Tag archives for Astronauts
Posted by Space shuttle Atlantis lifted off this morning, beginning the last mission of the shuttle program. The program began when space shuttle Columbia flew into space in 1981, and Atlantis flew its first mission in 1985. To mark the final flight, Atlantis crew members are planning to take a flag from the first 1981 shuttle mission to the International Space Station, where it will stay until the first commercial flight to the station. The astronauts will also be taking an iPhone, marking the first time the iPhone has traveled into space.
Learn more about this mission as well as past ones on NASA’s space shuttle page.
Read more about the objects that astronauts will take with them on NASA’s website.
See pictures of space shuttles on National Geographic Kids.
Photograph courtesy Kim Shiflett, NASA
One of the Endeavour astronauts accidentally lost a tool bag during a spacewalk on Tuesday after a grease gun inside the bag exploded. Objects have been lost in space before, but this was one of the largest items ever lost by an astronaut on a spacewalk.
The next astronauts to land on the moon will be driving an all-new lunar rover. The new rover, called the Chariot, will contain several improvements over the old “moon buggies,” including an optional pressurized cabin with beds, a pantry, a waste-management system, and a pair of space suits, allowing astronauts to live and work “on the road” for up to two weeks.
The rover will need to pass several rounds of tests between now and 2019, when the final model will be complete.
Read more on National Geographic News.
