#Skylab space station launched 40 years ago – an annotated graphic

May 14, 1973: America launched its first space station, Skylab. June 29, 1979: James Bond’s first space adventure Moonraker opened in cinemas. This is not a coincidence.

July 11, 1979: NASA plans to boost Skylab to a higher orbit using the snazzy new Space Shuttle, but that project gets delayed and Skylab ultimately disintegrates on re-entry to the earth’s atmosphere, raining debris down on the peculiarly Scottish-sounding Balladonia region of Western Australia. More Skyfall than Skylab, one might say.

Space fans can enjoy our infographic today about the history of Skylab, below.

We’ve also included the tremendously exciting movie poster for Moonraker, just for fun. “Outer space now belongs to 007″ – in your face, NASA! James Bond fans might also enjoy this entertaining essay rating Skyfall vs Moonraker, to determine which is actually the more exciting James Bond film.

Click on the graphic for an expanded view.

Skylab celebrates 40th anniversary

Moonraker movie poster

Killer #asteroid threatening Planet Earth – an annotated graphic

While we puny humans go about our days, worrying about trivial matters like shoes, the Oscars and the efficacy or otherwise of coalition governments, an asteroid with – so we’re told – the destructive power of an H-bomb is hurtling towards our favorite green and blue planet, Earth.

And not for the first time, either. These pesky asteroids keep setting themselves on an inexorable collision course with Planet Earth like stone kamikaze pilots at regular intervals across the ages of Man. So far, their aim hasn’t been too good, mostly missing us altogether, but a couple of doozies have snuck through the atmosphere and smacked Mother Earth upside the head. It can only be a matter of time etc.

E&T has covered this intergalactic terror before from a number of angles, including Nasa’s 1,000 most-wanted asteroid list, the ESA crowdsourcing asteroid watch and what exactly can we do about the asteroid threat anyway.

Click on the graphic for an expanded view.

Giant asteroid to skim past Earth

Space shuttle #Columbia anniversary – an annotated graphic

10 years ago today, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entry, after a chunk of ice is suspected of striking the left wing, causing irreparable and catastrophic damage. All seven members of the crew perished in the explosion.

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Columbia tragedy 2003

NASA’s Mariner II Venus fly-past in 1962 – an annotated graphic

On 14 December 1962, NASA’s Mariner II passed within 35,000km of Venus, becoming the first spacecraft to successfully fly by another planet. From this historic voyage, we learned that Venus rotates in a counter direction to most planets in our solar system, has a high-pressure carbon dioxide atmosphere and continuous cool cloud cover. Thanks, Mariner II!

Whither Mariner II now? Endlessly circling the Sun, in a heliocentric orbit. Space debris: a serious problem for our immediate galaxy.

Click on the graphic for an expanded view.

Mariner II’s Venus fly past

 

NASA’s SOFIA airborne observatory takes flight – an annotated graphic

Well, would you look at this – a flying observatory. Cool! NASA’s latest science wheeze is the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy – or SOFIA to her friends.

A 15-tonne telescope mounted on a jumbo jet, this joint US-German venture (there are two countries you might not immediately put together) is beginning its first full cycle of science  flights. Question: how do stars form and evolve? No problem – SOFIA’s on it.

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SOFIA telescope takes flight

Nasa’s Curiosity Mars rover landing sequence – an annotated graphic

By now, we all know that Curiosity has successfully landed on Mars and is already out and about roving the surface of the Red Planet, enthusiastically snapping away at everything it sees like a child with their first proper camera, but we thought it still worth sharing this infographic, which charts the landing descent of Nasa’s inquisitive craft. When you stop to think about it, it’s pretty amazing that this sort of thing is really happening.

Click on the graphic for an expanded view.

Nasa’s Curiosity Mars rover’s landing sequence

Nasa’s Curiosity rover lands on Mars – an annotated graphic

Nasa’s latest Mars rover, Curiosity, has landed successfully on the Red Planet, as we report in E&T News today. This update reminded us about a Curiosity annotated graphic we had lying around last week, which in all the Team GB Olympic gold excitement we forgot to upload on Friday, as was the plan.

We share it here now as a mark of respect for Nasa’s achievements and to wish Curiosity many happy months of discovery on our nearest planetary neighbour.

Curiosity Mars rover lands successfully

Jupiter’s moon Europa could hold water – an annotated graphic

We figured that space watchers everywhere might appreciate this cutaway graphic, illustrating how Jupiter’s moon Europa could foster life.

New research suggests that an ocean of water just beneath the icy shell of Europa might support life.

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Jupiter's moon Europa

 

NASA to launch twin satellites for nine-month moon study mission – an annotated graphic

They’re as busy as ever over at NASA. As if the SLS wasn’t enough, it has also been announced that the US space agency plans to launch two spacecraft on a nine-month mission to map the moon’s gravity field. The aim of all this is to improve our knowledge of the moon’s interior and its evolution.  Naturally, such an expedition deserves a snappy acronym, so the two spacecraft are collectively known as the Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory – or GRAIL – satellites. God speed, heavenly bodies.

Click on the graphic for an expanded view.

NASA's GRAIL moon mission

NASA’s Space Launch System, a giant deep space rocket – an annotated graphic

So over at NASA HQ it’s goodbye Space Shuttle, hello Space Launch System. The SLS has been designed to carry astronauts to the moon, to Mars and any other space-type destinations in between.  It will be the most powerful launcher in the world, with a greater lifting capacity than the Saturn V which last carried men to the moon.

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NASA Space Launch System (SLS)