Pictures of Spacecraft
In early 2014, the Orion MPCV will be sent on Exploration Test Flight 1, a shakedown cruise to test the capsule's capabilities. Because the SLS is still under construction, Lockheed Martin has selected a Delta IV Heavy to use for the test. In this photo, a Delta IV Heavy stands ready to launch NROL-26, a classified U.S. satellite.
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, rockets
Diagram of the Dawn spacecraft
Filed under art, spacecraft, Dawn
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, art, Cassini, Huygens
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, art, human spaceflight, Future Mission Concepts
The current A-train leader is Aqua, which is always a minimum 10 seconds ahead of CloudSat, the second member. CloudSat stays at least 17.5 seconds ahead of CALIPSO, which maintains a minimum distance of 343 seconds from Aura, the train's "caboose."
Filed under mission status, spacecraft, trajectory diagrams, Earth observing missions
The ChemCam instrument for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission uses a pulsed laser beam to vaporize a pinhead-size target, producing a flash of light from the ionized material -- plasma -- that can be analyzed to identify chemical elements in the target.
This image from testing of ChemCam shows a ball of luminous plasma erupting from the surface of an iron pyrite crystal in the sample chamber approximately 3 meters from the instrument. The laser beam itself is invisible.
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, Curiosity (Mars Science Laboratory)
Encouragement for everyone back home
In a cartoon posted by @Akatsuki_JAXA (the Twitter identity of Japan's Venus spacecraft), Japan's spacecraft are offering encouragement to the people in their quake- and tsunami-struck homeland. A literal translation of the text, by @kazenoiro: "Everybody in Japan! Do your best. Help each other," and "We continue to send our heart (cheer and pray) from space." A looser trans
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, art, fun, Hayabusa (MUSES-C), IKAROS, Akatsuki (Planet-C)
A rendering of the Aqua satellite orbiting Earth. Aqua carries six instruments used to study Earth's water cycle, one of which is AIRS, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder.
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, art, Earth observing missions
A 1971 concept of the space shuttle at a rendezvous with a propellant depot.
Filed under pretty pictures, art, spacecraft, Future Mission Concepts
Artist's concept of the International Space Station, with two SpaceX Dragon capsules docked.
Filed under pretty pictures, art, spacecraft, private spaceflight
A rendering of the SpaceX Dragon capsule approaching the International Space Station.
Filed under pretty pictures, art, spacecraft, private spaceflight
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, art, Mars Express
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, art, MESSENGER
Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, art, Venus Express











