Fig. 36. The Celestial Sphere. Geodesy, Including Astronomical Observations, Gravity Measurements, And

A photo of Jupiter. Took by Cassini with COISS on April 02, 2001 at 15:22:15. Detail page on OPUS database.

A photo of S Rings, a ring near Saturn. Took by Cassini with COISS on March 04, 2013 at 08:56:39. Detail page on OPUS database.

Today marks the 40th anniversary for the launch of the Viking 1 lander/orbiter to Mars in 1975, which set the stage - err, launch pads - for subsequent flyby, orbiter, lander, and rover missions. 

Although some of these missions are marked as “failed” attempts, an engineer or flight controller would dismiss this classification, as data from every mission parleyed information for the next. Failures? No. More like “growing pains” in our spacefaring adolescence. 

The year 2015 marks another noteworthy anniversary to which the Viking program laid the foundation for our curiosity and present trajectory for NASA’s #JourneyToMars. 

This wonderfully produced video from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) conveys the breadth of vision and the excitement from, among every aspect of each robotic mission, successfully received data! 

Enjoy, and continue the journey with us as we work to preserve the legacy of the Viking program with The Viking Mars Missions Education and Preservation Project, the #FirstOnMars! 

May 14, 2009 – A close-up view of astronaut John Grunsfeld performing spacewalk to do some maintenance on the Hubble Space Telescope, photographed by Andrew Feustel, who can be seen in Grunsfeld’s visor. 

(NASA)

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Jump With Feeling!

National Aviation Day!

Today, August 19, is National Aviation Day! You might wonder why we’re celebrating National Aviation Day, let us tell you…

First, did you know that EVERY U.S. commercial aircraft and every U.S. air traffic control tower has NASA-developed technology on board? It’s true! Here at NASA, we’re invested in aeronautic research. Today’s air transportation system is an integral part of the U.S. and global economies. 

It’s the primary mechanism for connecting countries across the world through moving people, as well as goods and services. You feel the impacts of aviation and the air transportation system everyday. Just about every product produced and purchased today has been touched by aviation in some way. Aircraft transport 17.7 billion tons of freight every year. While you may not have flown today, something you needed did.

Our aviation experts are dedicated to improving the design of airplanes so they’re more Earth friendly – less fuel use, lower pollution, less noise around airports. We also work with the Federal Aviation Administration to provide new tools to air traffic controllers for improving efficiency and reducing delays.

So, celebrate National Aviation Day with us! Spread Your Wings, take a photo, post it today and tag #SpreadYourWings and/or #NationalAviationDay. We may even pick your photo to highlight on our NASA web page!

New video on Irregular Galaxies! Enjoy!

(12 Nov. 1966) — Astronaut James A. Lovell is photographed inside his Gemini spacecraft during the Gemini-12 mission. Astronaut Edwin Aldrin is seen in the background and to the left. Photo credit: NASA