Unfortunately, neither of them made it.
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