Space Shuttle Atlantis June 11, 2007 2:36 PM
Atlantis was launched into space late last week and is perfroming upgrades and repairs to the International Space Station. "During Atlantis' liftoff Friday, a corner of a heat-protection blanket peeled back, exposing a 4-by-6-inch wedge of an engine casing to the left of the ship's tail. The blanket shields the casing from the superheated gases that envelop the shuttle as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere," reports the USA Today. "During re-entry, the engine casing heats up to 700 to 1,000 degrees. The graphite-epoxy material that makes up the wall of the engine casing starts to burn away at 250 degrees. There are several layers of material between the heat shield and the graphite-epoxy, but it's not clear whether the intermediate layers have also peeled away, [shuttle official John] Shannon said." What are your thoughts about the Space Program? What do you think of the idea for a human space-flight to Mars? Share your thoughts in the Open Forum.
-- Association of Young Americans
To the Moon! December 5, 2006 11:46 AM
On Monday NASA announced plans for a Moon permanent base by 2024. While many details are yet to be determined, the base is likely to be positioned "at one of the lunar poles, to take advantage of the near-constant sunlight for solar power generation. It would have an 'open architecture' design to which others could add the capabilities they want," reports the New York Times. Missions to the Moon are tentatively set to begin around 2020. "As more equipment was set up, human stays would eventually grow to 180 days, and become permanent by 2024. By 2027, officials said, a pressurized roving vehicle on the surface would take people on expeditions far from the base." What do you think about the possibility of a moon base? What do you envision for the future of the US space program? Share your thoughts in the Open Forum.
-- Association of Young Americans
Space Shuttle to Launch July 1 June 18, 2006 5:22 PM
NASA announced that it will be launching the Space Shuttle Discovery in less than two weeks. NASA administrtor Michael Griffin "told a televised news conference from Kennedy that he approved the 13-day flight because he did not feel it presented an undue risk to the seven-member crew, even though issues remained about debris from the shuttle's external fuel tank that could damage the vehicle during launching," reported the New York Times. What do you think about the future of NASA and human space flight? Share your ideas in the open forum.
-- Association of Young Americans