Targeted at the history of the Moon landing hoaxes … that is, why some people refuse to believe we landed on the moon despite overwhelming evidence that we did. This video also offers an explanation of why people believe in conspiracy theories in general.
Tag Archives: NASA
Nuclear Propulsion in Space (1968)
Note: this video was produced before Apollo 11 landed on the moon in 1969. NASA and the (then) Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) began work on the design of nuclear propulsion systems in the mid-1950s.
Everything old is new again …
https://www.bwxt.com/what-we-do/nuclear-thermal-propulsion-ntp
A History of Long Range Tracking Cameras
BIG Telephoto Lenses
Ever wonder how they get those amazing close-ups of the rocket launches?
This video shows you how they do it!
360 Launch Video
Everyday Astronaut (Tim Dodd) has posted his 360 degree video of his experience three miles away from the Falcon Heavy launch. He is standing exactly where I was at the final Saturn V launch of Skylab. This is very nostalgic for me and I understand the emotions he must have been feeling.
You can watch it here in full 360 degrees: https://youtu.be/tBhuSTXMCaI *
Tim is doing a fantastic job covering SpaceX and spaceflight in general. His videos are simultaneously highly informative – and – entertaining! His enthusiasm is contagious.
Please check out Tim’s home page (https://everydayastronaut.com) and his YouTube channel.
You can support him via Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/EverydayAstronaut)
Also be sure to check out his online shop (https://everydayastronaut.com/shop/)
If you have not already done so, check out A Blast (off) From My Past for an accounting of my experience at the Saturn V launch, some 45 years ago.
Related: https://contrafactual.com/2018/02/06/a-blast-off-from-my-past-2/
* I tried to embed the video, but WordPress and/or iOS Safari wouldn’t support 360 in the embedded version.
CRS-12 Launch
NASA coverage of the launch. Great camera views. Picture perfect launch.
I do so love the sound of rocket launches.
A Blast (off) From My Past
The image below is a screen capture from one the videos in the previous post on today’s SpaceX CRS-10 launch.
Life comes full circle. In a much earlier post I described what it was like to be standing at the water’s edge in the foreground at the last ever Saturn V launch.
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The Saturn V F1 engines were the most powerful rocket engines ever made. Each one produced over 1.5 million pounds of thrust. The five F1 engines on the Saturn V made it the most powerful launch vehicle ever at over 7.6 million pounds of thrust. Just over forty years ago on May 14, 1973 [almost 44 years as of this writing], I was lucky enough to be among the press and dignitaries sitting on the bleachers or standing in front of the turning basin at the Launch Complex 39 Press Site for the last ever Saturn V launch. I was 19 years old. My best friend’s aunt was a professional photographer. She got each of us a press pass for the launch of the Skylab space station. For a teenage space fan, who had watched every manned launch since Alan Shepard’s first suborbital Mercury launch, this was truly “dying and going to heaven”. For several days before the launch we got to go on exclusive tours of the launch site. We were able to see Walter Cronkite’s broadcast booth. NASA loaded us up with press packets and thick tomes of specifications. I can not begin to tell you how totally cool this was.
On launch day I was one of the throng of people standing to the left of the countdown clock in the picture above.
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I was just three miles away from the launch pad. When the engines fired up, the sound of the F1 engines was felt as much as heard. The low base rumbling seemed to reach directly into my chest and vibrate my heart and lungs [dare I say it was nearly orgasmic?]. As the Saturn V rose into the sky, I could smell the burned kerosene of the exhaust as I felt the waves of warm air wafting over me.
- This was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.
The SpaceX image inspired me to search the Internet and YouTube for Skylab launch images. I scored big time. The second image is screen shot from the video below. Back in the day I had a fetish for white jeans (probably expressing my inner John Lennon). Trust me – I am in there somewhere.
Full video from 1973
The Internet is amazing. Welcome to the future.
Links
https://contrafactual.com/2013/07/20/apollo-11-main-engines-found/
Commercial Crew Update
Originally published on Jan 16, 2017 | NASA Commentator Kyle Herring talks with Kathy Lueders, the manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, about the status of efforts to develop commercial space vehicles to deliver human crew members to the International Space Station. NASA is working with Boeing and SpaceX as those companies work through milestones to get their vehicles, Boeing’s CST-100 and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, ready for their first crewed flights to the station, while the space station program is reconfiguring the station and preparing for spacewalks to install the new International Docking Adapters to which the new commercial spacecraft will dock.
Although YouTube states that the above video was published this month, I suspect that it was actually recorded two years ago in mid-June 2015. Reason being that reference was made in the video (@6:20) of the upcoming launch of the International Docking Adapter (IDA-1). However IDA-1 was lost during the launch failure of SpX CRS-7 on June 28, 2015. (Reference https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Docking_Adapter)
Additionally the Crew Dragon Pad Abort occurred in May of 2015.
MARS | NatGeo Channel
On November 14, the National Geographic Channel will debut the the new mini-series MARS by executive producer Ron Howard. MARS is a novel alternation of fiction and documentary featuring commentary by Elon Musk, Andy Weir, Robert Zubrin, and other experts on Mars and space flight.
But why wait until November 14? You can stream the prequel BEFORE MARS and the first episode NOVO MUNDO right now (below). You can also watch THE MAKING OF MARS with Ron Howard and other short videos – behind the scenes and other related videos.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/mars/videos/before-mars/
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/mars/videos/novo-mundo/
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/mars/
This is great stuff! Watch it. Seriously. I mean it.
barbazzar
Next time you are in Webster Texas (NASA) be sure to stop by barbazzar and have a great cup of coffee. If you are lucky you may run into the owner Dennis Beasley who “loves to talk” with his customers.
Good coffee. Good food. Good ambiance.
Good is good.
Panorama (click to expand)
Check out the website http://barbazzar.com
NASA | 100 word story
“Lies, lies, lies. It was all faked.”
“Come on, you know you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet.”
“I don’t care what you say. I know what I read. NASA faked the moon landings. That many bloggers can’t be wrong.”
“It’s bullshit and you know it.”
“Whatever …” she replied angrily and slammed the lid of her laptop closed. She was homesick and decided to walk over to the observation lounge. She needed some time alone. “I really miss home,” she thought as she gazed out the portal at the blue green marble hanging low above the lunar horizon.
MacGyver on Mars
Martian Marathon
Mars rover Opportunity completes first extraterrestrial marathon (26 miles and 385 yards or 42.195 km).
You go little rover!
Orion
Overview
Launch
Splashdown
Apollo 11 500 fps
Hydrogen Reactor – Brunton – Review
In case you missed my link in https://contrafactual.com/2014/07/13/brunton-hydrogen-reactor
Totally Sci-Fi. The Brunton Hydrogen Reactor is my latest gadget, and it is really cool.
The Hydrogen Reactor is a reactor that converts hydrogen and air into electricity and vapor. It’s all a bit hocus pocus, and since I’m not a scientist, I really can’t explain it in bigger detail.
In the package you get a reactor and 2 hydrogen cores. Each hydrogen core contains 4.500 mah which is equivalent to 3 iPhone charges. I’ve researched this fact very carefully, because some sites claim it to be 9.000 mah. My phone and Brunton tells them wrong. The core is made of solid metal that binds the molecules. It’s NOT nuclear, so there is nothing to be afraid of.
You screw the core in, hear a funny little *puff*, wait for the blue light, and then you connect your device. It’s quit easy and straight forward. You can boost the output if you…
View original post 368 more words
Brunton Hydrogen Reactor
This high-science device combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity on-the-move and under any condition. Simply lock the Hydrocore fuel into the Hydrogen Reactor™ to power USB devices like smartphones, tablet computers, UV water purifiers, rechargeable lights, portable game consoles, GPS transceivers and more.
Remember when fuel cells cost millions of dollars, could only be afforded by NASA, and were powered by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen that was known to explode? Of course not, you weren’t born yet. Well maybe you were since the Space Shuttle used them.
Happy Belated Birthday
From The Register
Touching anywhere above will take you to the full article.
One Martian year, 687 Earth days – Happy Birthday Curiosity!
Meanwhile at another location on Mars …
OH MY GOD!
It wasn’t there before!
Mystery ‘doughnut’ materializes in front of Mars rover
Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory are puzzled by a mysterious rock that has appeared in front of the Opportunity rover, Curiosity’s never-say-die older sibling.
“Mars keeps throwing new stuff at us!” NASA Mars Exploration Rover lead scientist Steve Squyres told Discovery News.
Contrafactual 