Weather Satellites

Celebrating 60 Years Of Weather Satellites

2020 marks the 60th anniversary of the first weather satellite, Tiros 1 by NASA. Launched on April 1, 1960 at 11:40:09 UTC, Tiros-1 was the first successful low-Earth orbital weather satellite. It was a major test for…


NIST

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a physical sciences laboratory and a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce. Its mission is to promote innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST’s activities are organized into…


Deep Space Atomic Clock

Deep Space Atomic Clock: An Introduction

A specific miniaturized type of atomic clock, the Deep Space Atomic Clock is a ultra-precise mercury-ion atomic clock that would be utilized for precise radio navigation in deep space. Managed by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and activated in…


Asteroid Sample Mission

Asteroid Sample Missions

2020 is a big year for asteroid sample missions as there are 2 missions objectives that are on this year. The NASA mission OSIRIS-REx beings sampling manuevers from 101955 Bennu in July. The JAXA Hayabusa2…


Atomic Clocks

Atomic Clocks

Atomic clocks are clock devices that utilize a hyperfine transition frequency that is based upon certain frequencies of atoms as a timekeeping element. Atomic clocks are the most accurate time and frequency standards known, and are used as primary standards for international time distribution services. Utilizing atomic…


Leap Seconds

Leap Seconds: A Brief Introduction

Unlike leap years, which require adding an extra day to the calendar every few years to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year or seasonal year, leap seconds are not utilized on a…


Space Shuttle COVID19 Rocket Fuels

How COVID19 Impacts Could Affect Space Community

With the COVID19 impacts start to become more known with workers working from home, governments seriously restricting travel, and social gatherings of any kind are shut down, the affects on the space industry can become…


AeroJet M-1

Aerojet M-1

Larger and more efficient than the F-1 engine that powered the Saturn V to the Moon, the Aerojet M-1 was the largest and most powerful liquid-hydrogen-fueled liquid-fuel rocket engine to be designed and component-tested. The…


Bortle Scale International Dark Sky Association Buying Land Light Pollution COVID

International Dark Sky Association

History The “International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is a 501(c)(3) (tax ID #: 74-2493011) founded in 1988, and is dedicated to protecting the night skies for present and future generations.“[1] With a mission to “preserve and protect the…