Monthly Archives: August 2018

Activism, Space Policy, SpaceCasts

The Space Show this week – Aug.13.2018

The guests and topics of discussion on The Space Show this week:

1. Monday, August 13, 2018; 2-3:30 pm PDT (4-5:30 pm CDT, 5-6:30 pm EDT): We welcome back Howard Bloom to discuss the Space Development Steering Committee petition against SLS, ORION, and LOP-G. You can see the petition at www.change.org/p/save-america-s-space-program.

2. Tuesday, August 14, 2018: 7-8:30 pm PDT; 9-10:30 pm CDT; 10-11:30 pm EDT: We welcome back Rod Pyle and Aggie Kobrin regarding the National Space Society (NSS)  publication Ad Astra and more.

3. Wednesday, 15, 2018: Hotel Mars. See Upcoming Show Menu and the website newsletter for details. Hotel Mars is pre-recorded by John Batchelor. It is archived on The Space Show site after John posts it on his website.

4. Friday, August 17, 2018; 9:30 am -11 am PDT, (12:30 -2 pm EDT; 11:30 am -1 pm CDT): No show for today.

5. Sunday, August 19, 2018: 12-1:30 pm PDT; 2-3:30 pm CDT; 3-4:30 pm EDT. We welcome you to OPEN LINES. We talk the topics you want to talk about. First time callers, science, STEM and STEAM calls are welcome

See also:
* The Space Show on Vimeo – webinar videos
* The Space Show’s Blog – summaries of interviews.
* The Space Show Classroom Blog – tutorial programs

The Space Show is a project of the One Giant Leap Foundation.

The Space Show - David Livingston
David Livingston

 

Rockets, Solar Science, Space Science

Videos: ULA Delta IV rocket launches NASA’s Parker Solar Probe

Early this morning, a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket successfully launched NASA’s Parker Solar Probe from Cape Canaveral on a unique mission to study the Sun’s corona up close NASA, ULA Launch Parker Solar Probe on Historic Journey to Touch Sun | NASA

“The United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket launches NASA’s Parker Solar Probe to touch the Sun, Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.” – NASA

Few get to see a spacecraft named after themselves launched on a grand rocket. A clip of Dr. Eugene Newman Parker watching the launch last night:

The spacecraft is carrying a chip with the names of 1.1 million public participants etched on it.

See previous postings here and here on the Parker mission.

More resources at the Parker Solar Probe Mission HQ at Johns Hopkins Univ. Applied Physics Lab.

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Education, Space Arts, Space participation

Video: Abby Garrett and “Go for Launch” comic books for kids

Check out this Epic Future Space interview with author and artist Abby Garrett who has created a series of terrific comics for youngsters on the theme of rockets:

A cover from one of the “Go for Launch: Merlin & His Friends” books, which brings to life the SpaceX rockets:

GO FOR LAUNCH: Merlin & His Friends – children’s books written and illustrated by Abby Garrett

The cover of the first Go For Launch book:

GO FOR LAUNCH COMIC VOL. 1: 32-page Go For Launch Comic Vol. 1.

See some of the pages in the books on her COMICS webpage

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Rockets, Solar Science

Videos: NASA Parker Solar Probe set for early morning launch from the Cape on Aug.11

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is ready for its launch early Saturday morning. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is About to Lift Off | NASA

At [ 3:33 a.m. EDT  (0733 GMT) ] on Aug. 11, while most of the U.S. is asleep, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida will be abuzz with excitement. At that moment, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, the agency’s historic mission to touch the Sun, will have its first opportunity to lift off.

Launching from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, Parker Solar Probe will make its journey all the way to the Sun’s atmosphere, or corona — closer to the Sun than any spacecraft in history.

The spacecraft will ride the massive United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, which is powered by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. United Launch Alliance to Launch NASA’s Parker Solar Probe – ULA.

The liftoff of a Delta IV is always fun to watch. A sheet of flame will surround the vehicle just at liftoff caused by the burn off of hydrogen gas that’s emitted from the engines before they ignite.

Here is a new video about the mission:

Here’s the orbit that the probe will follow to bring it into the Sun’s atmosphere or corona:

Parker uses a highly elliptical orbit with Venus gravity assists to get closer to the Sun. Credits: NASA/JPL/WISPR Team

A video about the Sun’s corona, which is actually hotter than the surface of the Sun, a mystery the Parker probe will investigate: The Curious Case of the Sun’s Hot Corona | NASA

More videos about the Parker mission: GMS: Parker Solar Probe Science Briefing – Visual Resources

Some interesting items about the mission: Parker Solar Probe preview: 10 hot facts about NASA’s cool mission to the Sun | The Planetary Society

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