Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 02:00PM Here's an amazing video of the recent Virgin Galactic feathered re-entry glide test - your opportunity to see how well the flight went is absolutely fantastic - awesome video! Congratulations all around to Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites for their great work and such excellent results!
Monday, May 16, 2011 at 12:14PM The bittersweet days of the Space Shuttle program resurfaced in a big way this morning as Endeavour lifted off on her final mission. For mission details, check out the NASA STS-134 overview page, and you might also like this NASA Endeavour tribute image gallery. Today's launch leaves just one more to go: STS-135 with Shuttle Atlantis.
I've also included two other launch videos from the past that are well worth seeing. The first one below is from April 12 1981 - the very first Shuttle launch ever with the orbiter Columbia. It's interesting to me how similar this first launch and the one this morning are. In the broadest sense, it appears little has changed in the launch process.
STS-1 is also interesting to me in that it carried only 2 crew members: John Young as commander and Robert Crippen as pilot. John Young has always been special to me - when I was 11 years old, I watched the Apollo 16 launch on April 16, 1972 with my dad from as close as we could get to the launch pad. I'll never forget the names of the 3-man crew... Young, Mattingly and Duke. John Young was the commander of Apollo 16 and the 9th man to walk on the moon. I also just located the 8mm movie my dad shot that day. If it turns out to have anything interesting on it, I'll post it to youtube.
STS-1 launch on April 12, 1981 with Columbia
And the last video below is from December 9, 2006 as Discovery launched at night. It's in HD, and while you don't see as much in a night launch, the view of the rocket on top of the massive fireball as it approaches and then passes thru the cloud layer is truly spectacular.
STS-116 night launch on December 9, 2006 with Discovery
For the mission currently underway, I say Godspeed to Endeavour and crew... as we also begin to look toward the final Shuttle mission ever, STS-135 scheduled for July 2011.
NASA, Shuttle, space, video Email Article Friday, April 29, 2011 at 08:04AM The final launch for the youngest of all Space Shuttles, Endeavour, and mission STS-134 is scheduled for 3:47pm EDT (19:47 GMT) today. This will leave just one launch left for the entire Shuttle program, STS-135 with Atlantis in late June, so you better be watching.
This video gives an excellent overview of this mission as well as the history of Endeavour. My favorite line from the video: "Let Freedom Roar."
Godspeed Endeavour... and indeed, before it's too late, "Let Freedom Roar."
Monday, March 28, 2011 at 10:46PM 
(click pic for hi-res) Incredible view of Shuttle Atlantis from the VAB roof (photo: NASA)
I just love a perspective that you don't normally get, and this CoolPix view looking down on Atlantis is definitely not your normal view. The pic is from several years back, and it's not actually at the launch pad but rather it's just beginning the journey from the massive Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) out to the pad. It is sitting on the Mobile Launcher Platform tho, which serves as the actual platform for launching. You can see the holes in the platform for the engine exhausts. This is a great photo to study and see things from a different point of view. I love it!
With only the fast approaching April 19th (scheduled) launch of Endeavour on STS-134, and then the final scheduled Shuttle flight of Atlantis on STS-135 in late June, now is the best time ever to be paying close attention to what these fantastic flying machines can do. Don't miss it!
Friday, March 4, 2011 at 12:58PM Ha! I just love writing fun titles for aviation posts! And this one is all very true... the people riding in this airliner without seats are clearly very happy. It's actually a really interesting study of human nature. Grown people acting like crazy kids simply because the force of gravity has been artificially removed. I guess it gives a shred of hope for humanity at a time when hope, apart from the Maker, is getting hard to find.
The people at ZERO-G seem to be doing pretty well these days at keeping their 727 (known as G-Force One) busy with a combination of scientific, educational, and just pure joy-ride flights. It's open to almost anyone these days, but you do need s small suitcase full of cash as the rides start at $4,950 each. A bit pricey indeed, but compared with a $200,000 ride with Virgin Galactic in SpaceShipTwo, you'll get about the same amount of cumulative weightlessness (around 6 minutes) and save $195,050 in the process! However, G-Force One (aka vomit comet) doesn't get very close to space... and the weightlessness isn't as authentic as Virgin Galactic will provide once they get up and running.
If you don't know how ZERO-G makes all this floatability happen, check out this well done graphic explanation from USA Today on zero g parabola flights. And if you're interested in picking an upcoming flight with ZERO-G Airlines, check out their reservations page and start packing that suitcase : )
The ZERO-G 727 used for serious and just pure fun weightless rides
Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 09:28PM Watch the X-37B (Atlas V) launch March 4, 2011 at ulalaunch.com
(launch period begins at 3:39pm EST)
Fast facts on the Boeing X-37B unmanned OTV (Orbital Test Vehicle)
With the Space Shuttle program only one landing and two full flights away from retirement, and with the Constellation manned program effectively pulled over to the side of the road, we’re likely to see a lot more emphasis on unmanned space vehicles. It’s interesting that as unmanned aircraft are just now becoming a significant part of aviation, ‘unmanned’ space vehicles have been part of space exploration for decades. Sure, it’s a little different controlling a flying machine in the atmosphere with real people for traffic compared to coasting along in the vast expanse of space with no one around, but expanding our efforts in space with more emphasis on machines-only isn’t such a bad idea.
Enter Boeing’s X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle operated by the U.S. Air Force. This very scaled down shuttle-like spacecraft is only a little over 29 feet long with a wingspan just short of 15 feet, but it’s still likely to be a pretty capable spaceplane. If only we really knew what it was being used for. That seems to be a bit of a mystery yet. And while it’s easy to imagine all kinds of shifty covert intentions, I must admit that I’m glad to know it exists and is operational in light of the fact that Shuttle is almost retired.
This is also a very interesting time as the second ever space flight for the X-37B is scheduled to launch out of Cape Canaveral on top of an Atlas V rocket on March 4, 2011. It’s actually the first flight for this particular vehicle, OTV-2, the second airframe to be built. The timing seems to fuel some thoughts about the fact that both Shuttle Discovery and the X-37B will be in space at the same time. Coincidence? You decide.
Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 09:15PM
Discovery's final launch a few days ago on February 24th went extremely well, which was a great sight to see on her last launch ever. With just Endeavour and Atlantis left to fly one last mission each, this is the perfect time to pay close attention to what's going on with the Shuttle program details. One great way is to monitor the live stream at nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv. This is an amazing resource of live action and fresh recorded material that takes you up close to the inner workings of launch control, mission control, and the astronauts on both the Shuttle and the ISS. Obviously a great resource for re-entry and landing as well... you can also keep an eye on this STS-133 page for landing schedule updates.
I've pulled together 4 different videos worth checking out, especially if you enjoy looking at the details of the launch process like I do. The first three offer different views of the launch of Discovery last Thursday, and the last one is a short but very close and loud IMAX segment of a previous launch.
The first one above is pretty amazing actually. It's taken from an airliner that was passing by that provided a great view and perspective of the rapid ascent of the Shuttle. I especially like how the cockpit makes the anouncement about the launch saying: "people on the right side of the airplane can see the Space Shuttle, and those of you on the left side of the aircraft can probably see the people on the right side of the aircraft looking at the Space Shuttle" (!)
3 more videos below
Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 12:08PM This outstanding video on the history of the Orbiter Discovery is a perfect lead-in to tomorrow's scheduled launch at 4:50 pm EST for her last flight. Discovery is a special member of the Space Shuttle fleet, and seeing her embark on her final flight is sure to be a very emotional time for the thousands of people who have made her a reality, and the many more of us who have watched her serve this nation since her first flight in 1984.
This nearly 16 minute video is a 'must see' if you have any interest at all in the Space Shuttle program. If you can't watch it now, come back when you have time. It's almost surely better than what you're likely to watch on TV tonight.
With Endeavour and Atlantis scheduled for their final flights later in the year, it won't be long before the Space Transportation System is fully retired. It seems we're still left wondering: what then?
Discovery, the oldest of the three remaining Space Shuttles
Monday, February 21, 2011 at 11:46PM (4 videos)
As Space Shuttle Discovery prepares for her final launch into space on this coming Thursday February 24th (STS-133), this is a great time to take a video look back at some of her travels. These videos are all from STS-121 that launched very patriotically on July 4, 2006. The first video of the launch has a nice collection of camera views and it gives a really good feel for the massive sound the Shuttle generates at liftoff.
The video below is the same launch, but viewed from inside the cockpit of the Orbiter. It begines a few minutes before launch, with main engine start right at the 3 minute mark. It's really interesting to see the crew during the launch sequence... and the initial bumpy ride that sitting on top of nearly 7 million pounds of thrust provides!
Sunday, February 20, 2011 at 09:59PM Pictures from the awesome Virgin Galactic flickr page
(click pic for hi-res) 'Have A Nice Day' where SpaceShipTwo attaches to WhiteKnightTwo
As Virgin Galactic continues to have success with the free flights of SpaceShipTwo, I thought it would be fun to take a nice close look at the area on the mothership (WhiteKnightTwo) where the space craft attaches... mostly because it says Have A Nice Day!
I find these kinds of details to be a very important connection to the reality of the human element - largely because no matter how complicated or challenging the tasks we seek to achieve, we're really all just human beings. It was really ccool to see that VG had this fab pic posted on their flickr page, and I figured you might enjoy seeing it! Be sure to click it to make it big so you can check out the details.
(click pic for hi-res) Virgin Galactic SS2 and WK2 over Spaceport America - Oct 2010
And this view of SpaceShipTwo attached to WhiteKnightTwo from back in October 2010, when the runway at Spaceport America in New Mexico was officially dedicated, gives an awesome view of these two very unique flying machines. According to the SS2 test summary page at Scaled Composites, 4 free flights have been made so far, with the most recent being on January 13, 2011. Here is the 'results' entry from that page for the flight: "All objectives achieved. Stall at aft CG. Evaluated flutter modifications to 250 KEAS. Envelope expanded to 3.8 g's. As part of the test objectives, the SS2 pilots vented water ballast just before coming in to land, which produced a visible contrail."
Godspeed Virgin Galactic.
