by Gideon Marcus One Step Humanity took its first halting steps toward the Moon with the (mostly) successful launch of the first Apollo spacecraft into orbit on May 28, 1964. Blasting off from Cape Kennedy's Pad 37B, the sixth Saturn I, biggest rocket in existence, carried a boilerplate, non-functional spacecraft. The mission marked firsts in … Continue reading [May 30, 1964] Every journey begins… (Apollo's first flight!)
by Gideon Marcus After what felt like a pause in the Space Race, things have now het up, and I'm getting excited abouting being on the NASA beat again. To wit, both superpowers seem on the cusp of making a giant leap forward in the exploration of the great black unknown. Two for the Price … Continue reading [April 10, 1964] Piercing the night (Gemini, Zond, Kosmos 28, and Explorer 9)
[Did you meet us at Comic Con? Read this to see what we’re all about!] By Ashley R. Pollard I like to think I keep my finger on the pulse of society. For instance, despite being in my advanced youth, I've kept up on the popular music trends. A new four piece beat combo calling … Continue reading [July 21, 1963] Ice Cold Spies
by Gideon Marcus Baby's first step… Take Four Out in Huntsville, Alabama, Von Braun's team is busy making the biggest rockets ever conceived. The three-stage Saturn V, with five of the biggest engines ever made, will take people to the Moon before the decade is out. But NASA's is justifiably leery of running before walking. … Continue reading [Apr. 29, 1963] When a malfunction isn't (the flight of Saturn I #4 and other space tidbits)
by Gideon Marcus February and March have been virtually barren of space shots, and if Gordo Cooper's Mercury flight gets postponed into May, April will be more of the same. It's a terrible week to be a reporter on the space beat, right? Wrong! I've said it before and I'll say it again. Rocket launches … Continue reading [March 24, 1963] Bumper Crop (A bounty of exciting space results)
[if you’re new to the Journey, read this to see what we’re all about!] by Gideon Marcus Halloween is normally a time for scares — for us to invoke, dress up as, and tell stories of various ghosts, ghoulies, and goblins. But let's face it. We've had quite enough fright for one month, what with … Continue reading [October 31, 1962] Trick and Treat! (A Halloween candy wrap-up of the Space Race)
[if you’re new to the Journey, reference this summary article to see what we’re all about.] by Gideon Marcus America just can't seem to catch a break in the Space Race. Late last night, the latest Soviet spectacular came to a stunning conclusion: two Cosmonauts had circled the Earth for several days, at one point … Continue reading [August 15, 1962] Four Feet Over (the dual flight of Vostok 3 and Vostok 4)
[if you’re new to the Journey, read this to see what we’re all about!] by Gideon Marcus Sometimes, the future comes so fast, it bewilders. This rushing feeling I've had all month must be similar to what my grandparents felt when the Wright Brothers first took off. For millennia, people have dreamed of flight, envying … Continue reading [July 29, 1962] What a Diff'rence a Month Made (July 1962 in spaceflight)
by Gideon Marcus The radio plays Classical music on the FM band now. The difference is palpable. Bach and Mozart on the AM band were tinny and remote. It was almost as though the centuries separating me and the composers had been attenuating the signal. This new radio band (well, not so new, but newly … Continue reading [Apr. 30, 1962] Common Practice Period (April Spaceflight Round-up)
by Gideon Marcus Look up at the night sky, and what do you see? Darkness and countless points of light. Maybe a planet or two, brightly untwinkling in the black. It is interesting that the sky should be black – after all, there are lots of photons (light particles) buzzing around the sky even after … Continue reading [March 7, 1962] Sunny side up! (Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO) #1)
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