Orbital Spacecraft
Satellites, shuttles and space stations
How the Spaceship Got Its Shape
In the 1950s Harvey Allen solved the problem of atmospheric entry. But first he had to convince his colleagues.
November 2009 |
By Andrew Chaikin
Spin Doctors
For that satellite dish on your roof and the phone calls you make to Japan, you can thank Harold Rosen.
September 2009 |
By Guy Gugliotta
Secret Space Shuttles
When you’re 200 miles up, it’s easy to hide what you’re up to.
August 2009 |
By Michael Cassutt
The Fourth Crewmember
Armed with their checklists, the Apollo astronauts literally read themselves to the moon.
July 20, 2009 |
By Matthew Hersch
SpaceX joins the big leagues
It's probably premature to declare SpaceX an established launch company on the basis of yesterday's successful orbiting of Malaysia's Razaksat satellite (see video below). I doubt they'll want to gloat too long, given the technical and financial risks inherent in the rocket business, and the diffic...
July 14, 2009 |
By Tony Reichhardt
Why do NASA launch times depend on lighting conditions?
It's all about the solar beta angle.
July 14, 2009 |
By Michael Klesius
The Shuttle in a Different Light
The space shuttle glows in photographs taken by one of its own technicians.
July 13, 2009 |
By The Editors
Hubble Favorites
A National Air and Space Museum astronomer picks some of his favorite images from the storied telescope.
May 22, 2009 |
By Rebecca Maksel
What would you say to an alien?
In 1982, the year E.T. The Extraterrestrial ruled at the box office, another, less heralded movie about aliens came out—John Carpenter's remake of The Thing, starring Kurt Russell. In the first film, a kind-hearted, magical being appears on Earth, works miracles, then ascends into the heavens with ...
May 18, 2009 |
By Tony Reichhardt
Is It Safe?
The first company with a plan—and a rocket—to send humans to orbit answers the existential question.
May 2009 |
By Michael Milstein
How to build a satellite in three days
Small satellites used to be all the rage. Now, to be really cutting edge, they have to be fast, too, as in fast to build, test, and launch."Operationally responsive" is military-speak for fast: Field commanders want spacecraft that can return images and other data quickly from some hot spot they'd ...
April 28, 2009 |
By Tony Reichhardt
Two-Timer
Where do you take your next vacation after you’ve been to space? If you’re billionaire Charles Simonyi, you go back.
February 19, 2009 |
By Irene Klotz
A Smashing Success
How the Ranger probes’ moon crashes helped pave the way for Apollo.
January 21, 2009 |
By Paul Hoversten
A Cameraman on Mars
If you really want to know the planet, flip through Mike Malin’s photo album.
January 2009 |
By Andrew Chaikin
Weightless Workouts
A new fitness machine on the space station brings astronaut exercise into the 21st century
December 31, 2008 |
By airspacemag.com
To Boldly Go
Sending Apollo 8 to the moon was a risky mix of cold war politics, bravery, and the faith of one man, George Low, in his engineers.
December 19, 2008 |
By Michael Klesius
