Page 19 of 20« First ‹ Previous 16 17 181920 Next ›

Jul 11

Space Rocket History #20 – Tiros 1 and Echo 1 – The First Weather and Communications Satellites

Posted on July 11, 2013 by spac9750

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

“Who can say what contraption the future will bring?
There can be not a doubt, some more wonderful thing.

And if anyone ventures the future to scan,
Why indeed should it not be your old Weather Man?

Have you noticed how often in times that are past
We have used new inventions to improve the forecast?

Television is coming, it is not far away;
We’ll be using that too in a not distant day.

Photographs will be made by the infra red light
That will show us the clouds both by day and by night.

From an altitude high in the clear stratosphere
Will come pictures of storms raging far if not near

Revealing in detail across many States
The conditions of weather affecting our fates….” By George Mindling (Weather Bureau), 1939

Thor-Able

TIROS -1

First Picture From TIROS-1

Echo-1

Echo-1 Mockup

May 30

Space Rocket History #14 – US Space 1958 – Explorer, Vanguard, Pioneer, and NASA

Posted on May 30, 2013 by spac9750

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

In late March, 1958, President Eisenhower publicly announced the United States’ intention to launch a spacecraft to the Moon. He assured the nation that this was not science fiction. It was an achievable goal presented by leading scientists. The announcement came less than 2 months after the first US satellite had reached orbit. The President was committing the nation to a space race to the moon with the Soviets. If all went well the country would have a spacecraft in orbit around the moon before the summer was over.

Vanguard 1 Satellite

Vanguard 1

Pioneer_I_on_the_Launch_Pad_-_GPN-2002-000204

Pioneer 1 on the Launch Pad

Pioneers 0-2 Satellite Replica

Pioneer 3

May 23

Space Rocket History #13 – Explorer 1 – Juno 1

Posted on May 23, 2013 by spac9750

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

At approximately 12:48 a.m. EST, the first listening stations began reporting that they had received radio signals from the “Explorer” satellite. The first station to confirm the signals was the San Gabriel Valley Amateur Radio Club near Pasadena, California. However, ABMA officials were waiting for confirmation from the Goldstone radio tracking station in Earthquake Valley, California. Finally, 1 hour and 57 minutes after launch the confirmation was finally relayed to ABMA officials in the form of the simple phrase, “Goldstone has the bird!”

Explorer 1 – Jupiter C Launch

On the Pad

Pre-Launch

Explorer 1 Satellite

Van Allen

Pickering

Medaris

Explorer 1 Satellite

Pickering, Van Allen, Von Braun Holding Satellite

May 16

Space Rocket History #12 – Vanguard TV3 – Flopnik

Posted on May 16, 2013 by spac9750

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

“It seemed as if the gates of hell had opened up. Brilliant stiletto flames shot out from the side of the rocket near the engine. The vehicle agonizingly hesitated for a moment, quivered again, and in front of our unbelieving eyes, began to topple. It sank like a great flaming sword down into the blast tube it toppled slowly breaking apart, hitting part of the test guard and ground with a tremendous roar that could be felt and heard even behind the 2 food concrete wall of the blockhouse. For a moment or two there was complete disbelief. I could see it in the faces. I could feel it myself.”