Another successful test flight of SpaceShipTwo
Another successful test flight of SpaceShipTwo took place on Tuesday. Via Clark Lindsey.
Tag: spaceflight
The first tourist in space, a woman from Britain
The first tourist in space was not Dennis Tito, but this woman from Britain.
India designing reusable spacecraft
ISRO, India’s space agency, pushes to get funding for a reusable spacecraft.
Dawn Captures First Image of Asteroid Vesta
Dawn captures its first image of the asteroid Vesta as it closes in on a rendezvous set for July 16.
First Soyuz launch from French Guiana set for October
The first Soyuz launch from the European spaceport in French Guiana is now scheduled for October.
Final shuttle mission unlikely to fly until mid-July
The delays in launching Endeavour has pushed back the last shuttle mission to mid-July.
FAA slow to ramp up its role in regulating human space travel
The FAA: slow to ramp up in its role of regulating human space travel.
This ain’t good. It also is not a surprise. The only real question is whether the government bureaucrats at the FAA will get out of the way of those who are really trying to do the work.
NASA management moves to combine SpaceX’s next two test flights of Dragon
NASA management appears ready to approve combining SpaceX’s next two test flights of the Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket into one test flight. This despite Russian opposition.
Endeavour’s launch now set for 8:56 am May 16
Endeavour’s last launch is now set for May 16 at 8:56 am.
Soviet Spacesuit sold for $242,000 in NY auction
A Soviet-era spacesuit has sold for $242,000 in a NY auction.
Shuttle launch slips to at least May 16
The last launch of Endeavour has now slipped to at least May 16.
Fifty years ago: Alan Shepard’s suborbital flight
An evening pause: Fifty years ago today, America’s response to Gagarin and the Soviets, Alan Shepard’s suborbital flight.
Or as he said as he lifted off, “The clock has started.”
The flight actually lasted 15 minutes 22 seconds. Though only a fourth the size of Gagarin’s much bigger Vostok capsule, the Mercury capsule was steerable. During the flight Shepard adjusted the capsule’s pitch, roll, and yaw, proving that humans could pilot a spacecraft manually.