Check out these amazing photos of the Mars Curiosity Rover life size model, as well as Orion spacecraft model, as they travel past the First Family during the inauguration parade.
Source: NASA Image of the Day
The Best View of the Inauguration
Check out this amazing pic of Washington DC from International Space Station (ISS) astronaut Chris Hadfield. Whether you're in the huge crowd expecting to attend the presidential inauguration festivities, at home watching on TV, or on another planet (greetings), I'm sure you agree that the view is amazing!
If you look at the trail of lights on the center-left you can make out the parade route. As I posted yesterday, this is where NASA astronauts, engineers, and scientists will be showing off models of the Curiosity Rover and Orion capsule .
Source: Chris Haldfield tumblr via The Verge
Science During Inauguration Weekend
Presidents and science have been a fantastic combination over the years. As I mentioned in a previous post, presidents have served as scientific proponents by helping to pass laws as well as speak publicly on the importance of science education for our country and the world.
The Obama inauguration festivities continue this trend by including a life size model of the Curiosity rover in the post-inauguration parade. In addition, there will be a model of NASA's Orion capsule which is being built for longer space travel. Astronauts, engineers and scientists involved with both projects will also be in the parade.
For a cool set of images of NASA's parade stuff, check out the NASA Flickr photo album!
I'm very excited that science is being prominently featured in one of the largest American celebrations . Now if only I can decide if I'm actually heading down to the madness that will be DC this weekend ...
Preparing To Go To Mars + ISS Video
The International Space Station (ISS) will be testing a new module that will eventually help toward long duration spaceflight to places like Mars. If that isn't cool enough, the module, named BEAM, will be delivered by the private SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in 2015! This is another example of the private industry taking on the challenges of spaceflight and coordinating not only with the US government, but the other governments involved with the ISS as well. I've covered the previous SpaceX launches here.
The astronauts inside of the ISS will be testing the BEAM module to make sure it is up to task. If you want to check out where they'll be testing, check out this video from inside the ISS that I found this while browsing CNET's Australian site.
In her final days as Commander of the International Space Station, Sunita Williams of NASA recorded an extensive tour of the orbital laboratory and downlinked the video on Nov. 18, just hours before she, cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and Flight Engineer Aki Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency departed in their Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft for a landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan.
Columbia's Final Mission Began Today
The STS-107 crew, clockwise from top: Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Commander Rick Husband, Mission Specialists Laurel Clark and David Brown, Pilot Willie McCool, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon and Payload Commander Michael Anderson.
There are many people that are willing to put their lives on the line for what they believe in. We are most familiar with the police officers and firemen of their city. It's important to note that scientists, especially in the field of space exploration, are literally headed into the unknown to help us understand the world and universe that we live in.
On Jan 16, 2003, space shuttle Columbia blasted off on its final mission. Columbia had a long and distinguished career, having served in NASA's first missions in 1981, assisted with the flight of the Spacelab space station, and helped service the Hubble space telescope.
This particular mission was less buzzworthy - it "was dedicated to research in physical, life, and space sciences, conducted in approximately 80 separate experiments, comprised of hundreds of samples and test points.". These experiments are all crucial. NASA does not take lightly the fact that it is sending human beings into space to perform these experiments.
Unfortunately, Columbia disintegrated upon reentry on February 1, 2003. NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe wrote a statement that day with the following words.
We trust the prayers of the Nation will be with them and with their families. A more courageous group of people you could not have hoped to know— an extraordinary group of astronauts who gave their lives—and the families of these crewmembers. They knew exactly the risks. And never, ever did we want to see a circumstance in which this could happen.
We diligently dedicate ourselves every single day to assuring these things don’t occur. And when they do we have to act responsibly, accountably and that is exactly what we will do
Blessings to all affected by the loss of Columbia.