Posts Tagged shuttle
The Art of Robert McCall
Posted by Danielle in Art & Architecture on March 2, 2010
“Handshake in Space” by Robert McCall
The great space artist Robert McCall passed away on February 26 at the age of 90. McCall’s illustrations of the space age are nothing but iconic, and epic in scale. I’ve seen the Opening the Space Frontier, The Next Giant Step mural at Johnson Space Center, and would love to see the others. If nothing else, you’ve seen his work on stamps, mission patches, and 2001: A Space Odyssey posters. He will be missed.
February 28, 2010 — An artist whose visions of the past, present, and future of space exploration have graced U.S. postage stamps, NASA mission patches, and the walls of the Smithsonian, Robert McCall died on Friday of a heart attack in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was 90.
Once described by author Isaac Asimov as the “nearest thing to an artist in residence from outer space,” McCall’s paintings first attracted the public’s attention in the 1960s on the pages of LIFE, illustrating the magazine’s series on the future of space travel. He expanded on that theme at the invitation of director Stanley Kubrick, who had McCall paint the advertising posters for his seminal 1968 science fiction film, “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
— collectSPACE
“Opening the Space Frontier, The Next Giant Step” by Robert McCall
NASA has a gallery of his work online; collectSPACE has this excellent post, and NASA Watch has additional links.
“Orion Leaving Space Station” by Robert McCall
Friday Fun-post
Found the above forced-perspective shot here (along with another shuttle-related photo which I am uh, *not* going to post here, but it’s snicker-worthy. You’ll know it when you see it.) Thought I’d post some fun/interesting pictures today, because it is Friday, after all!
This next one is a long exposure of the Expedition 22 Soyuz rollout, and you know how much I LOVE long-exposure/night photography:
The Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft is seen in this long exposure as it is rolled out by train to the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Friday, Dec. 18, 2009. The launch of the Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 22 NASA Flight Engineer Timothy J. Creamer of the U.S., Soyuz Commander Oleg Kotov of Russia and Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi of Japan, is scheduled for Monday, Dec., 21, 2009 at 3:52a.m. Kazakhstan time. Photo Credit (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
And finally, Etherbrian introduced me to these lovely ladies with their remarkable futuristic fashions! I’d love to know what this is from, if someone on the Intarwebs knows: Update: They hail from the 1970s British show UFO, a precursor to Space: 1999.
Room With A View
One of the things delivered to the International Space Station this trip is the Cupola, a seven-windowed dome giving the residents a 360° view. Above, removing launch restraint bolts from the Cupola’s windows:
ISS022-E-066884 (17 Feb. 2010) — NASA astronaut Nicholas Patrick, STS-130 mission specialist, participates in the mission’s third and final session of extravehicular activity (EVA) as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. During the five-hour, 48-minute spacewalk, Patrick and astronaut Robert Behnken (out of frame), mission specialist, completed all of their planned tasks, removing insulation blankets and removing launch restraint bolts from each of the Cupola’s seven windows.
Below, moving it from place to place with the robotic arm (it’s in the middle of the picture, still covered with insulation blankets):
In the grasp of the Canadarm2, the cupola was relocated from the forward port to the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s newly installed Tranquility node. The cupola is a robotic control station with six windows around its sides and another in the center that will provide a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecrafts. With the installation of Tranquility and cupola, the space station is about 90 percent complete.
Image Credit: NASA
And here is the final result, courtesy of astronaut Noguchi Soichi:
“Let there be light! Cupola windows open toward Sahara desert. Priceless!”
EDIT: And here’s a hi-res NASA image taken just after, can see the Sahara better — but Soichi was FIRST. ;)
ISS022-E-066972 (17 Feb. 2010) — This image is the first taken through a first of its kind “bay window” on the International Space Station, the seven-windowed Cupola. The image shows the Sahara Desert spread out through the array of windows. The Cupola will house controls for the station robotics and will be a location where crew members can operate the robotic arms and monitor other exterior activities.
Launch Reflection
Credit & Copyright: James Vernacotola
I generally try to avoid posting two APOD pictures back to back, but it’s late (the night before), I’m tired, and this is a spectacular photo that posted over the weekend (so you may not have seen it.) I admit, I’m a sucker for night photography, but the framing of this shot — and oh, the colors!! — makes it downright FANTASTIC. Beautifully done, Mr. Vernacotola.
UPDATE, 2/22: The photographer has set up a special page for this photo, with a large Q&A section and reassurances that prints will be available soon. Join the mailing list to stay informed.
The 32nd shuttle mission to the International Space Station, STS-130, left planet Earth on February 8. Its early morning launch to orbit from Kennedy Space Center’s pad 39A followed the long, graceful, eastward arc seen in this 2 minute time exposure. Well composed, the dramatic picture also shows the arc’s watery reflection from the Intracoastal Waterway Bridge, in Ponte Vedra, Florida, about 115 miles north of the launch site. In the celestial background a waning crescent Moon and stars left their own short trails against the still dark sky. The brightest star trail near the moon was made by red supergiant Antares, alpha star of the constellation Scorpius.
Last Night (Launch)
Posted by Danielle in Perspectives, Picspam on February 9, 2010
Here they are, the photos from yesterday morning’s launch — the last night launch of the Space Shuttle. It makes me sad.
I mean really, each “last” is just so, so sad.
Maybe it sounds childish, but why does this all have to come to an end??
It’s a thing of beauty. It breathes fire into the night skies. It leaps. It roars.
STS-130, Poised
I hope by the time you see this post, Space Shuttle Endeavour will have carried the STS-130 crew into orbit; at time of writing, it’s about 90 minutes to launch and low clouds are giving a no-go status, which hopefully will clear in the next hour. These pictures are from Saturday, and I love the sunrise photo (top) — granted, a sunset would be more appropriate at this point….
I started to feel bad for all the shuttle-picspam I post around each launch, but you know, there’s only five left including this one, and the Space Shuttle is the iconic spacecraft of my youth and… my life. So I don’t care. I’m posting beautiful shuttle pics. Next year I’ll probably not stop. :P
Columbia
Posted by Danielle in Perspectives on February 1, 2010
Space Shuttle Columbia over Houston, July 27, 1999 - © Danielle Signor
I mentioned on Twitter last week that the Columbia anniversary is something I take pretty personally, so I’m not going to attempt to make some happy-ooh-cool-space post like I typically do. Instead I’m sharing a picture I took of Columbia (STS-93) en route to a night landing in Florida, which I took from the rocket park at Johnson Space Center during my summer internship there. (Well, my internship was at LPI to be precise; we had access to JSC and used it whenever possible. Because we could. It was fun.)
ANYWAY we decided to watch the reentry at the rocket park because it was nice and dark, and in a fit of desperation, having stupidly forgotten my tripod I took this long exposure and somehow unconsciously tracked the shuttle’s path. DUMB. LUCK. It’s probably my favorite picture from that summer, especially given what happened on this day, seven years ago….
Earlier that summer, us interns went to the public welcome-back slideshow/ceremony for STS-96 at Space Center Houston. It was my first encounter with astronauts in Houston (it was just a week or two after we’d all arrived.) I seem to remember the rookies getting their pins, but I was in such an awed daze that it’s hard to say for sure. What I do remember was getting autographs after the presentation was over. Most of the crew looked tired, inured to the procedure; signing, a polite word or two, next please. All except one: a radiant young man, brimming with energy, asking each person’s name, writing a personalized message along with his signature, chatting with everyone in turn.
I don’t relate this to bag on anyone for not being astronaut-y enough; I’m sure dealing with the public is exhausting even under the best of circumstances. It’s just that this man shone out in the crowd, and I never forgot his smiling face, his kind words, and the scripture he wrote down under his autograph (Proverbs 3:5-6.) I met a lot of astronauts that summer, a lot of really incredible people, but this was the one that always stuck out to me (and still does; the memory hasn’t dimmed in a decade.)
His name was Rick Husband.
Shuttle Program Patches — Editor’s Choice
Posted by Danielle in News & Happenings, Perspectives on January 11, 2010
When I first heard of the NASA employee patch design contest to commemorate the end of the shuttle program later this year, I was really excited to see what people would come up with. I’ve always loved patch designs — the layers of meaning and symbolism, and that the patch is team-designed, allowing the people involved to incorporate personal touches (and in-jokes, at times.) For this contest, 85 design concepts were submitted in all, and I had great fun before Christmas checking them all out. I definitely had my favorites.
15 finalists were selected on January 4, and while I agree with some of the picks (they were some of my favorites as well; more on that below), there were two designs I am really surprised to NOT see in the final 15. I’m featuring these two designs as an “editor’s choice” of sorts. Because… why not? It’s my blog, and these artists deserve a shoutout!
I guess I should disclose that I know the artist behind this patch — but really, I think this is a standout design because of its simplicity. There aren’t any words on the patch, but it doesn’t need any. In my opinion, this design expresses everything about the Shuttle program, commemorates the astronauts that fell along the way, and highlights the major achievements, all without “saying” a word. It’s beautifully done.
Here’s the artist-supplied caption:
The five orbiters shown represent Columbia, Challenger, Atlantis, Discovery, and Endeavour. The fourteen stars are to represent each of those who lost their lives on shuttle missions, with one of the stars having six points like a Star of David, in honor of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon (as was seen in the STS-107 patch). Also shown is the earth, because the shuttle was bound to low earth orbit. Finally, two of the shuttle program’s greatest and most recognizable accomplishments are represented- the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope.
I felt that each of the orbiters should be shown as they were all so important to the program. As someone that works on them, each seems to have its own personality, in a way. In commemorating the program, I wanted to honor the fallen astronauts. Let us never forget them and what we learned from losing them. I also thought it was important to include two shining examples of what was accomplished by the shuttle program: the International Space Station for the amazing science that has been and continues to be performed there, and the Hubble Space Telescope for bringing the heavens so much closer to earth in crisp, clear images.
And my other pick is this one:
What immediately drew me to this patch is how different it looks. The colors aren’t typical (compared to the other entries), and the design is very unique — it incorporates a sundial motif, which gives it extra awesome points in my opinion. I think the text is fantastic, I love the navy and gold, and I like the symbolism:
The concept is simple–remember life at every hour. The patch commemorates the life of the orbiter and the lives of those astronauts lost onboard Challenger and Columbia. Through life, memories are made, and the success of the Space Shuttle Program is remembered.
In graphic form, the patch is a sundial. The years 1981 (the first shuttle launch) and 2010 (the last) are fitted at the two edges. The space shuttle orbiter is shown as a blueprint–the beginning–embarking on a journey into a sunset–the end. The two gold shuttles flanking the patch represent Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2003). And the seven stars represent the crew of seven from those two flights. The center star is slightly larger to accentuate the center of the sundial. The shuttle is the main object of the sundial (the tail being the gnomon) and it pulls the seven stars forward as it flies. However, the shuttle does not cast a shadow in the design–its legacy is vivid. And the last element of the patch sums up the overall concept with the Latin verse, Tempus omnia sed memorias privat–time deprives all but memories.
That last bit bolded by me, because I like it.
As for my favorites from the 15 finalists, here’s the ones I think are particularly strong (the last one is my favorite):
Astronauts & Scientists Cross
Posted by Danielle in Fashion & Accessories on December 21, 2009
A lovely cross made up of Space Shuttles and Apollo Capsules:
Four figures of Space Shuttles make up body of our cross, while four Apollo Lunar Modules radiate out from the center. The space vehicles all point to their ultimate destination – the golden brilliance of the stars and the cosmos itself!
The elements of our Astronauts Cross come together to honor all those who have contributed to Humankind’s exploration of space. We honor the brave men and women of Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and the Shuttle programs as well as the early programs of the NACA that took us through the sound barrier and to the outer regions of the atmosphere. We honor all those involved in current space research and engineering such as those involved in the Constellation program which will establish the first human colony on the moon. And most especially, we commemorate our three Astronauts who died in the fire onboard Apollo1, the crews of the Space Shuttles Challenger (STS-51L) and Columbia (STS-107), as well as all the unheralded test pilots, the cosmonauts of SOYUZ 1 and SOYUZ 11, and all the others who have given the ultimate sacrifice to advance science and our quest to reach out beyond the boundaries of Mother Earth.
Part of the purchase price goes to the Astronauts Scholarship Foundation, which is pretty cool.
Christmas Shuttle
Posted by Danielle in Collectibles on December 17, 2009
I wanted to share my favorite spacey ornament (since I just put it on the tree earlier this week, getting a late start.) I found this shuttle-riding Santa Claus at a department store some seven or eight or nine years ago, and I haven’t seen his like since. It seems I couldn’t locate his manufacturer when I posted him on a previous blog in 2002, so if I couldn’t find him then, most likely I can’t find him for you now, unfortunately. He is wearing a space suit (I’d venture to say, Apollo-era), carrying a helmet, and the shuttle is quite detailed, but red and gold instead of black.
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