Last week we talked about how single-use rocketry has changed over time, and the role it still plays in launching payloads into orbit and beyond. Today we’ll address the stainless steel elephant in the room and talk about the shift to reusability.
On the day that we’re recording this, NASA’s Space Launch System is about to blast off. But everyone is expecting it’ll be delayed to October. When it does launch, it’ll be the most powerful rocket on Earth. Well, until Starship blasts off. So are we about to see the end of single-use rockets and enter the era of reusable rocketry?
Did you know there are 88 constellations in the night sky? Let’s learn about the constellations and other star formations, their history, their connection to the zodiac, and how to find some of them!
Last week we make you sad about the future of the humanity, the Earth, the Sun and the Solar System. Today we’ll look far, far forward into the distant future of the Universe, at timescales that we can barely comprehend.
It’s time for some sadness. It’s time for a grim look to see what the future holds for the Universe. This week we stay close to home and consider the end of humanity, the Earth, the Sun, and the entire Solar System. Next week we’ll extend out to the very end of the Universe.
Today’s episode of Astronomy Cast is about another famous physicist: Enrico Fermi. We’ve already taken a look at one of Fermi’s most famous ideas, the Fermi Paradox – or, where are all the aliens? But let’s meet the man behind the ideas, the namesake for the new Fermi mission.
Let’s assume that humans survive the next few hundred years without destroying ourselves, or the planet, and we actually become a space faring civilization. What kinds of challenges will we face, and what projects will we build to expand ourselves out into the Solar System and eventually the galaxy. You just need to think big.
What if our Universe was just one in an infinite number of parallel universes; a possible outcome from the specific predictions of quantum mechanics. The idea of multiple universes is common in science fiction, but is there any actual science to back this theory up?
We’re FINALLY going to talk about the James Webb Space Telescope. After decades of development, delays, budget creep, the powerful infrared observatory is at its final home at the L2 Lagrange point. Yesterday (at the time we’re recording this) we saw the first scientific images from the telescope and according to Pamela’s rules, we’re finally allowed to talk about it.
Have you ever wanted to go to space, but lacked the… uh, I dunno, everything… to be an astronaut? There are now companies offering zero-G flights, sub-orbital flights, and there have even been paying customers who have gone into orbit. Is this going to be space travel for the rest of us?