Archive for the ‘Space’ Category

Secretive Air Force space plane sets endurance record

A secretive unmanned space plane is now in orbit for 270 days – and plans are to keep it up there a bit longer.

The experimental Air Force craft, known as the Orbital Test Vehicle-2, has been circling the Earth for about nine months. The X-37B orbital test vehicle was due to land in California this week, but the Air Force said Tuesday that the mission will be extended. A landing date has not been set.

It was launched on March 5th. Let’s hope it’s doing all sorts of sneaky stuff.

Schematic and photos of X-37B OTV-1 here.

Sure would be great if this turns out to work as advertised.

Astronaut Ron Garan took this image during the spacewalk conducted on Tues., July 12, 2011. It shows the International Space Station with Space Shuttle Atlantis docked on the right and a Russian Soyuz on the far left. In the foreground is the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) experiment installed during the STS-134 mission. AMS is a state-of-the-art particle physics detector designed to use the unique environment of space to advance knowledge of the universe and lead to the understanding of the universe's origin by searching for antimatter and dark matter, and measuring cosmic rays. Image Credit: NASA

Besides the shuttle, there are currently two Soyuz and two Progress vehicles docked. The vehicle nose-down in this photo is Soyuz TMA-21 which brought three Expedition 28 crew members to the ISS. It will depart in September. At the extreme left of the station, you can see a solar panel and the tail end of Progress M-11M (Progress 43 to NASA).

All week it’s looked like this morning’s launch would be delayed due to weather, but right now it looks good.

UPDATE: And it’s off. Bittersweet.

I mentioned a couple of weeks back that a departing Soyuz crew took a bunch of photos of the International Space Station while the Space Shuttle Endeavour was docked, and they’ve finally been released.

Here’s one that Murdoc likes:

Shuttle Endeavour and ISS

Here’s another:

Shuttle Endeavour and ISS

Lots of real high res images at NASA.

Astronaut Drew Feustel works in the vacuum of space during the first of four spacewalks during the STS-134 mission of Space Shuttle Endeavour to the International Space Station. Working early in the morning of Fri., May 20, 2011, Feustel and Astronaut Greg Chamitoff successfully installed antennas for the External Wireless Communication system, routing cables, setting up the antenna, installing handrails, and connecting power cables during this spacewalk. This was the 245th spacewalk conducted by U.S. astronauts and was Feustel's fourth spacewalk. Image Credit: NASA

Meanwhile, NASA announced that Atlantis will rollout to the launch pad on the 31st. It will be the last Shuttle flight.

Gah. Murdoc had computer problems and missed the liftoff by about sixty seconds. Oh, well. Right now everything is looking A-OK.

UPDATE:

25 years ago:

Space Shuttle Challenger 11:39 AM 28 January 1986

The loss of the Challenger and her crew is one of Murdoc’s “I remember where I was when I heard it” moments.

Crew of STS-51-L