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First Peek at Spitzer's Lega
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| Title |
First Peek at Spitzer's Legacy: Mysterious Whirlpool Galaxy |
| Description |
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has captured these infrared images of the "Whirlpool Galaxy," revealing strange structures bridging the gaps between the dust-rich spiral arms, and tracing the dust, gas and stellar populations in both the bright spiral galaxy and its companion. The Spitzer image is a four-color composite of invisible light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8.0 microns (red). These wavelengths are roughly 10 times longer than those seen by the human eye. The visible light image comes from the Kitt Peak National Observatory 2.1m telescope, and has the same orientation and size as the Spitzer infrared image, measuring 9.9 by 13.7 arcminutes (north up). Also a four-color composite, the visible light image shows emissions from 0.4 to 0.7 microns, including the H-alpha nebular feature (red in the image). The light seen in the images originates from very different sources. At shorter wavelengths (in the visible bands, and in the infrared from 3.6 to 4.5 microns), the light comes mainly from stars. This starlight fades at longer wavelengths (5.8 to 8.0 microns), where we see the glow from clouds of interstellar dust. This dust consists mainly of a variety of carbon-based organic molecules known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Wherever these compounds are found, there will also be dust granules and gas, which provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. Particularly puzzling are the large number of thin filaments of red emission seen in the infrared data between the arms of the large spiral galaxy. In contrast to the beady nature of the dust emission seen in the arms themselves, these spoke-like features are thin and regular, and prevalent in the gaps all over the face of the galaxy. Also of interest is the contrast in the distributions of dust and stars between the spiral and its faint companion. While the spiral is rich in dust, bright in the longer infrared wavebands, and actively forming new stars, its blue companion shows little infrared emission and hosts an older stellar population. The spectacular whirlpool structure and star formation in M51 are thought to be triggered by an ongoing collision with its companion. Understanding the impact on star formation by the interaction of galaxies is one of the goals of these observations. The targeted galaxy is known by various names: M51 from its Messier catalog designation, and also as NGC 5194. M51 was one of the original discoveries of Charles Messier, found in October 1773 while he was observing a faint comet. The Messier catalogue of galaxies is named after him. Colloquially, M51 is also known as the "Whirlpool Galaxy", or "Rosse's Galaxy," after Lord Rosse, who first detected galaxy spiral structure in his observations of M51. The companion, NGC 5195, was discovered in 1781 by Pierre Mechain. The Whirlpool galaxy is a favorite target for amateur and professional, astronomers, alike, and was the first light target for the Infrared Space Observatory. Found in the constellation Canes Venatici, M51 is 37 million light-years away. The Spitzer observations of M51 are part of a large 500-hour science project, known as the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey, which will comprehensively study 75 nearby galaxies with infrared imaging and spectroscopy. From these data, astronomers will probe the physical processes connecting star formation to the properties of galaxies. This information will provide a vital foundation of data, diagnostic tools, and astrophysical inputs for understanding the distant universe, ultraluminous galaxies, and the formation and evolution of galaxies. |
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First Peek at Spitzer's Lega
…
| Title |
First Peek at Spitzer's Legacy: Mysterious Whirlpool Galaxy |
| Description |
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has captured these infrared images of the "Whirlpool Galaxy," revealing strange structures bridging the gaps between the dust-rich spiral arms, and tracing the dust, gas and stellar populations in both the bright spiral galaxy and its companion. The Spitzer image is a four-color composite of invisible light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8.0 microns (red). These wavelengths are roughly 10 times longer than those seen by the human eye. The visible light image comes from the Kitt Peak National Observatory 2.1m telescope, and has the same orientation and size as the Spitzer infrared image, measuring 9.9 by 13.7 arcminutes (north up). Also a four-color composite, the visible light image shows emissions from 0.4 to 0.7 microns, including the H-alpha nebular feature (red in the image). The light seen in the images originates from very different sources. At shorter wavelengths (in the visible bands, and in the infrared from 3.6 to 4.5 microns), the light comes mainly from stars. This starlight fades at longer wavelengths (5.8 to 8.0 microns), where we see the glow from clouds of interstellar dust. This dust consists mainly of a variety of carbon-based organic molecules known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Wherever these compounds are found, there will also be dust granules and gas, which provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. Particularly puzzling are the large number of thin filaments of red emission seen in the infrared data between the arms of the large spiral galaxy. In contrast to the beady nature of the dust emission seen in the arms themselves, these spoke-like features are thin and regular, and prevalent in the gaps all over the face of the galaxy. Also of interest is the contrast in the distributions of dust and stars between the spiral and its faint companion. While the spiral is rich in dust, bright in the longer infrared wavebands, and actively forming new stars, its blue companion shows little infrared emission and hosts an older stellar population. The spectacular whirlpool structure and star formation in M51 are thought to be triggered by an ongoing collision with its companion. Understanding the impact on star formation by the interaction of galaxies is one of the goals of these observations. The targeted galaxy is known by various names: M51 from its Messier catalog designation, and also as NGC 5194. M51 was one of the original discoveries of Charles Messier, found in October 1773 while he was observing a faint comet. The Messier catalogue of galaxies is named after him. Colloquially, M51 is also known as the "Whirlpool Galaxy", or "Rosse's Galaxy," after Lord Rosse, who first detected galaxy spiral structure in his observations of M51. The companion, NGC 5195, was discovered in 1781 by Pierre Mechain. The Whirlpool galaxy is a favorite target for amateur and professional, astronomers, alike, and was the first light target for the Infrared Space Observatory. Found in the constellation Canes Venatici, M51 is 37 million light-years away. The Spitzer observations of M51 are part of a large 500-hour science project, known as the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey, which will comprehensively study 75 nearby galaxies with infrared imaging and spectroscopy. From these data, astronomers will probe the physical processes connecting star formation to the properties of galaxies. This information will provide a vital foundation of data, diagnostic tools, and astrophysical inputs for understanding the distant universe, ultraluminous galaxies, and the formation and evolution of galaxies. |
|
First Peek at Spitzer's Lega
…
| Title |
First Peek at Spitzer's Legacy: Mysterious Whirlpool Galaxy |
| Description |
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has captured these infrared images of the "Whirlpool Galaxy," revealing strange structures bridging the gaps between the dust-rich spiral arms, and tracing the dust, gas and stellar populations in both the bright spiral galaxy and its companion. The Spitzer image is a four-color composite of invisible light, showing emissions from wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8.0 microns (red). These wavelengths are roughly 10 times longer than those seen by the human eye. The visible light image comes from the Kitt Peak National Observatory 2.1m telescope, and has the same orientation and size as the Spitzer infrared image, measuring 9.9 by 13.7 arcminutes (north up). Also a four-color composite, the visible light image shows emissions from 0.4 to 0.7 microns, including the H-alpha nebular feature (red in the image). The light seen in the images originates from very different sources. At shorter wavelengths (in the visible bands, and in the infrared from 3.6 to 4.5 microns), the light comes mainly from stars. This starlight fades at longer wavelengths (5.8 to 8.0 microns), where we see the glow from clouds of interstellar dust. This dust consists mainly of a variety of carbon-based organic molecules known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Wherever these compounds are found, there will also be dust granules and gas, which provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. Particularly puzzling are the large number of thin filaments of red emission seen in the infrared data between the arms of the large spiral galaxy. In contrast to the beady nature of the dust emission seen in the arms themselves, these spoke-like features are thin and regular, and prevalent in the gaps all over the face of the galaxy. Also of interest is the contrast in the distributions of dust and stars between the spiral and its faint companion. While the spiral is rich in dust, bright in the longer infrared wavebands, and actively forming new stars, its blue companion shows little infrared emission and hosts an older stellar population. The spectacular whirlpool structure and star formation in M51 are thought to be triggered by an ongoing collision with its companion. Understanding the impact on star formation by the interaction of galaxies is one of the goals of these observations. The targeted galaxy is known by various names: M51 from its Messier catalog designation, and also as NGC 5194. M51 was one of the original discoveries of Charles Messier, found in October 1773 while he was observing a faint comet. The Messier catalogue of galaxies is named after him. Colloquially, M51 is also known as the "Whirlpool Galaxy", or "Rosse's Galaxy," after Lord Rosse, who first detected galaxy spiral structure in his observations of M51. The companion, NGC 5195, was discovered in 1781 by Pierre Mechain. The Whirlpool galaxy is a favorite target for amateur and professional, astronomers, alike, and was the first light target for the Infrared Space Observatory. Found in the constellation Canes Venatici, M51 is 37 million light-years away. The Spitzer observations of M51 are part of a large 500-hour science project, known as the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey, which will comprehensively study 75 nearby galaxies with infrared imaging and spectroscopy. From these data, astronomers will probe the physical processes connecting star formation to the properties of galaxies. This information will provide a vital foundation of data, diagnostic tools, and astrophysical inputs for understanding the distant universe, ultraluminous galaxies, and the formation and evolution of galaxies. |
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Visible-Infrared Whirlpool
| Title |
Visible-Infrared Whirlpool |
| Description |
This animation transitions from the more familiar visible light image of the "Whirlpool Galaxy" to the dramatic new view captured by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Revealed are strange structures bridging the gaps between the dust-rich spiral arms, and tracing the dust, gas and stellar populations in both the bright spiral galaxy and its companion. The visible light image comes from the Kitt Peak National Observatory 2.1m telescope, and is a four-color composite showing light from 0.4 to 0.7 microns, including the H-alpha nebular feature (red in the image). The Spitzer image is a four-color composite of invisible light of wavelengths of 3.6 microns (blue), 4.5 microns (green), 5.8 microns (orange) and 8.0 microns (red). These wavelengths are roughly 10 times longer than those seen by the human eye. The light seen in the images originates from very different sources. At shorter wavelengths (in the visible bands, and in the infrared from 3.6 to 4.5 microns), the light comes mainly from stars. This starlight fades at longer wavelengths (5.8 to 8.0 microns), where we see the glow from clouds of interstellar dust. This dust consists mainly of a variety of carbon-based organic molecules known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Wherever these compounds are found, there will also be dust granules and gas, which provide a reservoir of raw materials for future star formation. In the transition from the visible to the infrared view, the dust lanes seen as dark streaks to the human eye become vivid filaments of red emission seen in the infrared data between the arms of the large spiral galaxy. In contrast to the beady nature of the dust emission seen in the arms themselves, these spoke-like features are thin and regular, and prevalent in the gaps all over the face of the galaxy. Also of interest is the contrast in the distributions of dust and stars between the spiral and its faint companion. While the spiral is rich in dust, bright in the longer infrared wavebands, and actively forming new stars, its blue companion shows little infrared emission and hosts an older stellar population. The spectacular whirlpool structure and star formation in M51 are thought to be triggered by an ongoing collision with its companion. Understanding the impact on star formation by the interaction of galaxies is one of the goals of these observations. The targeted galaxy is known by various names: M51 from its Messier catalog designation, and also as NGC 5194. M51 was one of the original discoveries of Charles Messier, found in October 1773 while he was observing a faint comet. The Messier catalogue of galaxies is named after him. Colloquially, M51 is also known as the "Whirlpool Galaxy", or "Rosse's Galaxy," after Lord Rosse, who first detected galaxy spiral structure in his observations of M51. The companion, NGC 5195, was discovered in 1781 by Pierre Mechain. The Whirlpool galaxy is a favorite target for amateur and professional astronomers, alike, and, was the first light target for the Infrared Space Observatory. Found in the constellation Canes Venatici, M51 is 37 million light-years away. The Spitzer observations of M51 are part of a large 500-hour science project, known as the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxy Survey, which will comprehensively study 75 nearby galaxies with infrared imaging and spectroscopy. From these data, astronomers will probe the physical processes connecting star formation to the properties of galaxies. This information will provide a vital foundation of data, diagnostic tools, and astrophysical inputs for understanding the distant universe, ultraluminous galaxies, and the formation and evolution of galaxies. |
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Hubert Curien
| Description |
Hubert Curien |
| Full Description |
Hubert Curien was born on 30 October 1924 in the Vosges region of eastern France. While a student, he enlisted in the French resistance and was commended for bravery in action. He entered the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris and went on to pursue a research career in crystallography, joining the Sorbonne Mineralogy Laboratory. He was always keen to encourage collaboration between mineralogists and physicists. He was appointed lecturer at the University of Paris in 1949, obtained his PhD in 1951, and became professeur in 1956. From 1968 onwards, he continued with his teaching career at the 'Pierre et Marie Curie/Paris VI' University, which he left only in 1994, despite all his political duties. Aside from his scientific career, Hubert Curien is known mostly for his managerial and political responsibilities, pursued with commitment, efficiency and vision both in France and in Europe. He left his mark on an impressive number of scientific institutions. From 1966 to 1969, he was Scientific Director for Physics at the CNRS, France's scientific research centre, becoming its Director General in 1969. In 1973, he was given responsibility for reorganising research in France. From 1976 to 1984, he was President of the French space agency (CNES), and from 1984 to1993, served as Minister of Research and Space under four different governments. From 1981 to 1984, he was Chairman of the ESA Council, and he is now still remembered ¿ among his many achievements ¿ as one of the fathers of the Ariane programme and as a promoter of a Europe united through science. From 1994 to 1996, he also headed the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), and in 1993, was elected to the French Academy of Science. For his work, Hubert Curien received the highest distinctions and awards. He was known for his great intelligence and managerial and political abilities, but also for his simplicity, modesty, sense of humour and willingness to listen to others. He died on 6 February 2005, and is survived by his wife, Perrine, and their sons, Nicolas, Christophe and Pierre-Louis. *Credits:* ESA |
| Date |
March 7, 2007 |
|
Jean-Pierre Lebreton and Den
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| Description |
Jean-Pierre Lebreton and Dennis Matson |
| Full Description |
The Cassini-Huygens mission team was honored with an Aerospace Laurel award by the editors of Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine. The award was presented on April 7 in Washington, D.C. Receiving the award were, from left, Jean-Pierre Lebreton, the European Space Agency's project scientist and mission manager, with Dennis Matson, the project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Aviation Week presented the award for the successful landing of the European Space Agency's Huygens probe on Saturn's moon Titan, and for the science return and inspiring images from NASA's Cassini orbiter, which will continue sending back data for many years. *Credit:* Cassini Project |
| Date |
April 10, 2006 |
|
Armed and Ready
| Title |
Armed and Ready |
| Full Description |
STS-49 Mission Specialist Pierre Thuot is perched on the end effector of the Robot Arm (Remote Manipulator System/RMS), with the Intelsat VI capture bar. This would be one of many attempts to "grapple" the Intelsat VI satellite which was rendered inoperative when its Payload Assist Module (PAM) motor failed to fire thus preventing it from reaching an operational altitude. |
| Date |
05/13/1992 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
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Rick Hieb peers into the fli
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| Title |
Rick Hieb peers into the flight deck |
| Full Description |
Rick Hieb, a Mission Specialist aboard STS-49, looks into the aft flight deck of the orbiter during his spacewalk. STS-49, which launched on May 7, 1992 and returned:to Earth on May 16, 1992, marked the first flight of Endeavour and the first shuttle mission to feature four EVAs. Hieb, along with fellow astronauts Pierre Thuot and Thomas Akers helped to recover INTELSAT VI, a communications satellite whose orbit had become unstable. |
| Date |
05/16/1992 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
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Three Crew Members Capture I
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| Title |
Three Crew Members Capture Intelsat VI |
| Full Description |
Three crewmembers of mission STS-49 hold onto the 4.5 ton International Telecommunications Organization Satellite (INTELSAT) VI after a six- handed "capture" was made minutes earlier during the mission's third extravehicular activity (EVA). From left to right: Mission Specialists(MS) Richard J. Hieb, Thomas D. Akers, and Pierre J. Thuot. The three prepare to attach the capture bar which is tethered to Hieb. Thuot is positioned on the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm, from which he had made two earlier unsuccessful grapple attempts on two- person EVA sessions. Ground controllers and crewmembers agreed that a third attempt, using three mission specialists in the payload bay (PLB) was the effort needed to accomplish the capture feat. Behind the three astronauts is the vertical perigee stage which will be attached to the Intelsat VI prior to its release from the PLB. |
| Date |
05/13/1992 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Intelsat VI Capture Attempt
| Title |
Intelsat VI Capture Attempt |
| Full Description |
The first single crewmember EVA capture attempt of the Intelsat VI as seen from Endeavour's aft flight deck windows. EVA Mission Specialist Pierre Thuot standing on the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) end effector platform, with the satellite capture bar attempting to attach it to the free floating communications satellite. |
| Date |
05/16/1992 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
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Holiday Wishes from the Hubb
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| Title |
Holiday Wishes from the Hubble Space Telescope |
| General Information |
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. Resembling festive lights on a holiday wreath, this NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image of the nearby spiral galaxy M74 is an iconic reminder of the impending season. Bright knots of glowing gas light up the spiral arms, indicating a rich environment of star formation. M74 is located roughly 32 million light-years away in the direction of the constellation Pisces, the Fish. The image is a composite of Advanced Camera for Surveys data taken in 2003 and 2005. |
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Black Hole in Search of a Ho
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| Title |
Black Hole in Search of a Home |
| General Information |
What is a News Nugget? News Nuggets are bulletins from the world of astronomy. A team of European astronomers has used two of the most powerful astronomical facilities available, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) at Cerro Paranal, to find a bright quasar without a massive host galaxy. Quasars are powerful and typically very distant sources of prodigious amounts of radiation. They are commonly associated with galaxies containing an active central black hole. The team confidently concludes that the quasar on the left, HE0450-2958 (in the center, distance about 5 billion light-years) does not have a massive host galaxy. The quasar HE1239-2426 to the right (at a distance of 1.5 billion light-years), has a normal host galaxy which displays large spiral arms. Read more: * Release Text [ http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2005/13/text/ ] |
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Proteus DSA control room in
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| Photo Description |
Proteus DSA control room in Mojave, CA (L to R) Jean-Pierre Soucy, Amphitech International Software engineer Craig Bomben, NASA Dryden Test Pilot Pete Siebold, (with headset, at computer controls) Scaled Composites pilot Bob Roehm, New Mexico State University (NMSU) UAV Technical Analysis Application Center (TAAC) Chuck Coleman, Scaled Composites Pilot Kari Sortland, NMSU TAAC Russell Wolfe, Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. Scaled Composites' unique tandem-wing Proteus was the testbed for a series of UAV collision-avoidance flight demonstrations. An Amphitech 35GHz radar unit installed below Proteus' nose was the primary sensor for the Detect, See and Avoid tests. |
| Project Description |
The Proteus is a unique aircraft, designed as a high-altitude, long-duration telecommunications relay platform with potential for use on atmospheric sampling and Earth-monitoring science missions. Designed by Burt Rutan, president of Scaled Composites, LLC, of Mojave, Calif., Proteus is an "optionally piloted" aircraft ordinarily flown by two pilots in a pressurized cabin. However, it also has the capability to perform its missions semi-autonomously or flown remotely from the ground. The aircraft is designed to cruise at altitudes from 59,000 to more than 65,000 feet for up to 18 hours. It was designed to carry an 18-foot diameter telecommunications antenna system for relay of broadband data over major cities. The design allows Proteus to be reconfigured for a variety of other missions such as atmospheric research, reconnaissance, commercial imaging, and launch of small space satellites. It is designed for extreme reliability and low operating costs, and to operate out of general aviation airports with minimal support. Proteus has an all-composite airframe with graphite-epoxy sandwich construction. Its wingspan of 77 feet 7 inches is expandable to 92 feet with removable wingtips installed. Proteus is 56.3 feet long, 17.6 feet high and weighs 5,900 pounds empty. Proteus is powered by two Williams FJ44-2 turbofan engines, each rated at 2,300 pounds of thrust. Flight testing of the Proteus began in the summer of 1998 at Mojave Airport and continued through the end of 1999. Under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project, NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center assisted Scaled Composites in developing a sophisticated station-keeping autopilot system and a satellite communications (SATCOM)-based uplink-downlink data system for Proteus' performance and payload data. Flight testing included the installation and checkout of the autopilot system, including the refinement of the altitude hold and altitude change software. The SATCOM equipment, including avionics and antenna systems, was installed and checked out in several flight tests. The systems performed flawlessly during Proteus' deployment to the Paris Airshow in 1999. NASA has used Proteus as a testbed for a variety of technologies related to maturing unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) for use in civil applications. A small Airborne Real-Time Imaging System (ARTIS) camera, developed by HyperSpectral Sciences, Inc., under NASA's ERAST project, was demonstrated during the summer of 1999 when it took visual and near-infrared photos from Proteus while it was flying high over the Experimental Aircraft Association's "AirVenture 99" Airshow at Oshkosh, Wisc. The images were displayed on a computer monitor at the show only moments after they were taken. In March 2002, NASA Dryden, in cooperation with New Mexico State University's Technical Analysis and Applications Center (TAAC), the FAA and several other entities, conducted flight demonstrations of an active detect, see, and avoid (DSA) system for potential application to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) out of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Proteus was flown as a surrogate UAV controlled remotely from the ground, although safety pilots were aboard to handle takeoff and landing and any potential emergencies. Three other aircraft, ranging from general aviation aircraft to a NASA F/A-18, served as "cooperative" target aircraft with an operating transponder. In each of 18 different scenarios, a Goodrich Skywatch HP Traffic Advisory System (TAS) on the Proteus detected approaching air traffic on potential collision courses, including several scenarios with two aircraft approaching from different directions. The remote pilot then directed Proteus to turn, climb or descend as needed to avoid the potential threat. In April 2003, a second series of flight demonstrations focusing on "non-cooperative" aircraft (those without operating transponders), was conducted in restricted airspace near Mojave, Calif., again using the Proteus as a surrogate UAV. Proteus was equipped with a small Amphitech OASys 35 Ghz primary radar system to detect potential intruder aircraft on simulated collision courses. The radar data was telemetered directly to the ground station as well as via an Inmarsat satellite system installed on Proteus. A mix of seven intruder aircraft, ranging from a sailplane to a high-speed jet, flew 20 scenarios over a four-day period, one or two aircraft at a time. In each case, the radar picked up the intruding aircraft at ranges from 2.5 to 6.5 miles, depending on the intruder's radar signature. Proteus' remote pilot on the ground was able to direct Proteus to take evasive action if needed. Based on the preliminary results of both series of tests, project engineers believe that some upgrades would have to be made to both the Skywatch and the OASys detection systems to maximize their effectiveness as collision-avoidance detection sensors for UAVs. Additional flight tests of other types of detection systems, such as electro-optical infrared devices, may occur in the future under a follow-on program in an effort to establish an equivalent level of safety for UAVs to that now required of manned aircraft. The ERAST Project is sponsored by the Office of Aerospace Technology at NASA Headquarters, and is managed by the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. |
| Photo Date |
April 3, 2003 |
|
STS-49 Landing at Edwards wi
…
| Photo Description |
The Space Shuttle Endeavour concludes mission STS-49 at NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (later redesignated Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California, with a 1:57 p.m. (PDT) landing May 16 on Edward's concrete runway 22. The planned 7-day mission, which began with a launch from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 4:41 p.m. (PFT), 7 May, was extended two days to allow extra time to rescue the Intelsat VI satellite and complete Space Station assembly techniques originally planned. After a perfect rendezvous in orbit and numerous attempts to grab the satellite, space walking astronauts Pierre Thuot, Rick Hieb and Tom Akers successfully rescued it by hand on the third space walk with the support of mission specialists Kathy Thornton and Bruce Melnick. The three astronauts, on a record space walk, took hold of the satellite and directed it to the shuttle where a booster motor was attached to launch it to its proper orbit. Commander Dan Brandenstein and Pilot Kevin Chilton brought Endeavours's record setting maiden voyage to a perfect landing at Edwards with the first deployment of a drag chute on a shuttle mission. |
| Project Description |
470,000 pounds. The engines burn a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. In orbit, the Space Shuttles circle the earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour with each orbit taking about 90 minutes. A Space Shuttle crew sees a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. When Space Shuttle flights began in April 1981, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, was the primary landing site for the Shuttles. Now Kennedy Space Center, Florida, is the primary landing site with Dryden remaining as the principal alternate landing site., Space Shuttles are the main element of America?s Space Transportation System and are used for space research and other space applications. The shuttles are the first vehicles capable of being launched into space and returning to Earth on a routine basis. Space Shuttles are used as orbiting laboratories in which scientists and mission specialists conduct a wide variety of scientific experiments. Crews aboard shuttles place satellites in orbit, rendezvous with satellites to carry out repair missions and return them to space, and retrieve satellites and return them to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. Space Shuttles are true aerospace vehicles. They leave Earth and its atmosphere under rocket power provided by three liquid-propellant main engines with two solid-propellant boosters attached plus an external liquid-fuel tank. After their orbital missions, they streak back through the atmosphere and land like airplanes. The returning shuttles, however, land like gliders, without power and on runways. Other rockets can place heavy payloads into orbit, but, they can only be used once. Space Shuttles are designed to be continually reused. When Space Shuttles are used to transport complete scientific laboratories into space, the laboratories remain inside the payload bay throughout the mission. They are then removed after the Space Shuttle returns to Earth and can be reused on future flights. Some of these orbital laboratories, like the Spacelab, provide facilities for several specialists to conduct experiments in such fields as medicine, astronomy, and materials manufacturing. Some types of satellites deployed by Space Shuttles include those involved in environmental and resources protection, astronomy, weather forecasting, navigation, oceanographic studies, and other scientific fields. The Space Shuttles can also launch spacecraft into orbits higher than the Shuttle?s altitude limit through the use of Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) propulsion units. After release from the Space Shuttle payload bay, the IUS is ignited to carry the spacecraft into deep space. The Space Shuttles are also being used to carry elements of the International Space Station into space where they are assembled in orbit. The Space Shuttles were built by Rockwell International?s Space Transportation Systems Division, Downey, California. Rockwell?s Rocketdyne Division (now part of Boeing) builds the three main engines, and Thiokol, Brigham City, Utah, makes the solid rocket booster motors. Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin), New Orleans, Louisiana, makes the external tanks. Each orbiter (Space Shuttle) is 121 feet long, has a wingspan of 78 feet, and a height of 57 feet. The Space Shuttle is approximately the size of a DC-9 commercial airliner and can carry a payload of 65,000 pounds into orbit. The payload bay is 60 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Each main engine is capable of producing a sea level thrust of 375,000 pounds and a vacuum (orbital) thrust of |
| Photo Date |
1992 |
|
STS-49 Landing at Edwards wi
…
| Photo Description |
The Space Shuttle Endeavour concludes mission STS-49 at NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (later redesignated Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California, with a 1:57 p.m. (PDT) landing 16 May on Edward's concrete runway 22. The planned 7-day mission, which began with a launch from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 4:41 p.m. (PFT), 7 May, was extended two days to allow extra time to rescue the Intelsat VI satellite and complete Space Station assembly techniques originally planned. After a perfect rendezvous in orbit and numerous attempts to grab the satellite, space walking astronauts Pierre Thuot, Rick Hieb and Tom Akers successfully rescued it by hand on the third space walk with the support of mission specialists Kathy Thornton and Bruce Melnick. The three astronauts, on a record space walk, took hold of the satellite and directed it to the shuttle where a booster motor was attached to launch it to its proper orbit. Commander Dan Brandenstein and Pilot Kevin Chilton brought Endeavours's record setting maiden voyage to a perfect landing at Edwards AFB with the first deployment of a drag chute on a shuttle mission. |
| Project Description |
470,000 pounds. The engines burn a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. In orbit, the Space Shuttles circle the earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour with each orbit taking about 90 minutes. A Space Shuttle crew sees a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. When Space Shuttle flights began in April 1981, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, was the primary landing site for the Shuttles. Now Kennedy Space Center, Florida, is the primary landing site with Dryden remaining as the principal alternate landing site., Space Shuttles are the main element of America?s Space Transportation System and are used for space research and other space applications. The shuttles are the first vehicles capable of being launched into space and returning to Earth on a routine basis. Space Shuttles are used as orbiting laboratories in which scientists and mission specialists conduct a wide variety of scientific experiments. Crews aboard shuttles place satellites in orbit, rendezvous with satellites to carry out repair missions and return them to space, and retrieve satellites and return them to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. Space Shuttles are true aerospace vehicles. They leave Earth and its atmosphere under rocket power provided by three liquid-propellant main engines with two solid-propellant boosters attached plus an external liquid-fuel tank. After their orbital missions, they streak back through the atmosphere and land like airplanes. The returning shuttles, however, land like gliders, without power and on runways. Other rockets can place heavy payloads into orbit, but, they can only be used once. Space Shuttles are designed to be continually reused. When Space Shuttles are used to transport complete scientific laboratories into space, the laboratories remain inside the payload bay throughout the mission. They are then removed after the Space Shuttle returns to Earth and can be reused on future flights. Some of these orbital laboratories, like the Spacelab, provide facilities for several specialists to conduct experiments in such fields as medicine, astronomy, and materials manufacturing. Some types of satellites deployed by Space Shuttles include those involved in environmental and resources protection, astronomy, weather forecasting, navigation, oceanographic studies, and other scientific fields. The Space Shuttles can also launch spacecraft into orbits higher than the Shuttle?s altitude limit through the use of Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) propulsion units. After release from the Space Shuttle payload bay, the IUS is ignited to carry the spacecraft into deep space. The Space Shuttles are also being used to carry elements of the International Space Station into space where they are assembled in orbit. The Space Shuttles were built by Rockwell International?s Space Transportation Systems Division, Downey, California. Rockwell?s Rocketdyne Division (now part of Boeing) builds the three main engines, and Thiokol, Brigham City, Utah, makes the solid rocket booster motors. Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin), New Orleans, Louisiana, makes the external tanks. Each orbiter (Space Shuttle) is 121 feet long, has a wingspan of 78 feet, and a height of 57 feet. The Space Shuttle is approximately the size of a DC-9 commercial airliner and can carry a payload of 65,000 pounds into orbit. The payload bay is 60 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Each main engine is capable of producing a sea level thrust of 375,000 pounds and a vacuum (orbital) thrust of |
| Photo Date |
1992 |
|
STS-36 Launch
| Name of Image |
STS-36 Launch |
| Date of Image |
1990-02-28 |
| Full Description |
The STS-36 mission launch aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis on February 28, 1990 at 2:50:22am (EST). The crew featured five astronauts who served in the 6th Department of Defense (DOD) mission: John H. Creighton, commander, John H. Caster, pilot, and mission specialists Pierre J. Thuot, Richard M. (Mike) Mullane, and David. C. Hilmers. |
|
STS-36 Launch
| Name of Image |
STS-36 Launch |
| Date of Image |
1990-02-28 |
| Full Description |
The STS-36 mission launch aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis on February 28, 1990 at 2:50:22am (EST). The crew featured five astronauts who served in the 6th Department of Defense (DOD) mission: John H. Creighton, commander, John H. Caster, pilot, and mission specialists Pierre J. Thuot, Richard M. (Mike) Mullane, and David. C. Hilmers. |
|
STS-36 Crew Portrait
| Name of Image |
STS-36 Crew Portrait |
| Date of Image |
1990-02-14 |
| Full Description |
The STS-36 crew portrait features 5 astronauts who served in the 6th Department of Defense (DOD) mission. Posed near the Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery are (left to right) Pierre J. Thuot, mission specialist 3, John H. Caster, pilot, John H. Creighton, commander, Richard M. (Mike) Mullane, mission specialist 1, and David. C. Hilmers, mission specialist 2. The crew launched aboard Atlantis on February 28, 1990 at 2:50:22am (EST). |
|
STS-49 Crew Portrait
| Name of Image |
STS-49 Crew Portrait |
| Date of Image |
1992-05-16 |
| Full Description |
The STS-49 crew members pose near Endeavour after landing. Pictured left to right are: Richard J. Hieb, mission specialist, Kevin P. Chiltin, pilot, Daniel C. Brandenstein, commander, and mission specialists Thomas D. Akers, Pierre J. Thuot, Kathryn C. Thornton, and Bruce E. Melnick. Launched on May 7, 1992 at 7:40:00 pm (EDT), the crew of seven was the first to fly aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor. The mission was the first US orbital flight to feature 4 extravehicular activities (EVAs), and the first flight to involve 3 crew members simultaneously working outside of the spacecraft. The primary objective was the capture and redeployment of the INTELSAT VI (F-3) which was stranded in an unusable orbit since its launch aboard the Titan rocket in March 1990. |
|
Astronaut Thuot Inside Endea
…
| Name of Image |
Astronaut Thuot Inside Endeavour?s Cabin |
| Date of Image |
1992-05-11 |
| Full Description |
STS-49, the first flight of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour, lifted off from launch pad 39B on May 7, 1992 at 6:40 pm CDT. The STS-49 mission was the first U.S. orbital flight to feature 4 extravehicular activities (EVAs), and the first flight to involve 3 crew members working simultaneously outside of the spacecraft. The primary objective was the capture and redeployment of the INTELSAT VI (F-3), a communication satellite for the International Telecommunication Satellite organization, which was stranded in an unusable orbit since its launch aboard the Titan rocket in March 1990. Recorded with a 35 mm camera inside Endeavour?s cabin, is astronaut Pierre Thuot after his second unsuccessful attempt to affix a specially designed grapple bar to the 4.5 ton INTELSAT VI. |
|
Onboard photo: Astronauts at
…
| Name of Image |
Onboard photo: Astronauts at work |
| Date of Image |
1994-03-04 |
| Full Description |
Astronaut Pierre J. Thuot, mission specialist, works with the Mid-deck 0-gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE) aboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-62). MODE studies the dynamics of liquids and skewed space structures in the microgravity environment. |
|
Onboard photo: Astronauts at
…
| Name of Image |
Onboard photo: Astronauts at work |
| Date of Image |
1994-03-04 |
| Full Description |
Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-62) crew's activity with the Dexterous End Effector (DEE) on the Remote Manipulator System (RMS). Pictured are astronauts Pierre J. Thuot and Marsha S. Ivins. |
|
STS-62 Crew Portrait
| Name of Image |
STS-62 Crew Portrait |
| Date of Image |
1994-01-11 |
| Full Description |
Astronauts included in the STS-62 crew portrait include (standing left to right) mission specialists Charles D. Gemar, Marsha S. Ivins, and Pierre J. Thuot. Seated left to right are Andrew M. Allen, pilot, and John H. Casper, commander. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on March 4, 1994 at 8:53:00 am (EST), the STS-62 mission carried two primary payloads, the U.S Microgravity Payload-2 (USMP-2) and the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology-2 (OAST-2). |
|
Lake Oahe, Dakotas
| Title |
Lake Oahe, Dakotas |
| Description |
The Missouri River and its surrounding ecosystems are struggling in the tight fist of a 6-year drought. In North Dakota, 374-kilometer-long Lake Oahe, the nation's fourth largest reservoir, is so low that it has left the state. The long, thin reservoir extends upriver from the Oahe Dam on the Missouri from Pierre, South Dakota, to Bismarck, North Dakota. North of the state line, more than 100 kilometers of the lake that were formerly about 8 kilometers wide have reverted to a narrow river. The shrinking of the lake has left behind weedy mudflats and boat ramps stranded 2 kilometers from the water's edge. These images of Lake Oahe show the reservoir on April 4, 2005, (right) compared to the level on May 18, 2000 (left). The Missouri runs through the center of the images in a dark blue line. The image on the left was captured by NASA's Landsat 7 satellite, while the image on the right was captured by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite. In both images, vegetation appears in shades of red, while bare or sparsely vegetated ground are in shades of green (May 18 image) or tan (April 4 image). The already-thin reservoir has shrunk dramatically in the four years between the images. Both images cover an area of 28.7 by 65.6 kilometers, and they are centered along the North and South Dakota border. The drought's list of effects is long and painful: shortage of drinking and irrigation water, reduction in hydroelectric capacity, decrease in tourism, reduction in shipping, threats to endangered wildlife. The cause is the continuing yearly shortage of snowpack in the Rocky Mountains in Montana, where the Missouri River has its headwaters. NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team [ http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] |
|
The Car, the Hole, and the P
…
| Title |
The Car, the Hole, and the Peekskill Meteorite |
| Explanation |
The Peekskill meteor [ http://uregina.ca/~astro/mb_5.html ] of 1992 was captured on 16 independent video [ http://aquarid.physics.uwo.ca/~pbrown/Videos/peekskill.htm ]s and then struck a car. Documented [ http://nyrockman.com/peekskill.htm ] as brighter than the full Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020316.html ], the spectacular fireball [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/shadow/solar_system_level2/peekskill.html ] crossed parts of several US [ https://cia.gov/cia//publications/factbook/geos/us.html ] states during its 40 seconds of glory before landing in Peekskill [ http://www.hudsonriver.com/rivertowns/peekskill.htm ], New York [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York ]. The resulting meteorite [ http://www.nineplanets.org/meteorites.html ], pictured here, is composed of dense rock and has the size and mass of an extremely heavy bowling ball [ http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/pams/science_house/learn/floatingballs.html ]. If you are lucky [ http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4683502345579146769 ] enough to find a meteorite [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteorite ] just after impact [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990711.html ], do not pick it up -- parts of it are likely to be either very hot or very cold. In this weekend [ http://www.arm.ac.uk/leonid/2006/info2006.html ]'s Leonid meteor shower [ http://comets.amsmeteors.org/meteors/showers/leonidsez.html ], few meteors, if any, are expected to hit [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020623.html ] the ground. |
|
Cosmic Rays from Galactic Ce
…
| Title |
Cosmic Rays from Galactic Centers |
| Explanation |
Where do cosmic rays [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_rays ] come from? A major step toward answering this century old question [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_rays#History ] may have just come in from the Auger Observatory [ http://www.auger.org/observatory/ ] project, the world's premier cosmic ray observatory. That high energy fundamental particles are barreling through the universe has been known [ http://www.p-ng.si/public/pao/history.php ] for about a century. Because ultra high energy cosmic rays [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_rays#Ultra-high-energy_cosmic_rays ] are so rare and because their extrapolated directions are so imprecise, no progenitor objects have ever been unambiguously implied [ http://www.auger.org/technical_info/icrc_2007.html ]. New results [ http://www.auger.org/news/PRagn/AGN_correlation.html ] from Auger, however, indicate that 12 of 15 ultra high energy cosmic rays have sky directions statistically consistent with the positions of nearby active galactic nuclei [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_galactic_nucleus ]. These galactic centers [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991017.html ] are already known to emit great amounts of light and are likely powered by large black holes [ http://cosmology.berkeley.edu/Education/BHfaq.html ]. The Auger results [ http://www.auger.org/news/PRagn/AGN_correlation_more.html ] also indicate [ http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/sci;318/5852/938 ] that the highest energy cosmic rays [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GZK_cutoff ] are protons, since the electric charge of higher energy nuclei would force the Milky Way Galaxy [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050825.html ]'s magnetic field [ http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2001/RebeccaRudberg.shtml ] to deflect and effectively erase progenitor source direction. Pictured above, an artist illustrates a cosmic ray [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060814.html ] striking the Earth's atmosphere and creating a shower of secondary particles detectable on the surface. The image of Centaurus A [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030806.html ] digitally superposed near the top signifies one such active galaxy from which cosmic rays [ http://www.mininggazette.com/stories/articles.asp?articleID=9354 ] might originate. |
|
Hyakutake, Big Dipper, and O
…
| Title |
Hyakutake, Big Dipper, and Observatory Dome |
| Explanation |
In one of the more spectacular pictures yet taken, Comet Hyakutake [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/hyakutake.html ] is shown here on March 26 high in the dark Missouri sky. In the foreground is Elmcrest Observatory complete with a dim red light glowing inside the dome. The stars in the background moved slightly during the exposure causing them to appear as streaks instead of points [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950926.html ] of light. Nevertheless, the constellation of Ursa Major [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Ursa_Major.html ] - including the Big Dipper [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960327.html ] - is visible. Can you spot it? (Hint: Hyakutake's tail flows through the Dipper's handle.) Photographs with both recognizable foreground and background objects visible can be quite striking as they add angular perspective and contrast to the outworldly and unfamiliar comet. Dare anyone try to compete with city lights and capture the Eiffel Tower [ http://www.cs.ucla.edu/csd-grads-gs3/pierre/www/eiffel-tower.html ] or the New York skyline in front of the comet? |
|
The Car, the Hole, and the P
…
| Title |
The Car, the Hole, and the Peekskill Meteorite |
| Explanation |
The Peekskill meteor [ http://uregina.ca/~astro/mb_5.html ] of 1992 was captured on 16 independent videos and then struck a car. Documented [ http://nyrockman.com/peekskill.htm ] as brighter than the full Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020316.html ], the spectacular fireball [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/shadow/solar_system_level2/peekskill.html ] crossed parts of several US [ http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html ] states during its 40 seconds of glory before landing in Peekskill [ http://www.hudsonriver.com/rivertowns/peekskill.htm ], New York [ http://www.state.ny.us/ ]. The resulting meteorite [ http://www.nineplanets.org/meteorites.html ], pictured here [ http://www.ens-lyon.fr/Planet-Terre/Forum/Climats/Atmosphere/echauffement.htm ], is composed of dense rock and has the size and mass of an extremely heavy bowling ball [ http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/pams/science_house/learn/floatingballs.html ]. If you are lucky [ http://focas-sandiego.org/pet_page.php?pet_id=1239 ] enough to find a meteorite [ http://www.planets.org/met.htm ] just after impact [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990711.html ], do not pick it up -- parts of it are likely to be either very hot or very cold [ http://www.visionlearning.com/library/science/general-1/SCI1.5-temperature.htm ]. In tonight [ http://leonid.arc.nasa.gov/estimator.html ]'s possibly spectacular Leonid meteor shower [ http://comets.amsmeteors.org/meteors/showers/leonidsez.html ], few meteors, if any, are expected to hit [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020623.html ] the ground. |
|
Meteors Between Stars and Cl
…
| Title |
Meteors Between Stars and Clouds |
| Explanation |
Streaking high above diffuse clouds [ http://vortex.plymouth.edu/clouds.html ] -- but well in front of distant stars -- are sand-sized bits of an ancient comet: meteors [ http://www.nineplanets.org/meteorites.html ]. These bits flaked off Comet Tempel-Tuttle [ http://www.lowell.edu/users/farnham/tt/ ] during its pass through the inner Solar System [ http://www.nineplanets.org/overview.html ] about 150 years ago. Far in the background are stars toward the constellation [ http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/history/exhibits/constellations/ ] of Ursa Major [ http://www.seds.org/Maps/Stars_en/Fig/ursamajor.html ]. The above image is digital combination of 12 exposures taken on the morning of November 19 from Florida [ http://www.state.fl.us/ ], USA [ http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html ]. Observers there reported [ http://meteors.com/leonidmac/articles/the_rain_in.txt ] a strong peak in faint meteors [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap991124.html ] between 5:30 and 6:00 EST [ http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronomy/EasternStandardTime.html ], with a particularly strong minute coming at 5:46 EST when 22 Leonid meteors [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021127.html ] were counted. The likely less impressive Geminid meteor shower [ http://www.space.com/spacewatch/geminid_preview_021007.html ] will peak over the next three nights. |
|
M106 in Canes Venatici
| Title |
M106 in Canes Venatici |
| Explanation |
Close to the Great Bear (Ursa Major) and surrounded by the stars [ http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/stars/ constellations.shtml ] of the Hunting Dogs (Canes Venatici), this celestial nebula was discovered [ http://www.seds.org/messier/Mdes/dm106.html ] in 1781 by the metric [ http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=52982 ] French astronomer Pierre Mechain [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/history/ pmechain.html ] and later added to the catalog of his friend and colleague Charles Messier as M106 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m106.html ]. Modern deep telescopic views reveal it to be an island universe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020518.html ] -- a spiral galaxy around 30 thousand light-years across located only about 21 million light-years beyond the stars of the Milky Way. Youthful blue star clusters and reddish stellar nurseries trace the striking spiral arms of M106. Seen so clearly in this beautiful image [ http://www.noao.edu/outreach/aop/observers/m106.html ], the galaxy's bright core is also visible across the spectrum [ http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/Outreach/Multiwave/ ] from radio to x-rays, making M106 a nearby example of the Seyfert class [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981023.html ] of active galaxies. The bright core of a Seyfert galaxy is believed to be powered by matter falling into a massive central black hole [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/active/ smblack.html ]. |
|
M106 in Canes Venatici
| Title |
M106 in Canes Venatici |
| Explanation |
Close to the Great Bear (Ursa Major) and surrounded by the stars [ http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/stars/ constellations.shtml ] of the Hunting Dogs (Canes Venatici), this celestial nebula was discovered [ http://www.seds.org/messier/Mdes/dm106.html ] in 1781 by the metric [ http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=52982 ] French astronomer Pierre Mechain [ http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/history/ pmechain.html ]. Later, it was added to the catalog of his friend and colleague Charles Messier as M106 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m106.html ]. Modern deep telescopic views reveal it to be an island universe [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020518.html ] -- a spiral galaxy around 30 thousand light-years across located only about 21 million light-years beyond the stars of the Milky Way. Youthful blue star clusters and reddish stellar nurseries trace the striking spiral arms of M106. Seen so clearly in this beautiful image [ http://www.noao.edu/outreach/aop/observers/m106.html ], the galaxy's bright core is also visible across the spectrum [ http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ multiwavelength_astronomy/multiwavelength_astronomy/ ] from radio to x-rays, making M106 a nearby example of the Seyfert class [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981023.html ] of active galaxies. The bright core of a Seyfert galaxy is believed to be powered by matter falling into a massive central black hole [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/active/ smblack.html ]. |
|
Astronaut Thuot during extra
…
| Title |
Astronaut Thuot during extravehicular activity (EVA) training in CCT |
| Description |
In Space Vehicle Mockup Facility, astronaut Pierre J. Thuot retrieves gear to rehearse a suit donning exercise on the middeck. Thuot's realistic environs are provided by the shuttle crew compartment trainer (CCT). Thuot, mission specialist, and four other NASA astronauts will spend two weeks in space aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in March of 1994. He and astronaut Andrew M. Allen have been rehearsing contingency space walks. There is no scheduled extravehicular activity (EVA) for the STS-62 flight. |
| Date |
10.13.1993 |
|
Official portrait Astronaut
…
| Title |
Official portrait Astronaut Pierre J. Thuot |
| Description |
Official portrait of Astronaut Pierre J. Thuot in the blue shuttle flight suit with an American flag in the background. There is a small model of the shuttle on a table in front of him. |
| Date |
10.04.1985 |
|
Portrait of astronaut Pierre
…
| Title |
Portrait of astronaut Pierre J. Thuot in EMU |
| Description |
Portrait of astronaut Pierre J. Thuot wearing his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit with his helmet on the table in front of him. |
| Date |
06.01.1992 |
|
Single crewmember EVA INTELS
…
| Title |
Single crewmember EVA INTELSAT capture attempt. |
| Description |
Scene of the single crewmember EVA INTELSAT capture attempt. View taken from the aft flight deck, of EVA Mission Specialist Pierre Thuot standing on the RMS end effector platform, with the INTELSAT capture bar attempting to attach it to the free floating INTELSAT communications satellite. Mission Commander Dan Brandenstein is observing the activity. |
| Date |
05.16.1992 |
|
Endeavour, OV-105, rollout w
…
| Title |
Endeavour, OV-105, rollout with STS-49 crew at RI in Palmdale, California |
| Description |
Endeavour, Orbiter Vehicle 105, rollout ceremonies held at the Rockwell International (RI) Space Systems Facility in Palmdale, California. JSC Astronaut Office Chief and STS-49 Commander Daniel C. Brandenstein, standing at podium, introduces the other members of the STS-49 crew. Wearing white caps and standing behind Brandenstein are (left to right) Mission Specialist (MS) Bruce E. Melnick, MS Thomas D. Akers, MS Pierre J. Thuot, MS Kathryn C. Thornton, and Pilot Kevin P. Chilton. Seated next to the podium (left) and applauding is NASA Administrator Rear Admiral Richard H. Truly. Other NASA Officials are seated on the stage including William B. Lenoir seated next to vacant chair on the right. The stage is set up in front of OV-105 which creates the backdrop for the scene. |
| Date |
05.06.1991 |
|
STS-36 crewmembers in LESs p
…
| Title |
STS-36 crewmembers in LESs pose in front of JSC's crew compartment trainer |
| Description |
STS-36 crewmembers, wearing launch and entry suits (LESs), take a break from their emergency egress training to pose for an informal crew portrait in front of JSC's Crew Compartment Trainer (CCT). Left to right are Pilot John H. Casper, Commander John O. Creighton, Mission Specialist (MS) Pierre J. Thuot, MS Richard M. Mullane, and MS David C. Hilmers. The crewmembers were practicing egress procedures necessary in the event of an emergency aboard the space shuttle. The CCT is located in JSC's Mockup and Integration Laboratory (MAIL) Bldg 9A. |
| Date |
10.23.1989 |
|
STS-36 MS Thuot in LES durin
…
| Title |
STS-36 MS Thuot in LES during JSC emergency egress training |
| Description |
STS-36 Mission Specialist (MS) Pierre J. Thuot, wearing launch and entry suit (LES), observes emergency egress procedures before participating in them during a training exercise held at JSC's Mockup and Integration Laboratory (MAIL) Bldg 9A. Thuot, along with his fellow crewmembers, was briefed in egress procedures to follow in the event of an emergency aboard the shuttle during launch and landing sequences. The crewmembers practiced the egress procedures in preparation for their upcoming Department of Defense (DOD) flight aboard Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104. |
| Date |
10.23.1989 |
|
STS-49 crew in JSC's FB Shut
…
| Title |
STS-49 crew in JSC's FB Shuttle Mission Simulator (SMS) during simulation |
| Description |
STS-49 Endeavour, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 105, crewmembers participate in a simulation in JSC's Fixed Base (FB) Shuttle Mission Simulator (SMS) located in the Mission Simulation and Training Facility Bldg 5. Wearing launch and entry suits (LESs) and launch and entry helmets (LEH) and seated on the FB-SMS middeck are (left to right) Mission Specialist (MS) Thomas D. Akers, MS Kathryn C. Thornton, and MS Pierre J. Thuot. |
| Date |
02.28.1992 |
|
STS-49 Landing at Edwards wi
…
| Title |
STS-49 Landing at Edwards with First Drag Chute Landing |
| Description |
The Space Shuttle Endeavour concludes mission STS-49 at NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (later redesignated Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California, with a 1:57 p.m. (PDT) landing May 16 on Edward's concrete runway 22. The planned 7-day mission, which began with a launch from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 4:41 p.m. (PFT), 7 May, was extended two days to allow extra time to rescue the Intelsat VI satellite and complete Space Station assembly techniques originally planned. After a perfect rendezvous in orbit and numerous attempts to grab the satellite, space walking astronauts Pierre Thuot, Rick Hieb and Tom Akers successfully rescued it by hand on the third space walk with the support of mission specialists Kathy Thornton and Bruce Melnick. The three astronauts, on a record space walk, took hold of the satellite and directed it to the shuttle where a booster motor was attached to launch it to its proper orbit. Commander Dan Brandenstein and Pilot Kevin Chilton brought Endeavours's record setting maiden voyage to a perfect landing at Edwards with the first deployment of a drag chute on a shuttle mission. Space Shuttles are the main element of America's Space Transportation System and are used for space research and other space applications. The shuttles are the first vehicles capable of being launched into space and returning to Earth on a routine basis. Space Shuttles are used as orbiting laboratories in which scientists and mission specialists conduct a wide variety of scientific experiments. Crews aboard shuttles place satellites in orbit, rendezvous with satellites to carry out repair missions and return them to space, and retrieve satellites and return them to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. Space Shuttles are true aerospace vehicles. They leave Earth and its atmosphere under rocket power provided by three liquid-propellant main engines with two solid-propellant boosters attached plus an external liquid-fuel tank. After their orbital missions, they streak back through the atmosphere and land like airplanes. The returning shuttles, however, land like gliders, without power and on runways. Other rockets can place heavy payloads into orbit, but, they can only be used once. Space Shuttles are designed to be continually reused. When Space Shuttles are used to transport complete scientific laboratories into space, the laboratories remain inside the payload bay throughout the mission. They are then removed after the Space Shuttle returns to Earth and can be reused on future flights. Some of these orbital laboratories, like the Spacelab, provide facilities for several specialists to conduct experiments in such fields as medicine, astronomy, and materials manufacturing. Some types of satellites deployed by Space Shuttles include those involved in environmental and resources protection, astronomy, weather forecasting, navigation, oceanographic studies, and other scientific fields. The Space Shuttles can also launch, spacecraft into orbits higher than the Shuttle's altitude limit through the use of Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) propulsion units. After release from the Space Shuttle payload bay, the IUS is ignited to carry the spacecraft into deep space. The Space Shuttles are also being used to carry elements of the International Space Station into space where they are assembled in orbit. The Space Shuttles were built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division, Downey, California. Rockwell's Rocketdyne Division (now part of Boeing) builds the three main engines, and Thiokol, Brigham City, Utah, makes the solid rocket booster motors. Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin), New Orleans, Louisiana, makes the external tanks. Each orbiter (Space Shuttle) is 121 feet long, has a wingspan of 78 feet, and a height of 57 feet. The Space Shuttle is approximately the size of a DC-9 commercial airliner and can carry a payload of 65,000 pounds into orbit. The payload bay is 60 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Each main engine is capable of producing a sea level thrust of 375,000 pounds and a vacuum (orbital) thrust of 470,000 pounds. The engines burn a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. In orbit, the Space Shuttles circle the earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour with each orbit taking about 90 minutes. A Space Shuttle crew sees a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. When Space Shuttle flights began in April 1981, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, was the primary landing site for the Shuttles. Now Kennedy Space Center, Florida, is the primary landing site with Dryden remaining as the principal alternate landing site. |
| Date |
01.01.1992 |
|
STS-49 Landing at Edwards wi
…
| Title |
STS-49 Landing at Edwards with First Drag Chute Landing |
| Description |
The Space Shuttle Endeavour concludes mission STS-49 at NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (later redesignated Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California, with a 1:57 p.m. (PDT) landing 16 May on Edward's concrete runway 22. The planned 7-day mission, which began with a launch from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 4:41 p.m. (PFT), 7 May, was extended two days to allow extra time to rescue the Intelsat VI satellite and complete Space Station assembly techniques originally planned. After a perfect rendezvous in orbit and numerous attempts to grab the satellite, space walking astronauts Pierre Thuot, Rick Hieb and Tom Akers successfully rescued it by hand on the third space walk with the support of mission specialists Kathy Thornton and Bruce Melnick. The three astronauts, on a record space walk, took hold of the satellite and directed it to the shuttle where a booster motor was attached to launch it to its proper orbit. Commander Dan Brandenstein and Pilot Kevin Chilton brought Endeavours's record setting maiden voyage to a perfect landing at Edwards AFB with the first deployment of a drag chute on a shuttle mission. Space Shuttles are the main element of America's Space Transportation System and are used for space research and other space applications. The shuttles are the first vehicles capable of being launched into space and returning to Earth on a routine basis. Space Shuttles are used as orbiting laboratories in which scientists and mission specialists conduct a wide variety of scientific experiments. Crews aboard shuttles place satellites in orbit, rendezvous with satellites to carry out repair missions and return them to space, and retrieve satellites and return them to Earth for refurbishment and reuse. Space Shuttles are true aerospace vehicles. They leave Earth and its atmosphere under rocket power provided by three liquid-propellant main engines with two solid-propellant boosters attached plus an external liquid-fuel tank. After their orbital missions, they streak back through the atmosphere and land like airplanes. The returning shuttles, however, land like gliders, without power and on runways. Other rockets can place heavy payloads into orbit, but, they can only be used once. Space Shuttles are designed to be continually reused. When Space Shuttles are used to transport complete scientific laboratories into space, the laboratories remain inside the payload bay throughout the mission. They are then removed after the Space Shuttle returns to Earth and can be reused on future flights. Some of these orbital laboratories, like the Spacelab, provide facilities for several specialists to conduct experiments in such fields as medicine, astronomy, and materials manufacturing. Some types of satellites deployed by Space Shuttles include those involved in environmental and resources protection, astronomy, weather forecasting, navigation, oceanographic studies, and other scientific fields. The Space Shuttles can also launch, spacecraft into orbits higher than the Shuttle's altitude limit through the use of Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) propulsion units. After release from the Space Shuttle payload bay, the IUS is ignited to carry the spacecraft into deep space. The Space Shuttles are also being used to carry elements of the International Space Station into space where they are assembled in orbit. The Space Shuttles were built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division, Downey, California. Rockwell's Rocketdyne Division (now part of Boeing) builds the three main engines, and Thiokol, Brigham City, Utah, makes the solid rocket booster motors. Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin), New Orleans, Louisiana, makes the external tanks. Each orbiter (Space Shuttle) is 121 feet long, has a wingspan of 78 feet, and a height of 57 feet. The Space Shuttle is approximately the size of a DC-9 commercial airliner and can carry a payload of 65,000 pounds into orbit. The payload bay is 60 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Each main engine is capable of producing a sea level thrust of 375,000 pounds and a vacuum (orbital) thrust of 470,000 pounds. The engines burn a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. In orbit, the Space Shuttles circle the earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour with each orbit taking about 90 minutes. A Space Shuttle crew sees a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes. When Space Shuttle flights began in April 1981, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, was the primary landing site for the Shuttles. Now Kennedy Space Center, Florida, is the primary landing site with Dryden remaining as the principal alternate landing site. |
| Date |
01.01.1992 |
|
STS-49 MS Thuot, in EMU, pra
…
| Title |
STS-49 MS Thuot, in EMU, practices INTELSAT capture during WETF simulation |
| Description |
STS-49 Endeavour, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 105, Mission Specialist (MS) Pierre J. Thuot trains for International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT) VI satellite on-orbit repair and redeployment in JSC's Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) Bldg 29 during an underwater simulation. Thuot, wearing an extravehicular mobility unit (EMU), captures INTELSAT VI mockup from its underside (aft side) while positioned on the manipulator foot restraint (MFR) and utilizing capture bar. This view documents the beginning of lengthy training sessions for STS-49. Assigned for the initial flight of OV-105, the mission is scheduled to repair the INTELSAT VI communications satellite, stranded in an errant orbit since March 1990. SCUBA-equipped divers assist in the simulation. |
| Date |
04.24.1991 |
|
STS-62 crew prepare for emer
…
| Title |
STS-62 crew prepare for emergency egress training |
| Description |
In JSC's Space Vehicle Mockup Facility, the five crewmembers training for STS-62 are assisted in donning their launch and entry suits (LES). From left to right are astronauts John H. Casper, Andrew M. Allen, Pierre J. Thuot, Charles D. (Sam) Gemar and Marsha S. Ivins. Minutes later the crew was in the crew compartment trainer rehearsing their scheduled March 1994 mission aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. Launch, landing and emergency egress procedures were covered in the training session. |
| Date |
11.05.1993 |
|
MS Gemar and MS Thuot in the
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johnsonspacecentermediaarchi
…
Photographic documentation o
…
STS062-10-036
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
1997-05-28 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
STS062-10-036 |
|
STS-49 crew poses for group
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johnsonspacecentermediaarchi
…
STS-49 crewmembers pose for
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s49-s-002
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
s49-s-002 |
|
STS-49 Endeavour, Orbiter Ve
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johnsonspacecentermediaarchi
…
STS-49 Endeavour, Orbiter Ve
…
sts049-s-001
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
sts049-s-001 |
|
STS-36 official crew portrai
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johnsonspacecentermediaarchi
…
The five astronauts in train
…
sts036-s-002
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
11/21/89 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
sts036-s-002 |
|
Two crewmember EVA in the pa
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johnsonspacecentermediaarchi
…
Two EVA mission specialists,
…
sts049-52-001
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
05/16/92 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
sts049-52-001 |
|
MS Ivins and MS Thuot with i
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johnsonspacecentermediaarchi
…
Photographic documentation t
…
STS062-04-005
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
1997-05-23 |
| creator |
NASA |
| identifier |
STS062-04-005 |
|
Geology of Boulder, Colorado
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
On a hillside west of Boulde
…
boulder_ast_2003346
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-12-12 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
boulder_ast_2003346 |
|
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