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NASA’s final space shuttle launch this Friday brings about the end of an era. If you’re like me, you grew up watching the awesome triumphs and stunning tragedies associated with the space shuttle program. Friday’s Atlantis launch brings all this to a close and, amid all the emotion, you’ll probably want to crank some appropriate space music. Here are some recommendations:
Remember NASA’s “Space Rock” contest? Well, 2.4 million people cast their online ballots to vote for some orbital wake-up music. Sadly, they were limited to a list of 40 previously played wake-up songs that included such tracks as “Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down. Hey, I guess the sight of an orbital sunrise can make just about anything sound good.
Space Music: NASA Mission with a Side of Aphex Twin
by Robert Lamb | February 23, 2011
If all goes as planned, the Discovery will blast off Thursday on one of the last three space shuttle missions (STS-133) ever. Among other things, the crew will bring along Robonaut2 and two small LEGO space shuttles to kick-off an educational Lego/NASA partnership.
You of course will have to stay here on Earth, but in addition to watching live footage of the take off you can enjoy a live mix of STS-133 mission control chatter and ambient, electronic and intelligent dance music. You’re hear Mission Commander Steven W. Lindsey as he leads the crew into orbit, along with the spaced-out sounds of such artists as Robert Carty and Aphex Twin.
It’s eerie that America’s most famous space exploration disasters have anniversaries so close to one another. The three crew members of Apollo 1 were killed in a fire on the launch pad on on Jan. 27, 1967. The space shuttle Challenger was destroyed during liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986. And eight years ago today, the space shuttle Columbia broke apart during reentry, 16 minutes from home. NASA holds a Day of Remembrance every January to honor all three; This year it was held on Jan. 27.
During my vacation earlier this year, I heard John Roderick of The Long Winters, backed by Jonathan Coulton and Paul and Storm, sing the amazing song, “The Commander Thinks Aloud,” which commemorates the Columbia disaster. Here it is.
Many of my blog posts have a certain level of humor or snark in them. A few are my attempts at expressing my frustration or anger about something that I feel needs to be addressed. This post falls into neither of those categories. Instead, I’m just taking a moment today to think back on the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger, which exploded 73 seconds after launch 25 years ago today.
Skylon – The British space plane that could revolutionize space travel
by Marshall Brain | September 21, 2010
If nothing else, the Skylon space plane is ambitious. It will be a shuttle-like vehicle with wings and a cargo bay, and it is reusable. However, it will take off from a runway and be able to turn around for its next mission very quickly…
As this article points out, NASA and ESA are about to put the most expensive science experiment ever – the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) – on the International Space Station…
You Asked:
How can astronauts withstand high g-forces? — Sudhir, Hyderabad, India
Marshall Brain Answers:
There are two types of people who experience high G forces on a regular basis: Astronauts during takeoff and landing, and pilots who fly high-performance airplanes…
You Asked: What’s the fastest plane in the world? — Adam, Ville Plattte, La. Marshall Brain Answers: At the top there is the Space Shuttle, but it is not really an “airplane” per se. It cannot takeoff from a runway, for example, and when it lands it is a glider. It can travel in excess [...]
The launch of the Air Force’s X-37B space plane last night was successful and the X-37B is now in orbit: As this article points out, “The unpiloted craft will carry out the first autonomous re-entry and landing in the history of the US space programme.” This article has lots more information. The mystery around this [...]
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