George W. S. Abbey Rocket Park

Above, the flight certified Saturn 5 at Rocket Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When our tour of the Astronaut Training Facility ended, we departed the tram at the George W. S. Abbey Rocket Park.

According to the Visit Houston Texas website:

George W.S. Abbey Rocket Park, formerly known as Rocket Park, is located at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). In December 2021, JSC renamed Rocket Park after its former director, George Abbey, who began his four-decade-long NASA career during the Apollo Program.

At George W.S. Abbey Rocket Park, visitors have the pleasure of viewing four rockets that were used in NASA missions during the 1960s and 70s, including Little Joe II, Mercury-Redstone, the Gemini-Titan, and Saturn V, the tallest, heaviest and most powerful rocket ever flown. 

Mighty and massive, the 30-story tall Saturn V is perhaps the most accomplished of the four with 9 trips into outer space (six of which landed on the Moon) carrying 27 Apollo astronauts. Saturn V also launched Skylab, America’s first space station, into orbit in its final mission. In total, 13 Saturn V rockets were launched into space. When fueled and ready for launch, the rocket can weigh 6.2 million pounds. That is almost the same weight as 39 space shuttle orbiters.

There are only three Saturn V rockets on display in the world. The rocket at NASA Johnson Space Center is the only one comprised of all flight-certified hardware. The other two rockets are made of flight hardware, mock-ups and test components.

Here are some photos taken at the George W. S. Abbey Rocket Park during our visit:

 

Johnson Space Center Mission Control

Above, the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center building. Whenever
 astronauts are in space, a U.S. flag flies over the center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A highlight of my trip to Houston, Texas was to visit the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.

It has been a focal point of the U.S. manned space program almost from the beginning. It opened in September 1963.

From Wikipedia:

The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) is NASA's center for human spaceflight in Houston, Texas (originally named the Manned Spacecraft Center), where human spaceflight training, research, and flight control are conducted. It was renamed in honor of the late U.S. president and Texas native, Lyndon B. Johnson, by an act of the United States Senate on February 19, 1973.

JSC consists of a complex of 100 buildings constructed on 1,620 acres (660 ha) in Clear Lake. The center is home to NASA's astronaut corps, and is responsible for training astronauts from both the U.S. and its international partners. It also houses the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center, which has provided the flight control function for every NASA human spaceflight since Gemini 4 (including Apollo, Skylab, Apollo–Soyuz, Space Shuttle and Artemis). It is popularly known by its radio call signs "Mission Control" and "Houston".

The original Manned Spacecraft Center grew out of the Space Task Group (STG) headed by Robert R. Gilruth that was formed to coordinate the U.S. crewed spaceflight program. The STG was based at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, but reported organizationally to the Goddard Space Flight Center just outside Washington, D.C. To meet the growing needs of the US human spaceflight program, plans began in 1961 to expand its staff to its own organization, and move it to a new facility. This was constructed in 1962 and 1963 on land donated by the Humble Oil company through Rice University, and officially opened its doors in September 1963. Today, JSC is one of ten major NASA field centers and the city of Houston's primary cultural footprint, earning it the official nickname "Space City" in 1967.

 

Astronaut Training Facility

Above, an Orion spacecraft trainer. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During our visit to Space Center Houston, we took a tour to the Astronaut Training Facility.

Inside were mock-ups of various spacecraft including the International Space Station, Orion, Soyuz and future space station facilities. 

Here's some photos I took during the tour:

Space Center Houston's Saturn 5

Above, the Apollo capsule at the top of the Saturn 5. Photo by Armand Vaquer

I just downloaded the photos I took with the Canon camera. They range from the Space Center Houston to the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits to Galveston.

Here, I took some photos of one of three existing Saturn 5 rockets. It was built for an Apollo moon mission but the mission was canceled. It actually was certified to flight status before cancelation.

Home Again!

After six days, I am finally back home from Houston, Texas.

That's another place that I can check off my "bucket list" of places to travel to. Along with the NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits, we managed to see the Johnson Space Center and take a drive to Galveston.

That should be it for traveling for a while. 

I scanned the photo taken at the Johnson Space Center and it is posted below:

Johnson Space Center Houston

Above, yours truly at the Saturn 5 rocket. 

Our first full day in Houston was spent at the Johnson Space Center where mission control is located for manned space flight missions.

We met with our driver in downtown Houston and took their bus to the space center, which was about 13 miles from downtown Houston.

Above, Mitch Geriminsky and I at the Saturn 5 engine on display.

After arriving, we toured exhibits in the visitor center complex and signed up for the Astronaut Training Facility Tour. The tour was around an hour or so and different buildings and their functions were pointed out by the tour guide. 

It was interesting to see the facility for various missions including the Artemis program. 

Above, inside the astronaut training facility. A Soyuz mock-up is at left. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Following the tour, we were taken to the space park where a building housing one of three Saturn 5 rockets still in existence. The one we saw was from one of several moon missions that were cancelled in the 1970s. 

Above, an Apollo Lunar Module on display in the main visitor center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After returning to the main visitor center, we did look at more exhibits, had coffee and a snack. We also did some shopping in the visitor center's shop. I also got a t-shirt for Greg Lucier for taking care of Sierra at home. 

Above, the main visitor center building. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I took many photographs with my Canon camera. I will post those when I return home in New Mexico. These are from my phone camera.

All in all, it was a fun, enjoyable and educational day. 

Moon Fly-By Today

Above, Artemis I approaches the moon in December. NASA photo.

The much-anticipated fly-by of the moon will take place today as Artemis II will set a new record for distance from Earth. It will surpass the record set by Apollo 13.

According to NPR:

The crew of NASA's Artemis II will make its closest approach to the moon Monday afternoon after launching from Kennedy Space Center last week.

It marks a critical milestone of the agency's Orion space capsule, sending humans on a mission to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. As the capsule loops around the moon, the astronauts will reach farther into space than humans have ever ventured.

The Orion spacecraft is now in the lunar sphere of influence, meaning the moon's gravity has more pull on the vehicle than the Earth. At 1:46 p.m. ET, the crew will surpass the record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth by humans, which was set by the Apollo 13 mission at 248,655 statute miles from Earth. At 2:45 p.m., the crew will begin making observations of the surface of the moon during the flyby.

To read more, go here. 

NASA's Artemis II Live Views From Orion

Thanks to RV Travel, I was alerted to the following YouTube video featuring NASA's live feed from Artemis II's trip to the moon,

Summary:

As bandwidth allows, this stream will feature live views from the Orion spacecraft, without commentary, as it makes its journey around the Moon. Viewers will see a blue screen if there is a loss of signal, or if the bandwidth is needed for mission activities. Viewers may see what appears to be a black screen when the vehicle is in darkness. 

This stream started as Artemis II began its ascent into space and will conclude shortly before Orion splashes down into the Pacific Ocean.

24/7 streaming coverage of Artemis II operations and mission updates will be available on our YouTube channel. We're also streaming Artemis II events on NASA+, Amazon, X, Facebook, and Twitch. See the full schedule: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-sets-coverage-for-first-artemis-crewed-mission-around-moon/

Artemis II Flight

Artemis II is currently in Earth orbit. If all of the Orion spacecraft's systems are functioning correctly, they will fire the Trans Lunar Injection rocket burn to send them on the way to the moon. This will come later today.

From Space.com:

 NASA's Artemis 2 mission is officially underway.

After a successful launch on April 1 (and a slight toilet issue), the four-person crew is now in Earth orbit aboard the Orion spacecraft, settling in for their first night of sleep as ground teams continue to check the vehicle's systems.

Today marks a critical moment in the Artemis 2 mission.

The astronauts are not yet on their way to the moon. Instead, mission teams are preparing for a crucial maneuver later today — the translunar injection burn — which will send Orion out of Earth orbit and toward the moon.

It's a major commitment point for the mission. If all systems are go, Artemis 2 will become the first crewed flight to travel beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo era.

To read more, go here. 

Artemis II Launch Today

Above, Artemis II on launch pad. By NASA Headquarters / NASA/Joel Kowsky

We'll have something to watch this afternoon!

Artemis II is scheduled to launch four astronauts to the moon from Cape Canaveral. This will be the first crewed mission for the new spacecraft.

According to NASA:

As the Artemis II countdown moves steadily toward liftoff no earlier than 6:24 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, April 1, launch teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida continue completing a sequence of highly choreographed steps to ready the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft for the crew’s journey around the Moon. 

The weather forecast for launch day shows an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions with primary concerns being cumulus clouds, ground winds, and solar weather. NASA and weather officers with the U.S. Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 45 will continue to monitor the weather leading up to liftoff. 

Engineers began the day by finishing critical health checks on the rocket’s four RS‑25 engines, confirming that sensors, connections, and diagnostics were all performing as expected. Their readiness marks an important milestone as cryogenic operations approach. 

To read more, go here. 

Space Shuttle Enterprise 50 Years

Above, Enterprise in its maintenance hangar at Edwards Air Force Base in 1977. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is hard to believe that the start of construction of the space shuttle test vehicle Enterprise began 50 years ago this month. 

I got to see it and stand under it in its maintenance hangar at Edwards Air Force Base in 1977.

Above, Mitch Geriminsky and I in Enterprise's maintenance hangar.

From NASA's Facebook page:

On June 4, 1974—50 years ago today—construction began on NASA's first space shuttle. Officially designated OV-101, Enterprise received its more common name after a dedicated write-in campaign by fans of the original Star Trek TV series. When Enterprise made its public debut in California on Sept. 17, 1976, several cast members from the show, as well as creator Gene Roddenberry, were on hand to attend.

Enterprise made its first independent flight on Aug. 12, 1977, released from atop a Boeing 747 to test the shuttle's approach and landing capabilities. Built to perform test flights in the atmosphere, Enterprise never reached orbit but paved the way for NASA's next generation of spacecraft. Space shuttle Columbia became the first shuttle to fly into space on April 12, 1981. 

Path of April 8 Solar Eclipse

Above, the 2017 Great American Eclipse in totality. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The April 8 solar eclipse across North America is rapidly approaching.

The path of totality will be going south to north through Mexico and then the United States. 

If one is planning to go out and view the eclipse, planning ahead is essential as hotels, RV parks and campgrounds are beginning to be booked up.

I saw the Great American Eclipse from Roberts, Idaho in August 2017 and it was a memorable experience. The recent annular solar eclipse path took it directly over my home in New Mexico. All I had to do was to go out in the yard to see it.

The path of this year's solar eclipse is shown below:

Above, map provided by NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio.

Right now, I am considering either flying to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas or driving the RV to Waco, Texas to view the eclipse. Since I had a great time in Fort Worth and Dallas in 2021, I wouldn't mind going there again and hang out at the Fort Worth Stockyards. I've been to Waco on a claims assignment back in 1992. So I have an idea of its terrain. It would be drive of over 700 miles from home. 

If I drive, I can also visit the LBJ Presidential Library and the LBJ Ranch during the trip. Both are around two hours away from Waco.

Green Comet To Pass Earth

Above, Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Skywatchers may be getting a rare special treat at the end of this month when a green comet will be passing the Earth.

KIII-TV reported:

A newly discovered bright green comet is on its way past Earth for a once-in-a-lifetime show, and it may be visible to the naked eye.

The comet, named C/2022 E3 (ZTF), was discovered in March 2022 and is passing through our solar system. The icy celestial object has gotten brighter and brighter as it nears the sun, building up excitement from astronomers and skywatchers alike. 

Comets are "cosmic snowballs" of dust, rock and ice. They heat up as they near the sun, taking on a stunning glow and spewing a tail of dust and gas that can stretch millions of miles.

NASA says the bright green comet has a short, broad tail of dust and a long, faint ion tail. You can't see it without a telescope yet, but a few astronomers have nabbed stunning photos as it continues its voyage. 

It will soar past the sun Jan. 12, making its closest approach to Earth around Feb. 2. NASA says those of us in the Northern Hemisphere will find the comet in the morning sky as it heads northwest this month. It'll be visible in the Southern Hemisphere as well in February. 

Above, a panel from Superman no. 172.

When I first saw the headline about a green comet, I immediately thought of a 1964 Edmond Hamilton story in Superman no.172 of the Man of Steel's encounter with a green comet that takes away his super-powers. It was one of the great stories from the Silver Age of comic books. It was drawn by Curt Swan and George Klein.

To read more, go here.

Return To The Moon: First Step Today

Above, Artemis I on the launch pad (39B) this morning. 

The U.S. Space Program is the only worthwhile government program we have. This has been my contention for years.

Am I a fan of the Space Program? You bet, ever since Project Mercury.

If all goes well, the first test flight of Artemus I will take place today. It is unmanned. Right now, there is an unplanned hold due to some rocket engine issues.

From Fox 35 Orlando:

For the first time in nearly 50 years, NASA is preparing for a historic first, launching a new powerful moon rocket, the Space Launch System, on its maiden voyage. 

The last time the space agency conducted a test flight of a moon rocket was the mighty Saturn V in 1967. Two years later, a Saturn V rocket would launch the Apollo 11 mission, sending astronauts to the moon. Now, NASA is preparing to launch the SLS and Orion spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center in Florida under the Artemis program, named for Apollo's twin sister in Greek mythology.  

NASA is targeting Aug. 29 for liftoff sending the Orion spacecraft on the Artemis-1 test flight, a 42-journey orbiting the moon and back. No astronauts will be on board the test flight. However, if it goes well, four astronauts will launch on Artemis-2, orbiting the moon before the Artemis-3 moon landing in 2025.

To see how the SLS compares to the Saturn 5, go here.

UPDATE: Today's launch has been scrubbed due to a faulty hydrogen bleed test that didn't get it to the right temperature. The next availability to launch is September 2.

The Incredible Disappearing Lake Mead Via Satellite

Above, Lake Mead just behind the Hoover Dam in November 2018. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

NASA satellite photos of Lake Mead has been released and they show a slowly withering lake in a time span of 22 years.

Naturally, there are those who blame "climate change". 

Here's how Lake Mead has slowly disappeared during the past 22 years:

Telstar 1

While listening to the song, "Telstar" by the Tornados, I became curious about Telstar 1 satellite.

I remember when it was launched by NASA in 1962.

According to Wikipedia:

Telstar 1 was a communications satellite launched by NASA on July 10, 1962, it was the satellite that allowed the first live broadcast of television images between the United States and Europe. It remained active for only 7 months before it prematurely failed due to Starfish Prime, a high-altitude nuclear test conducted by the United States. Although it no longer works, it is still in Earth orbit.

To read more, go here.

The song, "Telstar" by the Tornados may not be a familiar title, but the tune is:

NASA Finds Over 5,000 Potential Alien Worlds

Above, yours truly with a couple of strange visitors from another planet in Roswell, New Mexico.

We are not alone. 

Well, maybe, maybe not. But the idea that there may be some life-sustaining planets out in the universe is tantalizing to consider.

NASA has found over 5,000 potential alien worlds, some of which, as a Newsweek article says, are weird.

They begin with:

The number of exoplanet candidates detected by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) recently surpassed 5,000, and Newsweek has collected some of the weird and exciting worlds that have been discovered over the years.

The TESS mission, launched in 2018 and led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), helps scientists to discover distant worlds outside of our solar system.

These worlds, called exoplanets, can be discovered whenever they pass in front of their stars along the telescope's line of sight. When this happens, the star's brightness appears to dip repeatedly.

Keep watching the skies!

To read the full article, go here. 

NASA To Nudge Asteroid In Test

Above, scenes from "Panic In The Sky" the most popular episode of Adventures of Superman.

"That's a meteor, king-sized!" - Perry White (John Hamilton) in "Panic In The Sky", Adventures of Superman (1953).

Well, Earth isn't exactly threatened by any specific asteroid, but NASA isn't taking any chances and is testing a defense against asteroids that could hit our planet. 

From CBS News:

NASA's upcoming mission might resemble a scene from a sci-fi disaster movie. The agency announced Sunday that it's sending spacecraft above the Earth to crash into an asteroid's moonlet to change the body's trajectory. 

The mission, a Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), will be the first agency's use of the kinetic impactor technique, in which a large, high-speed spacecraft is sent into an asteroid's path to change its motion. NASA is set to conduct the mission, what it calls "the first test for planetary defense," on November 24, the day before Thanksgiving, to hit the binary near-Earth asteroid Didymos and its moonlet, Dimorphos.

Hopefully, the mission won't screw up and send the moonlet hurtling right into Washington, D. C. But then, on second thought, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing. Just kidding!

To read more, go here. 

The Great Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter

This evening, I took a little break from watching The Train Robbers (starring John Wayne and Ann-Margaret) to see the "Great Conjunction" of Jupiter and Saturn in the southwestern sky.

I took this photo with my cell phone:

Here's the image of the planets from the above photo:

The slight movement of the cell phone made them a little distorted, but there are clearly two planets.

According to NASA:

Skywatchers are in for an end-of-year treat. What has become known popularly as the “Christmas Star” is an especially vibrant planetary conjunction easily visible in the evening sky over the next two weeks as the bright planets Jupiter and Saturn come together, culminating on the night of Dec. 21.

In 1610, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei pointed his telescope to the night sky, discovering the four moons of Jupiter – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. In that same year, Galileo also discovered a strange oval surrounding Saturn, which later observations determined to be its rings. These discoveries changed how people understood the far reaches of our solar system.

Thirteen years later, in 1623, the solar system’s two giant planets, Jupiter and Saturn, traveled together across the sky. Jupiter caught up to and passed Saturn, in an astronomical event known as a “Great Conjunction.”  

“You can imagine the solar system to be a racetrack, with each of the planets as a runner in their own lane and the Earth toward the center of the stadium,” said Henry Throop, astronomer in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “From our vantage point, we’ll be able to be to see Jupiter on the inside lane, approaching Saturn all month and finally overtaking it on December 21.”

The planets regularly appear to pass each other in the solar system, with the positions of Jupiter and Saturn being aligned in the sky about once every 20 years.

What makes this year’s spectacle so rare, then? It’s been nearly 400 years since the planets passed this close to each other in the sky, and nearly 800 years since the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter occurred at night, as it will for 2020, allowing nearly everyone around the world to witness this “great conjunction.”

 

Time-Lapse Video of Space Shuttle Endeavour On The Streets of L.A.

Above, space shuttle Endeavour being transported on Manchester Blvd. in Inglewood, California
to the California Science Center in Exposition Park in Los Angeles. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

At about 4:00 in the morning on October 13, 2012, I headed down to Inglewood, California to view the space shuttle Endeavour being transported to its permanent home at the California Science Center in Los Angeles's Exposition Park.

Naturally, I brought along my camera took many photographs of the shuttle, including some directly underneath a wing.

The Los Angeles Times posted on YouTube a time-lapse video of the shuttle's journey from a hangar at Los Angeles International Airport to Exposition Park.

For your viewing enjoyment, here's the video: