Tag Archives: space

The end of an era: Last Delta II (GPS) Launch

August 17, 2009 kleucht Leave a comment

Update: Oops. The media tricked me again. This was the last GPS launch of Delta II, not the last launch of Delta II. There are still apparently a handful of more Delta II launches planned. Sorry for propagating my own confusion.

This morning a little after 6:30am, the very last Delta II rocket blasted off from Florida’s Space Coast carrying a GPS satellite into a successful orbit. According to local news reports, the newest GPS satellites are wider and heavier and will be launched from larger Atlas V or Delta IV rockets. Delta II rockets have been launching on the Space Coast for just over 20 years, so this morning’s event was truly the end of an era. Here’s a photo of this morning’s launch from the Florida Today website (click it for full size image):

I was outside exercising this morning during the launch and caught some low quality photos using my phone (click them for full size images):

Science, Space, Technology

NASA wants YOUR input on the future of the space program!

June 11, 2009 kleucht Leave a comment

nasa-meatball

NASA Press Release dated: June 5, 2009

NASA LAUNCHES HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT REVIEW WEB SITE FOR PUBLIC USE

WASHINGTON — NASA is inviting the public to make its voice heard as a panel of experts undertakes an independent review of planned U.S. human space flight activities.

NASA has created a Web site for the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee to facilitate a two-way conversation with the public about the future direction of the agency’s space flight programs. In addition to providing documents and information, the site will allow the public to track committee activities, receive regular updates and provide input through Web 2.0 tools such as Twitter, Flickr, user-submitted questions, polls and RSS feeds. Additional features and content may be added as the committee’s activities continue.

“The human space flight program belongs to everyone,” committee chairman Norman Augustine said. “Our committee would hope to benefit from the views of all who would care to contact us.”

Anyone may use the Web site to submit questions, upload documents or comment about topics relevant to the committee’s operations. The committee will conduct public meetings during the course of the review. The first will be held June 17 in Washington, D.C. An agenda for this meeting will be announced soon. Time will be set aside for public questions and comments to the committee members. No registration is required to attend.

To learn more, visit the committee’s Web site at:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html

For information about NASA and agency activities, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

Nature, Photography, Videos, Science, Space, Technology

STS-125 Shuttle Launch (from VAB roof)

May 11, 2009 kleucht 1 Comment

I worked at the NASA press site today in support of STS-125, the final Hubble servicing mission. The press site was really busy for this mission. Usually I escort media personnel to various locations for various reasons. To my surprise, today I was asked to escort some of the press photographers to the roof of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to photograph the launch. Wow! What an opportunity! It was a great launch and it went right on time. Here are some photos that I took from the top of the VAB. Click on each thumbnail for a larger version.

Science, Space, Technology

Book Review: The Seven Secrets of How to THINK LIKE A ROCKET SCIENTIST

February 8, 2009 kleucht Leave a comment

I don’t read a lot because reading usually puts me right to sleep. But every once in a while I get hold of a book that grabs my attention and keeps me awake through the whole thing. This book, The Seven Secrets of How to THINK LIKE A ROCKET SCIENTIST by Jim Longuski, is a very good book. It’s a very quick read too. Each chapter is very short and sweet and just tells you what you need to know and then moves on to the next topic in the next chapter. Seriously, each chapter in this book is only 2 or maybe 3 pages long.

Click on the “ad” below to purchase this book online at Amazon.com:

Nature, Photography, Videos, Science, Space, Technology

STS-120 landing passing overhead

November 10, 2007 kleucht Leave a comment

After a spectacular mission, Discovery and the STS-120 crew came in for a safe landing at KSC a few days ago. I work out at KSC, and I went outside my building to watch Discovery glide in. When the Space Shuttle lands from South to North, it glides pretty much right over the KSC Industrial Area, where about half of the KSC employees work. I happened to have my digital pocket camera on me, so I shot this footage. It’s not the greatest quality video, but it’s about all I can expect out of my pocket digital camera.

Click here to watch the video on YouTube. You can hear the sonic booms in the footage and you can also hear it “whooshing” through the air as it passes close overhead. Remember the Space Shuttle Orbiter lands in an unpowered glide, so the “whooshing” is purely the sound of a large lifting body cutting through the air as it glides down to an unpowered landing.