Category: Space

One Of Our Planets Is Missing

 

It had to happen one day, that little ball of  ice and rock that just can’t keep it’s orbit to itself has been demoted to a (sniff) planetesimal. Ok, the official classification is ‘dwarf planet‘ but you know it’s still the same as being sent to eat at the kids table during the holidays. It’s a good thing that the New Horizons mission got underway before the new ruling came into being.

Officially, Pluto is no longer a planet. "Pluto is dead," said Mike Brown, a planetary scientist at the California Institute of Technology who spoke with reporters via a teleconference while monitoring the vote. The decision also means a Pluto-sized object that Brown discovered will not be called a planet.

So, is anyone holding a wake for Pluto? If not then why not? 

Pluto not a planet

Orbiter – A free space flight simulator

Orbiter I like a game that tells you to crack open the books so you can understand enough to play.

ORBITER is a free flight simulator that goes beyond the confines of Earth’s atmosphere. Launch the Space Shuttle from Kennedy Space Center to deploy a satellite, rendezvous with the International Space Station or take the futuristic Delta-glider for a tour through the solar system – the choice is yours. But make no mistake – ORBITER is not a space shooter. The emphasis is firmly on realism, and the learning curve can be steep. Be prepared to invest some time and effort to brush up on your orbital mechanics background.

Orbiter – A free space flight simulator

Voyager 1 – 100 AU Out and Still Going

Voyager The guys could build them pretty good back they couldn’t they? 30 years and it can still send back science data.

Voyager 1, already the most distant human-made object in the cosmos, reaches 100 astronomical units from the sun on Tuesday, August 15 at 5:13 p.m. Eastern time (2:13 p.m. Pacific time). That means the spacecraft, which launched nearly three decades ago, will be 100 times more distant from the sun than Earth is.

JPL.NASA.GOV: Feature Stories

A Statue on the Moon

Moon artHere is some history on a bit of artwork and a plaque dedicated to the fallen astronauts was left on the moon by the crew of Apollo 15. This is the first I’ve ever heard of this and I’ve read quite a bit about the history of the space program.

The only piece of art on the moon (depending, we suppose, on one’s definition of art) is a 3″-tall aluminum sculpture titled “Fallen Astronaut.” It was created by Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck and installed by Apollo 15 astronaut David Scott, along with a plaque bearing the names of the 14 astronauts and cosmonauts who died in the service of space exploration.

Apparently the crew members and the artist agreed that there should be no commercial gain made by this action. However…

…The 950 replicas of the "Fallen Astronaut" figurine signed by the sculptor have been advertised for sale by the Waddell Gallery of New York at a price of $750 apiece

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this Van Hoeydonck is a jerk and a putz. It is somewhat fitting that most Internet search results for this guys name also mention the replicas. I’d call that karma.

[via neat-o-rama]
The Only Art on the Moon

Articles Carried on Manned Space Flights

For a list of the names on the plaque, check out the Wikipedia entry on ‘Fallen Astronaut‘