Tim Peake is clearly a man who likes a challenge and has a keen sense of adventure, for in his spare time the father of two enjoys skiing, cross-country running, climbing and caving. However the UK-born former pilot from Chichester is due to embark on his greatest adventure before the Read more…
Some of us who have vivid memories of famous spacecraft and rockets that ‘had their day’ in the consciousness of the world may wonder what prominent space agencies are working on today that in stature could match their former technological achievements. If any of us have found ourselves pondering this Read more…
One year or 365.25 days, the length of time it takes the Earth to complete one orbital path around the Sun and the length of time American astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko will spend out of this world. Launching on 27 March 2015, these two men will Read more…
Although not quite the ’12 days of Christmas’ gift inventory’, the following checklist should give us a quick peak at some significant events connected with space that we can look forward to witnessing from early 2015, as well as giving us an opportunity to recall other great space dates whose Read more…
When Chris Hadfield revealed the heavens to people across the world by making us feel like we were there with him with his beautiful images and excellent videos he really opened up what the job and duties of an astronaut is. The name astronaut is from the Greek words for Read more…
“Man must rise above Earth, to the top of the atmosphere and beyond, for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives” Socrates (circa 399BC). Of course the philosopher Socrates would not have been thinking about satellites or spacecraft at this time, but his famous quote Read more…
It is almost three years since NASA’s Space Shuttle program flew its last mission in July 2011, after providing a mode of transport into space for various crews over a 30 year career. The retired fleet of four orbiters (Challenger, Endeavour, Discovery and Atlantis) are now pride of place in Read more…
Chris Hadfield needs no introduction. The Canadian astronaut is one of the most famous people in the world, and during his time commanding the International Space Station was undoubtedly the most famous person off-world. On 12 January 2014 Armagh Planetarium was honoured by a visit from this legendary space traveller, Read more…
Our attempts to reach out into space and learn as much as we can about our Universe and also learn much more about the workings of our beautiful Blue Planet has come at a cost and the space agencies around the world have not ignored the growing space “graveyard” encompassing Read more…
2013 marked 40 years since Skylab, NASA’s first post-Moon landings human spaceflight project, was sent into orbit. Here is an overview of this rather forgotten series of missions. So what was Skylab? Skylab was the first and so far last all-American space station to orbit the Earth. It Read more…