Tag: Space
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Google Maps expands its interplanetary domain all the way out to Pluto
You can get an annotated view of Pluto from Google Maps. (NASA / JHUAPL / SwRI / Google) If you zoom way, way out on Google Maps, you can now find your way around places like Sputnik Planum, Seville Mons, Aphrodite Terra and Damascus Sulcus. Those are destinations on Pluto, Iapetus, Venus and Enceladus, just…
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Lego shows off its ‘Women of NASA’ toy set, without ‘Hidden Figures’ star
Lego’s “Women of NASA” set of minifigures includes Margaret Hamilton, Nancy Grace Roman, Sally Ride and Mae Jemison — but not Katherine Johnson, who was featured in “Hidden Figures.” (Lego Photo) Seven and a half months after its selection, Lego unveiled a set of minifigures celebrating NASA women researchers and explorers, due to go on…
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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…
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‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’: Trailer makes a splash, and ticket websites avoid a crash
Luke Skywalker looks worried in the new trailer for “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” (Disney / Lucasfilm via YouTube) The Force is clearly with “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” The trailer for Episode VIII of the movie saga made its debut in the midst of Monday Night Football, kicking off ticket sales for the Dec.…
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‘Star Trek: Discovery’ ranks Elon Musk alongside Wright Brothers and warp drive
The starship Discovery’s captain, Gabriel Lorca (played by Jason Isaacs), lists Elon Musk among the pioneers of propulsion in a 23rd-century scene from “Star Trek: Discovery.” (CBS via All Access) SpaceX founder Elon Musk hasn’t yet scored a cameo on the Star Trek stage, as fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos did last year, but he won…
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Hydroplane champ (and rocket engineer) Jimmy Shane gets his day in the sun
Hydroplane driver Jimmy Shane stands for a family portrait with his wife, Bianca, and his sons Colton and Hudson behind hydroplane racing’s Gold Cup. (HomeStreet Bank Photo) Today Jimmy Shane took a little time off from his day job — building spaceships at Blue Origin — to bask in the glory surrounding his other claim to fame,…
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No-surprise Nobel: LIGO physicists win prize for gravitational wave discoveries
The beamlines for the LIGO detector site at Hanford stretch out across the desert terrain of southeastern Washington. Each arm of the L-shaped detector is 2.5 miles long. (Credit: LIGO) This year’s Nobel Prize for physics is going, unsurprisingly, to three people who represent the hundreds of researchers behind the first direct detection of gravitational waves…
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Make it so, Alexa: Amazon adds a few new Star Trek skills to AI assistant’s repertoire
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has said the Alexa voice-activated AI assistant was inspired by the talking computer on “Star Trek,” so it only makes sense that Alexa is saluting the latest incarnation of the Star Trek saga. “Star Trek: Discovery” premieres Sunday on CBS All Access, and in the show’s honor, Amazon has added a…
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Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture provides hints about Amazon’s HQ2 plan
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos shows off an artist’s conception of the New Glenn rocket as Florida Gov. Rick Scott looks on during 2015’s announcement that Blue Origin would build a rocket factory in the Sunshine State. Will there be a similar production for Amazon’s HQ2 announcement? (NASA via YouTube) What do Jeff Bezos and…
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Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture provides hints about Amazon’s HQ2 plan
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos shows off an artist’s conception of the New Glenn rocket as Florida Gov. Rick Scott looks on during 2015’s announcement that Blue Origin would build a rocket factory in the Sunshine State. Will there be a similar production for Amazon’s HQ2 announcement? (NASA via YouTube) What do Jeff Bezos and…