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Image of the Vela Supernova
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| Name of Image |
Image of the Vela Supernova Remnant Taken by the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2 |
| Date of Image |
1980-01-01 |
| Full Description |
Like the Crab Nebula, the Vela Supernova Remnant has a radio pulsar at its center. In this image taken by the High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAO)-2/Einstein Observatory, the pulsar appears as a point source surrounded by weak and diffused emissions of x-rays. HEAO-2's computer processing system was able to record and display the total number of x-ray photons (a tiny bundle of radiant energy used as the fundamental unit of electromagnetic radiation) on a scale along the margin of the picture. The HEAO-2, the first imaging and largest x-ray telescope built to date, was capable of producing actual photographs of x-ray objects. Shortly after launch, the HEAO-2 was nicknamed the Einstein Observatory by its scientific experimenters in honor of the centernial of the birth of Albert Einstein, whose concepts of relativity and gravitation have influenced much of modern astrophysics, particularly x-ray astronomy. The HEAO-2, designed and developed by TRW, Inc. under the project management of the Marshall Space Flight Center, was launched aboard an Atlas/Centaur launch vehicle on November 13, 1978. |
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STS-61B Astronaut Ross Durin
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| Name of Image |
STS-61B Astronaut Ross During ACCESS Extravehicular Activity |
| Date of Image |
1985-11-30 |
| Full Description |
The crew assigned to the STS-61B mission included Bryan D. O?Conner, pilot, Brewster H. Shaw, commander, Charles D. Walker, payload specialist, mission specialists Jerry L. Ross, Mary L. Cleave, and Sherwood C. Spring, and Rodolpho Neri Vela, payload specialist. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis November 28, 1985 at 7:29:00 pm (EST), the STS-61B mission?s primary payload included three communications satellites: MORELOS-B (Mexico), AUSSAT-2 (Australia), and SATCOM KU-2 (RCA Americom). Two experiments were conducted to test assembling erectable structures in space: EASE (Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity), and ACCESS (Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure). In a joint venture between NASA/Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), ACCESS and EASE were developed and demonstrated at MSFC's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS). In this STS-61B onboard photo, astronaut Ross was working on the ACCESS experiment during an Extravehicular Activity (EVA). The primary objective of this experiment was to test the ACCESS structural assembly concept for suitability as the framework for larger space structures and to identify ways to improve the productivity of space construction. |
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STS-61B Astronaut Ross Works
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| Name of Image |
STS-61B Astronaut Ross Works on Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure (ACCESS) |
| Date of Image |
1985-11-30 |
| Full Description |
The crew assigned to the STS-61B mission included Bryan D. O?Conner, pilot, Brewster H. Shaw, commander, Charles D. Walker, payload specialist, mission specialists Jerry L. Ross, Mary L. Cleave, and Sherwood C. Spring, and Rodolpho Neri Vela, payload specialist. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis November 28, 1985 at 7:29:00 pm (EST), the STS-61B mission?s primary payload included three communications satellites: MORELOS-B (Mexico), AUSSAT-2 (Australia), and SATCOM KU-2 (RCA Americom). Two experiments were conducted to test assembling erectable structures in space: EASE (Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity), and ACCESS (Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure). In a joint venture between NASA/Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), EASE and ACCESS were developed and demonstrated at MSFC's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS). In this STS-61B onboard photo astronaut Ross, located on the Manipulator Foot Restraint (MFR) over the cargo bay, erects ACCESS. The primary objective of this experiment was to test the structural assembly concepts for suitability as the framework for larger space structures and to identify ways to improve the productivity of space construction. |
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Ross Works on the Assembly C
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| Name of Image |
Ross Works on the Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure (ACCESS) During STS-61B Flight |
| Date of Image |
1985-11-30 |
| Full Description |
The crew assigned to the STS-61B mission included Bryan D. O?Conner, pilot, Brewster H. Shaw, commander, Charles D. Walker, payload specialist, mission specialists Jerry L. Ross, Mary L. Cleave, and Sherwood C. Spring, and Rodolpho Neri Vela, payload specialist. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis November 28, 1985 at 7:29:00 pm (EST), the STS-61B mission?s primary payload included three communications satellites: MORELOS-B (Mexico), AUSSAT-2 (Australia), and SATCOM KU-2 (RCA Americom). Two experiments were conducted to test assembling erectable structures in space: EASE (Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity), and ACCESS (Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure). In a joint venture between NASA/Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), EASE and ACCESS were developed and demonstrated at MSFC's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS). In this STS-61B onboard photo, astronaut Ross works on ACCESS high above the orbiter. The primary objective of these experiments was to test the structural assembly concepts for suitability as the framework for larger space structures and to identify ways to improve the productivity of space construction. |
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STS-61B Astronaut Spring Dur
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| Name of Image |
STS-61B Astronaut Spring During EASE Extravehicular Activity (EVA) |
| Date of Image |
1985-11-30 |
| Full Description |
The crew assigned to the STS-61B mission included Bryan D. O?Conner, pilot, Brewster H. Shaw, commander, Charles D. Walker, payload specialist, mission specialists Jerry L. Ross, Mary L. Cleave, and Sherwood C. Spring, and Rodolpho Neri Vela, payload specialist. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis November 28, 1985 at 7:29:00 pm (EST), the STS-61B mission?s primary payload included three communications satellites: MORELOS-B (Mexico), AUSSAT-2 (Australia), and SATCOM KU-2 (RCA Americom). Two experiments were conducted to test assembling erectable structures in space: EASE (Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity), and ACCESS (Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure). In a joint venture between NASA/Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), the EASE and ACCESS were developed and demonstrated at MSFC's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS). In this STS-61B onboard photo, astronaut Spring was working on the EASE during an Extravehicular Activity (EVA). The primary objective of this experiment was to test the structural assembly concepts for suitability as the framework for larger space structures and to identify ways to improve the productivity of space construction. |
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STS-61B Astronaut Ross Durin
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| Name of Image |
STS-61B Astronaut Ross During ACCESS Extravehicular Activity |
| Date of Image |
1985-11-30 |
| Full Description |
The crew assigned to the STS-61B mission included Bryan D. O?Conner, pilot, Brewster H. Shaw, commander, Charles D. Walker, payload specialist, mission specialists Jerry L. Ross, Mary L. Cleave, and Sherwood C. Spring, and Rodolpho Neri Vela, payload specialist. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis November 28, 1985 at 7:29:00 pm (EST), the STS-61B mission?s primary payload included three communications satellites: MORELOS-B (Mexico), AUSSAT-2 (Australia), and SATCOM KU-2 (RCA Americom). Two experiments were conducted to test assembling erectable structures in space: EASE (Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity), and ACCESS (Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure). In a joint venture between NASA/Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), EASE and ACCESS were developed and demonstrated at MSFC's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS). The primary objective of this experiment was to test the structural assembly concepts for suitability as the framework for larger space structures and to identify ways to improve the productivity of space construction. In this STS-61B onboard photo, astronaut Ross was working on the ACCESS experiment during an Extravehicular Activity (EVA). |
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Astronaut Ross Approaches As
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| Name of Image |
Astronaut Ross Approaches Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure (ACCESS) |
| Date of Image |
0000-00-00 |
| Full Description |
The crew assigned to the STS-61B mission included Bryan D. O?Conner, pilot, Brewster H. Shaw, commander, Charles D. Walker, payload specialist, mission specialists Jerry L. Ross, Mary L. Cleave, and Sherwood C. Spring, and Rodolpho Neri Vela, payload specialist. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis November 28, 1985 at 7:29:00 pm (EST), the STS-61B mission?s primary payload included three communications satellites: MORELOS-B (Mexico), AUSSAT-2 (Australia), and SATCOM KU-2 (RCA Americom). Two experiments were conducted to test assembling erectable structures in space: EASE (Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity), and ACCESS (Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure). In a joint venture between NASA/Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), EASE and ACCESS were developed and demonstrated at MSFC's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS). In this STS-61B onboard photo, astronaut Ross, perched on the Manipulator Foot Restraint (MFR) approaches the erected ACCESS. The primary objective of these experiments was to test the structural assembly concepts for suitability as the framework for larger space structures and to identify ways to improve the productivity of space construction. |
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STS-61B Astronauts Ross and
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| Name of Image |
STS-61B Astronauts Ross and Spring Work on Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity (EASE) |
| Date of Image |
1985-11-30 |
| Full Description |
The crew assigned to the STS-61B mission included Bryan D. O?Conner, pilot, Brewster H. Shaw, commander, Charles D. Walker, payload specialist, mission specialists Jerry L. Ross, Mary L. Cleave, and Sherwood C. Spring, and Rodolpho Neri Vela, payload specialist. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis November 28, 1985 at 7:29:00 pm (EST), the STS-61B mission?s primary payload included three communications satellites: MORELOS-B (Mexico), AUSSAT-2 (Australia), and SATCOM KU-2 (RCA Americom). Two experiments were conducted to test assembling erectable structures in space: EASE (Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity), and ACCESS (Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure). In a joint venture between NASA/Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), EASE and ACCESS were developed and demonstrated at MSFC's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS). This STS-61B onboard photo depicts astronauts Ross and Spring working on EASE. The primary objective of these experiments was to test the structural assembly concepts for suitability as the framework for larger space structures and to identify ways to improve the productivity of space construction. |
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STS-61B Crew Portrait
| Name of Image |
STS-61B Crew Portrait |
| Date of Image |
1985-11-01 |
| Full Description |
The crew assigned to the STS-61B mission included (kneeling left to right) Bryan D. O?conner, pilot, and Brewster H. Shaw, commander. On the back row, left to right, are Charles D. Walker, payload specialist, mission specialists Jerry L. Ross, Mary L. Cleave, and Sherwood C. Spring, and Rodolpho Neri Vela, payload specialist. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis November 28, 1985 at 7:29:00 pm (EST), the STS-61B mission?s primary payload included three communications satellites: MORELOS-B (Mexico), AUSSAT-2 (Autralia), and SATCOM KU-2 (RCA Americom. Two experiments were conducted to test assembling erectable structures in space: EASE (Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity), and ACCESS (Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structure). In a joint venture between NASA/Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), the Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structures (ACCESS) was developed and demonstrated at MSFC's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator (NBS). The primary objective of this experiment was to test the ACCESS structural assembly concept for suitability as the framework for larger space structures and to identify ways to improve the productivity of space construction. |
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Gamma-Ray Burst: A Milestone
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| Title |
Gamma-Ray Burst: A Milestone Explosion |
| Explanation |
Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) were discovered [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/grbhist.html ] by accident. In fact, GRBs [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970625.html ] always seem to be where scientists least expect them. Thirty years ago today, satellites first recorded a GRB [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/ jbonnell/www/grbhist.html#firstburst ]. The burst data plotted in this histogram [ http://www.stat.ufl.edu/~hyper/Sections/lect2/node17.html ] show that the count rate of the gamma-ray instrument abruptly jumped indicating a sudden flash of gamma-rays. The Vela satellites [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951105.html ] that detected this and other GRBs were developed to test technology to monitor nuclear test ban treaties [ gopher://wealaka.okgeosurvey1.gov:70/00/nuke.treaties/LTBT ]. With on board sensors they watched for brief X-ray and gamma-ray [ http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ learning_center/basic/emspectrum.html ] flashes, the telltale signs of nuclear explosions from the vicinity of the Earth [ gopher://wealaka.okgeosurvey1.gov:70/11/nuke.cat ]. As intended, the Velas found flashes of gamma-rays - but not from nuclear detonations near Earth. Instead, the flashes came from deep space! Dubbed "cosmic gamma-ray bursts" [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap961123.html ] their origin was then unknown and is still controversial [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/diamond_jubilee/debate_1995.html ]. However, the gamma-ray surprises were not over. Exploring the high-energy sky [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970222.html ] nearly 25 years later, the orbiting Compton Observatory's Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) [ http://www.batse.msfc.nasa.gov/astronomy/batse/harmon_allsky.html ], intentionally designed to detect cosmic gamma-ray bursts [ http://www.batse.msfc.nasa.gov/data/grb/skymap/ ], was searching for clues to the GRB mystery. But the second burst BATSE recorded did not come from deep space. It came from near the Earth! Don't worry, these terrestrial GRBs are not nuclear bombs exploding. They are a new phenomenon now thought [ http://www.batse.msfc.nasa.gov/astronomy/fishman_tgf.html ] to be related to a recently discovered type of high altitude lightning [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap951111.html ]. Exploring new horizons continues to yield unexpected results. [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960915.html ] |
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Runaway Star
| Title |
Runaway Star |
| Explanation |
Runaway stars are massive stars [ http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-1997/pr-01-97.html ] traveling rapidly through interstellar space. Like a ship plowing through the interstellar medium [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap961218.html ], runaway star HD 77581 has produced this graceful arcing bow wave or "bow shock" - compressing the gaseous material in its path. Located near the centre of this European Southern Observatory photograph [ http://www.eso.org/outreach/press-rel/pr-1997/phot-02-97.html ], HD 77581 itself is so bright that it saturates the sensitive camera and produces the spiky cross shape. This star is over 6,000 light-years away in the constellation Vela [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ constellations/Vela.html ], and appears to move at over 50 miles per second. What force could set this star in motion [ http://www.aas.org/meetings/aas184/abs/S601.html ]? A clue to the answer may lie in its optically invisible companion star, an X-ray bright [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap961008.html ] pulsar [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960531.html ] known as Vela X-1. This pulsar [ http://crazyhorse.msfc.nasa.gov/data/pulsar/sources/velax1nml.html ] is clearly the remnant of a supernova explosion [ http://legacy.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/snr.html ] ... which seems to have given this massive star and its companion a mighty kick [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970225.html ]! |
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