Seven 9s and 10s

High-res crookedindifference: The Engine Burns Blue This image shows a cutting-edge solar-electric propulsion thruster in development at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., that uses xenon ions for propulsion. An earlier version of this solar-electric propulsion engine has been flying on NASA’s Dawn mission to the asteroid belt. This engine is being considered as part of the Asteroid Initiative, a proposal to robotically capture a small near-Earth asteroid and redirect it safely to a stable orbit in the Earth-moon system where astronauts can visit and explore it. This image was taken through a porthole in a vacuum chamber at JPL where the ion engine is being tested. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech I spend half my time at work on ion propulsion so I’m into this NASA image of the day. I love when Science Fiction becomes just Science.

crookedindifference:

The Engine Burns Blue
This image shows a cutting-edge solar-electric propulsion thruster in development at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., that uses xenon ions for propulsion. An earlier version of this solar-electric propulsion engine has been flying on NASA’s Dawn mission to the asteroid belt.

This engine is being considered as part of the Asteroid Initiative, a proposal to robotically capture a small near-Earth asteroid and redirect it safely to a stable orbit in the Earth-moon system where astronauts can visit and explore it. This image was taken through a porthole in a vacuum chamber at JPL where the ion engine is being tested.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

I spend half my time at work on ion propulsion so I’m into this NASA image of the day.

I love when Science Fiction becomes just Science.

(via itsfullofstars)

garyschroeder:

Flown Saturn V Engines Recovered from Atlantic

So I just learned that bazillionaire Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos funded a salvage mission to recover spent Saturn V parts from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Bezos’ team has indeed located two Saturn F-1 engines from a depth of almost three miles. The specific engines have not yet been positively identified but they may belong to S-1C-6, the first stage of the Saturn V which launched Apollo 11. If so, this would be amazing. The only hardware to return from that mission are some pressure suits and the Command Module Columbia. Having more physical remnants by which to remember that historic mission would be wonderful.

News release from Bezos Expeditions.

As long as Bezos continues to do great things like this with his money, I’ll continue to make Amazon my first choice for every online purchase.

(via itsfullofstars)

High-res thebearsdarling: my 12 yo homeschooled daughter did this. She is a budding artist and is ADHD and has Aspergers. She loves science and has loved watching the NASA exploration of Mars.Drawing and art is her passion, and how she wants to make a living when she grows up.She calls it “Lonely Curiosity” It is her artist interpretation of how the Sun is going to block Mars and Earth for the month of April, and how NASA won’t be able to communicate with the Curiosity Rover for the whole month. Please, if you like this… reblog it, and let’s see if we can get NASA to take notice, and maybe also get it on the radar of tumblr.

thebearsdarling:

my 12 yo homeschooled daughter did this. She is a budding artist and is ADHD and has Aspergers.


She loves science and has loved watching the NASA exploration of Mars.

Drawing and art is her passion, and how she wants to make a living when she grows up.

She calls it “Lonely Curiosity”

It is her artist interpretation of how the Sun is going to block Mars and Earth for the month of April, and how NASA won’t be able to communicate with the Curiosity Rover for the whole month.

Please, if you like this… reblog it, and let’s see if we can get NASA to take notice, and maybe also get it on the radar of tumblr.

(via yhf)

Curiosity Rover’s Self Portrait at ‘John Klein’ Drilling Site by NASA Goddard Photo and Video on Flickr. This rectangular version of a self-portrait of NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity combines dozens of exposures taken by the rover’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) during the 177th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity’s work on Mars (Feb. 3, 2013). The rover is positioned at a patch of flat outcrop called “John Klein,” which was selected as the site for the first rock-drilling activities by Curiosity. The self-portrait was acquired to document the drilling site. The rover’s robotic arm is not visible in the mosaic. MAHLI, which took the component images for this mosaic, is mounted on a turret at the end of the arm. Wrist motions and turret rotations on the arm allowed MAHLI to acquire the mosaic’s component images. The arm was positioned out of the shot in the images or portions of images used in the mosaic. Hi, Curiosity!

Curiosity Rover’s Self Portrait at ‘John Klein’ Drilling Site by NASA Goddard Photo and Video on Flickr.

This rectangular version of a self-portrait of NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity combines dozens of exposures taken by the rover’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) during the 177th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity’s work on Mars (Feb. 3, 2013).

The rover is positioned at a patch of flat outcrop called “John Klein,” which was selected as the site for the first rock-drilling activities by Curiosity. The self-portrait was acquired to document the drilling site.

The rover’s robotic arm is not visible in the mosaic. MAHLI, which took the component images for this mosaic, is mounted on a turret at the end of the arm. Wrist motions and turret rotations on the arm allowed MAHLI to acquire the mosaic’s component images. The arm was positioned out of the shot in the images or portions of images used in the mosaic.

Hi, Curiosity!

High-res The Space Shuttle Discovery on its Mobile Launcher Platform slowly moves through the high bay doors of the Vehicle Assembly Building en route to Launch Pad 39A, where Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the STS-82 mission on Feb. 11. A seven-member crew will perform the second servicing of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during the 10-day STS-82 mission. Holy cow this is a truly gorgeous photo. Every time I see a new photo of the space shuttle I’m reminded that there was basically no angle from which it wasn’t beautiful.

The Space Shuttle Discovery on its Mobile Launcher Platform slowly moves through the high bay doors of the Vehicle Assembly Building en route to Launch Pad 39A, where Discovery is scheduled to lift off on the STS-82 mission on Feb. 11. A seven-member crew will perform the second servicing of the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during the 10-day STS-82 mission.

Holy cow this is a truly gorgeous photo. Every time I see a new photo of the space shuttle I’m reminded that there was basically no angle from which it wasn’t beautiful.

(via itsfullofstars)

theatlantic:

In Focus: Decommissioning the Space Shuttles

Starting next month, NASA will begin delivering its four Space Shuttle orbiters to their final destinations. After an extensive decommissioning process, the fleet — which includes three former working spacecraft and one test orbiter — is nearly ready for public display. On April 17, the shuttle Discovery will be attached to a modified 747 Jumbo Jet for transport to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Virginia. Endeavour will go to Los Angeles in mid-September, and in early 2013, Atlantis will take its place on permanent display at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. Test orbiter Enterprise will fly to New York City next month. Gathered here are images of NASA’s final days spent processing the Space Shuttle fleet.

See more. [Images: NASA]

The images in this set are both beautiful and heartbreaking. It’s difficult to watch such a great chapter of human history coming to a close.

You should definitely click-through to view all of them.

(via itsfullofstars)

High-res inothernews: LOOM WITH A VIEW  This natural color view of Saturn, taken with the red, blue and green spectral filters of the orbiting NASA spacecraft Cassini in May, 2011, shows the rings of Saturn behind Titan, the planet’s largest moon, and Dione.  (Photo via NASA APOD) “People” often complain that NASA hasn’t done anything productive since sending man to the moon. “People” are stupid.

inothernews:

LOOM WITH A VIEW  This natural color view of Saturn, taken with the red, blue and green spectral filters of the orbiting NASA spacecraft Cassini in May, 2011, shows the rings of Saturn behind Titan, the planet’s largest moon, and Dione.  (Photo via NASA APOD)

“People” often complain that NASA hasn’t done anything productive since sending man to the moon. “People” are stupid.

(via itsfullofstars)