The outstanding digital rendering techniques of the Dutchman Kees Veenenbos have been featured in National Geographic and on NASA pages . The images he rendered are made with a landscape program called Terragen. He has worked with this program already since 1999 in different versions. Most are made with digital elevation models of NASA, from different satellites like the Mars Global Surveyor for example.
He made a lot of images for National Geographic, Mars images, but also of good old Earth and other planets in the solar system and even extra solar planets.
We have put together a collection of his fantastic made images of recent and ancient Mars (with water and ice). All artwork are copyright Kees Veenenbos and we have been give special permission to use them for this article. The originals can all be found on his website: www.space4case.com (all data originate from NASA).
1. Holden Crater southern ridge. Spiky rocks hide the sun which light up the starshape thin clouds.
2. Gusev Crater ancient view on Planet Mars. Landing site of the Spirit MER2003 rover. A ancient view after a duststorm.
3. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Valles Mariners. The Valles Marineris in the aftermath of a dust storm as seen from the Coprates Chasma (in front).
4. Mars Noachian period. Mars about 4 billion years ago. The Vastitas Bolearis filled with water, the large lake at the bottom right is the Meridiani. The Opportunity Rover found evidence of such an inner sea. Made for National Geo. July 2005 issue.
5. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Agyre Planitia. Concept for National Geographic: Mars during the period of loosing it’s water some billion years ago. Salty deposits, cracks in the mud, forming of hematite, dust devils and falling meteors.
6. Maraldi Crater on an icy Mars. Made for the cover of National Geographic Magazine January 2004 issue.
7. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Chryse South. Ancient watery view of the Chryse south region, outflows of the Ares Valles and Valles Marineris.
8. Mars Northpole and Vastitas Borealis. The Northpole (left) and the the Vastitas Borealis. The large crater at the top is the Korolev Crater 85 km (53 mi) in diameter.
9. Cave at the northern ridge of the Gale Crater on Mars. View form a cave at the north ridge Gale Crater. The cone of the Gale Crater at the left.
10. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Elysium Mons sunrise. An image made for the Madrid Planetarium exhibition about Mars. At left the Hecates Tholus and at the right the Albor Thorus.
11. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Spirit Rover site. Gusev Crater Homeplate (Husband Hiil at the Backround). Ancient Mars, fumerols, seidmentary hot water deposits.
12. Mars during an ice age. Made for National Geographic Magazine.
13. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Olympus Mons sunrise. Misty sunrise at the Tharsis. The volcano Olympus Mons seen from the Lycus Sulci.
14. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Valles Marineris. A misty morning at the slopes of one of the eroded mountains in the Valles Marineris.
15. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Schiaparelli Crater. With a low sun the light even doesn’t reach the western ridge. The Schiaparelli Crater is 450 kilometers (280 miles) in diameter.
16, Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Orcus Patera at sunset, The Orcus Patera, an extreme oval crater caused by a meteorite that just grazed Mars.
17. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Gale Crater southern ridge. Strange cloud above a gulley leading to the Gale Crater. The cone of the crater can be spotted just below the sun.
18. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: The Gale Crater. Sunset at the Terra Cimeria. The Gale Crater as seen from the Aeolis Mensae.
19. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Spirit Rover site. Gusev Crater Homeplate Noachian period. Another concept with more water and fumerols.
20. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Melas Chasma at sunrise. Mars Exploration Rover Landing site. Nr. 2 Melas Chasma.
21. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Mars today. This image was printed together with the Noachian Mars image (below) for the July 2005 issue of National Geographic Magazine.
22. Mars terraformed – Kasei Valles. The Kasei Valles and the Chryse Planitia. Outlet of Valles Marineris at the bottom. With nebulae and starry backround.
23. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Phoenix Landingsite. At the right the ridge of the Heimdall Crater.
24. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Northpole and Vastitas Borealis. At left one of the larger craters that have a name: the Korolev Crater (about 85 km (53 mi) in diameter ).
25. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Ius Chasma (Valles Marineris). Ius Chasma (western valley in the Valles Marineris) with dusty atmosphere and mist in the lower parts of the valley.
26. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Tharsis Montes. Arsia Mons, Pavonis Mons and Ascraeus Mons. View is southwest to northeast. At the left Biblis Patera (left) and Ulysses Patera.
27. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Olympus Mons – ancient. Olympus Mons some 4 billion years ago. With water and a denser atmosphere. Made for a Madrid Planetarium exhibition.
28. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Arsia Mons. Arsia Mons rises over 20 km above the surrounding plains, is 450 km and the caldera over 120 km in diameter.
29. Planet Mars Art by Veenenbos: Tharsis Tholus. The Tharsis Tholus during a sand storm seen ‘upside down’. The volcanoes of the Tharsis Montes peeking above the sand storm.


RF-4E & F4E Phantom Under The Skin Volume 2 | Eagle Aviation
Discover the mighty RF-4E and legacy F-4E Phantom in this new unprecedented “Under The Skin” series book! Volume 2 covers extensively the recce version of the Legend and the non-upgraded F-4E in Hellenic Air Force service but will also become a valuable reference asset for any gun nosed and recce Rhino. 100 pages and hundreds of photographs captured by one of the world’s leading aviation photographers illustrate in extreme detail every corner of the jet.
“Phantom Under The Skin” is the must companion for all modelers and Phantom enthusiasts! Take the challenge to build the ultimate scale Phantom or expand your knowledge around the McDonnel Douglas masterpiece discovering features around the jet that have never before published! Take the challenge to build the ultimate Phantom model or extend your knowledge about the McDonnell Douglas design!


Apollo 12 was the sixth manned flight in the United States Apollo program and the second to land on the Moon (an H type mission). It was launched on November 14, 1969 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, four months after Apollo 11. Mission commander Charles "Pete" Conrad and Lunar Module Pilot Alan L. Bean performed just over one day and seven hours of lunar surface activity while Command Module Pilot Richard F. Gordon remained in lunar orbit.
The landing site for the mission was located in the southeastern portion of the Ocean of Storms. Unlike the first landing on Apollo 11, Conrad and Bean achieved a precise landing at their expected location, the site of the Surveyor 3 unmanned probe, which had landed on April 20, 1967. They carried the first color television camera to the lunar surface on an Apollo flight, but transmission was lost after Bean accidentally destroyed the camera by pointing it at the Sun. On one of two moonwalks, they visited the Surveyor, and removed some parts for return to Earth. The mission ended on November 24 with a successful splashdown.
What makes this documentary special, in a nice, low-key way, is the fact that they've let the men tell their own story, without a narrator, and their voices and personalities shine through. I was almost 12 years old when Apollo 12 flew, into space the way some kids are into dinosaurs, and Apoolo 12, the second mission to the surface of the moon, always seemed special to me. These men seemed especially likable. Forty years later, it's nice to have my original impression confirmed, in so many words, right in the the beginning, when a writer talked about how much fun these guys had, and that they had been friends even before coming to the space program.
Oh, but here's the interesting thing about that. Seconds into the mission, during the liftoff of the mammoth Saturn motherfucking Five rocket, right when the power of an A Bomb was being unleashed right under their asses, when the roar is so loud the spacecraft was struck by lighting, causing massive systems shutdown. The lights Try to imagine what that must have been like, and then watch these badass testpilot mother laughing about this, because this was their idea of fun. These guys are real honest to God heroes, Authentic American Badasses, bouncing and laughing in the lunar gravity like kids on a trampoline, and as old men 40 years later, laughing about the times they faced down death.


BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- A number of advanced Chinese radar systems have been set up at Beijing Daxing International Airport, offering faster and more accurate weather forecasts.
One is a millimeter-wave cloud radar, developed by a research institute affiliated with the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp.
According to the institute, it is capable of monitoring clouds, fog, snow and drizzle within 150 km of the airport and obtaining weather data. Working together with other radar systems, the new radar will improve airport weather forecasts with higher accuracy and provide better real-time monitoring and early warning of low-visibility conditions.
The installation of two other boundary wind profiler radar systems and a low-tropospheric wind profiler radar system developed by the institute will be completed soon.
In addition, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation developed a new weather radar for the new airport with the latest radar technology. It has a faster scanning speed, better reliability and stronger detection ability than ordinary radar systems.
The radar only takes one minute to complete a scan while previous radars took around six. The new system can function for 3,000 hours, five times that of ordinary radar systems.
According to its developers, the radar can detect dangerous weather, such as thunderstorms and heavy wind faster and more accurately.
Located 46 km south of downtown Beijing, the new airport will be put into operation in September and take pressure off the overcrowded Beijing Capital International Airport in the northeastern suburbs.
It completed its first test flight of passenger planes Monday, showing that the new airport has turned its focus from infrastructure construction to operation preparations.
The airport is expected to handle 45 million passengers annually by 2021 and 72 million by 2025.


Since the first photograph of the Earth was taken, several images have portrayed our planet from different parts of the solar system. This view of our home has allowed us to see our planet through different eyes and has prompted many environmental awareness actions.
There is no planet B
Both numerous satellites in orbit and the astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station give us incredible images of our planet. And this is our selection of photos: from the Andes to the Elbrus, from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean, from the north coast of Australia to the southern tip of Africa… and many more.


Flightradar24 shows live airplane traffic from different parts around the world. The technique to receive flight information from aircraft is called ADS-B. That means the Flightradar24 can only show information about aircraft equipped with an ADS-B transponder. Today about 60% (about 30% in USA and about 70% in Europe) of the passenger aircraft and only a small amount of military and private aircraft have an ADS-B transponder.
Flightradar24 has a network of about 500 ADS-B receivers around the world that receives plane and flight information from aircraft with ADS-B transponders and sends this information to a server, and then displays this information on a map on Flightradar24. Only aircraft with an ADS-B transponder, within the coverage area of the 500 receivers are visible.
Link to Flightradar24 website: http://www.flightradar24.com


I never really was into astronauts. I saw the movie “The Right Stuff” when it first came out, and never turned back. I was hooked! Former history major, I dove head into the Mercury 7 project, Sputnik, Gemini program and the Apollo program. What really is bizarre for me is that I am realizing , thanks to news feeds, that it is going to be 50 years next month that Neil Armstrong first landed on the moon.
I recently caught the documentary on CNN,” Apollo 11″, which showed behind the scenes film of what happened before the flight through when splashdown of the capsule occurred. It was really something to see film of the guys whose voice you recognize from hearing a historical clip of moon communications. It truly was a different day. All male engineers in white shirts with pocket protectors and ninety percent of the control room smoking either cigarettes or cigars: I am sure today’s Mission Control is a different picture.
Even the technology has grown in leaps and bounds from what the film shows that was there in the control room. The computers we know now were only a dream back then. The food the astronauts ate was geared for space (remember TANG?) and now, with the space shuttle and international space station, they were making pizza in space!
If you have a historical itch about the space program the needs scratching, check out the documentary “Apollo 11” on CNN. Don’t forget “The Right Stuff” and “Apollo 13”, to check the program out further. It’s really amazing.


QR series Ladybird - WLToys V939 4CH 2.4GHz Micro Quad 4-Axis Mini UFO Style RC Helicopter Yellow - Multirotor Quadcopter - RTF Ready to Fly with Transmitter Tx Included, color may vary.
- Brand: WLtoys
- Manufacturer: WLTOYS
This Wltoys V939 rc helicopter is ready to fly out of the box. It has high stability during hover and flight. And it also has led light which can fly in the darkness. Its flying distance is about 100-150 meters.The Beetle can fly up, down, forward, backward, bank left, bank right, and yaw left and right. While it is very stable in hovering, it can ... [read more]


Unterlagen, einlagen, windeln, hosen, tee, haustees, medizinische tees, kosmetik, dekorative kosmetik, herrenserien, hautreinigung, haut- u.
Tom's love for his wife and children was evident in every aspect of his life.
To qualify for minute drone deliveries in the US or UK, the order must be less than five pounds 2.
There was a Drone Dispatch team member who received the package, as the US Federal Aviation Administration has strict rules forcing commercial drones to remain within the range of sight for the pilots at the controls, among other safety regulations.
In the case of the mayor, the tasty treats were delivered to the Denver City County Building, where Mayor Michael Hancock was waiting with volunteers from the Salvation Army.
Matternet has also completed medical deliveries by drone in Switzerland.
Interestingly, Flytrex said its Mule drone has a release mechanism with anti-tampering features, to avoid packages being stolen.
Die Haut schuppt und juckt.
Ich wurde angenehm erstaunt, da die Plaques kleiner geworden sind.
It was the latest in a string of drone deliveries by Flirtey, which demonstrated the first FAA-approved delivery in a US urban area.
Hatte keine Hoffnung auf die Besserung, doch ich habe diese Creme gekauft.


“The technology and support offered by Printronix was unparalleled in terms of reliability and professionalism. In addition, the company was able to work to an aggressive timeframe of under five months from initial meeting to full trial rollout.” - Graham Holford, Senior Systems Analyst
Accuracy, efficiency and accountability in an airline’s logistics, maintenance and engineering departments are critical to success in the highly competitive air travel market. Virgin Atlantic’s central logistics operations, based at London’s Heathrow Airport, play a critical role in the company’s success by ensuring that regular maintenance checks take place, and that any aircraft defects are promptly repaired. Feeling the pinch of increasing operational costs and competitiveness within the airline industry, Virgin Atlantic chose to implement an RFID spare parts tracking system at its Heathrow facility.
To increase efficiency and reduce risk within its spare parts supply chain, Virgin Atlantic partnered with Tata Consulting Services (TCS), a firm with expertise in system integration and RFID, to evaluate various RFID hardware and software solutions. The Printronix EPCglobal Gen2 SL5000r printer was selected with PXML (Printronix extensible Markup Language) connectivity. Developed using open XML standards, PXML delivers a single software solution that monitors, manages and controls a single SL5000r, or a group of different printers, and their print jobs.
With the new RFID tagging system, Virgin Atlantic was able to cut the time needed to locate inbound spare parts in half, and give the company a more competitive edge by accurately tagging spare parts. Also, Virgin became compliant with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) guidelines concerning the traceability and authenticity of aircraft components.


Once again I will be heading south to work, but not THAT far south. I have actually accepted an actual offer for an aerospace-related position in Houston, TX. I will work at National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) in mission control as a Visiting Vehicle Officer (VVO), supporting flights to and from the International Space Station (ISS). I will not start until later next month, but am already in the thick of doing hiring paperwork, background check data collection (daunting), and the usual interstate relocation song and dance. It feels great to have gotten this opportunity at long last, and I look forward to much learning and professional development in years to come. A door has certainly opened at an opportune time.
“Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin’s Day will shine upon the key-hole.”~J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Hobbit”


Shivkur Bapuji Talpade: The Most Deserving First Person to Invent Aircraft
Shivkur Bapuji Talpade: The Most Deserving real inventor of the first aircraft of the world
Wright Brothers : Taking the false credit of being the inventor of first aircraft
When it is being questioned to school going children and even adults…..
who was the first person to invent aircraft? They are answering instantly without any slightest hesitation ….it is Wright brothers in 1903. Google says so… This is what the record displayed in Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum says …. This is what every history book says….But the fact is during colonial India, a person called,Shivkur Bapuji Talpade( Indian scholar ,1864-1916)was the first man who flew a flying machine over Chowpatty in 1895, eight years before the American siblings, Wright brothers. Mr Talpade had no idea and access to patent registration those days.
Literary evidence of those days ( 1895) in support of Mr. Talpade.
But the fact is on record in different Indian literature ( e.g. Kesari , photo attached )of those times.
King SayajiRao Gaikwad who was present during the experimental demonstration of the aircraft at the Chowpatty beach, Mumbai
Mahadev Govind Ranadewho was present during the experimental demonstration of the aircraft at the Chowpatty beach, Mumbai
Great people of those days, Sayaji Rao Gaikwad and Mahadev Govind Ranade were present during his experimental demonstration of flying an handmade aircraft which was working on the principle of mercury ion fuel. The aircraft flew up to a height of 1500 ft above mean sea level and remained on air for few minutes prior to landing safely.He had named his aircraft as MARUTSAKHA, which is a combination of two different words..i.e.Marut literally means air and Sakha literally means friend. Mr Shivkur BapujiTalpade was teaching in the J.J school of art. But he studied the texts of Swami Dayananda Saraswati and different other relevant Vedic texts and got tempted to make an aircraft .. But he was in the dire need of funds to carry forward his research but the British government brought a baseless accusation against him of preparing explosives using mercury and illigally put him in jail. When he was released after more than a decade , he came to know about the Wright brothers who had already taken the false credit of being the inventor of first aircraft in the year 1903. Those times, the media was being controlled by the British government. There was no social media through which that poor Indian guy could have reached millions around the world…
But it is to the utter surprise and a matter of pity that even today more than 90% of Indians cannot even afford air travel….
Is not it high time….the history needs to be rewritten ???


NADI AIRPORT RESA
To comply with the new civil aviation regulations there was a requirement to provide a Runway End Safety Area at each end of each runway at Nadi International Airport. This involved excavation and providing 18,000m3 premium aggregate from our Saru Quarry, compacted to 500mm depth. This was then overlayed with geofabric and topsoil and the grass allowed to regrow. This work was carried out on an active runway and at nights.


Aviation English Skills
Estimated cost: R10 001 – R20 000
Field Of Study: Academic Language Skills
Department Name: Language Centre
Objectives:This short course is intended to accomplish its goal in 160 teaching hours by developing your ability to:
1. Achieve and maintain Operational Level 4 - an international language requirement enforced by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to qualify for international flights.
2. Perform optimally within a professional context in order to pursue aerospace careers all around the world.
3. Demonstrate consistent understanding and accurate production of technical aviation vocabulary.
4. Read and understand official aviation documentation.
Entry Requirement: Grade 12/Matric Certificate
Certificate Type: Competence
Delivery Mode: Contact
Duration: 8 weeks
Presentation Language: English
Contact Person Name: J Olivier
Contact Person Email: firstname.lastname@example.org
Latest Year Offered: 2019


The Zambian skylines have now been opened up with the launch of Royal Air Charters which seeks to win the hearts of business executives who seek timely commutes between business destinations in Zambia.
Mobility in business has become one of the defining factors of competitive advantage. Royal Air Charters saw the opportunity and provided the solution for businesses in Zambia.
With the Ministry of Tourism seeking to open various tourist destinations, Royal Air Charters has arrived at a moment in history when this now becomes achievable through bespoke air travel.
Royal Air Charter Services
Since its inception as a family business in 2007, Royal Air Charters has been Zambia’s premier provider of private air travel. We offer chartered air travel to and from destinations of your choosing throughout Zambia and the African region, be they business capitals or far-flung tourist attractions.
We champion safety as the core element of both our organizational culture and our service offer. For us, success lies in consistently exceeding global standards for aviation safety and providing a benchmark for it within Zambia’s aviation industry.
The Royal Air Charters traveler, in our estimation, is one that wants to explore the depth and diversity of a country and continent full of undiscovered wonders – and also unexplored business opportunities.
The growth of our operations has necessitated the expansion of our fleet; expansion, thus, was the key factor in our decision to add the elegant Embraer Brasilia RJ 145 regional jet to a hangar that also includes 2 Embraer Brasilia’s 120; a Cessna Grand Caravan; and a King Air 350.
This fleet is ably managed by a team that now boasts 45 employees in total – with 15 full-time pilots and 5 full-time cabin crew all ready to serve the discerning customer we’ve built our business around.
We look forward to flying you to your destination!
Telephone: 096 978 3128
We Define Safety In the Sky


With Mars One, the conquest of space is becoming real. Maybe one day we’ll all live on Mars and we’ll take our spaceships to navigate through space.
Or maybe not. Anyhow, even if we don’t live on Mars, we’ll still be able to drink whisky in space, thanks to Ballantines.
The Scotch brand is financing research and development of Space Glass, a zero gravity glass. That’s right, a glass that would prevent the liquid from escaping, using the “capillary action” effect, first observed by no other than Leonardo da Vinci. The current prototype designed in partnership with The Open Space Agency (OSA) includes a spiral ring into the bottom of the glass that catches the spirit, which then travels through a helical channel carved into the glass’s side.
Pretty smart, right? That way, rich people traveling through space will be able to do it with class, a zero gravity glass of Ballantines in one hand and their smartphone in the other, taking space selfies.
But Ballantines isn’t the only whisky brand using “space appeal” to get attention.
In 2011, Ardbeg launched a vial of unmatured whisky to the International Space Station to study the effect of zero gravity on flavour. The results of this (vital) experiment just came back with the space sample: the flavour profile of this sample is “dramatically different” and much more complex than the flavour of the sample that stayed on Earth.
Dr Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg’s director of distilling and whisky creation, said: “When I nosed and tasted the space samples, it became clear that much more of Ardbeg’s smoky, phenolic character shone through – to reveal a different set of smoky flavours which I have not encountered here on earth before.”
The goal of the experiment was to understand how micro-gravity affects the behaviour of terpenes, which determine the flavour of many foods, wines and spirits. And the result makes possible the development of new flavour profiles.
So in the end, we’re not just going to drink in space, we’re also going to age our whisky in space. Next step: a distillery on the Moon perhaps? Hell, we’ll drink to that!


Bleriot Plane Wooden Model Plane Kit – Amati (1712/01)
The Bleriot Plane Wooden Model Plane Kit is manufactured by Amati model kits. Amati produce faithful interpretations of the originals. All materials are of the finest available and plans and instructions are always excellent and easily followed. Amati has integrated computer design and the latest materials to produce high quality model kits.
History of the Bleriot Plane
The French Bleriot XI was one of the emblematic aircraft of the pioneering era, and won fame on the 25th of July 1909 when Louis Bleriot successfully crossed the English Channel from Calais to Dover in 36 minutes and 30 seconds.
Designed by Louis Bleriot and Raymond Saulnier, the Bleriot XI was a light, sleek monoplane built using oak and poplar wood with cloth-covered wings, and was powered by very reliable, simple Anzani 3-cylinder 25 HP engine.
The plane’s sporting achievements, robustness, functionality and piloting ease contributed greatly to its commercial success, and it was actually the first aircraft in the history of flight to be used in war, when Italian Capitano Piazza piloted a Bleriot during the Libyan campaign between 1911 and 1912.


Tiny RC model planes are popular at Piedra Vista High School Farminton
FARMINGTON — Once a month, the gym at Piedra Vista High School’s Jerry A. Conner Fieldhouse is filled with the buzzing of tiny RC model planes.
That’s because a group of model airplane pilots armed with tape for repairs meets to share their enthusiasm for flight.
Antony Burgett, the vice president of the San Juan Radio Control Club, said between five and 25 pilots bring planes to the gym each month.
Many of those pilots also fly larger models, but enjoy the different challenge of indoor flying.
“It’s a whole different story flying indoors,” Burgett said.
He explained that inside there is no wind except for the occasional “thermal” caused by the large heaters inside the gym.
“You don’t have to compensate for any of the wind,” Burgett said. “It makes life a whole lot easier.”
However, indoors is a smaller space, which presents its own challenges.
“Outside you’ve got the wind, but inside you’ve got the walls,” he said.
Steve Guattery, one of the pilots who brought his planes to fly last Sunday, said the smaller models also are more affordable.
The small planes can be flown outdoors under the right conditions.
“If there’s more than a slight breeze, then you’re in trouble,” Guattery cautioned.
Paul Jarvis, a club member who is also a sponsored radio control pilot, had been hesitant to try the smaller models, but a year ago he joined the other pilots at the high school.
One of the things that impressed him was how little the models weighed.
“These things don’t even weight 7/10ths of an ounce,” he said.
He has continued attending the indoor flying event and bought his own small models.
There are many types of radio-controlled aircraft. For beginning hobbyists, there are park flyers and trainers.
For more experienced pilots there are glow plug engine, electric powered and sailplane aircraft.
For expert flyers, jets, pylon racers, helicopters, autogyros, 3D aircraft, and other high-end competition aircraft provide adequate challenge.
Some models are made to look and operate like a bird instead. Replicating historic and little known types and makes of full-size aircraft as “flying scale” models, which are also possible with control line and free flight types of model aircraft, actually reach their maximum realism and behavior when built for radio control flying.


By today’s standards, the spacecraft’s technology is laughable: it carries an 8-track tape recorder and computers with one-240,000th the memory of a low-end iPhone. When it left Earth 36 years ago, it was designed as a four-year mission to Saturn, and everything after that was gravy.
But Voyager 1 has become — thrillingly — the Little Spacecraft That Could. On Thursday, scientists declared that it had become the first probe to exit the solar system, a breathtaking achievement that NASA could only fantasize about back when Voyager was launched in 1977, the same year “Star Wars” was released.
via “Exiting the Solar System and Fulfilling a Dream” The NY Times
What entirely blows me away is that even at 11.7 billion miles from our planet, it’s transmissions only take 17 hours to reach us.
It certainly gives one a moment’s pause when you realize that mankind is being represented by 8-track tape recorder and a gold, long-play record. :)


Anniversary of VSP's first commercial flight
Picture courtesy of Tom Singfield
|On the 26th of July 1958
G-APIM made its first commercial flight. In new applied British
European Airways (BEA) colours it flew from London (Heathrow) to
Barcelona. The pilot on that first flight was Stephen's father Ray
Fifty years later, John Woodhouse along with the rest of the G-APIM Team, decided to hold a celebration to mark the event and invited those who had been part of IM life to join them. Afterwards everyone went back to Ray and Patsy's home for lunch and speeches. Many of the guests had not seen each other for years.
An abbreviated video of the event can be viewed here Video Clip


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From the inaugural space race of Vostok vs. Mercury to the famed Apollo program to the International Space Station, this puzzle celebrates Earth’s history of intergalactic travel. An enclosed poster features the puzzle design on the front, to reference while piecing the puzzle together; printed on the back are the dates, missions, and countries of origin for every space suit and vessel launched into space since 1961.


All my footage – film and photos can be licensed for any given purpose. Just send me an inquiry via E-Mail or WhatsApp or call.
I am available for hire for aerial drone related projects. I am a licensed German drone pilot (“Kenntnisnachweis”) for drones above 2kg. Furthermore I hold several exceptional permits to operate outside of the regular drone laws in Germany.
My images can be also ordered as high quality prints. Inquire about your individual offer.
My services are available worldwide. I love to travel to other places to work on your project.


Japan Airlines (JAL) on Monday announced plans to launch a budget airline, hoping to take advantage of an expected expansion in the nation’s low-cost market ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Airbus and Boeing may have built their global success on the back of the transcontinental airliners but they are now eyeing a lucrative if rather less glamorous side of the aviation sector in their battle to dominate the skies — parts and repairs.
Within minutes of using an app to book a ride, Agostino Fernandes was looking down on lush greenery from a helicopter taxi high above Bangalore — one of several Uber-style chopper services taking off to help commuters tackle increasingly congested megacities.
Air France-KLM boss Jean-Marc Janaillac announced his resignation Friday after staff at the carrier’s French operations rejected a pay deal aimed at ending weeks of strikes.
The stony-faced daughter of a Korean billionaire, whose older sister was brought low by the “nut rage” scandal, apologised Tuesday as she reported to police for questioning over allegations she sprayed a business associate in the face with fruit juice.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday ordered emergency inspections of jet engines like the one that ruptured during a recent Southwest Airlines flight, leaving one passenger dead.
Captain Tammie Jo Shults, one of the first women fighter pilots in the US Navy, was hailed as an American hero Wednesday for calmly landing a stricken passenger jet after a midair engine explosion that killed a mother-of-two.
Algerians on Thursday mourned 257 people killed in a military plane crash the day before, the country’s worst-ever aviation catastrophe, with no indication yet of the cause.
An Algerian military plane crashed and caught fire on Wednesday killing 257 people, mostly army personnel and members of their families, officials said.
An Algerian plane with around 100 army personnel on board crashed on Wednesday shortly after taking off from an airbase outside the capital, a military source said.


|Construction of 304S|
The wing was optimized, calculated from ground up with the help of a research institute and two universities. It incorporates a new thin 13.2% airfoil that is modified in order to reduce the influence of insect contamination. At the root section the wing goes up to 16.4% thickness and meets the fuselage with a refined transition shape. The wing has a special planform with elliptical swept leading edge and special 3D shaped state-of-the-art wingtips, which were optimized to lower the induced drag of the whole wing. The trailing edge incorporates a three section flaperon along its whole length. This configuration brings the pilot friendly behavior and improved flight characteristics.
Stiffness of the wing was optimized using FEM calculation in combination with break tests. The result is a carbon fiber structure providing comfort during cruise, maximum sensitivity for both strong and weak thermal lifts and friendly flutter characteristics.
To achieve the highest possible precision and best surface finish the wing was fully computer designed and the moulds were produced with the very latest 5axis CNC technology.
The water ballast is directly in integral tanks allowing the wing to house up to
Aerodynamically shielded wingtip wheels make the take-off and landing easier and trouble-free and are highly rated by the pilots.
For a better descend control at landing three-flange aerodynamic brakes were introduced.
Assembling the wings with the fuselage is very easy, connection of control surface drives as well as water ballast drive is done automatically. Same features shows the wing extension assembly. Securing the extensions is done trough a single bolt, connection of the flaperons is also automatic.
3D Elliptical Winglet
Wing tip and wheel
3-flange aerodynamic brakes
Flaperon drive cover
The T-shaped tail combines well-proven design with the best possible technology. Elevator and rudder are made with high precision carbon fiber prepreg technology to achieve low weight while keeping high stiffness. Ending tips of the stabilizer have a state-of-the-art shape to raise its efficiency while cutting down the induced drag. Elliptical planform of the stabilizer is a matter of course. Assemblage of the horizontal surface with the vertical is a question of seconds, elevator connects automatically and securing is done by a single pull pin.
Stabilizer connection system
Shaped stabilizer tips
Hi-tech prepreg elevator (used on the prototype)
In keeping with the Glasflügel heritage, innovations in the fuselage introduce a new safety cockpit far beyond the standards. Made mostly of carbon fiber with wide use of carbon-aramid hybrid composite the cockpit proved an extraordinary ability to resist impact damage. Numerous FEM calculations, break tests and simulations of impact behavior resulted in a design that can save life to its pilot. “Roger hook” as a standard feature for safe jettisoning of the canopy is integrated in the massive frame.
The middle part of the fuselage is primarily adapted for housing an engine. The motorization program counts with three different engine systems: self launcher, “turbo” sustainer and
Integrated Roger hook
Fuselage structure is prepared for engine installation
Highly effective TBS 400N jet engine - Turbo variant 304SJ
Piston engine (Walter Binder) - selfstart variant 304MS
Comfort in the cockpit has always been one of the main trademarks of Glasflügel sailplanes. The safety cockpit of the 304S has been completely redesigned. Serious design and ergonomic studies have been done to assure perfect seating and view from the cockpit. Every pilot knows how important a feeling of comfort and safety is during the flight. These features were stressed by using materials of the highest quality. Enjoy the massive carbon-aramid frame, prestigious and durable leather interior, well-arranged instrument panel and friendly controls! Every detail has been designed with a special care, check the control-stick handle, canopy lock mechanism or the ventilation outlet! Enough space for elbows and shoulders makes a perfect seating even for taller and heavier pilots. Custom rearrangements are possible of course.
The 304S is equipped with a spring-loaded and damped landing gear. Double action telescopic frame with rubber shock absorbers in combination with large
Main Wheel with suspension and hydraulic disc brake


My name is Anna and welcome to my world! I am fond of drones and engineering. During the last three years flying drones has become not just a hobby but a whole life for me. I make overviews for drones accessories, cameras, racing, etc.
As fas as I am an engineer, my blog is dedicated to both, technical and practical aspects of drones functioning. I understand that drones can perform lots of useful functions that can be applied in various industries and everyday activities. So, read more about it in my blog!


Huffpost World reports that further Iran‘s determination to establish itself as a leading force in the international community and now not only is it ‘nuke-competent’, but has startled the world community by its announcement that it has the world’s first flying saucer at its command.
The official state-run Iranian News Agency claims that (Fars’ website) the saucer was shown to Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamene last week who approved its use for as an aerial spy device. The saucer has been named “Zohal” and is reportedly part of a new generation of upright flyers.
- Iran Claims They’ve Built A ‘Flying Saucer’ (huffingtonpost.com)
- Iran Unveils Flying Saucer. However.. (planenews.com)
- Iran announces the world’s first flying saucer (weinterrupt.com)
- Supposedly, Iran Has Supposedly Constructed a Robotic “Flying Saucer” (Supposedly) (spectrum.ieee.org)
- Don’t you believe in flying saucers? (irreligion.org)
- Iran builds world’s first flying saucer: Looks like it belongs in 1950s B-movie (dailymail.co.uk)
- Fars News Agency :: Iran Unveils Flying Saucer (aboriginalpress.blogspot.com)


January 5: Rocket pioneer & “Father of the Space Age” Robert H. Goddard was awarded Smithsonian grant, 1917
On January 5, 1917 — 101 years ago today — Professor Robert H. Goddard of Clark College, Worcester, Massachusetts, was awarded a grant from the Smithsonian Institution. Goddard had written a research proposal about developing and experimenting with rockets and submitted it to the institution in October, 1916. Within 3 months, Goddard received a letter from the head of the Smithsonian, Charles Doolittle Walcott, that explained the Smithsonian was willing to support Goddard’s proposed work.
In the letter, Smithsonian Secretary Walcott explained:
I have submitted your proposals and data to a committee consisting of Dr. C. G. Abbot of this Institution and Dr. E. Buckingham of the Bureau of Standards for report with recommendations. Both gentlemen having verified the soundness of your theoretical work, the accuracy of the numerical data, and being favorably impressed with the ingenuity of your mechanical and experimental dispositions, the clearness of your exposition, and recognizing the value of that which is proposed, they concur in recommending support on the part of the Institution.
I, therefore, have pleasure in approving a grant to you of $5,000.00 from the Hodgkins Fund, to be used for the purposes described in your letter of October 19, 1916...
The 1917 $5,000 grant is about $100,000 in today’s adjusted-for-inflation dollars.
Like the parents of Ray Kurzweil, Larry Page, and numerous other innovators, Goddard’s parents were supportive of Robert’s home experiments as he was growing up. Goddard’s father encouraged Robert’s scientific interest by getting Robert a telescope, a microscope, and a subscription to Scientific American. When Robert was 16 years old, he read H. G. Wells’s science fiction novel, The War of the Worlds, which sparked his interest in space. He also developed a habit of writing down daily events in a diary, and one such key event that he recorded happened on October 19, 1899 when he was 17 years old. After climbing a cherry tree and looking at the fields below, he imagined — in his own words — “how wonderful it would be to make some device which had even the possibility of ascending to Mars… It seemed to me then that a weight whirling around a horizontal shaft, moving more rapidly above than below, could furnish lift by virtue of the greater centrifugal force at the top of the path. I was a different boy when i descended the tree… Existence at last seemed very purposive.”
In high school, Goddard suffered from upper respiratory and stomach ailments and spent much time away from school. He used the time to read scientific books which he borrowed from the local library; at the library, he also read the periodical Smithsonian, in which he learned about Samuel Langley’s scientific papers on aerodynamics and his experiments with machine-generated flight. Goddard spent the next decade getting his undergraduate degree and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in physics and then accepted a research fellowship at Princeton University’s Palmer Physical Laboratory.
By 1913, Goddard had developed the mathematics that allowed him to calculate the position and velocity of a rocket in vertical flight, given the weight of the rocket and the propellant and the velocity of the exhaust gases. Unfortunately, in early 1913, Goddard contracted tuberculosis and had to leave Princeton. His doctors did not expect him to live, but his dream of spaceflight via rockets inspired him to walk for exercise in the fresh air, and his condition gradually improved. He worked on securing a number of patents during this time (ultimately 214 patents), including two of his most significant patents that were milestones in the history of rocketry: (1) a multi-stage rocket fueled with solid “explosive material,” and (2) a rocket fueled with solid explosive materials or with liquid propellants (gasoline and liquid nitrous oxide).
The Smithsonian Institution was interested in rockets for the purpose of better understanding meteorological events by studying the Earth’s atmospheric envelope. So Goddard applied to the Smithsonian for a grant to meet the Smithsonian’s needs, but he knew that the grant would further advance his dream of building rockets for space travel. While using the grant money to further his research, Goddard produced a landmark report, “A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes,” which is today regarded as a pioneering work of rocket science. A final section of his report speculated about the possibility of rockets reaching “infinite altitude” — not only reaching the Earth’s upper atmosphere, but escaping from Earth’s gravity and traveling to the Moon and beyond.
The Smithsonian published Goddard’s report in 1919, and it gained Goddard much media coverage — most of it negative. On January 12, 1920, The New York Times published a front-page story about Goddard and the small part of his report that speculated about rockets reaching the Moon. The next day, The Times ran an unsigned editorial article, entitled “A Severe Strain on Credulity,” in which Goddard was sharply rebuked for lacking “the knowledge ladled out daily in high schools.” The day after Apollo 11 was launched on the first manned mission to the Moon, The Times published a correction to its 1920 editorial: Further investigation and experimentation have confirmed the findings of Isaac Newton … that a rocket can function in a vacuum as well as in an atmosphere. In other words, Goddard was unfairly rebuked, and he certainly understood science better than anyone at The Times, at least in 1920.
By those observers who know more than The New York Times in 1920, Goddard has been called both “the father of modern rocket propulsion” and, consequently, “the father of the Space Age.” NASA reports from its website of the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, “By 1926, Goddard had constructed and successfully tested the first rocket using liquid fuel. Indeed, the flight of Goddard’s rocket on March 16, 1926, at Auburn, Massachusetts, was as significant to history as that of the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk.” NASA continued with a list of Dr. Goddard’s major contributions to rocketry and spaceflight:
Explored the practicality of using rocket propulsion to reach high altitudes, even the moon (1912)
Proved that a rocket will work in a vacuum, that it needs no air to push against
Developed and fired a liquid fuel rocket (March 16, 1926, Auburn, Mass.)
Shot a scientific payload in a rocket flight (1929, Auburn, Mass.)
Used vanes in the rocket motor blast for guidance (1932, New Mexico)
Developed gyro control apparatus for rocket flight (1932, New Mexico)
Received U.S. patent for of multi-stage rocket (1914)
Developed pumps suitable for rocket fuels
Launched a rocket with a motor pivoted on gimbals under the influence of a gyro mechanism (1937)
The Smithsonian’s Grant, awarded this day in 1917, was pivotal to Goddard’s research and experimentation and, small though the grant was, it is worthy of recognition as an outstanding contribution to the advancement of science.


10 Need-to-Know Things About Mars
No other planet has captured our collective imagination quite like Mars.
In the late 1800s when people first observed the canal-like features on Mars' surface, many speculated that an intelligent alien species resided there. This led to numerous stories about Martians, some of whom invade Earth, like in the 1938 radio drama, "The War of the Worlds." According to an enduring urban legend, many listeners believed the story to be real news coverage of an invasion, causing widespread panic.
Countless stories since have taken place on Mars or explored the possibilities of its Martian inhabitants. Movies like "Total Recall" (1990 and 2012) take us to a terraformed Mars and a struggling colony running out of air. A Martian colony and Earth have a prickly relationship in "The Expanse" television series and novels.
And in the 2014 novel and its 2015 movie adaptation, "The Martian," botanist Mark Watney is stranded alone on the planet and struggles to survive until a rescue mission can retrieve him.
Mars is a cold desert world. It is half the size of Earth. Mars is sometimes called the Red Planet. It's red because of rusty iron in the ground.
Like Earth, Mars has seasons, polar ice caps, volcanoes, canyons, and weather. It has a very thin atmosphere made of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon.
There are signs of ancient floods on Mars, but now water mostly exists in icy dirt and thin clouds. On some Martian hillsides, there is evidence of liquid salty water in the ground.
Visit NASA SpacePlace for more kid-friendly facts.
NASA Space Place: All About Mars ›


The leader of the Silesian Aviation - the Federation of Aviation Companies - emerged naturally, as a result of a real and effective cooperation between 15 private companies.
The main purpose of establishing the Silesian Aviation Cluster is the increase of innovation and strengthening cooperative relations of its members what shall eventually lead to an improvement of competitiveness of all companies participating in the project.
See our services and equipment.
History of cooperation of aviation companies in Silesia reaches the 80s of the last century, but the formalization of joint activities took place in 2006 with the founding of the Federation of Aviation Companies Bielsko, which soon became the coordinator of the newly formed Silesian Aviation Cluster. Currently, the cluster consists of over 20 entities, including universities and institutions of business environment.


Checking in on China
After some delay, Aero Engine Corp. of China (AECC) was formed in September and we’ve had several clients ask us what we make of it. The majority of AECC was formed from the engine operations of Chinese aerospace conglomerate Avic. To that business, several non-aerospace state-owned gas turbine manufacturers were added. Not much information has been released, but clearly the mandate came from Beijing. While China does not have a great track record in the aerospace engine manufacturing industry, as China grows its Aerospace industry, home-grown engines are a logical step. We see this as a further sign that Beijing is serious about creating a world-class aerospace industry. Thirty years from now, China seems likely to have an Aerospace industry that rivals the United States and Europe in scale. Clearly, more and more of our clients are thinking about their China strategy – how will you participate in the opportunities that emerge?


Aviation’s marvels of flight and freedom have always captivated the human imagination. From commercial airliners crossing continents to private planes navigating the skies, aircraft connect people and facilitate trade and travel. Yet, with this freedom comes significant responsibility, particularly in ensuring safety and managing risks.
Aircraft or aviation insurance is vital to aviation safety, acting as a reliable wingman in the sky. Delve into the significance of aircraft insurance and its role in safeguarding pilots and passengers.
Ensuring Financial Security
One of the primary functions of aircraft insurance is to ensure financial security in unforeseen circumstances. While relatively rare, aviation accidents can result in significant financial losses due to property damage, bodily injuries, and legal liabilities. Aircraft insurance provides a safety net, allowing pilots and aircraft owners to mitigate these risks and protect their assets. Whether covering the cost of repairs, compensating injured parties, or defending against lawsuits, aircraft insurance provides peace of mind and financial stability in turbulent times.
Promoting Safety Culture
Beyond its role in financial protection, aircraft insurance is crucial in promoting a safety culture within the aviation community. Insurance companies incentivize safety practices and risk management measures through premium discounts, safety training programs, and proficiency requirements. By encouraging pilots and operators to prioritize safety and adhere to best practices, aircraft insurance contributes to overall aviation safety. It reduces the likelihood of accidents and incidents. This proactive approach benefits individual policyholders and enhances safety standards across the industry.
Encouraging Compliance with Regulations
Aircraft insurance requirements often align with regulatory mandates set forth by aviation authorities. Whether it’s complying with minimum liability coverage limits, demonstrating proof of insurance during aircraft registration, or adhering to specific insurance requirements for commercial operations, aircraft insurance serves as a mechanism for ensuring regulatory compliance. By holding pilots and operators accountable to insurance standards, regulatory authorities can uphold safety regulations and enforce responsible behavior within the aviation community.
Supporting Growth and Innovation
Adequate aircraft insurance coverage fosters growth and innovation within the aviation industry. Whether investing in new aircraft technologies, expanding flight operations, or launching innovative aviation ventures, having robust insurance protection enables pilots and entrepreneurs to confidently pursue their ambitions. Insurance coverage provides a layer of security that encourages risk-taking and entrepreneurial spirit while safeguarding against potential setbacks or losses. By supporting growth and innovation, aircraft insurance contributes to advancing aviation and exploring new frontiers.
Mitigating Environmental Risks
In addition to protecting against traditional risks such as accidents and liabilities, aircraft insurance also plays a role in mitigating environmental risks associated with aviation activities. In the event of oil spills, fuel leaks, or other ecological incidents, aircraft insurance can cover cleanup costs, environmental damage, and liability claims. By addressing these environmental risks, aircraft insurance helps minimize the ecological impact of aviation operations. It ensures compliance with environmental regulations and standards.
Fostering Trust and Confidence
Aircraft insurance offers more than just financial protection and risk management; it cultivates trust and confidence within the aviation community. Whether reassuring passengers of their safety or providing peace of mind to stakeholders, knowing adequate insurance coverage fosters confidence in aviation operations’ reliability and professionalism. By promoting transparency and accountability, aircraft insurance contributes to a culture of trust vital for sustainable growth in the aviation industry.
Aircraft or aviation insurance is a steadfast companion in the vast sky, where freedom and adventure beckon, offering protection and peace of mind to pilots and operators alike. From ensuring financial security and promoting safety culture to encouraging regulatory compliance and supporting growth and innovation, aircraft insurance plays a multifaceted role in aviation safety. As aviation continues to evolve and expand, the importance of robust insurance coverage cannot be overstated. By embracing the role of aircraft insurance as a wingman in the sky, the aviation community can soar to new heights while prioritizing safety and security for all who take to the skies.


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A solar system is a group of planets and one or more stars. Our solar system has just one gigantic star, the Sun. It also has eight planets and three dwarf planets. Many planets have their own moons. There are also thousands of asteroids, meteoroids, and comets. Gravity from our huge Sun holds the solar system together. Planets, asteroids, and comets revolve around (orbit), the Sun. moons orbit some of the planets. A year for a planet is the amount of time it takes the planet to make one complete revolution around the Sun. The planets also rotate on an axis. One day on a planet is the time it takes for the planet to make one complete rotation (360 degrees) on its axis. It takes Earth about 24 hours to complete one rotation.
There are inner and outer planets. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are the inner planets. They orbit close to the Sun. The inner planets are very rocky. They are smaller than the outer planets. An asteroid belt separates the inner planets from the outer planets.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are the outer planets. They orbit far from the Sun. The outer planets are all much larger than the inner planets. We call the outer planets the gas giants because they are made mostly from gasses.
Are you wondering about Pluto? In the past, we thought Pluto was a planet but astronomers now classify it as one of the dwarf planets. The other dwarf planets are Ceres and Eris. Ceres and Eris are both large asteroids. Astronomers discovered Eris in 2005. Eris is larger than Pluto and is even farther away from the Sun.
The Origins of Our Solar System
Where did the solar system come from? Many astronomers believe it began as a cloud of dust and gas. Nearly 5 billion years ago, a nearby star may have exploded. The explosion caused the cloud to collapse and spin into a disk. Gravity made the dust and gas pull together into the center of the disk. The force of gravity caused great heat and pressure. Nuclear reactions occurred. These reactions caused the Sun to shine for the first time.
The rest of the solar system also came from that cloud. The dust and gas formed into hot clumps. The clumps began orbiting the Sun. As they grew bigger, they became planets and moons.
Many planets and moons still have scars from the formation of the early solar system. Impact craters are holes in the ground that form when material from space slams into a planet, or sometimes even a moon.
All elements that make up the Sun and planets came from the ancient dust and gas. This includes all the plants and animals on the Earth. Scientists believe that even the atoms that make up your body are as old as the stars.
Even though it is 93 million miles away, the Sun is the nearest star to Earth. In comparison to other stars, the Sun is a medium sized star. All stars, including the Sun, are balls of exploding gas. You might think of stars as having points like the ones we draw but stars are shaped more like a ball (sphere).
The Sun is the center of our solar system. Another name for the Sun is Sol. Most of the light and heat on Earth comes from the Sun. Without that heat source, life on Earth could not exist. Scientists believe that eventually changes in the Sun will make life on Earth, as we now know it, impossible.
Compared to the Earth, the Sun is huge. It is the largest object in our solar system. The Sun’s diameter is over 864,432 miles (1,392,000 kilometers). That is nearly 109 Earths across. It would take 1,300,000 Earths to fill up the Sun.
Because it is so huge, the Sun exerts a lot of gravity. This force holds the planets in orbit.
The Sun’s Core
The center (core), of the Sun creates solar energy. In the core, temperatures and pressures are very high. This makes nuclear reactions occur. It takes a million years for energy made in the core to reach the surface. The Sun releases its energy as heat and light.
The Sun’s Outer Layers
The photosphere is the top layer of the Sun’s surface. This is where we find sunspots. Sunspots appear as dark green areas in the photosphere. Solar flares come from the sunspots. These bright arcs of hot gas can interfere with radio communications on Earth. The chromosphere is above the photosphere. Light and solar flares pass through the chromosphere on their way out into space. The corona is the outermost part of the Sun’s atmosphere.
During a solar eclipse, the corona is the part of the Sun that is seen shining around the Moon. A solar eclipse occurs when the Earth’s Moon blocks out most of the light from the Sun. Many people are tempted to look directly at the Sun during an eclipse. This is very dangerous. Even if you don’t feel pain in your eyes, looking directly at the Sun can cause permanent eye damage or blindness.
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. It is a small planet, just a little bigger than Earth’s Moon. Mercury has a diameter of about 3,029 miles (4,878 kilometers). It revolves, or orbits, around the Sun once every 88 Earth days. It has an elliptical orbit. An elliptical orbit is like a stretched out circle (oval shape). Its average distance from the Sun is about 36 million miles (58 kilometers).
Days are very long on Mercury. This is because the planet has a very slow spin. Mercury rotates once every 59 Earth days. One day on Mercury would be 1,416 hours long!
Temperatures get very hot during the daytime. Surface temperatures can reach over 752 degrees Fahrenheit (400 degrees Celsius). At night it gets very cold. It can reach below -279.4 degrees Fahrenheit (-173 degrees Celsius). Mercury has some of the highest and lowest temperatures in the solar system.
There is almost no atmosphere on Mercury. Because of the heat, any gasses on Mercury would burn up.
Mercury has no moons.
The surface of Mercury is hard and rocky. Impact craters cover the surface. Mercury’s craters formed a long time ago during the early history of the solar system. Some craters are small. Others are very large. Mercury has cliffs up to 1.8 miles (3 kilometers) high and hundreds of miles long.
The first spacecraft to visit Mercury was Mariner 10, in 1974. It took photographs of the planet. It found that Mercury has a weak Welding goggles are the best eye protection magnetic field.
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. Because it is so close to Earth, you can often see Venus in the sky at dusk or dawn, without the use of a telescope. Sometimes we call Venus our sister planet because it is a lot like Earth. It is about the same size as Earth. Both planets have a near circular orbit around the Sun. A lack of craters shows that both planets formed about the same time.
Although they are alike in many ways, Venus and Earth are different in some very important ways. Venus rotates in the opposite direction as Earth. Its spin is retrograde. That means it spins backward from the rotation of Earth and the other planets. On Venus, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east. Venus rotates much slower than Earth. It takes about 243 Earth days for Venus to rotate one time. Another difference is that Venus has a very weak magnetic field.
The diameter of Venus is 7,516 miles (12,103 kilometers). Its average distance from the Sun is about 67 million miles (108 million kilometers). It takes Venus 225 Earth days to orbit the Sun. It might be a little confusing to live on Venus because one planetary year is shorter than one planetary day!
The surface of Venus is very hot. Temperatures on the surface can reach 880 degrees Fahrenheit (470 degrees Celsius) making it the hottest planet. Venus is far too hot to support life.
The atmosphere of Venus is mostly carbon dioxide. Because the carbon dioxide is so thick, the pressure on Venus is 90 times that of Earth. The clouds in the upper atmosphere are made of tiny drops of sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid forms thick clouds that reflect the Sun’s rays making Venus shine brightly like a star.
Venus has no moons.
The surface of Venus is rocky. It has many inactive volcanos. There are also many mountains, some of which are higher than the mountains on Earth.
The first spacecraft to successfully orbit Venus was Mariner 2, in 1962. Since then, many other spacecraft have flown by, orbited, or landed on its surface. The Magellan probe has provided maps of Venus.
Earth, our home, is the third planet from the Sun. It is the only planet we know of that contains life. The diameter of the Earth is about 7,920 miles (12,754 kilometers). The Earth rotates one time every 24 hours. A planetary day on Earth is 24 hours. Earth’s planetary year is about 365 days. It takes the Earth 1 year to revolve, or orbit, the Sun. Earth’s average distance from the Sun is about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers). We call this distance 1 astronomical unit, or AU. We sometimes measure distances to other planets in astronomical units.
The coldest parts of Earth can reach -129 degrees Fahrenheit (-90 degrees Celsius). The hottest parts can reach 136 degrees Fahrenheit (58 degrees Celsius). Most life on Earth will survive in places with temperatures somewhere in between.
The Earth’s atmosphere is made mainly of nitrogen and oxygen. Our atmosphere has more oxygen than any other planet’s atmosphere. When people talk about the air, they are really talking about the atmosphere. It is the perfect mix of gasses to support life. The atmosphere keeps temperatures from getting too high or too low to support life. It also helps keep out harmful radiation from the Sun.
The Earth is the only planet with lots of water. Water covers two thirds (2/3) of the Earth. The amount of water on Earth stays about the same. Other planets may have only tiny amounts of ice or steam. Without water, there would be no life on Earth.
The Earth orbits the Sun in a near perfect circle. This helps keep temperatures from getting too high or too low. About 1.5 million types of animals and plants live in this perfect environment.
Even though we live on Earth and explore it every day, there are things about Earth that we can learn from space. Space exploration began by looking at our own planet. In 1957, Sputnik was the first spacecraft to orbit the Earth. Since then, thousands of spacecraft have studied the Earth from space. Today satellites send information back to Earth that can help us in our daily lives. Meteorologists, more often called weather forecasters, use information from satellites to study and predict the weather. In 1969, the Apollo 11 spacecraft was the first manned mission to the Moon. It carried astronauts Michael Collins, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Neil Armstrong. Collins orbited the Moon during Armstrong and Aldrin’s historic Moon walk.
The Earth has one Moon. It is about 240,000 miles (384,000 kilometers) from Earth. Its diameter is about 2,159 miles (3,476 kilometers). The Moon is about one fourth (1/4) as big as the Earth.
The force of gravity ties the Moon to the Earth. The Moon revolves around (orbits), the Earth once every 27.3 days. It also takes the Moon 27.3 days to rotate one time. This means that the same side of the Moon always faces the Earth. Astronauts orbiting the Moon are the only humans to see the other side of the Moon in person. We only know what it looks like from photographs. High tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun. The pull stretches the Earth's oceans into an ellipse with Earth in the center. The oceans of the Earth seem to bulge out to make the oval shape. Areas on the Earth near the bulge will experience a high tide. The high tide moves from west to east as the Earth rotates. High tides occur twice a day. This is because the water on the opposite side of the Earth from the Moon also bulges.
Craters (holes), cover the Moon. Meteorites striking the surface of the Moon created these bowlshaped holes.
Find out more... There’s Water on the Moon
Millions of tons of ice are inside some of the craters on the Moon’s poles. In the future, space missions might use the water for fuel, or to support life. Would you like to live in a space station on the Moon?
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. Sometimes we call it the Red Planet because of its red coloring. Mars looks red because of the pinkish color of its rocks,soil, and sky.
Mars is about half the size of Earth. It has a diameter of 4,219 miles (6,794 kilometers). Its average distance from the Sun is about 142 million miles (228 million kilometers). Mars orbits the Sun once every 687 Earth days. You can see Mars without a telescope. It appears as a bright red object in the night sky.
Mars is more like Earth than any other planet. The length of a day on Mars is almost 24 Earth hours. Like Earth, Mars has polar ice caps.
During the winter on Mars, one of the poles is covered in snow and ice. At the same time, it is summer in the other hemisphere of the planet. When one ice cap gets bigger, the other ice cap gets smaller.
It is always cold on Mars. The highest temperature is about 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius). But Mars can get much colder than freezing. It can get as cold as -200 degrees Fahrenheit (-144 degrees Celsius). Mars has an elliptical orbit. As it orbits, the planet gets colder as it travels farther away from the Sun.
The atmosphere of Mars is 95% carbon dioxide. The atmosphere is very thin. Humans would not be able to breathe the air on Mars. The surface of Mars is also very dry. Sometimes, giant dust storms cover the entire planet. If you lived on Mars, the sky would not look blue like the sky on Earth does. It would be reddish orange in color.
Mars has two moons named Phobos and Deimos. They are both odd shaped and were probably asteroids at one time. Phobos is about twice as large as Deimos, but both are tiny compared to Earth’s Moon. Phobos is only 17 miles (27 kilometers across).
There are many volcanos on the surface of Mars. Most of them are in the northern regions of the planet. The biggest volcano is Olympus Mons. It is the largest volcano in the solar system. It is 342 miles (550 kilometers) wide and 17 miles (27 kilometers) high.
Scientists believe that water once existed on the surface of Mars. A huge canyon called the Valles Marinares is evidence of water in Mar’s past. It is over 5 miles (8 kilometers) long. Dried up flood plains and riverbeds also cover parts of the surface.
The first probe to go to Mars was Mariner 4, in 1965. Since then, many other spacecraft have visited the planet. Viking 1 and 2 were the first to land on the surface.
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun. It is the largest of all the planets in the solar system. It is also the first of the gas giants, or outer planets. All the outer planets are huge balls of gas. The other gas giants are Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Jupiter is a huge planet. It has a diameter of over 88,679 miles (142,000 kilometers). Jupiter is 11 times larger than Earth. This giant planet also has a great mass. Jupiter has much more mass (matter) than all the other planets put together. If Jupiter were 13 times bigger, it would be classified as a star called a brown dwarf instead of a planet. That would make it another star in the solar system.
Jupiter takes more than 11 Earth years to orbit once around the Sun. The distance from the Sun to Jupiter is over 5 astronomical units or five times the distance of the Sun to the Earth. Jupiter spins very fast. It takes a little less than 10 Earth hours for Jupiter to rotate once.
You might think Jupiter would be a frozen planet because it is so far away from the Sun but it’s not. Jupiter’s core is very hot. It can reach temperatures of 43,000 degrees Fahrenheit (24,000 degrees Celsius). In contrast, Jupiter’s atmosphere is cold. The clouds average -193 degrees Fahrenheit (-125 degrees Celsius).
The atmosphere of Jupiter is very deep. It is made mostly of hydrogen and helium. Layers of clouds cover the planet. These layers are thin bands made of hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and water vapor. Clouds near the top of the atmosphere move very quickly. As bands pass each other, they sometimes create a storm. Giant lightning bolts come from the clouds during a storm.
A thin ring of dust orbits the planet far above the clouds. We cannot see the ring from Earth because it is so faint.
Jupiter creates a huge and powerful magnetic field that surrounds the planet and its moons. It is unlikely that there will ever be a manned space mission to Jupiter. The pressure on Jupiter is so great that it turns gas into liquid. That is enough pressure to crush a spaceship!
Jupiter has sixty-three known moons. That is the highest number of moons identified for any planet. Four of these moons are very large. Galileo discovered them in 1610. We know them as the Galilean satellites. They are named Ganymede, Callisto, Io, and Europa.
Jupiter’s Four Largest Moons:
- Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system. Its diameter is 3,280 miles (5,262 km).
- Callisto is covered in ancient craters. It is about the same size as Mercury.
- Io is about the size of Earth’s Moon. It has a violent surface with active volcanos.
- Europa is the smallest of the four large moons. It has a smooth and icy surface. It is possible that below the ice there is a layer of liquid water.
The other moons of Jupiter are much smaller. Many of them are recent discoveries. Astronomers discovered more than half of Jupiter’s moons after 1999.
There is a “Great Red Spot” on Jupiter. This spot is actually a giant storm. It is red from the gases that swirl within it. The spot has existed for hundreds of years. The storm is wider than three Earths!
The first spacecraft to visit Jupiter was Pioneer 10 in 1972. Since then, Voyager 1 and 2 have flown past the planet. The Galileo probe began to orbit Jupiter in 1996. It studied Jupiter and its moons. We learned from data sent back to Earth from the Galileo probe that the winds are stronger on Jupiter than the winds on Earth.
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun. It is the second largest planet in the solar system. Saturn is one of the four gas giant planets. It is the farthest planet that we can see without the help of a telescope. Saturn is a lot like its neighbor planet, Jupiter. Both planets are made mostly of gases and neither one has a solid surface.
Saturn has a diameter of about 74,085 miles (119,300 kilometers). It is nine times wider than the Earth. Saturn takes over 29 Earth years to revolve around (orbit), the Sun. Saturn’s shape is like a ball squeezed flat on the top and bottom. Saturn spins very fast causing the flattened shape. It takes just over 10 Earth hours for the planet to rotate once.
The average temperature on the surface of Saturn is very cold. It is about -290 degrees Fahrenheit (-179 degrees Celsius).
The atmosphere on Saturn is mostly hydrogen. There are also small amounts of helium and methane.
Strong winds blow across the surface of Saturn. These winds move very fast. Its clouds can move at about 1,100 miles per hour (1,800 kilometers per hour). There are wide bands of clouds. These clouds contain storms like those on Jupiter. A layer of haze covers the upper atmosphere. This haze makes Saturn look yellow.
At least 56 moons orbit Saturn. Some are a few kilometers across. Others are the size of small planets. Titan is the largest moon of Saturn. It has a thick atmosphere covered in a brownish orange haze. Probes have detected nitrogen and methane on Titan. Many of Saturn’s other moons have icy surfaces covered with craters. Some scientists believe that the moons of Saturn and Jupiter are where we might find evidence of simple life forms.
Many people call Saturn the jewel of the solar system or the ringed planet because of its giant, beautiful rings. Galileo discovered the rings in the 17th century. From Earth, we can see only three big rings. Saturn actually has thousands of small rings called ringlets. The rings are made mostly of ice particles, but also contain dust and rocks. Some particles are as small as dust. Others are the size of a house. Saturn’s rings are about .6 miles (one kilometer) thick. The gravitational pull of Saturn’s moons gives the rings their shape.
The first spacecraft to visit Saturn was Pioneer 11, in 1979. Since then, Voyager 1 and 2 have flown past and studied the planet. In 2004, the Cassini space probe landed on the surface of Saturn’s moon, Titan.
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It is the third largest planet in the solar system. Like Jupiter and Saturn, it is one of the gas giants. The diameter of Uranus is 32,168 miles (51,800 kilometers). It takes Uranus 84 Earth years to orbit the Sun. The planet rotates once every 17 Earth hours.
Uranus does not spin around the Sun like the other planets. It is tipped on its side and rolls around the Sun like a barrel. We can’t be sure, but scientists think Uranus is tipped because it was hit by a small planet or comet.
Because it is so far from the Sun, Uranus is very cold. The average temperature is about -355 degrees Fahrenheit (-215 degrees Celsius). Scientists do think that there is a layer of very hot water, ammonia, and methane on Uranus. Like Earth, Uranus experiences changing seasons. Because Uranus is titled on its side, a season lasts a very long time. One season on Uranus can last more than 20 years!
The atmosphere on Uranus is made mostly of hydrogen, helium, and methane. Methane gives Uranus its blue-green color. Wind speeds on Uranus are much slower than on Saturn and Jupiter.
Uranus has at least 27 moons. Most of them are very small. The five large moons are mostly made of rock and ice. Miranda is the most unusual moon orbiting Uranus. It looks like a combination of many different pieces. Scientists think it may have been shattered as many as five times. The surface has craters and deep grooves unlike any other moon.
In 1977, scientists discovered Uranus’ 11 rings. Scientists observed a star blinking on and off as it passed behind the planet. The blinking was caused by the rings blocking the starlight. Pictures taken in 1986 from the Voyager 2 space probe showed that Uranus’ rings are made mostly of dark dust.
Even though the Voyager 2 space probe launched in 1977, it did not reach Uranus until 1986. This was the first space probe to reach this distant planet. Since that time, we have learned more about Uranus from the Hubble Space Telescope.
Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun. It is the smallest gas giant in the solar system. Neptune has a diameter of 30,740 miles (49,500 kilometers).
Neptune is very far away from the Sun. Its average distance from the Sun is 2.8 billion miles (4.5 billion kilometers). It orbits the Sun once every 165 Earth years. In 2011, Neptune will complete its first orbit around the Sun since scientists discovered it in 1846. A day on Neptune is just over 16 Earth hours. If you want to see Neptune from Earth, you must use a telescope. Even with a telescope, Neptune can be hard to see. It looks like a very small bluish ball.
Neptune has recorded some of the coldest temperatures in the solar system. It has an average temperature of -355 degrees Fahrenheit (-214 degrees Celsius).
The atmosphere on Neptune is made of hydrogen, helium, and methane. The methane in the upper layers gives the planet its blue color.
A good nickname for Neptune would be the windy planet. The strong wind rips through the atmosphere at 1,200 miles per hour (2,000 kilometers per hour). These winds are the strongest of any planet in the solar system. Thin white clouds move around the upper atmosphere. A giant storm, the Great Dark Spot continues to move across the surface. The storm is about the size of the Earth.
At least thirteen moons orbit Neptune. Triton is the largest moon. It orbits in the opposite direction of Neptune’s other moons. This is a retrograde orbit. Triton has a thin atmosphere. The surface temperature of Triton is the coldest of any known moon or planet in the solar system. The other moons of Neptune are much smaller than Triton.
Neptune has rings like the other gas giants, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. There are four rings in all. They are very faint and difficult to see.
Neptune was the first planet identified by using mathematical predictions rather than by observation. Neptune was not actually seen until 1846, by astronomers J.G. Galle and Heinrich Louis d’Arrest. In 1989, Voyager 2 became the first space probe to visit Neptune giving us our first chance to learn more about this distant planet.
Pluto and the Dwarf Planets
In 1930, when astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto, he identified it as a very small planet. Astronomers classified Pluto as a planet for 76 years. Then on August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) changed Pluto’s label from a planet to a dwarf planet.
Scientists reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet because there are other objects in its orbital path. Two other dwarf planets are Ceres and Eris.
Pluto’s diameter is smaller than the Earth’s Moon. It has an elliptical orbit. Pluto’s distance from the Sun ranges between 2.7 and 4.6 billion miles (4.4 and 7.4 billion kilometers). From 1979 to 1999, Pluto was closer to the Sun
than Neptune. It takes Pluto 249 Earth years to orbit the Sun once. Pluto orbits in what we call the Kuiper Belt.
Pluto has three moons. They are Charon, Nix, and Hydra.
Ceres is the smallest dwarf planet. It is about the same size as Texas. It is the only dwarf planet in the main asteroid belt. Unlike most objects in the belt, Ceres is a sphere.
Scientists discovered Ceres in 1801. They first thought it was a planet, but then changed the classification to an asteroid. For another 150 years, scientists considered Ceres to be the largest identified asteroid. In 2006, scientists upgraded Ceres to be a Dwarf planet.
Although Eris is called a dwarf planet, it is the ninth largest object orbiting the Sun. It is just slightly larger than Pluto. It has its own moon, Dysnomia. Scientists discovered Eris in 2005. Some astronomers initially called it the tenth planet. However, based on the definition developed by the IAU, it is recognized as a dwarf planet along with Pluto and Ceres. Eris is located in the outer regions of the Kuiper Belt, which is a band of small bodies orbiting the Sun beyond Neptune.
Asteroids, Meteoroids, and Comets
Asteroids are objects that orbit the Sun. They might also be called planetoids, minor planets or small solar system bodies. They are usually made of rock or iron, similar to the makeup of the four inner planets. Asteroids come in many different sizes and shapes. Some are large, but others are as small as pebbles. Most are in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Most scientists think asteroids are pieces of material left over from the formation of the solar system. Asteroids could be material that never formed into a planet.
Meteoroids are large sand to boulder size pieces of debris in the solar system. Many meteoroids form when asteroids break apart. A meteoroid that hits the Earth’s atmosphere usually burns up in a streak of light. This visible streak of light is a meteor. People sometimes call a meteor a shooting star. A meteorite is a meteor that strikes the Earth.
A ball of ice and dust particles that orbits the Sun is a comet. A comet is like a giant, dirty snowball. The orbit of a comet is constantly changing. Sometimes, a comet orbits close to the Sun and then will be thrown far out into space. Most comets are too faint to be seen without a telescope. We can see comets only when they are heated and illuminated as they near the Sun. As the comet gets closer to the Sun, the nucleus (center) of the comet begins to melt. The melting particles following behind the comet are its tail. The tail can extend for millions of miles or kilometers away from the Sun.
Between 1995 and 1997 the Comet Hale-Bopp was the clearest comet people on Earth had seen for over 100 years. It was so bright it could be seen without using a telescope. Unless you plan to live a very long time, you will not see Hale-Bopp again. Hale-Bopp won’t be visible again from Earth for about 2,380 years!
Find out more... Halley’s Comet
Perhaps the most famous comet of all is Halley’s Comet. It was named after Edmond Halley, an astronomer and mathematician. Halley correctly predicted in 1705 that a certain comet would return in 1758. Halley’s Comet is visible every 75-76 years. The last time it was visible from Earth was 1986. Scientists predict Halley’s Comet will be visible again in the year 2061. How old will you be the next time Halley’s Comet passes near the Earth? Because it looks like a huge fireball in the sky, many people used to think that Halley’s Comet was a sign of bad luck. Some people even thought it was the end of the world!


Rutgers University Department of Physics and Astronomy
Some Astromical Websites
Some links are probably broken on this page. I will update it as I find
Websites on the Sky
Relevant mostly to the material in Chapters 2 and 3,
- Stellarium -- free planetarium-like software for Mac OS, Windows, or Linux
- Google Sky -- like Google Maps, but looking up
- Celestia -- free space views software for Mac OS, Windows, or Linux
- Antonio Cidadao's
Time-lapse Animations. A collection of very nice animations of
objects in the sky (the stars, moon, planets, etc.) done by an
History of Astronomy
Read the biographies of the following Astronomers in the "History of
Mathematics." Relevant to the material in Chapters 2 and 3.
Some Astronomical Observatories
Relevant to Tools of Science section on telescopes in chapter 3, though
discoveries made with these telescopes can be relevant to topics throughout
Websites on the Exploration of the Solar System
More focussed on rescent missions. Relevant to the material in chapters
4, 5, and 6.
- LRO -- The Lunar Reconnaissance
Orbiter has been orbiting the Moon since 2009, conducting investigations
that prepare for future lunar exploration.
- LCROSS -- The Lunar CRater Observation
and Sensing Satellite orbited the moon in 2009 to search for water in
permantly shadowed craters at the lunar poles.
- GRAIL --
The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory consisted of two small satelites
that orbited the Moon for most of 2012. Accurate tracking mapped the
gravitational field of the Moon, which constrains its internal structure.
- Change'e 3 --
A Chinese lunar lander and rover (Yutu), that arrived on the surface
in December 2013 and are probably still operating (though the lander's
motor and instruments have failed). You can see pictures from the
mission at this Planetary Society
- MESSENGER -- Mercury Surface,
Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging: launced in 2005 and flew by
Earth, Venus (twice), Mercury (three times), before orbiting Mercury 2011 - 2015.
- Venus Express --
European Space Agency (ESA) mission to study the atmosphere of Venus.
Orbited Venus between 2006 and 2014.
- Akatsuki --
literally "dawn", also known as the Venus Climate Orbiter; a
Japanese spacecraft to study the Venusian atmosphere. Failed to achieve
orbit around Venus in 2010, but was placed in orbit in 2015 using
attitude control thrusters.
- NASA Mars Exploration Page --
Has links to discussions of past, present, and future missions to Mars.
- Opportunity --
The two Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars
in 2003. Spirit become stuck in a dust-filled crater in 2009, but Opportunity
is still operating, having covered about 43.8 km so far. Since 2011
it has been exploring the 22 km diameter Endeavour crater.
- The Road to Endeavour --
A blog following the adventures of the Opportunity rover ("Oppy" to
its fans), with lots of images and commentary from a scientifically
literate layman. Begun in 2008 as Oppy started started the 20 km
trek to Endeavor crater.
- Curiosity --
NASA rover that has been exploring the Martian crater Gale and its
central peak Aeolis Mons (Mount Sharp) since 2012, obtaining
evidence for flowing water and lakes in the distant past at this site.
- ExoMars 2016 --
ESA Trace gas Orbiter arrived at Mars in October 2016 and will spend
2017 using aerobraking to reach its final orbit, where it will study
the martian atmosphere. It joins six other operating spacecraft orbiting
Mars. The associated Schiaperelli lander did not fire its retrorockets
for long enough and impacted the surface at high speed.
- NEAR Shoemaker -- Near Earth
Asteroid Rendevous Mission Orbited the asteroid Eros 2000 - 2001
before softly touching down and operating on the surface for several days.
- Hayabusa --
Japanese spacecraft that, despite many problems, visited and studied
the near-Earth asteroid Itokawa in 2005. It returned a sample of about
1500 small (10-100 micrometer) dust grains collected from the
surface in 2010.
- Hayabusa 2" --
Japanese mission to study and return a sample from the asteroid Ryuga.
Launched in 2014, will arrive at the asteroid in mid 2018 and return
a sample around the end of 2020.
- Dawn -- Orbited
the asteroid Vesta for more than a year. It left in 2012 and arrived
at the asteroid Ceres in 2015, where it has been since.
- Osiris-REx --
Launched in September 2016, will rendevouz with the Near-Earth asteroid
Bennu in August 2018, which it will study for over a year. In 2020 a
"touch-and-go" manuever will collect a sample which will be returned
to Earth, arriving in 2023.
- Rosetta -- ESA spacecraft
the rendezvoused with Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on in 2014 and
followed it through its most recent close approach to the Sun. The
Philae lander was sent to the surface and Rosetta itself touched down
on the surface in September 2016, ending the mission.
- Galileo --
Galileo orbited Jupiter 1995 - 2003 and (slowly) sent back pictures
and other data.
- Juno --
NASA spacecraft that began orbiting Jupiter in 2016.
- Cassini-Huygens --
Cassini is orbiting Saturn and sending back pictures of the planet
and its moons. They Huygens probe landed on the moon Titan.
- The Giant Planet
Satellite and Moon Page -- An up-to-date listing of the moons of the
- New Horizons -- this spacecraft,
launched in 2006, flew by Pluto in 2015. Provided our first (and last,
for a long time) look at this world.
A few "Life on Mars" sites
Comets, Meteors, and Impacts
Planets Around Other Stars
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory - a satellite dedicated to observing
the sun. Many interesting pictures and movies of solar activity.
- SDO: the Solar Dynamics
Observatory has been examining the Sun with high angular resolution since
- STEREO: a pair of spacecraft
that observe the Sun from positions leading and trailing the Earth in its
orbit. With SDO, they provide continous observations of the entire surface
of the Sun.
- GONG: Global Oscillation
Network Group - a group of six telescopes around the world that observe
the Sun for the purpose of doing helioseismology.
- Spaceweather.com News and
information about the Sun-Earth environment.
Modified January 23, 2017


Arnold Air Force Base
Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) is the most advanced and largest complex of flight simulation test facilities in the world. The center operates 58 aerodynamic and propulsion wind tunnels, rocket and turbine engine test cells, space environmental chambers, arc heaters, ballistic ranges and other specialized units. Twenty-seven of the center's test units have capabilities unmatched elsewhere in the United States; 14 are unique in the world. AEDC is an Air Force Materiel Command organization and an important national resource.
Tours available for students. They will learn about the work AEDC does and its importance to America's air and space superiority. Students also have the opportunity to interact with members of the Air Force and other complex employees and ask specific questions about flight, educational requirements, and military life. The tours also provide an opportunity to participate in hands-on demonstrations and tour different testing facilities on base. Adult tours also available.


Ladies, and Gentlemen.
My name is Samuel, but just know me as Sam.
Im from Denmark, and i LOVE flying.
I got the interest of aviation after flying a trip to and from Copenhagen and Zurich.
I got my own flight simulator (Microsoft Flight Simulator X gold edition) And got my own joystick and then, I started flying. I had many missions in the game, but I was only interested in the Airline Missions since it was the most interesting (In my opinion)
Now I actully know a lot about flying, and now I want to share some of my learning with you. I will make tutorials, videos, reviews and some times some comparings between many planes. I will also start a new serie: "Lets get started" Which is a serie, for the very new at flight simulators!
Now I will let you search around my blog and look for things you may be interested in.
If you have something you want me to write about, or maybe make a video about, go to the: "Contact me" and read about what to do!


Drone insurance is a relatively new concept and there is not much awareness about drone insurances among people. There are a lot of questions regarding insurances of drone and whether it’s worth the investment. To ease your confusion we have created this guide to help you with some of the most common questions related to drone insurance. So, let’s take a look.
Do I need drone insurance?
The first and foremost question which comes to most people is do I really need to insurance for my drone? Well! The right answer to this question is yes if you’re involved with businesses using drones. It is highly advisable to have insurance for your drone while conducting any kind of business. So if you’re planning any kind of commercial drone operation then drone insurance is absolutely necessary.
Getting drone insurance will significantly reduce the potential risk while purchasing drones. Since drones aren’t really cheap products, getting insurance can save a lot of money in case of a crash, malfunction, fly away scenario. Also, you will need to research local, state and federal regulations about insurances before you get your commercial operation off the ground.
Potential risks in commercial drone operations
Setting up commercial drone operations at your workplace comes with a lot of obstacles and potential risks. You must always follow federal regulations and safety precautions to avoid any chance of an accident and insurance is a crucial part of this process to conduct business in a safe and risk-free environment.
Types of drone Insurances:
There are primarily two types of insurances available for drone users:
1. Hull Insurance:
This type of drone insurance comes into the picture when you’re operating with expensive cameras, GPS units, sensors etc.. Hull insurance only covers the damage to the drones itself.
2. Liability Insurance:
Liability insurance comes into the picture when the damage is caused to a third party by your drone which includes property damage, injury to the body etc.. So, before conducting any drone outside services make sure you have valid liability insurance and show proof of liability insurance before conducting any drone operations.
Cost of Drone Insurances:
There are a lot of factors which come into the picture which affect the cost of drone insurances like:
l Total number of drones
l Type of drones
l Type of cameras and sensors
l Experience in operating drones
l Safety measures
l Maintenance records
Insurance policies can range from $1000 to 10000$ per year (for each drone) given you have a good track record and follow all documented safety procedures.
How to get insured:
For drone insurance, you will need to get quotes from multiple companies by filling forms. After getting quotes you will need to compare prices and coverage to find the deal that best suits your business.
There are a lot of players in the evolving drone markets worldwide. Big giants like DJI drone Australia offer some of the best drones available in the market. Always research thoroughly before making such a huge investment.
As far as drone insurances go, we’ve covered all the aspects which u will need to look into to keep your investment safe and avoid any unnecessary trouble for your company. We hope this guide helps you with everything you need to understand about drone insurance. Protect yourself and your company by getting insured.
One last piece of advice for recreational users is to confirm if you are covered by homeowner’s insurance if you wish to continue to fly recreationally in a safe environment with no issues whatsoever.


Grace Douglas, NASA, USA
Dr. Grace Douglas serves as the lead scientist for NASA’s Advanced Food Technology research effort, which focuses on determining methods, technologies, and requirements for developing a safe, nutritious, and palatable food system that will promote astronaut health during long-duration space missions. Her responsibilities include assessing the risk of an inadequate food system to crew based on vehicle design and mission concept and developing the research path that will ensure the food system meets crew health requirements on spaceflight vehicles. She earned a B.S. and M.S. in food science from the Pennsylvania State University and North Carolina State University, respectively, and a Ph.D. in functional genomics from North Carolina State University.
Tentative Title: Sensory Challenges in the Final Frontier – Developing Space Exploration Food Systems
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Beam the money up Scottie
Defense: $17.4bn U.S. Space Force Budget Request
The DoD budget for Space systems continues to grow at a healthy clip. The $2bn boost in funding requested for the U.S. Space Force in FY22 also proves the newest branch of the U.S. military is here to stay. NOC and LMT are well-positioned to benefit from increased DoD spending on Space programs.