NASA

Not long after midnight on Dec. 7, 1972, the last crewed mission to the Moon, Apollo 17, lifted off with three astronauts: Eugene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt, and Ronald Evans.Experience the Apollo 17 launch and follow the mission in real time.ALTMeet the CrewLet’s meet the astronauts who made the final Apollo trip to the Moon, including the first scientist-astronaut.Gene Cernan: In 1972, Apollo 17 Mission Commander Eugene A. Cernan had two space flights under his belt, Gemini 9 in June 1966, and Apollo 10 in May 1969. He was a naval aviator, electrical and aeronautical engineer and fighter pilot.Ron Evans: Apollo 17 Command Module Pilot Ronald E. Evans was selected as a member of the 4th group of NASA astronauts in 1966. Like Cernan, he was an electrical and aeronautical engineer, and naval ...

SAN FRANCISCO – Morpheus Space is ramping up electric propulsion production in its new Dresden, Germany, factory. In the 1,260-square-meter factory, Morpheus will initially produce 100 GO-2 Field Emission Electric Propulsion-based propulsion systems per year. With additional personnel and equipment, Morpheus could produce 500 GO-2 units annually. Morpheus executives decided to expand production after hearing current and prospective customers complain of waiting a year for propulsion deliveries, Morpheus CEO Daniel Bock told SpaceNews. “Nobody has the time to wait a year for any subsystem,” Bock said. “And propulsion is one of the few subsystems that typically are not produced in-house because it’s quite complex.” The in-space propulsion business is undergoing si...

Celebrating Autism Acceptance Month Did you know an eclipse has sound? Thanks to innovative technology, guests can listen to the sonification of an eclipse using a LightSound box which converts data (light intensity) into sound. Guests are shown experiencing the October 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse at Space Center Houston using a sound machine box.  (Photo Courtesy, Aaron Rodriguez). Space Center Houston is a destination to explore the marvels of space and human spaceflight bringing people and space closer together, and this includes individuals with disabilities to fully immerse themselves in the wonders of space.   As a Certified Autism Center by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), the science center is the first Autism-...

Saturn will have one of its best viewing opportunities of the year in the period surrounding Sunday, Aug. 14. Or it would, if the nearly Full Moon doesn’t spoil our fun. On that date, Saturn will reach opposition – the point where it lies directly opposite the Sun in our night sky – around midnight local time for most stargazers, with the constellation Capricornus behind it. Saturn will be visible for much of the night, rising above the southeastern horizon and lingering high in the southern sky. This will occur during Saturn’s perigee – its closest approach to Earth – making it even larger and brighter than usual. An illustration of NASA’s Cassini spacecraft in orbit around Saturn, where it documented the ringed planet in 2017. (NASA/JPL-Caltech) But as previously noted the last blog, ...

Our Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is coming together at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida this summer. Our mighty SLS rocket is set to power the Artemis I mission to send our Orion spacecraft around the Moon. But, before it heads to the Moon, NASA puts it together right here on Earth.Read on for more on how our Moon rocket for Artemis I will come together this summer:How do crews assemble a rocket and spacecraft as tall as a skyscraper? The process all starts inside the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy with the mobile launcher. Recognized as a Florida Space Coast landmark, the Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, houses special cranes, lifts, and equipment to move and connect the spaceflight hardware together. Orion and all five of the major parts of the Artemis I ro...