At 10:10 EST on March 1st the SpaceX Falcon 9s Merlin engines roared into life lofting the Dragon capsule into orbit. Both first and second stages performed perfectly before a problem was encountered with the thrusters on the Dragon capsule.
Fortunately these issues were overcome by recycling the control valves and the Dragon capsule went on to rendezvous and berth with the International Space Station successfully.
The new Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit was named yesterday and surprise, surprise it is to be called “Space Shuttle Atlantis”. They also announced the Grand Opening Day to the public as being 29th June 2013.
With just 128 days to go the $100,000,000 project is on track to be ready in time and features an impressive frontage. Access to the exhibit building is via a sweeping path made of embedded crawlerway pebbles, under the twin SRBs and External tank. Once in the building you will be taken through a series of exhibits and theatres before one last huge theatre and access to the last resting place of Space Shuttle Atlantis. READ MORE »
Video credit : NASA
This is the edited NASA video from todays Atlas V rocket launch from Vandenberg AFB in California. The Atlas rocket carried the latest Landsat satellite LDCM into a polar orbit.
On February 1st 2003 communications with the Space Shuttle Columbia STS-107 were lost at 8:52 as the spacecraft broke up on re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere just 16 minutes from home. Ten years on members of the space community gathered at the Space Memorial Mirror at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to pay respects and remember the crews of Columbia, Challenger and Apollo 1.
Our video is an unedited record of the ceremony, with BeBe Winans, Thad Altman, Mick Ukleja, Jon McBride, Evelyn Husband-Thompson, Eileen Collins, Bob Cabana, Bill Gerstenmaier, Robert Lightfoot Jr and Sandra Anderson.
STS-107 : Rick D Husband, William C McCool, David M Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Michael P Anderson, Laurel B Clark, Ilan Ramon
STS-51-L : Greg Jarvis, Christa McAuliffe, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee
Apollo 1 : Guss Grissom, Edward H White II, Roger B Chaffee
This video shows the power of the new GoPro Hero 3 Black with the 720p120 mode. We recorded the Atlas V launch at 120 frame rate then conformed the video to 720p30 instantly getting 1/4 speed with no loss of information. This was not quite slow enough for us so we cut the speed by 50% giving us 1/8th real time.
The quality of the video is stunning and you can clearly see the deluge of the water system, followed by the green coloured sparks of the ignition. With the rocket engine ignited the exhaust spews out of the flame trench, before the rocket is finally released and starts to climb into the sky.
Yesterdays Atlas V launch went like a dream. For the first time in a while we had just about perfect conditions for a launch and our video cameras managed to record some great footage.
The Video below shows the launch from the viewpoints of our GoPro cameras. For the first time we are using the new GoPro Hero 3 which gives not only great colours and contrast, but also lossless slow motion.
The second part of the video shows the Atlas V launch at 1/4 speed. Here you can quite clearly see the sequence of events leading up to the launch.
RBSP spacecraft stacked on top of an Atlas V rocket (credit NASA)
The next launch from Kennedy Space Center will be the Radiation Belt Storm Probe mission from NASA. Ever since the first rockets were launched back in 1958 rocket scientists were aware of the radiation belts, but over 50 years on we still know little about them.
The Van Allen radiation belt is named after its discoverer James Van Allen, and consists of 2 donut shaped rings of highly energetic charged particles that surround the Earth. The belts are thought to be be created and maintained by capturing particles from the solar winds. The outer belt is comprised of charged electrons, whilst the inner belt contains both protons and electrons. The belts can vary in size dramatically dependant on the solar conditions.
The Radiation Belt Storm Probe (RBSP) mission is designed to examine the radiation belts and determine the effect that they have on both humans and spacecraft. It has been a well known fact the the radiation belts interfere with and can damage the sensitive electronics of spacecraft, particularly satellites that operate within them.
Continue to read more on the RBSP mission and view an introductory video and image gallery. READ MORE »
Endeavour in VAB after transfer
Yesterday saw the last switch of Space Shuttle orbiters as Endeavour left the OPF headed out to the VAB to be replaced by Atlantis. This will be the last time the two orbiters meet as Endeavour will head off to California on September 20th headed out to it’s final resting place at the California Science Center.
Endeavour was kitted out with the now familiar tail cone to improve aerodynamics during its up coming piggy back flight on top of the specially converted 747 known as the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). When she next leaves the 526 foot high VAB hanger the Shuttle will head out to the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) and the Mate/Demate device where it will be attached to the SCA.
Meanwhile Atlantis was headed back to the OPF for the final stages in the saving of its systems prior to being rolled over the the Kennedy Space Center on November 2nd. When the Shuttles are in flight trim they contain a lot of harmful toxins and other contaminants. The removal of these substances are required before the craft is deemed safe for people to visit.
While the Space Shuttles were playing switch-a-roo we had a camera recording a time-lapse video inside the VAB to watch Atlantis leave and a while later Endeavour arrive.
iPhone App: KSC Launch Pad now available!
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Are you visiting Kennedy Space Center? Do you want to see a rocket launch?
If so then KSC Launch Pad is the only app you will need. Using local knowledge it shows you the best places to watch from and identifies all the major points of interest in and arround Kennedy Space Center.
Available now from the Apple AppStore. Click here for more details...
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