A shadow of the future: When is a space shuttle not a space shuttle?

When it is a museum-piece being shuttled by an airplane to its resting place. Digitalglobe’s twitter-feed just sent this out. A little sad picture of the past (almost a year ago). Note the artifacting of the image in the photo? The way Digitalglobe explain it is the aircraft is moving fast during the time their […]

50 Kilometers above the moon

So tomorrow evening NASA is hoping to get this satellite launched out of Wallops Island, Virginia. Orbital Sciences is launching the satellite payload on top of a converted Peacekeeper ICBM (InterContinental Ballistic Missile), now called a Minotaur V. According to NASA’s mission statement, they would like to have the satellite orbiting the moon in a few […]

That’s no moon…

…at least according to this article it isn’t, but it is a “quasi-satellite.” They do say in about 5,000 years or so it might become one of Earth’s moons for a while. The interesting thing about this particular satellite (it’s natural) is the orbital configuration, which scientists label co-orbital. Such a weird one coinciding with […]

Why space matters: Imaging satellite operations, part 10–short bus schooling

Labor Day took its toll, but I’m back to write more (hopefully) interesting articles for you. What a space operator should know about satellite systems and space operations fills several volumes of books, folders and checklists. But, in essence, a space operator and space operations crew worries about three things: the satellite ground system, the […]

A few satellites, simulated, to play with

One of my friends showed me the National Reconnaissance Office’s kids website. I know some of you know a lot about space, but some might like taking a gander, anyway. I think it’s really meant for children, so unfortunately a lot of the explanations and narration seems very simple. But that can be a good […]