Tag: NASA
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NASA turns to Voyager’s dormant thrusters for first time in 37 years – and they work!
An artist’s conception shows the Voyager spacecraft pointing its antenna back toward Earth. (NASA / JPL-Caltech Illustration) Imagine you had a car sitting in storage since 1980, and suddenly you needed to start it up. Now imagine that it revs up like a charm as soon as you turn the key. That’s the scenario NASA…
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Thanksgiving on the space station: Just another day at the office, but with turkey
Space station astronauts Joe Acaba, Randy Bresnik, Paolo Nespoli and Mark Vande Hei show off pouches filled with turkey, mashed potatoes and cornbread stuffing. (NASA via YouTube) Thanksgiving Day is a workday on the International Space Station, but it’s still a special day for the station’s six crew members — even for the ones who…
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Night launch sends next-gen JPSS-1 weather satellite (and more) into orbit
A United Launch Alliance Delta 2 rocket sends the JPSS-1 satellite into space from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. (ULA Photo) The first in a series of four next-generation weather satellites, known as the Joint Polar Satellite System-1 or JPSS-1, is in orbit after a twice-delayed liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.…
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Get a double dose of ‘Year in Space’ lore from astronaut (and author) Scott Kelly
Former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly recounts his “Year in Space” mission during an event at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in May 2016. (NASA Photo / Bill Ingalls) Space fans are used to seeing double when they’re keeping track of twin astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly, but this week Seattleites can get a double helping…
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SNC shows off video of what could be Dream Chaser space plane’s last test flight
In a nod to test-pilot tradition, two fuzzy dice hang on the flight deck of Sierra Nevada Corp.’s pilotless Dream Chaser prototype space plane. (NASA Photo via SNC) Last weekend’s drop test of a prototype Dream Chaser space plane went so well that the next flight might be the one that goes all the way…
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Orbital ATK’s Antares rocket sends Cygnus cargo ship to space station with a ‘nation’
Orbital ATK’s Antares rocket lifts off from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. (Orbital ATK Photo / Thom Baur) Orbital ATK’s Antares rocket today sent a Cygnus cargo spacecraft on the first step of its journey to the International Space Station with 7,400 pounds of supplies and experiments, including a nanosatellite that its backers say will…
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NASA’s Juno orbiter delivers a fresh batch of blimmin’ beauties from Jupiter
Jupiter’s northern hemisphere is featured in this processed view captured by the Juno orbiter’s JunoCam imager during the probe’s close flyby on Oct. 24. (NASA / JPL / SwRI / MSSS / Gerald Eichstadt Photo) Artistic amateur astronomers have started leveraging the latest looks from NASA’s Juno orbiter to produce fresh views of Jupiter, including…
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Godspeed, Dick Gordon: Seattle-born Apollo 12 astronaut passes away at 88
Dick Gordon was command module pilot for Apollo 12 in 1969. (NASA Photo) The first Seattle-born astronaut to fly in space, Dick Gordon, passed away on Monday at his home in California at the age of 88, NASA and the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation reported. He flew into orbit in 1966 as pilot for the Gemini 11 mission.…
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Virtual reality takes you on a trip to Mars with NASA rover – and to alien worlds, too
“Access Mars” provides 3-D views of the Red Planet as captured by NASA’s Curiosity rover. (NASA / JPL Illustration) NASA has been offering virtual-reality tours of Mars for years — but now, with Google’s help, the space agency has come up with one of the most accessible tours yet. “Access Mars” lays out a 3-D terrain…
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Watch astronauts flip when they get to play with a fidget spinner on the space station
We’re not entirely sure if fidget spinners are still a thing on Earth. But judging by a new video from NASA, they’re still cool on the International Space Station. The video uploaded on Friday by the Johnson Space Center YouTube account was trending Saturday on the social platform. “How long does it spin? I’m not…