Latest news with #NationalAirandSpaceMuseum
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
National Air and Space Museum to reveal more renovated galleries on July 28
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. From John Glenn's Friendship 7 to Blue Origin's New Shepard, space capsules and more are set to return to or debut on display with the opening of five "reimagined" galleries at the National Air and Space Museum this part of a still on-going, seven-year renovation of the museum's flagship building in Washington, the Smithsonian has announced that it is ready to premiere more of its exhibitions following the reveal of eight of its halls on the building's west end in 2022. The next launch, scheduled for July 28, includes two galleries highlighting some of the most historic and newest space artifacts in the national Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall, which visitors will first see after proceeding through the museum's newly-redesigned Jefferson Drive entrance along the National Mall showcases some of the museum's most iconic objects, including Glenn's Mercury spacecraft and an Apollo lunar module configured to appear as Apollo 11's "Eagle" looked in 1969 when it landed the first humans on the moon. The displays in Milestones were the first to be redesigned in 2016 — in time for the museum's 40th anniversary — but then the hall was closed and the artifacts were removed again so that the area itself could be exhibits also include a North American X-15 rocket plane, the Gemini 4 capsule from which astronaut Ed White performed the first American spacewalk in 1965 and a moon rock that the public can touch. Also opening on July 28 will be the new "Futures in Space" exhibition, which takes over the location of the relocated "How Things Fly," next to the Milestones of Flight Hall. "Futures" will display artifacts new to the building to address topics like "who decides who goes to space?" and "why do we go?" Debuting with Futures in Space are a Virgin Galactic "RocketMotorTwo" engine that powered pilots Mark Stucky and Frederick "CJ" Sturckow into space on a suborbital test flight on board the SpaceShipTwo "VSS Unity" in 2018 and an aluminum grid fin that helped SpaceX land a Falcon 9 rocket's first stage in new is a mockup of Blue Origin's New Shepard capsule, a pressurized cabin used to fly cargo and clients beyond the boundary separating Earth and space. Jeff Bezos, the company's billionaire founder and its first passenger, has pledged to replace the replica with a flown capsule once it has retired from flying. Other areas of the National Air and Space Museum reopening at the same time include three aviation-themed halls — "Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight," "World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation" and the Allan and Shelley Holt Innovations Gallery — and the the Lockheed Martin IMAX remaining eight galleries still under renovation are scheduled to open on July 1, 2026, the 50th anniversary of the National Air and Space Museum and in time for the United States' 250th anniversary. Among them are the interactive "At Home in Space," which will engage visitors in how humans live and work in space and venture beyond Earth orbit, and "RTX Living in the Space Age Hall," revealing how innovations in space technology have transformed our lives on the "National Science Foundation Discovering Our Universe" exhibition will show how advancements in astronomical tools changed our understanding of the universe. Also opening next year, wrapping up the renovations, are the "Textron How Things Fly," "Jay I. Kislak World War II in the Air" and "Modern Military Aviation" galleries, as well as the "Flight and the Arts Center."Free timed-entry passes are required to visit. Passes for the July 28 opening and beyond will be available on the National Air and Space Museum website June 13. Follow on Facebook and on X at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA astronauts are proud bedwetters. They even practice.
Before NASA shot astronaut Scott Kelly into orbit for the first time in 1999, he had an important order from his commander: Take one of these diapers, and go practice at home. So there he was, wearing a government-issued space diaper, lying down in his bathtub with his legs propped up. He was trying to simulate the way he'd be sitting in the Space Shuttle. After living his whole life trying to avoid peeing his pants, Kelly found it took some unlearning to be able to relax and let the good times, er, flow. But he eventually figured out how to open the floodgates. When it was his turn as commander on his next mission, he gave the same instructions to his crew: Go practice. That order, however, didn't go over so well with one male astronaut. "I actually had a crew member that wouldn't practice, refused to, and then almost had to be catheterized in space," Kelly told Mashable, adding empathetically that being an astronaut is a lot of pressure. That's why when his agent called him with a promotional opportunity to work with Goodnites, a maker of children's disposable bedtime underwear, he wanted to help reduce the stigma of bedwetting. It wasn't just the shared experience of needing to wear a diaper-like undergarment he identified with, it was the incredible pressure he realized children also must feel. Nighttime incontinence affects one in four 5-year-olds, one in five 7-year-olds, and one in 20 10-year-olds, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. "Kids have a lot of stuff on their plate," said Kelly, who has two adult children, "so if this could help some kids feel less embarrassed about wetting the bed, I was all in." SEE ALSO: Yes, NASA astronauts will still pee in their new spacesuits NASA astronaut Scott Kelly prepares for the Expedition 43 launch inside the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Credit: NASA / Victor Zelentsov It's common knowledge that astronauts wear diapers. Perhaps no one brought that to the fore more than former astronaut Lisa Nowak — but that's a 900-mile story for another time. The shuttle and International Space Station have toilets, but sometimes the crew don't have access to them. During launches and landings, astronauts must stay strapped into their seats, and spacewalks — when astronauts venture outside for experiments or maintenance tasks — often require being sealed in a spacesuit for up to eight hours. Not many people can hold it for that long while continuously hydrating, so diapers have become a necessity — especially after the astronaut corps expanded to include women. The original urine collection contraptions designed for male astronauts couldn't be easily adapted for female anatomy. A sample of an adjustable Maximum Absorbency Garment, or "MAG." Credit: NASA / Center for the Advancement of Science in Space NASA donated unused MAG samples to the National Air and Space Museum. Credit: NASA / National Air and Space Museum In 1988, NASA started making MAGs — Maximum Absorbency Garments — for all its astronauts, said Kiona N. Smith, author of Peeing and Pooping in Space. The MAG uses a highly absorbent polymer compound between layers of material to remove moisture, which turns the pee into a solid gel. Perhaps deep down we're all snickering 12-year-olds, a fact that may have inspired Smith's book, but that curiosity is as innate as nature's call. "As silly as the questions and answers sometimes sound," Smith told Mashable, "it's that human urge to go, 'OK, but how does this work?'" Goodnites' new "Mission Dry" ad campaign, which launched last month, includes a commercial featuring Kelly. The video opens with the astronaut and a young crewmate doing a spacewalk and basking in the once-in-a-lifetime view of the stars. But the child can't enjoy the experience because he's distracted. He accidentally peed in his spacesuit and fears mission control will make fun of him. Child: Houston's probably laughing. Kelly: They're not laughing. Child: How do you know? Kelly: Because I just peed. Child: Just now? Kelly: Just now. Kelly, who is now retired after spending 520 days in space, was paid for the gig. As a public space agency, NASA doesn't usually endorse companies or their products. But he's not the only astronaut who liked the campaign's message. Cady Coleman, also retired from NASA, and a handful of other people who have flown on parabolic and short commercial flights, are also lending their voices. "On one of my missions, I did need to pee while I was wearing my spacesuit, and it went just fine," Coleman said in a reel on Instagram. "My suit was clean and dry, ready to go, and so was I." Retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and others have joined a Goodnites disposable nighttime underwear ad campaign. Credit: Goodnites For four decades, NASA has used the same spacesuit technology for astronauts. Axiom Space is designing a new one for the Artemis III crew, who will be the first people to walk on the moon since 1972. Though engineers have made several improvements, including dust-resistant materials, a compact life support system, and an HD video camera attachment, some things won't change, like wearing a MAG, said Russell Ralston, Axiom Space's deputy program manager for extravehicular activity. "If it's not broken, don't fix it," Ralston told Mashable during the news conference in 2023. "They're just honestly a very effective solution. Sometimes simplicity is best." That means a long and illustrious legacy of pants-peeing on the moon will continue, following in the boot prints of Apollo 11's Buzz Aldrin, the self-proclaimed first. "He stepped off the bottom step of the lunar lander and realized he had to go," Smith said. "So you've got this picture of him standing there on the lunar surface, and what you don't realize is he is 100 percent peeing into his urine collection device at that moment."
Hindustan Times
09-05-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
A 1970s Soviet Spacecraft Is About to Fall Back to Earth
Venera 8 was one of a pair of Venus atmospheric lander probes designed for the spring 1972 launch window. The other mission, Kosmos 482, failed to leave Earth's orbit.A Soviet spacecraft launched in 1972 is falling back to Earth after 53 years. It is expected to enter the Earth's atmosphere early Saturday morning, but exactly where is unclear. The spacecraft, Kosmos 482, was meant to travel to Venus, but malfunctioned shortly after liftoff and entered an elliptical orbit around Earth, where its intact landing vehicle has remained. The lander is only 3 feet in diameter, but contains a heat shield that could help it survive a plunge to Earth. 'This was built to be rugged and withstand Venus's atmosphere,' said Cathleen Lewis, curator of international space programs and spacesuits at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. Ground-based satellite dishes have been tracking the object for months, but pinpointing the exact location of its re-entry is difficult. This week, various estimates from the U.S. Space Force placed the object over the Gulf of Oman, northeast Africa and Borneo, locations that are thousands of miles apart. The growing amount of orbiting space debris is a concern. More than 54,000 objects greater than 4 inches are orbiting Earth, while more than 1,200 re-entered the atmosphere in 2024, according to a March 31 report by the European Space Agency. Most of these objects burn up in the atmosphere, but larger items sometimes hit the ground. In 2024, a 4-inch long piece of the International Space Station tore through the roof of a Florida family's home. The same year, a 3-foot diameter chunk of material from a SpaceX capsule landed harmlessly on a remote trail near a campground near Asheville, N.C. The U.S. Space Force doesn't predict whether falling objects will hit the ground or burn up, according to Ladonna Davis, a Space Force spokeswoman for the agency. Kosmos 482 was part of a pair of ships launched to Venus in March 1972. Venera 8 launched four days earlier and landed successfully on Venus. Lewis said the former Soviet Union's space agency often launched identical pairs of spacecraft in case one failed. Kosmos 482 broke apart before leaving Earth's gravitational pull. Dutch astronomer Ralf Vandebergh said he has been tracking the object since 2010. Most of the pieces of the spacecraft, he said, including its booster rocket, have already fallen back to Earth. Images taken in 2024 show an elongated object attached to the spacecraft's lander, raising speculation that it could be a dangling parachute originally designed to slow the descent in the Venusian atmosphere, Vandebergh said. If it is a parachute, that could slow its descent to Earth, he said. Lewis, a historian of the Soviet space program, said she is curious about Kosmos 482 and its condition. 'I want to know what does come down and who retrieves it,' she said. 'Russia has the right to claim anything that they launch.' Write to Eric Niiler at Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
Euronews
05-05-2025
- Science
- Euronews
How you can catch the peak of the Eta Aquarids meteor shower from Europe
ADVERTISEMENT Billed as one of the best meteor showers of the year, the annual appearance of the Eta Aquarids always has skygazers in a fervour. Born from the debris of Halley's comet, which swings near the Earth every 75 years, "Halley's crumbs" are set to peak on Tuesday and will be more vivid in the southern hemisphere than in the northern hemisphere. But that doesn't necessarily mean it will be impossible to see them in Europe. Related Scientists find 'strongest sign to date' of possible life on a distant planet When this meteor shower lights up the night sky, "you'll know that Earth is crossing the path of the most famous comet," said Shauna Edson of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The Eta Aquarids are "pretty fast meteors," said NASA's Bill Cooke. What are the Eta Aquarids? As the Earth orbits the Sun, several times a year, it passes through debris left by passing comets and sometimes asteroids. The source of the Eta Aquarids is the debris from Halley's comet. When these fast-moving space rocks enter Earth's atmosphere, the debris encounters new resistance from the air and becomes very hot, eventually burning up. Sometimes the surrounding air glows briefly, leaving behind a fiery tail - the end of a "shooting star". You don't need special equipment to see the various meteor showers that flash across annually, just a spot away from city lights. Related What was the glowing blue spiral seen in the night sky above Europe? When can you expect to see them? They are better seen in the southern hemisphere due to the location they originate from in the Water of Aquarius constellation - hence the name aquarids - which favours viewing from southern parts of the world. In the northern hemisphere, they can still be seen, but the conditions are less favourable. During Tuesday morning's peak, if you live in Europe and North America, you can expect to see between 10 to 15 meteors per hour in ideal viewing conditions, said Cooke. This is compared to over 50 per hour in southern regions, according to the Meteor Calendar of the International Meteor Organisation (IMO). It added that it was more likely that the shower would produce a greater number of meteor trains - the trail of ionised gas behind the meteor - than fireballs. However, the Moon will be nearly two-thirds full, which will likely reduce visibility. ADVERTISEMENT Viewing of the shower lasts until May 28. Related Scientists using Google Cloud discover new asteroids that could wipe out entire cities How do you view a meteor shower? The best time to watch a meteor shower is in the early predawn hours when the moon is low in the sky. Competing sources of light, such as a bright moon or artificial glow, are the main obstacles to a clear view of meteors. Cloudless nights when the moon wanes smallest are optimal viewing opportunities. And keep looking up, not down. Your eyes will be better adapted to spot shooting stars if you aren't checking your phone. ADVERTISEMENT The next major meteor shower, the Southern Delta Aquarids, peaks in late July.
France 24
02-05-2025
- Science
- France 24
🌟The Bright Side: How to see the Eta Aquarid meteor shower left by Halley's comet
Halley's comet swings near Earth every 75 years. But debris left by the comet leads to two major meteor showers every year including the Eta Aquarids. When this meteor shower lights up the night sky, 'you'll know that Earth is crossing the path of the most famous comet', said Shauna Edson of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The Eta Aquarids are 'pretty fast meteors' said NASA 's Bill Cooke. During Tuesday morning's peak, expect to see 10 to 15 meteors per hour in ideal viewing conditions, said Cooke. However, the moon will be nearly two-thirds full, which will likely reduce visibility. Viewing lasts until May 28. Here's what to know about the Eta Aquarids and other meteor showers. As the Earth orbits the sun, several times a year it passes through debris left by passing comets and sometimes asteroids. The source of the Eta Aquarids is debris from Halley's comet. When these fast-moving space rocks enter Earth's atmosphere, the debris encounters new resistance from the air and becomes very hot, eventually burning up. Sometimes the surrounding air glows briefly, leaving behind a fiery tail – the end of a 'shooting star.' You don't need special equipment to see the various meteor showers that flash across annually, just a spot away from city lights. The best time to watch a meteor shower is in the early predawn hours when the moon is low in the sky. Competing sources of light – such as a bright moon or artificial glow – are the main obstacles to a clear view of meteors. Cloudless nights when the moon wanes smallest are optimal viewing opportunities. And keep looking up, not down. Your eyes will be better adapted to spot shooting stars if you aren't checking your phone. The next major meteor shower, the Southern Delta Aquarids, peaks in late July.
