Robonaut

Robonaut



Credit: NASA


Me want! I just do!

Male Mars500 Mission

Male Mars500 Mission



So...Were are the Women?!?!

Atlantis' Final Mission

Men In Black



...or rather men against black space. Astronaut playing with 'arms' at ISS. Looking good!



Finally a narcissistic view...



All images courtesy of NASA

Afghanistan From Space

Afghanistan by Astronaut





This is a picture tweet from Soichi the astronaut on board International Space Station orbiting Earth. Not bad! :-)

Astronautical Self-Portray

Astronautical Self-Portray



Credit: NASA

I want to make one of those self-portrays....:-)

Cat's Paw Nebula

Cat's Paw Nebula



Credit: ESO

I like cats. That includes the cat's paws, like the Cat Paw Nebula. :-)

The Cat's Paw or NGC 6334 as it's more professional name is, is one of the most active nurseries of massive stars in our galaxy and has been extensively studied by astronomers. The nebula conceals freshly minted brilliant blue stars — each nearly ten times the mass of our Sun and born in the last few million years. The region is also home to many baby stars that are buried deep in the dust, making them difficult to study. In total, the Cat’s Paw Nebula could contain several tens of thousands of stars.

So much so do I like Cat's Paw that I include a wide perspective on the nebula.



Credit: ESO

Fixin and Fishin for Satellites

Satellite Capture



Credit: NASA

Totally spaced out!

"Honey, I need to just pop out for a sec and capture a satellite on the loose", I would say if I lived in space. Well, in a little more spatious place than ON this planet, anyhow....

Women in Space - Mercury 13

Women in Space - Pure Biological Reasoning



Jerrie Cobb had twice as many flight hours as astronaut John Glenn and was among the top 2% among both men and women testing for the space program and still didn't make it to space. Credit: NASA


Why on heavens Earth have we not heard this part of space exploration history before? Because women have the leading roles?

Regardless of your political views, communists got one good thing going for them, they do not discriminate against women ( meaning they can work just as hard as men...:-)) So, I thought that it was only the Russians who had been 'modern' enough to include women in their early space programs. Obviously this part of history has to be corrected. The US did also include women in their space programs from the very beginning. The reasoning behind the idea was not politics as one could say about the Russian reasoning I suppose, but biology. Some men! thought that women had what it took in terms in weight, endurance both physically and psychologically etc. There were not only the Mercury 7 but the women shadow Mercury 13. Note that they outnumber the men here. :-) Too bad they didn't include any of them in the final part of the program.

I'm really sad that this part of history has been hidden from us. Women, and thus all mankind, need these role models!

I finally understand the statement I found in a female astronaut's 'private chambers' in an early space shuttle: "In order to succeed a woman has to be three times as good as men. Luckily that is not too hard." It appears the front runner of the Mercury 13, Jerrie Cobb, outperformed almost all other candidates, she was among the top 2% AND she had twice as many hours in the air (she was a pilot) as the lead man J. Glenn. So, I used to think it was sufficient to be twice as good. Now I know it is really at least three times as good that counts. For real!

For the record: I love and respect men - in spite of their shortcomings. :-D

The Lovelace Woman in Space Program (1960-1962)

Astronaut with Guitar

Square Headed Astronaut with Guitar





You do see the guitar in the astronauts belt, don't you? :-)

Mars Travel Preparations in Russia

Confined Space



Preparing for Mars

The European Mars500 study is taking place in a special facility at the Russian Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow.

Space A La Mode

Spaced Fashion



So Hot!

Your Space Wardrobe

Orbit The Earth

John Orbits The Earth



Credit: NASA

Friendship 7

On Feb. 20, 1962 at 9:47 am EST, John Glenn launched from Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 14 to become the first American to orbit the Earth. In this image, Glenn enters his Friendship 7 capsule with assistance from technicians to begin his historic flight.




My hero Yuri Gagarin was the first human to orbit the Earth. I certainly admire the first American who orbited the Earth, John Glenn, too.

Astronaut Snoopy

Comic Space



I love Snoopy!




And I want one of these - useless stuff produced in connection with NASA's 50 years anniversary, but all the same, I want one! :-)

Taikonauts

Picnic in Space



As you can see going to space, go for an EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) and land in a funny capsule in Inner Mongolia is a piece of cake or rather just like a picnic, for the Chinese taikonauts. What is all the fuzz about!?! ;-)

China in Space

Chinese Space Snacking






What most people fail to appreciate when it comes to space exploration is the importance of a sound ground segment. For precise navigation we depend on good knowledge of our own planet, especially a geodetic reference frame. On the image we see a telescope in Inner Mongolia getting ready to assist the descent of Shenzhou-7. We can't have the taikonauts choking on space snacks just because we didn't know the exact whereabouts of Shenzhou, can we? :-)

Chinese Space

Taikonaut About To Spacewalk



Credit: Xinhua

This is the lucky bloke scheduled for a spacewalk later this month. HIs name is Zhai Zhigang.





The rest of the gang. From the left: Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming, Jing Haipeng


China is the third nation that independently launch manned spacecrafts. Shenzhou VII, the spacecraft scheduled for launching 25. September 2008, is the third manned spaceflight for China. I don't blame them for being proud; like the first Chinese taikonaut Yang Liwei express below. Taikonaut is the Chinese word for the English astronaut and Russian Cosmonaut.

Good Friends...

No comment! ;-)





When a cat can do it, so can I.

Say It With Science

First Cat on Mars



Steve the cat giving an interview before the Mars mission.

When Steve said that "I have great confidence in Xineann and her expansive space program. I am looking forward to work with her." at the press conference before take-off to Mars, nobody really understood what he was talking about. With the last weeks campaign Xineann for president - Because America Needs More Cats ® that statement is far better understood. :-)





Steve went through regular astronaut training - and performed well!





Steve's landing site. Click on images for details.



First Paw Prints on Mars


Xineann for president - Because America Needs More Cats ®

Spacial Art

NASA Art



Eileen Collins by Annie Leibovitz



The First Lady

Space Toys

Minifigures 30 years anniversary



Photo: Balanko

This is a remake of Astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the surface of the Moon in 1969 - Photograph by Neil Armstrong. Original version here.
Balanko arranged a real professional setup of the shot. .




Über Cool Astronauts...




Look! They are all over the place these Lego astronauts. On the Moon, Mars and even the International Space Station!

I'd admit to be a proud owner of a few Lego space items...:-)