The Day the Earth Smiled

Space is about to become a giant photo booth. This coming week, step outside and get your picture taken. It’s a “long shot” that’s for sure…but the camera is adjusted to infinity. On July 19, the Cassini spacecraft that’s now in orbit around Saturn will be positioned...

New Studies Focus on Bone Loss, Infectious Disease Risk in Space Travel

New grants have been awarded, dedicated to detecting bone loss of astronauts in microgravity, as well as infectious disease risks for crews during long-term space travel. NASA and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) have announced that two Arizona...

Book Review: The Space Book: From the Beginning to the End of Time, 250 Milestones in the History of Space & Astronomy

The Space Book: From the Beginning to the End of Time, 250 Milestones in the History of Space & Astronomy by Jim Bell; Sterling Publishing Co. Inc; New York, New York; (hard cover) $29.95; May 2013. This elegant, eye-catching book offers stunning photographs and...

Hubble to Look Close for Alien Planets

  Though aging, the 23-year-old Hubble Space Telescope has a new assignment in the search for planets circling other stars. In October 2014 and February 2016, Hubble will take aim at Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to the sun. Previous attempts to find planets...

Book Review: The Little Book of Space Law

The Little Book of Space Law by Matthew J. Kleiman; ABA Book Publishing; Bolingbrook, Illinois; $19.95 (Regular)/$17.95 (American Bar Association Member); 2013. This is an excellent and very readable treatment regarding space law – the international and national laws...

NASA PhoneSats in Orbit – A “Ringing” Success

NASA’s Smartphone Nanosatellite mission is underway. Now circling the Earth are Alexander, Graham and Bell! The trio of smartphones rode to space April 21 aboard the maiden flight of Orbital Science Corp.’s Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility in...