Tuesday, February 28, 2012

SpaceX update... The International Space Station (ISS)-bound Dragon C2 capsule is now mated to its Falcon 9 rocket, and will undergo final pre-launch testing before the vehicle lifts off on an (tentative) April 30 flight to the ISS.

The Dragon C2 spacecraft is mated to its Falcon 9 rocket at SpaceX's launch facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Courtesy of Facebook

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Another milestone for Discovery... Inside Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Discovery's main access hatch for hundreds of astronauts who flew aboard her throughout 27 years of service was closed and sealed for the final time yesterday.

The main access hatch on space shuttle Discovery is about to be closed and sealed for the final time, on February 21, 2012.
NASA / Jim Grossmann

The main access hatch on space shuttle Discovery is closed and sealed for the final time, on February 21, 2012.
NASA / Jim Grossmann

Monday, February 20, 2012

50 Years Ago Today, John Glenn became the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth. Props to Mr. Glenn for such an awesome and historic achievement.

Aboard the Friendship 7 spacecraft, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, on February 20, 1962.
NASA

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Sorry for the lack of updates on this Blog... Still recovering from a really bad case of bronchitis (plus a couple of bites from lousy' dust mites, or I may have broken out in stress-induced hives; don't ask) that I've had for the past two weeks.

Fortunately, the launch of SpaceX's first Dragon vehicle to the International Space Station will probably be pushed back to April, so there's nothing overly substantial for me to type about for the next two months.


Just being facetious.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Space shuttle Endeavour is towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF)-2, on February 1, 2012.
NASA / Kim Shiflett

Photos of the Day... Space shuttle Endeavour was towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Orbiter Processing Facility-2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida yesterday to continue transition and retirement operations. Today, Endeavour's sister ship Atlantis was switched over from the VAB's transfer aisle to high bay 4...where Atlantis will remain in temporary storage before the orbiter continues her own preparations for permanent public display at the KSC Visitor Complex next year.

Space shuttle Endeavour is about to enter OPF-2 to resume transition and retirement operations at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on February 1, 2012.
NASA / Kim Shiflett

Space shuttle Atlantis is switched over from the VAB's transfer aisle to its high bay 4 for temporary storage, on February 2, 2012.
NASA / Kim Shiflett

Space shuttle Atlantis enters the VAB's high bay 4 for temporary storge, on February 2, 2012.
NASA / Kim Shiflett