Yesterday's liftoff of the Europa Clipper at 12:06 p.m. EDT on its way to search for life on Europa, the ocean moon of Jupiter.

Thank you Bill Anders!

Traveling through space on Apollo 8 with fellow astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, William Anders was one of the first three humans to leave Earth's orbit and one of the first three humans to orbit the Moon. He died on June 7th in the San Juan Islands of Washington state at age 90 when the plane he was piloting accidentally crashed near Jones Island. 

Photo credit: NASA.

Bill Anders took the famous "Earthrise" photo of the Earth rising over the lunar landscape. That photo is one of the most well-known photos in modern history, and almost immediately became an iconic symbol for the environmental movement. 

"Earthrise" -  Photo credit: William Anders, Apollo 8, NASA (December 24, 1968)

To learn more about Bill Anders' amazing life, see the following video and links:

NASA Administrator Remembers Apollo Astronaut William Anders

William A. Anders

Thank You Frank Borman!

Former astronaut Frank Borman died on November 7, 2023 in Billings Montana at the age of 95. He was commander of the Apollo 8 mission which was the first mission taking humans beyond earth orbit and the first mission with humans going into orbit around the moon. This was the mission that produced the famous photo of earth rising over the moon's surface ("Earthrise"). He also commanded the Gemini 7 mission which, with the Gemini 6 mission, conducted the first rendezvous in space. He had many other accomplishments in his life and you can read about them on the following links:

 

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-administrator-honors-life-of-apollo-astronaut-frank-borman/

https://www.nasa.gov/former-astronaut-frank-borman/

Astronaut Frank Borman, mission commander, shown during the Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission. 
Print made from movie film. December 21, 1968. Image credit: NASA

Frank Borman during a phone call from U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson
prior to the launch of Apollo 8. December 21, 1968. Photo credit: NASA

The Apollo 8 crew in front of the Apollo Space Vehicle. 
Frank Borman, commander, James A Lovell, Jr. command module pilot,
William A. Anders, lunar module pilot. October 9, 1968. Photo credit: NASA

Astronaut Frank Borman, command pilot on the Gemini 7 mission, performing
visual acuity tests during the mission. December 18, 1965. Photo credit: NASA 

Portrait of Astronaut Frank Borman. September 10, 1964. Photo credit: NASA

 

Famous "Earthrise" photo taken during Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission.
December 24, 1968. Photo credit: Astronaut William Anders, NASA.

Video of Images from NASA's Orion Spacecraft as it Takes its Trip Around the Moon!

Artemis 1 Launches, Sending Orion to the Moon

Photo Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls (click on image to enlarge it)

Artemis 1, the most powerful rocket in the world to ever successfully fly, launches on Wednesday November 16, 2022 sending Orion to the Moon. Check out this NASA news release about the mission.

A short video of the launch

A longer video of the launch

Crew Dragon Launches on the Falcon 9 to the International Space Station - First American Launch of Astronauts Since 2011

Crew Dragon launches atop the Falcon 9 at 3:22 p.m. EDT on Saturday May 30, 2020. Photo Credit: NASA. 

NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley head up to the International Space Station in the Crew Dragon on the Falcon 9 for the first launch from American soil since 2011. The lift off was at 3:22 p.m. EDT May 30, 2020 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They docked successfully with the ISS on May 31, 2020 approximately 19 hours after reaching orbit. Below are some videos of the launch and of the arrival of the Crew Dragon at the ISS.

Today is the 20th Anniversay of the International Space Station!

Image Credit: NASA  (click on image to enlarge it)
(for huge enlargement go to the first link below and click on the image twice)

For more information on the 20th anniversay of the ISS see these links from NASA:
20 Years Ago, Construction Began on the International Space Station 
20 Years Ago, Space Station Construction Begins 

Launch of the Parker Solar Probe on a Delta IV Heavy Rocket

NASA's Parker Solar Probe mission launched on August 11th from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on its mission to study the Sun's corona. For information on the mission click here, and click on the video below to see the launch.

"Starman" in Orbit - Amazing views of Earth from SpaceX Spacecraft Briefly in Earth Orbit

On the very long video above, see lots of amazing views of Earth from orbit several thousand kilometers above earth from the SpaceX spacecraft with Elon Musk's old $100,000 cherry red Tesla Roadster with a dummy in its driver's seat named "Starman." After orbiting for a few hours after the launch yesterday, the spacecraft has since had a successful burn to take it out of Earth orbit and on its way towards Mars. It will continue indefinitely on an orbit that will keep it going around the sun and back again towards Mar's orbit and the asteroid belt.

Video of Launch of SpaceX "Falcon Heavy"

The launch takes place at about 20 minutes into the video. The beginning of the amazing touch down of two of the boosters on pads at Cape Canaveral starts at around 29 minutes into the video as they separate simultaneously from the spacecraft, with the actual touch down of the boosters at 38 minutes. 

Thank You Gene Cernan!

Eugene Cernan died this month on Monday, January 16, 2017.  He flew three times in space including two times to the moon.  He was the second American to walk in space and the last human to leave the lunar surface. For more information on Gene Cernan's life click here.

Euene Cernan in the Lunar Module After his Second Moon Walk on the Appollo 17 Mission.  Photo Credit: NASA

Eugene Cernan on his Second Moonwalk on the Appollo 17 Mission.  Photo Credit: NASA.

Thank You John Glenn!

Photo Credit:  NASA

Photo Credit:  NASA

Photo Credit:  NASA

John Glenn died last week on Thursday December 8, 2016 at age 95.  He was one of the original seven original American astronauts and on February 20, 1962 was the first American to orbit the Earth.  He also was the oldest person to fly in space when he lifted off on the space shuttle Discovery for almost 9 days on October 29, 1998.  Some of his many other accomplishments include being a fighter pilot in both World War II and the Korean War, being a test pilot setting a transcontinental speed record in 1957 and later serving four terms as a U.S. Senator.  For more information about John Glenn's amazing life see the link below:

Profile of John Glenn

Up It Goes to the Asteroid!

(For an explanation of the mission click on "YouTube" once video starts and see beneath video)
Click on the link below if video doesn't function.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULfQdFY9PQM 

Today is Asteroid Day!

Today is Asteroid Day.  Check out these videos produced for Asteroid Day!

Click on the link below if video doesn't function.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLzbX4PGfSjCG0O-6kN8aAYTFmQtCpIvcu&v=G0NhCzeebjI

Earthrise 2015

Image Credit: NASA / Goddard / Arizona State University

The image above was created from a series of images taken October 12, 2015 by the LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) when the LRO was about 83 miles above the moon's farside crater Compton.

Welcome Home Scott Kelly! - After 340 Days in Space, a New American Record!

A Scott Kelly selfie in the International Space Station's cupola on July 12, 2015.  Image Credit: NASA

It's Time to Get Serious About the Threat to Earth from Asteroids!

Click on the link below if video doesn't function:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x0POlNWGwE

Click on the link below if video doesn't function:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM4tL6AM_bo 

A Beautiful Launch of Expedition 46 to the Space Station

Photo Credit: NASA / Joel Kowsky
(click on photo to enlarge it)

Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko (Russia), Flight Engineer Tim Kopra (USA) and Flight Engineer Tim Peake (United Kingdom) launch to the International Space Station on the Soyuz TMA-19M rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday afternoon, December 15, 2015.

Photo Credit: NASA / Joel Kowsky

A camera on board the ISS captured the view below of the Soyuz climbing towards the Space Station.

Image Credit: NASA TV

In the below photo, the Expedition 46 Soyuz is approaching the ISS for docking on December 15, 2015. Commander Malenchenko had to manually dock the Soyuz after the automatic docking controls failed.

Photo Credit: NASA 

Check out the launch on this video:

Click on the link below if video doesn't function:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRsiUztBhkc

Spacewalking Astronaut's Selfie

Photo Credit: NASA 

Expedition 45 Commander Scott Kelly took this selfie on his first spacewalk on October 28, 2015.  Kelly, along with Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, is staying on the International Space Station 342 days, nearly a year.

"Dead" Skull-Shaped Comet Zips Past Earth on Halloween

Image Credits: NAIC-Arecibo/NSF 

The dead comet, named asteroid 2015 TB145, is approximately 2000 feet in diameter with a velocity of 35 km per second and is passing Earth at 1.3 lunar distances (302,000 miles) today - Halloween!  For more information on the comet see:  http://www.nasa.gov/feature/halloween-skies-to-include-dead-comet-flyby and https://www.facebook.com/notes/national-astronomy-and-ionosphere-center-arecibo-observatory/near-earth-asteroid-2015-tb145-passes-by-without-a-.