Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Rocket Science

The Las Vegas Boom

Landsat 5, one of several Landsat Earth-observing spacecraft has been operational for 25 years and counting. Originally intended for a three-year mission, this bird is still ticking. One of the more startling observations made by the Landsat program is a 25 year visual history of Las Vegas urban expansion.

vegas-boom.jpg

Images courtesy and © NASA/USGS. Click image for larger view.

A Desert City Blooms

In the 25 years that Landsat 5 has been in orbit, the desert city of Las Vegas has gone through a massive growth spurt. The outward expansion of the city is shown here with a series of false-color images. The dark purple grid of city streets and the green of irrigated vegetation grow out in every direction into the surrounding desert. These images were created using reflected light from the shortwave infrared, near-infrared, and green portions of the electromagnetic spectrum (Landsat 5 TM bands 7,4,2).

Credit: NASA/USGS

McCarran FieldNotice the runways at Las Vegas McCarran Airport (Just below the center of the urban mass), barely visible in 1984, now clearly visible in 2009, as it has been surrounded by industrial growth.

02 Mar 2009 by Culture Rocket Science Technobabble

Methane on Mars

Scientists don’t yet know enough to say with certainty what the source of the Martian methane is, but this artist’s concept video depicts several possibilities. In this video, conjecture is offered for several possibilities. First, meteoric debris reacting with atmospheric particles possibly generating methane, next comet and meteor impacts creating chemical reactions resulting in methane production. Third, subsurface water, carbon dioxide and the planet’s internal heat combine to release methane, and, finally, living microbes actively producing methane as a waste product.

Whatever the process is, there is clear evidence that Mars is ‘farting’ methane.

17 Jan 2009 by Aerospace Astronomy Rocket Science

STS-126

liftoff.jpgSTS-126 is on the way to the ISS. Damsel snapped these from the TV before and after engine ignition.

This is the NASA account the launch thus far:

Go for Launch!
Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:46:20 PM PST

NASA’s mission managers have announced a “go” for launch! The countdown for the STS-126 mission has entered its final moments. Automatic systems at the launch pad will remove the remaining equipment out of the way of space shuttle Endeavour so it can make its climb into space.

Endeavour Soars Into the Night Sky!
Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:07:21 PM PST

Space shuttle Endeavour roared off Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on a spectacular tower of smoke and flames. The STS-126 mission is an extremely ambitious undertaking, highlighting four spacewalks and delivering the heaviest payload in shuttle history.

External Tank and Boosters Away!
Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:09:23 PM PST

The giant orange tank that provided fuel for Endeavour’s climb into space is now empty and is jettisoning from the shuttle. As the tank falls away and descends toward Earth, the tank’s on-board cameras record the process. About two minutes into flight, the solid rocket boosters propelling Endeavour higher into space have successfully separated and gracefully fallen away. Each booster has a parachute packed in its frustum that will automatically deploy after entering Earth’s atmosphere to slow the descent into the ocean. Endeavour has safely attained orbit and NASA mission managers have given the command to proceed with main engine cutoff, also known as MECO. Less than 10 minutes after launch, Endeavour was orbiting around Earth. Within 24 hours, Endeavour will meet up and dock with the International Space Station.

14 Nov 2008 by Aerospace Rocket Science

Flight of the Phoenix – Part IV

After nearly a half-year, Mars lander and science robot Phoenix goes silent. I posted about this interesting project in ‘Flight of the Phoenix’ Parts I, II, and III. This is the finale, although there is a very remote chance the robot could ‘phone home’ one last time.

Watch the video to see the Phoenix Mars approach and landing animation (courtesy NASA).

From NASA:

NASA Video – click > to play.

Mars Phoenix Lander Finishes Successful Work on Red Planet

WASHINGTON — NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander has ceased communications after operating for more than five months. As anticipated, seasonal decline in sunshine at the robot’s arctic landing site is not providing enough sunlight for the solar arrays to collect the power necessary to charge batteries that operate the lander’s instruments.

Mission engineers last received a signal from the lander on Nov. 2. Phoenix, in addition to shorter daylight, has encountered a dustier sky, more clouds and colder temperatures as the northern Mars summer approaches autumn. The mission exceeded its planned operational life of three months to conduct and return science data.

The project team will be listening carefully during the next few weeks to hear if Phoenix revives and phones home. However, engineers now believe that is unlikely because of the worsening weather conditions on Mars. While the spacecraft’s work has ended, the analysis of data from the instruments is in its earliest stages.

Read the rest here.

12 Nov 2008 by Aerospace Rocket Science

Moving Day

paradiseI have been reassigned to another job in another location. I hate to move. All that packing up, making arrangements to transfer the services, etc. Even with the aid of an administrator, changing job assignments where a physical move from one facility to another is a pain.

That having been said, the job change is a good thing. It takes me out of the ‘doghouse,’ a less-than-desirable ‘Dilbert’-style cubicle facility and puts me into an office tower in a well-known beach town. My office will have a door that closes and locks and walls that go to the ceiling. There are two windows (a corner office) with a view of a local park and a shopping mall.

birdAs for the old job, the product line is a very good thing. Decoupling from that fact, the skill set for the job I was doing required little other than some fundamental knowledge of computers and a little analysis. Not to brag, but it was not much of a challenge and didn’t take full advantage of my experience.

The new job is similar to systems that I worked on in the past. My domain knowledge and skill set dovetail perfectly with this project. Literally, a return to the true definition of ‘aerospace engineering.’ I could tell you more about it, but then . . . well, you know.

13 Aug 2008 by Aerospace Curmudgeon Rants Rocket Science

Watching for the International Space Station

Over the next several evenings, the International Space Station currently with Shuttle Discovery docked, will make dramatic passes overhead. I regularly visit a site called SpaceWeather.com; the site features articles and widgets about things going on in space. I tuned into the feature that predicts satellite passes for individual locations (based on zip or postal code) and found these for my zip code:


Date....Rise........dir.duration.el..magnitude
June 05 10:03:34 pm NNW 10:05:44 30° -1.3 (very bright)
June 07 09:12:24 pm NNW 09:14:32 31° -1.4 (very bright)
June 08 09:34:02 pm WNW 09:36:22 59° -2.6 (very bright)
June 10 08:42:33 pm WNW 08:44:54 67° -2.8 (very bright)

I’ll be looking at the times specified. I wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to see something like this nice image from APOD:

streaks

04 Jun 2008 by Aerospace Rocket Science

Guess Who’s Going to the ISS Tomorrow?

Buzz Lightyear of Toy Story 2 fame

Story from NASA:

Buzz Lightyear to Soar with Discovery

Seven astronauts who will fly into orbit aboard space shuttle Discovery will have comfortable seats for the climb into space. An eighth space ranger won’t have a seat at all. In fact, he will be packed tight inside a box and won’t even get to enjoy the ride up.

But it’s nothing veteran spaceman Buzz Lightyear can’t overcome.

The good news is that he’ll have some sports shows to listen to, along with a host of jerseys that have been to the Champs Elysees in Paris for the Tour de France and to the Super Bowl.

More accustomed to soaring among the galaxies on fold-out wings and a backpack rocket, Lightyear will take to space on Discovery’s STS-124 mission stowed inside a locker in Discovery’s crew compartment. The 12-inch-tall action figure is flying as part of a partnership between NASA and Disney Parks to encourage students to pursue studies in science, technology and mathematics, one of NASA’s main educational goals.

30 May 2008 by Aerospace Rocket Science

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