All articles tagged with #space history
A historic 26-meter radio telescope in North Carolina, originally built for NASA's space tracking in 1962 and later used for military and intelligence purposes, is now for sale. The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) owns the site, which continues to support space research and education, and is seeking partners to help preserve its mission while exploring new uses, including private sector collaborations.
The episode commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Mariner 4 mission, which was the first to successfully send back images of Mars, revealing its dry, cratered surface and changing our understanding of the Red Planet.
The article discusses the rejected Apollo-Soyuz mission patch designed by Paul Calle, the history of the various patches used for the mission, and a recent revival of Calle's original design by his son Chris Calle, who aims to bring the artwork back to life through limited-edition embroidered patches.
Billionaire Jared Isaacman, known for his role in the Inspiration4 mission, has made the largest private donation in the U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation's history. The funds will support the restoration of rare missile-related artifacts and upgrades at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum. The donation will help preserve significant pieces like the Subroc missile, Big Shot Shroud, and ARCAS weather rocket launcher, and will also fund new exhibits and future expansions.
United Launch Alliance (ULA) launched its final Delta IV Heavy rocket, marking the end of a 64-year history of Delta rocket launches. The rocket carried a classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and ignited a unique spectacle due to hydrogen buildup in the flame trench. ULA is retiring the Delta IV in favor of its newly introduced Vulcan rocket, designed specifically for national security space missions. The Delta rocket family has a storied legacy, with various versions and configurations contributing to significant space exploration milestones, and only a few Delta rockets are preserved in museums and rocket parks today.
Space Center Houston, the visitors' hub for NASA's Johnson Space Center, is filled with space history, including a flown Mercury program capsule, the Gemini 5 spacecraft, and Apollo 17's command module. The museum also features a moon rock display, a lunar module test vehicle, and a lunar roving vehicle trainer. The shuttle carrier aircraft, which used to ferry the spacecraft between servicing sites on Earth, is also on display. The Artemis program exhibit includes a ginormous moon model and a picture of Jessica Watkins, the first Black woman astronaut to complete a long-duration mission. The Artemis 2 crew, which will fly around the moon no sooner than November 2024, was announced on April 3.
As Starship's orbital test flight approaches, it may take multiple attempts to get Booster 7 and Ship 24 off the ground. This article looks at some of the aborts and scrubs that have occurred in space history, including those of the Saturn V, N1, Energia, Space Shuttle, and SLS. Starship has already experienced on-pad aborts during suborbital tests, but no orbital launch attempt has been made yet. The vehicle is equipped with an autonomous flight termination system, meaning it will destroy itself if specific parameters reach a critical threshold.