The International Space Station Multilateral Coordination Board (MCB), represented by space agency officials from Japan, Russia, Canada, Europe and NASA have reached an agreement to create a universal dock for linking spacecraft and space stations. This might not sound like much, but what it means is that not only can international agencies work in tandem at an unparalleled level, but ...
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Watch Live as NASA Assembles the Mars Rover
NASA has a little treat for all of us robot and/or space junkies out there. From 8 a.m. PT (11 a.m. ET) every morning, Monday-Friday, work begins at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif, as engineers carefully assemble the Curiosity Mars Rover. And you can watch them do it live with NASA’s Curiosity Cam. Other than occasional “maintenance periods” ...
Read More »Cassini Approaches Enceladus and Other Incredible Recent Images from Space
Today’s The Big Picture subject is our Solar System. They’ve chronicled a beautiful collection of photos from outer space taken within the last month or so. Above is a 30-frame sequence of Cassini’s approach towards the icy plumes of Enceladus, the sixth-largest moon of Saturn. After the jump you’ll see an actual Aurora Australis as seen from space, a few ...
Read More »Hurricane Earl As Seen From the International Space Station
Shot on August 30th from the International Space Station, NASA released this photo which shows Hurricane Earl as a category 4 storm from the perspective of space. The photo was snapped by NASA astronaut Douglas Wheelock with a DSLR camera. With maximum sustained winds of 135 miles, it’s unique views like this, rather than weather radar animations, that really puts ...
Read More »Astronaut Films Video of the Earth Traveling at 17,239 MPH
For those of you who don’t want to or mentally can’t do the math, 17,239 MPH is about 4.7 miles per second. So it takes about two seconds for the Earth to circle around yo momma’s ass. NASA astronaut Don Petit captured this time lapse video from the International Space Station. At one point you can actually see the northern ...
Read More »The Trials and Tribulations of Transporting Robonaut
The process of space travel, from brainstorming to landing, is possible through a mere system of steps. While the number of steps needed to plan a successful mission might rank in the hundreds of millions, it is all performed very methodically and precisely. Such care is needed when you’re dealing with gadgets and machinery that costs well into the billions ...
Read More »Auroras Over Both Poles As Seen From Space
NASA recently released a set of beautiful photos taken from space in April 2010. Among them was this jaw-dropper. A shot of an active Aurora on both poles of our beautiful planet. Luckily you have to be a little further away to see all of the space junk. EDITOR’S NOTE: Ok, so it’s an artistic rendering. Whatever. Still beautiful. *disappointed* ...
Read More »DESTROY. ALL. HUMANS.: NASA to Launch Robonaut This Fall
NASA has announced that they plan to launch their R2 Robonaut into orbit in September, making it the first robo-humanoid resident of the International Space Station. Before launch, the robot/slayer of the human race will be thoroughly tested in conditions ranging from vacuum, low gravity and high radiation. Sure, he might be displaying amazingly good will for now. Just don’t ...
Read More »Take a Tour of the International Space Station
Best0fScience produced this amazing video tour of the entire piss-drinking International Space Station, detailing all of the nooks and nodes of the most diplomatic spacecraft in the known universe. This thing is huge, much bigger and windier than I had ever anticipated. Be warned that the multi-dimensional construction of the ISS leads to some serious nausea-inducing moments, complete with handheld ...
Read More »Earth and Jupiter Caught in Same Wide Angle Shot
Check out this snap taken by the Mars Global Surveyor on May 22, 2003. Every so often the planets align so that both Jupiter, Earth and the moon can all be captured in one wide angle breathtaking shot. Hit the jump to see where the planets were located when this shot was taken.
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