Ares 1-X Superpan

The rollout of the Ares 1-X to Launch Complex 39B has been rescheduled for Tuesday, October 20, 2009.  Leaving the Vehicle Assembly Building shortly after midnight, Ares will ride on the same crawler-transporter and crawlerway that is utilized for the Space Shuttle and the Saturn V before it.  Until then, Ares remains in the VAB.

To document the stay of Ares in the VAB a superpan was made.  While a normal panorama (pan) presents a wide angle view, a superpan gives a full 360º view of a subject.  You can view the superpan here.  The full length of the Ares X-1 may be viewed, along with much of the facility inside Bay 3 of the VAB.  Some things to look for:  the removeable access floors for engineers to work on the rocket,  the larger cutout for the external tank and right booster rocket for a Space Shuttle, the yellow cranes that run just below the roof, and the height indicators for the Space Shuttle and Ares 1-X.

Ares 1-X Launch in the Palm of Your Hand

NASA's myexploration website features weekly videos about the upcoming Ares 1-X launch, and gives you a chance to virtually participate.  Using the embedded Flash player, learn all about the mission of the Ares 1-X, and join the discussions on Facebook and Twitter.  Besides the great information about Ares 1-X, you can use a 3DV augmented reality viewer to see the Ares 1-X in the palm of your hand (Flash player 10 and a webcam are needed to use this feature).  NASA is also looking for your videos to launch on Ares!  Video yourself finishing this statement:  Space Exploration is important because...   Videos are then uploaded to NASA (60 seconds or less) to be recorded on a media that will be launched aboard the rocket.  Make sure to share it with the OLC as well, by uploading it to the 'Ares 1-X' folder in the Drop Box.

World Space Week

Join space enthusiasts around the world to celebrate World Space Week, Oct. 4-10, 2009. This international event commemorates the beginning of the Space Age with the launch of Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4, 1957. World Space Week is the largest public space event in the world, with celebrations in more than 50 nations. To learn more about World Space Week, search for events in your area and find educational materials related to the event, visit http://www.worldspaceweek.org/index.html.

X-15 To the Edge of Space Poster

Between June 1959 and October 1968, NASA’s X-15 hypersonic research flights rewrote the rulebook of conventional flight. This poster presents facts, history, achievements and a labeled diagram of the experimental airplane that flew higher and faster than any other winged vehicle besides the space shuttle. The poster also contains mini biographies of the 12 X-15 test pilots, including Neil Armstrong.

Click the link to download the pdf poster file.

“From Earth to the Universe” Exhibit on Display Worldwide

“From Earth to the Universe” is a collection of astronomical images that showcase the most dramatic views of the universe. The images represent the incredible variety of astronomical objects that are known to exist -- planets, comets, stars, nebulae, galaxies and the clusters in which they congregate -- and are being exhibited in over 250 locations throughout the world in 2009 and 2010. These exhibits, held in public parks, airports, art centers and at other unique sites, will bring the wonders of the universe right to you.


Over 60 countries are scheduled to host a FETTU exhibit. To find dates and locations for the exhibit, visit http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org/table_events.php.

The goal of FETTU is to engage the public -- especially those who might think they are not interested in astronomy or science -- through the stunning beauty of astronomical images. Short and informative captions on the panels, as well as a comprehensive Web site, are available to help introduce the viewer to the science behind the aesthetics.

More information on FETTU, a project produced and directed by the Chandra X-ray Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, may be found at http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org.