NASA Head Schools Senate Committee Chairman

         The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is a U.S.  government agency charged with responsibility for civilian space programs and research in aeronautics and aerospace. NASA was established in 1958 by President Eisenhower. Most U.S. space exploration has been carried out by NASA including the Apollo Moon landing, the Skylab space station and the Space Shuttle program. It is currently participating in the International Space Station project along with other nations.

Mars 2 - Space Probes Return Detailed Pictures of the Martian Surface

         Last week, I gave a general description of Mars and a brief history. Human fascination with Mars led to many attempts to send probes across interplanetary space to conduct a close examination of Mars and send pictures back to Earth. Interplanetary exploration is very complex and difficult.

NASA Presents Design For A Submarine to Explore Titans Polar Seas

      Titan is the largest moon of Saturn. It is also the only natural satellite of a planet in our solar system that has a dense atmosphere. It is also the only natural satellite where large stable bodies of liquid have been found on the surface. Titan is the second largest moon in the solar system. It is larger than the planet Mercury and fifty percent larger than the Earth's Moon.

A Variety of Systems Have Been Proposed To Remove Space Junk From Earth Orbit

         It is estimated that there are about a half a million pieces of space junk orbiting the Earth. This junk includes " spent rocket stages, old satellites, and fragments from disintegration, erosion, and collisions." Space launches have to pass though this layer of junk. Some of the junk is orbiting in the same orbits of satellites and poses a threat of collision.

The Quest For A Reusable Launch Vehicle

         In my last post, I talked about the failed attempt of SpaceX to land a rocket booster on a barge. The booster actually came down on the barge but it experienced a crash instead of a soft landing. The hydraulic fluid that powered the steering fins ran out before the attempted landing. Today's rockets deliver their package to orbit but then crash down in the ocean.

SpaceX Fails First Attempt At Soft Vertical Landing For Booster

          I have been a fan of science fiction since I was a kid. Books, magazines, movies, television shows, comics, etc. were a refuge from the daily grind. When rocket ships were part of the story, they were usually shown as tall and thin. When they took off and landed, they went straight up or straight down, landing on their tail.

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