Planting a flag on the moon

With virtually no atmosphere on the moon – and, therefore, no wind – flags that fly freely on Earth would hang like limp cloth in the lunar environment. So Apollo 11 engineers had to rethink flagpole design entirely. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/planting-flag-on-moon-apollo11…

China’s plans to solve the mysteries of the moon

Fifty years ago, on July 20, 1969, the world watched as Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon. Since then, space agencies around the globe have sent rovers to Mars, probes to the furthest reaches of our galaxy and beyond, yet humanity’s curiosity and fascination with the Moon has never abated. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-07-china-mysteries-moon.html…

Jeff Bezos: I Spend My Billions On Space Because We’re Destroying Earth

In an interview with Norah O’Donnell of “CBS Evening News,” Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos explained why he’s investing much of his Amazon fortune in the development of space technologies through his aerospace company Blue Origin. Why? “Because I think it’s important,” Bezos said. “I think it is important for this planet. I think it’s important for the dynamism of future generations….

Flying the final approach to Tranquility Base

As the Apollo 11 lunar module approached the Moon’s surface for the first manned landing, commander Neil Armstrong switched off the autopilot and flew the spacecraft manually to a landing. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-07-approach-tranquility-base.html…

Opinion: Young Americans deserve a 21st-century moonshot to Mars

“Hidden Figures” and “First Man” were arguably the most inspirational space-themed movies of the last several years. Both, though, had to reach back to the glory days of John Glenn and Neil Armstrong. The faces of my children after watching these movies was the surest sign of a missed opportunity, of a generation raised without a Moonshot. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-07-opinion-young-americans-21st-century-moonshot.html…

Join space scientists marking Apollo anniversary

Tonight, leading space scientists will discuss the legacy of Apollo 11, ahead of the mission’s 50th anniversary. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/space-scientists-apollo-anniversary-talk-program-july17-2019…

Apollo 11 launch pad

A satellite image from January 2019 shows launch pad 39A at Cape Canaveral, Florida. From there – on July 16, 1969 – a Saturn V rocket carrying the crew of Apollo 11 launched humanity’s historic voyage to the moon. Source: https://earthsky.org/todays-image/apollo-11-launchpad-satellite-image…