On this day in 1927, Gerard K. O’Neill (1927-1992) was born. O’Neill—physicist, author, inventor, space activist—was best known for his soaring ambitions for space colonization. He developed plans for building power plants in space and mining facilities on the Moon. In June 1975, he led a ten-week study of permanent space habitats at NASA's Ames Research Center. He later shifted his efforts toward privately funded space manufacturing and development. O’Neill’s work and passion for space colonization have had a significant and lasting impact on space development plans to this day.
Learn more about space settlement here: http://settlement.arc.nasa.gov/
On this day (February 5) in 1974, Mariner 10 flew by Venus—returning the 1st close-up images of our nearest neighbor. Data from the Mariner 10 helped us gain a better understanding the acid clouds of Venus. Passing Venus, Mariner 10 used the pull of Venus’s gravity to help it reach Mercury—making it the first spacecraft to do so. During the Mercury encounter Mariner 10 confirmed that the planet lacks an atmosphere and is cratered much like the Moon. After the unprecedented two-planet mission Mariner 10 wound up in an orbit around the Sun. Last contact was in March 1975.
See Mariner 10’s images of Venus and Mercury here:http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/Mariner%2B10
Astronaut Edward H. White II, pilot for the Gemini-Titan 4 (GT-4) spaceflight, floats in the zero-gravity of space in this image from June 3, 1965, as he makes the first U.S. spacewalk. White wears a specially designed spacesuit. His face is shaded by a gold-plated visor to protect him from unfiltered rays of the sun. In his right hand he carries a Hand-Held Self-Maneuvering Unit (HHSMU) that gives him control over his movements in space. White also wears an emergency oxygen ...
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Forty-nine years ago today (February 4, 1967), Lunar Orbiter 3 launched. Designed primarily to photograph areas of the lunar surface for confirmation of safe landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo missions, Lunar Orbiter 3 was also equipped to collect selenodetic, radiation intensity, and micrometeoroid impact data. 149 medium resolution and 477 high resolution photos were captured. These photos helped the Lunar Orbiter program to make an an impressive achievement—return photography of 99% of the surface of the Moon with a resolution down to 1 meter. Having successfully completed its mission, Lunar Orbiter 3 crashed into the surface of the Moon on October 9, 1967.
See Lunar Orbiter 3 photos here: http://www.moonviews.com/lunar-orbiter-3-images/
On this day in 2006, the ISS crew released a retired Orlan spacesuit rigged with a radio transmitter into orbit around the Earth. The suit was deployed to test a novel idea—use old spacesuits as satellites. Before launch, Frank Bauer of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center commented, “We’ve equipped a Russian Orlan spacesuit with three batteries, a radio transmitter, and internal sensors to measure temperature and battery power. As SuitSat circles Earth, it will transmit its condition to the ground.” People all over the world were challenged to tune in to SuitSat’s signal. SuitSat ceased transmitting signals after 2 orbits, due to battery failure.
Watch SuitSat drift away from the ISS here:http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/gif/spaceship.gif
Today (February 2) in 2006, the Deep Impact science team reported the first observation of water on the surface of a comet. The comet-hunting Deep Impact probe was designed with two parts: a “flyby” and an “impactor” probe. As you may guess, the “impactor” probe was essentially a projectile, designed for collision with the Temple 1 comet. After the “impactor” collided with the comet and produced a football-field-sized crater, the “flyby” probe collected images of the destructive impact--images that helped deduce the presence of water on the comet's surface.
Learn more here: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/deepimpact/main/…
Thirteen years ago today, on February 1, 2003, all hands aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia were lost as the crew of STS-107 descended from orbit toward Kennedy Space Center. It was a Saturday and the Shuttle broke up 16 minutes prior to the planned touchdown. The accident happened over east Texas at 8:59 am EST. The image of the crew (below) was taken while they were in orbit. In blue shirts, from left: Dave Brown, Willie McCool, Michael Anderson. In red shirts, from left, Kalpana Chawla, Rick Husband, Laurel Clark, and Ilan Ramon.
Learn more: http://history.nasa.gov/columbia/
On this day (January 31) in 1971, Apollo 14—the third mission to land on the Moon—launched. Five days later, the spacecraft landed in the Fra Mauro highlands, the same area that was to have been explored by Apollo 13. The objectives of the mission were to investigate the lunar surface, deploy and activate an Apollo lunar surface experiments package, further develop the ability to work in a lunar environment, and obtain photographs of candidate exploration areas. Data from the mission helped to determine the approximate age of the Mare Imbrium—one of the largest craters in the solar system—as 4.25 billion years.
See Apollo 14’s landing on the Moon here: https://youtu.be/oZZe-xXx9_o?t=668
