The Compass: Space ~ Historian Fact

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The Compass: Space

October 10, 2020 No comments

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Space

For thousands of years humans have looked up into the night sky with wonder and amazement. In just the last six decades we have been sending people to explore the vastness that is space. In this unique edition, we travel beyond the confines of Earth to discover what the future of spaceflight holds, hear from Apollo 8’s commander about the sights and sounds of the space age, and learn why NASA plans to slam a spacecraft into an asteroid.
Let’s explore space.

SCIENCE

OWEN FREEMAN

The future of spaceflight—from orbital vacations to humans on Mars

NASA aims to travel to the moon again—and beyond. Here’s a look at the 21st-century race to send humans into space.

Dark higher-altitude clouds obscure the brighter mid-altitude clouds in this image of Venus taken by an infrared camera on board Japan's Akatsuki Venus Climate Orbiter. Phosphine gas detected in the temperate mid-altitude clouds is teasing scientists with a possible signature for life.

FALSE COLOR PHOTO BY JAXA / ISAS / DARTS / DAMIA BOUIC

Possible sign of life on Venus stirs up heated debate

“Something weird is happening” in the clouds of the planet next door—but some experts are raising doubts about the quality of the data.

A Japanese H-IIA rocket lifts off with the Hope spacecraft, a Mars orbiter developed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in the United Arab Emirates.

PHOTOGRAPH BY THE YOMIURI SHIMBUN VIA AP IMAGES

First Mars mission from UAE aims to inspire a new generation of space scientists

The Hope orbiter will arrive in February 2021 to begin a two-year survey of the weather on the red planet.

DART, NASA's first planetary defense mission, will demonstrate asteroid deflection by crashing the spacecraft, built by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), into an asteroid at roughly 14,500 miles per hour.

ILLUSTRATION BY NASA/JOHNS HOPKINS APL

Why NASA plans to slam a spacecraft into an asteroid

The DART mission will intentionally crash into a space rock to test the technologies we may need to save the world.

NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy gazes out the cupola of the International Space Station in August 2013, during his stint aboard the orbiting laboratory as the Expedition 36 flight engineer.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NASA

Stuck in a cramped space? This astronaut has some advice.

Chris Cassidy is about to spend six months on the ISS. He knows a thing or two about living in a small space.

In this image published in the January 1965 issue of National Geographic magazine, astronaut Frank Borman is being put into a spacesuit. Borman served as an astronaut aboard the 1965 Gemini 7 mission, and in December 1968, Borman commanded the Apollo 8 mission.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALBERT MOLDVAY, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Apollo 8's commander reflects on the sights and sounds of the space age

Listen to astronaut Frank Borman narrate a gripping account of the space race—and get his thoughts on the future of space exploration.

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Astronaut Harrison Schmitt bounds toward the lunar rover during the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972, the last time humans set foot on the moon. Editor's Note: This image is part of a panorama that NASA created from 18 photos. To show how the lunar landscape looked to the astronauts, NASA removed lens flare from sunlight by blacking out the sky.

NASA/LUNAR AND PLANETARY INSTITUTE

Countdown to a new era in space

Fifty years ago astronauts walked on the moon for the first time. Apollo 11’s success—just 66 years after the Wright brothers’ first flight—showcased humankind’s moxie and ingenuity. Now the moon is in our sights again, for a generation that will test where science meets profit.

ILLUSTRATION BY MALIKA FAVRE

Here’s why women may be the best suited for spaceflight

Physically and mentally, women have the right stuff for expeditions into deep space. So why send male astronauts at all?

An all new scripted Original Series on Disney+, The Right Stuff brings the stories of early American astronauts to life, celebrating the limitless possibility that space exploration inspires. Allow yourself to be Starstruck by the mysteries of the unknown, learn about the astronauts of today, and wonder where in the universe we are going next.

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HISTORY

NASA astrochimp Ham, left, bares his teeth on January, 31, 1961, as a Mercury flight propels him 156 miles above Earth. Ham and other high-flying animals blazed a trail for U.S. astronauts like John Glenn, right, who braved the rigors of liftoff a year later.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NASA

A brief history of human spaceflight - 1961 to present

Humans have been flying to space for nearly six decades—from Yuri Gagarin’s first flight above Earth’s atmosphere to the construction and inhabitation of the International Space Station.

Protected by the 450-foot-high walls of the Stratobowl, the helium-filled Explorer II research balloon is inflated before its record-setting ascent on November 11, 1935.

PHOTOGRAPH BY H. LEE WELLS, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

The birthplace of the space age isn’t where you think

Scientists riding balloons in a remote region of the U.S. collected vital data used by NASA to get humans into orbit.

On June 18, 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly in space when the space shuttle Challenger launched on mission STS-7. As one of the three mission specialists on the mission, Ride played a vital role in helping the crew deploy communications satellites, conduct experiments, and make use of the first Shuttle Pallet Satellite. In this image, she sits in the aft flight deck mission specialist's seat during deorbit preparations.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NASA

How Sally Ride blazed a trail for women in space

In June 1983, this barrier-breaking astronaut overcame discriminatory policies—and a sexist society—as the first American woman to launch into orbit.

TRAVEL

DREAM NOW, GO LATER

The SpaceX Falcon Heavy launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on February 6, 2018—an important first step to eventually send crews of travelers.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JIM WATSON, GETTY IMAGES

Are billionaires' space travel plans out of touch with reality?

The space tourism industry is developing–but travelers may not be interested.

Astronaut Randy Bresnik has traveled to the International Space Station in 2009 and 2017. During those trips, he and his crew snapped 808,126 photographs of Earth—including some places he’d later visit in person.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL INGALLS, NASA

Where do astronauts go on vacation?

You can build quite a bucket list by seeing Earth from 250 miles away. Just ask astronaut Randy Bresnik.

A sunrise over the blue planet taken from the International Space Station.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF NASA

'Luxury space hotel' could cater to travelers by 2022

Soon after launch in 2021, the startup Orion Span hopes to send up extraterrestrial condos to capitalize on open space.

WHERE WILL WE JOURNEY TO NEXT?

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