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3/26/11

Apollo 11


Apollo 11 40th Anniversary (Neg#: DVD-1085-1)
An estimated 600 million people-one fifth of the world's population-watched as U.S. astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong took their first steps on the moon on July 20, 1969. Evidence of this historic occasion remains imprinted on the moon's powdery surface.
The successful completion of the mission was a defining moment in American history, as well as in the history of The Boeing Company. Many of the major components used on the Apollo 11 mission-from the giant Saturn V rocket to the Surveyor 1 lunar spacecraft-were

Boeing celebrates more than 30 years of shuttle operations


Space ShuttleAs the completion of the Space Shuttle Program approaches, Boeing celebrates more than 30 years of shuttle operations and our integral involvement in the design and construction of the orbiters.
The space shuttle is the world's only spacecraft capable of delivering and returning people, large payloads and scientific experiments to and from space. The shuttle launches like a rocket, maneuvers in Earth orbit like a spacecraft and lands like a glider. The space shuttles have been essential to the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS) and the space shuttle fleet will retire in 2011.
The space shuttles were designed and manufactured by Rockwell International, located in Downey and Palmdale, Calif. Boeing provides design engineering and work that has supported the shuttle program since the first flight in 1981. In 1996, The Boeing Company purchased the aerospace assets of Rockwell International, and later moved the Downey operation to Huntington Beach, Calif. Boeing is the major subcontractor to United Space Alliance (USA), NASA's prime contractor for space shuttle operations. Boeing Space Exploration, a division of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, is headquartered in Houston and operates facilities in support of the Space Shuttle Program in Huntington Beach and Palmdale, Calif., and Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
NASA put five orbiters into operational service: Columbia, OV-102; Challenger, OV-099;Discovery, OV-103; Atlantis, OV-104; and Endeavour, OV-105. The first orbiter built,Enterprise, was never flown in space, but was instrumental in achieving the early atmospheric flight test program objectives.

Enterprise

The Space Shuttle prototype Enterprise flies free after being released from NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) over Rogers Dry Lakebed
The Space Shuttle prototype Enterprise flies free after being released from NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) over Rogers Dry Lakebed during the second of five free flights carried out at the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, as part of the Shuttle program's Approach and Landing Tests (ALT).
On September 17, 1976, the first space shuttle orbiter, Enterprise, was rolled out. Enterprise was crucial to the Space Shuttle Program. Its series of approach and landing tests in 1977 proved the shuttle could fly in the atmosphere and land like a glider. After those tests, Enterprise was flown mounted atop the Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., where it was mated with an ET and SRBs and subjected to a series of vertical ground vibration tests.Enterprise was also sent to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it was rolled out to the launch pad to act as a "stand-in" as NASA prepared for the first shuttle launch.
A modern engineering marvel, Enterprise was displayed at the Paris, France, Air Show, as well as to Germany, Italy, England and Canada, in 1983.
During April-Oct. 1984, Enterprise was ferried to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and to Mobile, Ala. From there it was taken by barge to New Orleans, La., for display at the United States 1984 World's Fair.
On Nov. 18, 1985, Enterprise was ferried from the Kennedy Space Center to Dulles Airport, Washington, D.C., and became the property of the Smithsonian Institution. Enterprise is now the centerpiece of the McDonnell Space Hanga
r at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

Endeavour

NASA Administrator Richard H. Truly addresses the audience in attendance at the rollout ceremonies of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour which occured on April 25, 1991, at the Rockwell International facility
NASA Administrator Richard H. Truly addresses the audience in attendance at the rollout ceremonies of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour which occured on April 25, 1991, at the Rockwell International facility, Palmdale, Calif. Endeavour, the fourth Orbiter to join the fleet, replacing the lost Challenger, can be seen in the background.
With a contract award on July 31, 1987 and authorization to construct the fifth space shuttle as a replacement for Challenger, Endeavour (OV-105) rolled out of the Palmdale assembly facility on April 25, 1991 and arrived at Kennedy Space Center's (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility on May 7, 1991, piggy-backed on top of NASA's Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.
For the first time, a national competition involving students in elementary and secondary schools produced the name of the new orbiter; it was announced by President George Bush in 1989. Endeavour was named after a ship chartered to traverse the South Pacific in 1768 and captained by 18th century British explorer James Cook, an experienced seaman, navigator and amateur astronomer.
Endeavour was delivered to KSC in May 1991, and flew its first mission, highlighted by the dramatic rescue of a stranded communications satellite, a year later in May 1992. OV-105 became the first space shuttle to use a drag chute during a landing -- only one of many technical improvements made to Endeavour.
In 2003, Endeavour underwent a 24-month Orbiter Maintenance Down Period (OMDP) at the Kennedy Space Center. Engineers and technicians spent 900,000 hours performing 124 modifications including recommended return to flight safety modifications, bonding more than 1,000 thermal protection system tiles and inspecting more than 150 miles of wiring. Two of the more extensive modifications included the addition of the multi-functional electronic display system (glass cockpit), and the three-string global positioning system.

Atlantis



Fish-eye view of the Space Shuttle Atlantis as seen from the Russian Mir space station during the STS-71 mission
Fish-eye view of the Space ShuttleAtlantis as seen from the Russian Mir space station during the STS-71 mission. 
NASA's fourth space shuttle, Atlantis (OV-104), was named after the two-masted boat that served as the primary research vessel for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts from 1930 to 1966. Following the contract award on Jan. 29, 1979, construction of shuttleAtlantis began on March 3, 1980. Thanks to lessons learned in the construction and testing of shuttles EnterpriseColumbia and Challenger,Atlantis was completed in about half the man-hours spent on buildingColumbia. This is largely attributed to the use of large thermal protection blankets on the shuttle's upper body, rather than individual tiles requiring more attention. Weighing in at 151,315 pounds when it rolled out of the assembly plant in Palmdale, Calif., on March 6, 1985, Atlantis was nearly 3.5 tons lighter than Columbia.
Atlantis served as the on-orbit launch site for many noteworthy spacecraft, including planetary probes Magellan and Galileo, as well as the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. An impressive array of onboard science experiments took place during most missions to further enhance space research in low Earth orbit.
Starting with STS-71, Atlantis pioneered the Shuttle-Mir missions, flying the first seven missions to dock with the Russian space station. The missions to Mir included the first on-orbit U.S. crew exchanges, now a common occurrence on the International Space Station. On STS-79, the fourth docking mission, Atlantis ferried astronaut Shannon Lucid back to Earth after her record-setting 188 days in orbit aboard Mir.
In recent years, Atlantis has delivered several vital components to the International Space Station, including the U.S. laboratory module, Destiny, the Quest airlock and multiple sections of the truss structure that makes up the station's backbone.

Discovery

Discovery makes a smooth landing on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Discovery makes a smooth landing on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. to complete a successful five-day flight during which the Hubble Space Telescope was sent into orbit. 
Boeing received the contract to build NASA's third space shuttle,Discovery (OV-103), on Jan. 29, 1979 and it was rolled out of the Palmdale plant on Oct. 16, 1983. Discovery is named for two famous sailing ships; one sailed by Henry Hudson in 1610-11 to search for a northwest passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and the other by James Cook on a voyage during which he discovered the Hawaiian Islands. In addition, two British Royal Geographical Society ships have carried the name "Discovery" as they sailed on expeditions to the North Pole and the Antarctic.
Discovery arrived for the first time at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 9, 1983. After checkout and processing, it was launched on Aug. 30, 1984, for its first mission, 41-D, to deploy three communications satellites. Since that inaugural flight, Discovery has completed 38 successful missions -- more than any other shuttle in NASA's fleet. Just like all of the space shuttles, it has undergone some major modifications over the years. Discovery has the distinction of being chosen as the Return to Flight shuttle twice. The first was for STS-26 in 1988, and its most recent flight was for STS-114 in 2005.
Discovery benefited from lessons learned in the construction and testing of Enterprise, Columbia and Challenger. At rollout, its weight was some 6,870 pounds less than Columbia. Two orbiters, Challenger and Discovery, were modified at KSC to enable them to carry the Centaur upper stage in the payload bay. These modifications included extra plumbing to load and vent Centaur's cryogenic (L02/LH2) propellants (other IUS/PAM upper stages use solid propellants), and controls on the aft flight deck for loading and monitoring the Centaur stage. No Centaur flight was ever flown and after the loss of Challenger it was decided that the risk was too great to launch a shuttle with a fueled Centaur upper stage in the payload bay.

Challenger


Space Shuttle Challenger arrives at Launch Pad 39A at dawn after a 3.5 mile journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for the STS-8 mission
Space Shuttle Challenger arrives at Launch Pad 39A at dawn after a 3.5 mile journey from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for the STS-8 mission. 
First called STA-099, Challenger was built to serve as a test vehicle for the Space Shuttle Program. Challenger was named after the British Naval research vessel HMS Challenger that sailed the Atlantic and Pacific oceans during the 1870s. But despite its Earth-bound beginnings, STA-099 was destined for space. In the late 1970s, NASA strived for a lighter weight shuttle, but a test vehicle was needed to ensure the lighter airframe could handle the stress of space flight. Computer software at the time wasn't yet advanced enough to accurately predict how STA-099's new, optimized design would respond to intense heat and stress. The best solution was to submit the vehicle to a year of intensive vibration and thermal testing. Boeing received the contract on July 26, 1972 and rollout from Palmdale was Feb. 14, 1978.
On January 29, 1979, NASA awarded Boeing a contract to convert STA-099 to a space-rated orbiter, OV-099. The vehicle's conversion began late that year and roll-out from Palmdale was on June 30, 1982. Although the job was easier than it would have been to convert NASA's first shuttle,Enterprise, it was a major process that involved the disassembly and replacement of many parts and components.
The second shuttle to join NASA's fleet, OV-099 arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in July 1982.Challenger launched on her maiden voyage, STS-6, on April 4, 1983. Challenger's service to America's Space Program ended in tragedy on Jan. 28, 1986. Just 73 seconds into mission STS 51-L, a booster failure caused an explosion that resulted in the loss of seven astronauts, as well as the vehicle.

Columbia

The parking lot and public viewing area on the Rogers Dry Lakebed
The parking lot and public viewing area on the Rogers Dry Lakebed. Thousands of spectators gather to watch the landing of the Space Shuttle Columbia on mission STS-4. 
On April 12, 1981, Columbia (OV-102) roared into a deep blue sky as the nation's first reusable space shuttle. Boeing was awarded the contract on July 26, 1972 and Columbia was rolled out of its Palmdale facility on March 8, 1979. It proved the operational concept of a winged, reusable spaceship by successfully completing the Orbital Flight Test Program - missions STS-1 through STS-4. Named after the first American ocean vessel to circle the globe and the command module for the Apollo 11 Moon landing, Columbia continued this heritage of intrepid exploration. The heaviest of NASA's shuttles, Columbia weighed too much and lacked the necessary equipment to assist with assembly of the ISS. Despite its limitations, the shuttle's legacy is one of groundbreaking scientific research and notable "firsts" in space flight. Space shuttle mission STS-9, launched in late November 1983, was the maiden flight for Spacelab. Designed to be a space-based science lab, Spacelab was launched into orbit from inside the shuttle's cargo bay.
Columbia was the first on-line orbiter to undergo the scheduled inspection and retrofit program. In 1991, the orbiter was transported to Rockwell International's Palmdale, California assembly plant for upgrades. The oldest orbiter in the fleet underwent approximately 50 modifications, including the addition of carbon brakes, drag chute, improved nose wheel steering, removal of development flight instrumentation and an enhancement of its thermal protection system.
Columbia and its crew were tragically lost during STS-107 in 2003. As the space shuttle lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, a small portion of foam broke away from the orange external fuel tank and struck the shuttle's left wing. The resulting damage created a hole in the wing's leading edge, which caused the vehicle to break apart during re-entry to Earth's atmosphere on February 1.

Antonov An-225

 The Antonov An-225 Mriya is a heavy-lift transport. It was designed to carry piggy-back loads which are too big to fit into its fuselage. For example, the Buran Space Shuttle. Mriya means dream. It is the world's largest aircraft in the world. It was derived from the An-124. The An-225 uses 6 engines, whereas, the An-124 has 4 engines.
The An-225 first flew on 21 December, 1988. Only one An-225 was built, however, a second plane may be built.
Antonov An-225 picture

Boeing Sonic Cruiser

Boeing Sonic Cruiser is a new aircraft that is being built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Boeing is aiming to develop a design that will allow commercial passenger and cargo aircraft to fly faster, higher and farther travel. The airplane will travel at Mach 0.95 or faster. It is estimated that it will save about one hour for every 3,000 miles flown. The only commercial aircraft to travel faster is the Concorde.
Boeing Sonic Cruiser

Space Shuttle

i like space shuttle very much. what i know is that this is the fastest plane human's ever made. wow....awosome.. if i not mistaken its speed much much greater than speed of sound  which 240 mach..  

KSC-2011-2187:2011-2187

Mars by Art

JPL artists' renderings of Mars

This composite of three artists' renderings from 1975 was only wish fulfillment for an unnamed JPL artist; however, the landscape and the rendered shapes took into account what was known about Mars that year. Compared to Earth, Mars is further away from the light of the sun, very cold and very arid, and had a thin atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide but little nitrogen, an environment distinctly inhospitable to complex, Earth-like, carbon-based life forms.


NASA Launches Webb Telescope Interactive Fly


Closeup of James Webb Space Telescope 3D interactive
I like space very much. so i want to share this articles to be read. thank for the sources.
Imagine flying around in space to examine a future space observatory that’s under construction today. Thanks to animators and web developers, Internet users can get a fly-by tour of NASA's next-generation, tennis court-sized James Webb Space Telescope on their computer.

This new interactive utilizes cutting-edge Flash and 3-D interactivity through an engine for Flash called Away 3D. Models of this complexity are rarely truly interactive, and

The Long Voyage of Discovery


ISS023-E-022370: Space shuttle Discovery
Space shuttle Discovery is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 23 crew member as the shuttle approaches the International Space Station during STS-131 rendezvous and docking operations. 

Speed Demon Creates a Shock


Alpha Camelopardalis
Just as some drivers obey the speed limit while others treat every road as if it were the Autobahn, some stars move through space faster than others. NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, captured this image of the star Alpha Camelopardalis, or Alpha

C-130 Hercules


Military aircraft provide surge capability for wildfire response


3/24/11

Justin Bieber has a new haircut


Singer Justin Bieber and his new haircut arrive at the 68th annual Golden Globes Awards Jan. 16.


Stop the presses – Justin Bieber has a new haircut.
It’s the biggest news since, well, ever.
The Stratford native has given up his shaggy locks for a cleaner, less helmet-like ‘do, which he showed off at the Golden Globes awards show last night.
Journalists worldwide can now go home and twiddle their thumbs because no news can top this biggie.
Thanks, kid.
And salons, you are forewarned. Expect packed work schedules for at least the next month as hoards of boys demand the new cut to impress their schoolyard crushes.

Building the world's next Bieber


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He's a tween pop star whose amateur YouTube videos have earned him a record deal, a hit single, and a spot in the hearts of preteen girls around the globe.
No, not Justin Bieber. Preteen fans are clamouring for Australian native Cody Simpson, who having just turned 14 is gracing the pullout posters inside this month's tween magazines, has nearly 500,000 followers on Twitter and a catchy pop single and video, “iYiYi,” featuring rapper Flo Rida.
Yes, many are calling him “the next Justin.” And certainly his fresh-faced look and obscure Gold Coast, Queensland origins give him a few things in common with Stratford, Ont. native Bieber.
Next Bieber or not, Simpson is one of a gaggle of boy stars, including actor/rapper Jaden Smith, singer and YouTube sensation Greyson Chance, and boy band Big Time Rush, rushing in to win fans who may tire of Bieber Fever — or who may be too young to relate to him.

Advance tickets on sale Tuesday for Justin Bieber: Never Say Never


Justin Bieber is appearing on TV in Toronto on MuchMusic and eTalk on Tuesday to promote his new concert movie, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.
This is just the ticket for Justin Bieber fans — advance tickets go on sale Tuesday for the 3-D concert movie Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, opening Feb. 11. Tuesday is shaping up to be Bieber

Justin Bieber in Toronto, never say never, he tells fan


Justin Bieber at MuchMusic. He says the impact of sudden fame still hasn’t hit him, even though he’s sold million of records, has 6.3 million Twitter followers, 16.5 million Facebook friends and has been viewed one billion times on YouTube.

3/23/11

Justin Bieber Photo Hot Cool

BieberBlog-10
Bieber makes a desperate attempt to calm fans so the screening can begin.

Justin Bieber in L.A

COOL

Singer Justin Bieber arrives at the premiere of Paramount Pictures' "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" held at Nokia Theater L.A. Live on February 8, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.


54 things to do during March Break




It’s March break. The kids are out of school for five days. That’s 120 hours to fill. This list of 54 things to do is a good place to start.
1. Kick off the week with a pair of Justin Bieber’s kicks. The teen superstar’s shoes will be unveiled at the Bata Shoe 
Museum on Monday, March 14, following an 11 a.m. performance by Bieber tribute artist Landon Holmes. $8 for kids and adults. Call 416-979-7799, ext. 242, or email programs@batashoemuseum.ca for more info.

Justin Bieber shops for an L.A. home


Justin Bieber's cousin Lillee Reith poses with a movie poster before a special premiere in Stratford, Ont., on Thursday of the movie Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.
Justin Bieber's cousin Lillee Reith poses with a movie poster before a special premiere in Stratford, Ont., on Thursday of the movie Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.

Justin Bieber is ready to buy a home.

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never: Don’t stop Belieb-ing


Justin Bieber: Never Say Never opens Friday with an up-close look at the pint-sized pop star.
Starring Justin Bieber and his family, friends and fans. Directed by Jon Chu. At major theatres. 105 minutes. G

Justin Bieber says he might move back to Canada


Singers Justin Bieber, left, and Usher perform onstage during the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards,  Feb. 13, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.
Justin Bieber wants to move back to Canada.

Bieber, Arcade Fire nab top Brit Awards


Justin Bieber reacts after receiving the award for International Breakthrough Act on stage at the Brit Awards 2011 Tues. Feb. 15, 2011.
It was a Canadian lovefest at the Brit Awards Tuesday night as teen heartthrob Justin Bieber and Montreal rockers Arcade Fire both nabbed top awards at Britain’s equivalent of the Grammys.

Bieber voted ‘Least Stylish’, Arcade Fire wins best album at NME Awards


Canadian band Arcade Fire accept the a Grammy for Album of the Year at the 2011 Grammy Awards. The band also picked up an NME award for best album for The Suburbs.
My Chemical Romance were the big winners at last night’s NME Awards, taking home Best International Band and Best Video for their track 'Na Na Na' at the British Magazine's annual ceremony. Montreal’s Arcade Fire took home Best Album for The Suburbs while Justin Bieber picked up some dubious honours.

US agencies say Libya attack may awaken al Qaeda


Al Qaeda has not so far taken advantage of the upheavals in the Middle East but the militant Islamic group may do so if the U.S.-led campaign in Libya does not end quickly, U.S. intelligence agencies say.
EDITOR'S NOTE: PICTURE TAKEN ON GUIDED GOVERNMENT TOUR A view of a naval military facility damaged by coalition air strikes in eastern Tripoli, March 22, 2011. 
Public comments on the regional uprisings by al Qaeda figures like deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri have had little resonance in the Islamic world, intelligence and national security officials told Reuters.
There is little evidence al Qaeda or sympathizers played a direct or indirect role in protests that erupted in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen and Libya, they said.
But before the U.N.-authorized mission began against Libya, U.S. intelligence agencies were advising President Barack Obama that another attack by U.S. forces on a Muslim country could spur militants to meddle in the protests and encourage new plots against the United States.

Radiation fears grow from stricken Japan nuclear plant


Further contamination of vegetables added to global anxiety on Wednesday at radiation from Japan's tsunami-smashed nuclear plant where engineers are struggling to cool reactors in the world's worst atomic crisis for 25 years.
Doctor Keiko Yamada screens a dog from Fukushima to test for signs of nuclear radiation at a health center in Yonezawa, northern Japan, 98 km (61 miles) from the Fukushima nuclear plant, March 22, 2011. 
Above-safety radiation levels have now been discovered in 11 types of vegetables from the Fukushima area in north-east Japan where the six-reactor plant was battered by a March 11 earthquake and tidal wave, the government said.
Radiation has also been found in milk, tap water and the nearby Pacific sea, though Japan and experts insist levels are still far from dangerous to humans.
The Asian nation's worst crisis since World War Two has caused an estimated $250 billion damage, sent shock waves through global financial markets, and left nearly 23,000 people dead or missing, mostly from flattened coastal towns.

Missing journalists ordered freed in Libya


Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has ordered the release of three journalists missing in Libya, including two working with Agence France-Presse and a Getty Images photographer, Getty said on Tuesday.
"We at Getty Images are delighted to learn that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has ordered the release of our staff photographer, Joe Raedle, along with Roberto Schmidt, staff photographer with Agence France Presse and David Clark, a reporter with Agence France Presse," the agency said in a statement.
AFP photographer Roberto Schmidt arrives at Rixos hotel after he was released by the Libyan government in Tripoli March 23, 2011. 
"We are grateful to those involved that helped to secure the group's release and we will continue to support the work our photojournalists undertake to document news events," Getty added.

Syrian forces kill 6 in mosque attack - residents


Syrian forces killed at least six people on Wednesday in an attack on a mosque in the southern city of Deraa, site of unprecedented protests challenging President Bashar al-Assad's Baathist rule, residents said.
Protesters gather near the Omari Mosque in the southern old city of Deraa, March 22, 2011.
Those killed included Ali Ghassab al-Mahamid, a doctor from a prominent Deraa family who went to the Omari mosque in the city's old quarter to help victims of the attack, which occurred just after midnight, said the residents, declining to be named.
Before the attack, electricity was cut off in the area and telephone services were severed. Cries of "Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest)" erupted across neighbourhoods in Deraa when the shooting began.
It was not immediately clear whether the protesters had any weapons.