Satellites
IKAROS Unfurled
We had hoped that Japan's IKAROS solar sail would work as advertised, and it did. Here's an animated image of the fully deployed sail, taken by a "separation camera" from a short distance away.In other happenings:
The Hayabusa asteroid sample return capsule came home in spectacular style last wee...
June 17, 2010 |
By Tony Reichhardt
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
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
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
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
A Smashing Success
How the Ranger probes’ moon crashes helped pave the way for Apollo.
January 21, 2009 |
By Paul Hoversten
India Aims for the Moon
A U.S. scientist reports from the scene of India's first lunar launch.
October 21, 2008 |
By Paul D. Spudis
In the Museum: Second, But Still Up
Fifty years after launch, Vanguard 1 remains in orbit.
May 2008 |
By Rebecca Maksel
Satellite Smashers
Space-faring nations: Clean up low Earth orbit or you're grounded.
March 2008 |
By Tony Reichhardt
Satellite Shoot-Down
The Pentagon plans to knock one of our own out of the sky.
February 14, 2008 |
By Paul Hoversten
How Things Work: Chandra X-Ray
The Chandra X-Ray Telescope, explained.
January 2008 |
By Damond Benningfield
We Shocked the World
Nikita Khrushchev's son recalls the night Sputnik made history.
August 2007 |
By Sergei Khrushchev (Translated by Lyudmila Khomenko Chillico)
It All Started with Sputnik
An eminent space historian looks back on the first 50 years of space exploration.
July 2007 |
By Roger D. Launius
Can We Stop a Nuke?
From the impossible dream of a space-based shield, missile defense has come down to Earth. But will it work?
May 2007 |
By Ben Iannotta
STS-116: The Inside Guide
A tip sheet for following this week's space shuttle mission.
January 2007 |
By Tony Reichhardt
How small can satellites get and still be functional?
From Nanosats to Femtosats.
September 01, 2006 |
By Joe Pappalardo
