Assignments
SpaceSunday, July 10, 2011 at 10:12 pm
Mrs. AdamsRead about the recent space missions and write about whether or not space missions should continue to occur or not. What is your opinion on spending money on space exploration? Remember to use details from the text to support your opinion.
Shuttle Discovery's Adventure In Space
When the crew of Shuttle Discovery left for space on Tuesday, October 23rd, they knew that their work at the International Space Station was going to be challenging. However, they could have never anticipated (expected), the unexpected challenge they had to overcome. Read on for Discovery's adventure in Space.
Space Shuttle Atlantis finally blasts off
After months of delay, Space Shuttle Atlantis finally blasted off into space yesterday, carrying with it Europe's gift to the International Space Station, a $2 billion (US Dollars), science lab named Columbus.
Video Of The Week - Discovery Blasts Off To Space
After several delays, Space Shuttle Discovery, finally left for the International Space Station on Sunday evening at 7.43 pm, in what can only be described as a picture perfect launch.
Space Shuttle Atlantis Launches With Some Slimy Passengers
On Monday, Space Shuttle Atlantis blasted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center, carrying with it, six astronauts, 30,000 pounds of pumps, numerous tanks of nitrogen, ammonia and oxygen and . . . . . . 4,000 slithery worms!
World's First Private Spacecraft Launches (And Returns) Successfully
Hawthorne, California based space rocket developer Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), made history on December 8th, for not only successfully launching the first privately funded Spacecraft into Space, but also, guiding it back down to Earth safely.
NASA's Discovery Shuttle Retires After 39 Successful Missions
On Wednesday March 9th, shortly before midday, Discovery, NASA's most traveled Space Shuttle gracefully landed at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, after successfully completing it's 39th and final mission - A 13-day trip to the International Space Station to deliver a new storage compartment with supplies and, a legless humanoid robot.
NASA's MESSENGER Successfully Enters Mercury's Orbit
It took NASA's spacecraft, MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, Geochemistry and Ranging, AKA MESSENGER, six and a half years and some clever maneuvering - But on Thursday March 17th, the unmanned spacecraft made history by successfully entering the 12 hour elliptical orbit of our solar system's innermost planet, Mercury.
Why NASA Scientists Are Heading Underwater
Whenever we hear about a NASA mission, it is normally to a destination that lies beyond our atmosphere - However, a team of scientists is currently preparing for an underwater mission and this, is not the first time they have done it.
Lucky Few Witness Partial Eclipse Of The Midnight Sun
Solar eclipses, which occur when the moon comes in between the earth and the sun, are always fun to watch - So you can only imagine how cool it must have been to watch one unfold at midnight.
A Rare Peek Inside Space Shuttle Discovery
It has been on 39 missions, completed 5,830 orbits, flown 148 million miles and spent 395 days in Space - Now NASA's flagship Space Shuttle Discovery, is getting ready for its last journey to Smithsonian's Air and Space museum in Washington D.C.
Shuttle Atlantis Lifts Off For Final Mission
Over the last 30-years, we have all become so accustomed to watching NASA's spectacular shuttle launches, that we often take it for granted. Unfortunately, like all good things this too, has come to an end.
Earth's Elusive 'Trojan' Asteroid Is Finally Spotted
A team of scientists led by Martin Conner from Canada's Athabasca University have finally spotted what has been eluding scientists for centuries - Earth's very own 'Trojan' asteroid - One that share its orbit around the sun, but travels at a stable point ahead or behind, so that there is never any danger of colliding with it.
Water On Mars?
Ever since the beginning of time, people have known that planet Earth has plenty of water, but find running water in other planets has been a little elusive - Until now! On August 5th, NASA scientists revealed that they had found dozens of dark streaks on the surface of Mars that they believe are a result of running water.
Coming To Town This Weekend - A Spectacular Meteor Show
Every year around this time, earthlings are treated to a spectacular meteor shower that is like none other - This year is no exception and for those willing to get up in the wee hours of the morning, there is an added bonus!
NASA's Kepler Spacecraft Discovers Dark Alien Planet
Launched by NASA in 2009, the Kepler Spacecraft's main mission is to scout the Milky Way galaxy for planets similar to ours. Besides finding some intersting prospects, the spacecraft has also been able to detect a few other interesting celestial objects. However, few are as intriguing as its latest find - A mysterious dark alien planet that NASA scientists call TrES-2b.
Astronomers Make A 'Gem' Of A Discovery - A Diamond Planet
Just a few weeks ago, NASA's Kepler Spacecraft revealed a dark alien planet - Now, a collaboration of scientists from all over the world have announced something even more exciting - A diamond planet!
This Friday - Watch Out For The Satellite Debris Freefalling From Space!
Over the years we have sent so many unreturnable rockets, satellites and other devices to the outer atmostphere, that 'Space Junk' is becoming a big concern among the experts, given that they could freefall to earth any time - This week, their worst fears will be realized.
Phew! We Dodged Another Falling Satellite!
The threat of dead satellites freefalling from Space seems to have become a regular event these days. A month ago, it was American satellite UARS. Last weekend, we were all waiting to see where German satellite ROSAT would end up - Turns out that it too landed, without causing any casualties.
Mercury - More Than A Dead Rock Revolving Around The Sun!
Mercury, the smallest and innermost of all planets has always been thought to be rather dull, one where no evolution takes place. Besides the fact that it has no atmosphere and a strong iron core, It's most exciting feature was the narrow ridges that scientists believed evolved millions of years ago, when the planet was first formed - Now it turns out, there may be more to this tiny mysterious planet, than meets the eye.
Mock Mission To Mars Is A Success
On June 3rd 2010, six brave astronauts bid adieu to their family and friends and launched off to Mars - This of course was not an actual mission to the Red Planet, but a simulated journey that entailed confining them inside a sealed five-capsule 1000sq.ft. unit, for 520 days.
Earth's Close Encounter With A Giant Asteroid Happens Tonight!
The last few months have been quite exciting for Space scientists. First there were the two free falling satellites and now there is a giant asteroid that is making its way towards earth
Video Of The Week - Lego Man Goes To Space
It seems as though Lego man are popping up everywhere - First there was the giant mysterious one that washed ashore in Florida and now this one that has 'flown' all the way to Space. Fortunately in this case, there is no mystery as to how he got there.
Trash . . . . . In Space?
Space is where our future is - Trips to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Most people would think that aside from a few meteors, asteroids, planets, comets and stars there is little else to stand in our way. But, over the last 55 years as humans have been venturing out in space they have left so many debris that scientists are now concerned that if we don't do something to clean it up, we may all be in mortal danger.
Video Of The Week - Felix Baumgartner's First Test Dive From Space Is A Success!
Sometime this year, Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner plans to do what no human has done before - free fall from the edge of Space - 23 miles (120,000 ft.) above the surface of earth. On Thursday March 15th, the daredevil came one step closer to fulfilling his dream with a successful test dive, from a height of 13.6 miles (71,581 ft.).
Astronauts Forced To Take Refuge From . . . . . Space Junk!
Never has the danger of the man-made debris floating around in Space been more apparent than on Saturday March 24th, when the six residents of the International Space Station (ISS) were forced to take refuge from a piece, that was heading their way.
Will Blowing Air At Space Help Clean Up Debris?
Thanks to the consecutive issues with falling Space debris and the recent near miss by NASA scientists, removing Space junk is rapidly becoming a top priority for scientists all over the world. There are currently a number of possible solutions in the works, ranging from a Space vacuum cleaner to a custom-built Janitor satellite.
Space Shuttle Discovery Hitches A Ride To Washington D.C.
On April 17th, NASA's oldest surviving and hardest working Space Shuttle, Discovery took off one last time from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. However, this was not a typical launch off into Space, but a rather tame flight piggybacked above a modified NASA 747 to the retired Shuttle's final resting place at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Virginia.
Video Of The Week - A Bird's Eye View Of Earth From Space
One of the coolest things about orbiting around the Earth in the International Space Station must be the magnificent view, which changes almost every second. Now, thanks to sophisticated cameras these have been captured and compiled into a stunning time-lapse video for those of us not fortunate or old enough, to be astronauts.
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope Detects 'Super-Earth' Exoplanet
For the first time ever, scientists have been able to detect a light from an alien 'Super-Earth'- A class of planets that are bigger than earth, but lighter than giant planets like Neptune. Called the 55 Cancri e, it is one of five-planets that orbit around their star, 55 Cancri.
Lift Off! World's First Commercial Spacecraft Heads To The International Space Station
On Tuesday May 22nd, at 3.44 am Eastern Standard Time scientists at Florida's Kennedy Space Center celebrated five decades of Space adventure with an unprecedented event - The launch of the first privately built spacecraft.
The Dragon Has Landed! SpaceX Capsule Is Back From Its History-Making Space Mission
In the wee hours of Tuesday May 22nd, NASA scientists counted down the launch of SpaceX Dragon, the world's first privately built spacecraft. Given the number of things that could have gone wrong, even the experts were not sure the mission would be a success. However, everything worked like a charm and the Dragon re-entered earth on Thursday morning with a big splash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, about 500 miles off the coast of Baja California, Mexico.
NASA's Next-Gen Z1 Space Suit - Not Quite The Epitome Of Fashion, But Definitely More Versatile
If the current space suits worn by astronauts seem a little cumbersome and unwieldy, they are. That's because in order to protect the explorers, the suit has to be able to withstand extreme temperatures, space debris and be equipped with a rather bulky Primary Life Support Subsystem - A survival kit for astronauts that contains amongst other things, an oxygen tank, a device to get rid of the exhaled carbon dioxide, a battery, a radio and even a warning system in case the space walker needs to be rescued.
Space Pioneer Neil Armstrong, Passes Away
On Saturday August 25th, 43 years after he made history by becoming the first person to step on the moon, NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong passed away from complications attributed to a heart surgery he underwent earlier this month. Given the fact that the Cincinnati resident had been reported to be doing well following the procedure, the news came as a big shock to his millions of worldwide fans.
This Tuesday, Watch Live As Felix Baumgartner Leaps From The Edge Of Space
On Tuesday October 9th, people all over the world will watch with abated breath as 43-year-old Austrian Skydiver Felix Baumgartner attempts his history-making jump from the edge of Space. If successful, he will break four records including, the first man to break the speed of sound in a free fall.Join Class
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