Space Programs
NASA, Soviet and Russian space programs and the International Space Station
Making a Smoother (and Speedier) Airplane
Within months of its first flight, August Bellanca's Skyrocket II set five world speed records.
July 2012 |
By George C. Larson, Member, NAA
The Inquisitive Astronaut
Don Pettit turns his curiosity—and his camera—loose on board the International Space Station.
May 23, 2012 |
By The Editors
The Flight of the Dragon
If things go according to plan Saturday, the world will witness SpaceX launch its first Dragon cargo supply mission to the International Space Station.
May 15, 2012 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Space History Items Bring $1 Million
To buy a piece of space history, you need plenty of cash.
May 03, 2012 |
By Rebecca Maksel
A Saturn V’s Final Journey: From Mildew to Museum
A new book recounts (sort of) the difficult restoration of a deteriorating Saturn V.
May 01, 2012 |
By Heather Goss
The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers*
The legal status and ownership of resources harvested from space are unclear. How does such uncertainty affect our plans to exploit them?
May 01, 2012 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Discovery Joins the National Air and Space Museum
Two space shuttles parked nose-to-nose today; one leaving its museum home and the other ready to take its place.
April 19, 2012 |
By Heather Goss
Analogy for Space: Aviation or Seafaring?
Is space travel more like aviation or sea faring? It depends on your mission.
April 13, 2012 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Thursday Night is Yuri’s Night
How will you celebrate human spaceflight on April 12?
April 11, 2012 |
By Heather Goss
Lake Vostok, Europa, and Washington
Cool new concept for a Europa lander! Wish we could afford it.
March 30, 2012 |
By Tony Reichhardt
Buzz Lightyear’s New Home
A well-traveled toy enters the Smithsonian collection.
March 29, 2012 |
By Rebecca Maksel
A Scientific Dispute
A scientific dust-up, featuring raw data and bare knuckles. Who and what should we believe?
March 27, 2012 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Legacy of a Space Titan
Wernher von Braun was born one hundred years ago, but his blueprint for space exploration still has relevance today.
March 22, 2012 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Ghosts of Gemini
Forgotten photos show the human face of NASA's early astronaut program.
March 20, 2012 |
By Tony Reichhardt
Can We Repurpose Space Assets?
A lost Russian communications satellite has the potential to teach us about operations on the Moon.
March 19, 2012 |
By Paul D. Spudis
How the Mars Community Shot Itself in the Foot
Ask for a lot and perhaps get a little. But ask for too much and you may end up with nothing.
March 08, 2012 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Double the Space Budget?
Neil Tyson wants to double NASA's budget. Would that solve the problem with America's space program?
March 01, 2012 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Moonset in Space
Here's something you can only see in Earth orbit.
February 02, 2012 |
By Tony Reichhardt
Clickable Space Exploration
A handy interactive map shows what lies ahead in space over the next decade.
February 01, 2012 |
By Heather Goss
