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Vanguard 1: Fifty Years Later

BySteeljawscribe

    Requirement: 1) place a satellite in orbit during the IGY; 2) accomplish a scientific experiment in orbit; 3) track the satellite and ensure its attainment of orbit.  Because of an ongoing classified program to put reconnaissance satellites in orbit (Project WS-117 using Air Force Thor MRBM’s – which later became the Korona-series of reconnaissance…

ROSKOSMOS Head on Recent Failures – “…Sabotage”
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ROSKOSMOS Head on Recent Failures – “…Sabotage”

BySteeljawscribe

When all else fails – and your butt is on the line with a major PR catastrophe looming, it is best to man-up, square your shoulders and do your duty as organizational lead by assuming responsibility before The Big Guy…unless you are the head of Russia’s ROSKOSMOS space agency.  Then you can hint darkly about…

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Flightdeck Friday Special Edition: The Space Shuttle – Thirty Years of Dreams, Sweat and Tears

BySteeljawscribe

The dream was given form and fire on April 12, 1981 with the launch of STS-1, the world’s first reusable spaceplane — the Shuttle Columbia. At the controls were a crew of only two, Astronauts John W. Young, commander for the mission, and Robert Crippen (both Naval Aviators) for this first “test flight” which would…

China’s ASAT – The Problem With Debris (Part II)

BySteeljawscribe

Well, can’t say YHS was entirely surprised. As we first discussed here, the repercussions of this type of test would be felt for sometime. Comes now today an article from Reuters wherein we find the debris field to be larger than first expected: U.S. DETAILS CHINA SATELLITE DEBRIS, Reuters, April 11, 2007. A larger than…

“That’s One Small Step for A Man…” Neil Alden Armstrong (1930-2012)
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“That’s One Small Step for A Man…” Neil Alden Armstrong (1930-2012)

BySteeljawscribe

Sad word today that Neil Armstrong – Naval Aviator, test pilot and first man on the Moon, has passed.  Neil Armstrong typified the “quiet professional” whose coolness in extremis events were exemplified in flying the X-15 and especially so on orbit as commander of Gemini VIII when things suddenly went very, very wrong (@ the…