Outer Space & Universe
Outer Space & Universe
Space, also known as outer space, is the near-vacuum between celestial bodies. It is where everything (all of the planets, stars, galaxies and other objects) is found.
On Earth, space begins at the Kármán line (100 km above sea level). This is where Earth's atmosphere is said to stop and outer space begins. This is not a firm boundary but is a convention used by scientists and diplomats.
Items in space are free to move back and forth; up and down; and left and right. These three dimensions are what make 3D space. Items also move forward through time, which is sometimes called the fourth dimension.
The majority of space contains very little matter and so most of it is a vacuum. Scientists do not know how big space is but we do know that space is extremely big, and is always expanding.
According to the big bang theory, all matter and energy in the Universe was compressed into a very small space. Then it exploded and started expanding. Space is still growing in size today; this means the distance from one galaxy to distant galaxies is getting longer.
Gravity is the force that keeps the Moon in orbit around the Earth and the planets in orbit around the Sun. Gravity can stretch and bend space similar to how a heavy ball placed on a stretched sheet of rubber will cause the rubber to stretch. The scientist who discovered that space can bend is named Albert Einstein. How gravity bends space is part of his theory of general relativity.
Astronauts, Cosmonauts, Taikonauts and Spationauts
An astronaut is any person who is trained by NASA to travel and perform tasks in space. Although the space traveler may not necessarily be a United States citizen, each astronaut does go through a rigorous training regiment by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Other space travelers go by other names then astronaut depending on their country of origin.
In the United States, astronaut is derived from the Greek words ástron (star) and nautis (sailor). While, in Russia, a space traveler goes by the name космонавт (English: cosmonaut), which is derived from the Greek words kosmos (universe) and nautis (sailor). Westerners call a space traveler from China a taikonaut, based on the 1998 writings of Chiew Lee Yik and Chen Lan where the term tàikōng (great emptiness), Chinese for “space”. In China, the term yuháng yuán (universe navigator) is used for space traveler.
Only the United States of America (United States), Russia (earlier, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), and the People’s Republic of China (China) have sent manned spacecraft into space. Other countries have assisted these countries by sending their own space travelers on space missions. For instance, a French space traveler is called a spationaut (from the French word spationaute), which is derived from the Latin spatium (space) and Greek nautis (sailor). (plural in Greek nautes = sailors)
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02:59
Mars Descent Parachute Rips In Rocket Sled Test | Video
Added 746 Views / 0 LikesA supersonic parachute was tested by NASA's Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) project. A rocket-fired sled and pulley system pulled a one kilometer rope with the parachute attached. - Curiosity's 7 Minutes of Terror: http://goo.gl/BAb8qa
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01:45
Mars dust may cause 'zodiacal light,' Juno spacecraft was 'pelted' by it
Added 202 Views / 0 LikesNASA's Juno spacecraft encountered a interplanetary cloud of dust during its journey to Jupiter. Data on the dust grain strikes was used to map the cloud's distribution. The dust cloud causes zodiacal light seen from Earth. Full Story: https://www.space.c
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02:33
Mars Fooled Astronomers for 300 Years – from: 'Mars Calling' film
Added 424 Views / 0 LikesGood astronomers have made bad errors, imagining life and civilization on Mars. Each new generation of observers saw what they expected – or wished – not what was actually there. A few scientists weren’t fooled. But, even with modern rovers on the surface
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01:04
Mars helicopter 'Ingenuity' fully integrated on Perseverance rover
Added 300 Views / 0 LikesNASA's Mars helicopter 'Ingenuity' is ready for its trip to the Red Planet aboard the Perseverance rover. == NASA has built a helicopter to explore Mars and it's finally ready to launch: https://www.space.com/first-mars-helicopter-ready-to-launch.htmlCred
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08:46
Mars helicopter delay, Blue Origin launches and more in VFS Weekly
Added 228 Views / 0 LikesThe Ingenuity helicopter's flight was delayed for a software update. Meanwhile, Perseverance captured new imagery of Mars. Blue Origin launched a New Shepard rocket test flight and Astrobotic announced that the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the N
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01:09
Mars helicopter flies again! See the first pics & entire prior flight
Added 149 Views / 0 LikesNASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity took to the Martian skies for the 14th time on Oct. 24, 2021. See the first pics from the flight and the entire 13th flight from September. Credit: Space.com | imagery courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech | produced & edited by [Ste
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07:05
Mars helicopter flies again, solar eclipse, Chinese rover selfie & more in VFS Weekly
Added 187 Views / 0 LikesIngenuity completed its 7th flight on Mars, Jupiter's moon Ganymede had its first close-up in 2 decades, China rolled out its Long March rocket for a crew launch, an annular solar eclipse was captured from Earth and space, and China's Mars rover and lande
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01:07
Mars helicopter flies for 16th time! See 1st pics & 13th flight from rover cam
Added 164 Views / 0 LikesNASA Mars helicopter Ingenuity flew on Mars for the 16th time on Nov. 21, 2021. See the first images of the flight sent back to Earth and footage of a flight in September that was captured by the Perseverance rover. Full Story: https://www.space.com/mars-
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11:57
Mars helicopter flight will be a ‘Wright Brothers’-type event, NASA’s Dr. Z explains
Added 211 Views / 0 LikesNASA's Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen talks to Space.com's Chelsea Gohd about the significance of the Ingenuity helicopter flying on Mars. Credit: Space.com
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01:09
Mars helicopter Ingenuity appears to have multiple damaged rotor blades in new images
Added 32 Views / 0 LikesNASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity suffered rotor blade damage during its final flight on the Red Planet. New imagery acquired on Jan. 26, 2024 appears to show that multiple blades were affected. Credit: Space.com | footage courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech | edit
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01:26
Mars helicopter Ingenuity flew 'farther & faster than ever' on flight 25
Added 128 Views / 0 LikesNASA's Mars Helicopter Ingenuity flew "2,310 feet (704 meters) at a speed of 12 mph (5.5 meters per second)," during its flight on April 8, 2022. Full Story: https://www.space.com/mars-helicopter-ingenuity-record-breaking-flight-videoCredit: Space.com | i
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01:46
Mars helicopter Ingenuity flies for 40th time, sees rover tracks
Added 90 Views / 0 LikesNASA Ingenuity helicopter flew for the 40th time on Jan. 19, 2023. See black & white and color footage along with statistics from the flight. Perseverance rover tracks can be seen. Full Story: https://www.space.com/mars-helicopter-ingenuity-40th-flightCre
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01:16
Mars helicopter Ingenuity flies for the 41st time! See first b&w and color images + stats
Added 74 Views / 0 LikesThe Ingenuity helicopter took the Martian skies once again on Jan. 27, 2023. See the first images obtained by NASA of the flight along with statistics. Credit: Space.com | footage & graphics: NASA/JPL-Caltech | edited by Steve Spaleta (https://twitter.com
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03:00
Mars helicopter Ingenuity has made its final flight, suffered rotor blade damage
Added 41 Views / 0 LikesNASA's Ingenuity helicopter flew 72 times on the Red Planet and will fly no more. NASA administrator Bill Nelson explains that one of it rotor blades were damaged during its last flight, which occurred on Jan 18, 2024. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
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01:05
Mars helicopter Ingenuity missing rotor blades in new Perseverance rover pic
Added 35 Views / 0 LikesMars helicopter Ingenuity appears to be missing rotor blades in new Perseverance rover image captured on Feb. 25, 2024. The rover's SuperCam Remote imager was used to capture the pic. Credit: Space.com | NASA/JPL-Caltech | edited by [Steve Spaleta](https:
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01:05
Mars helicopter Ingenuity soars on its highest flight yet
Added 81 Views / 0 LikesThe Mars helicopter Ingenuity flew to an altitude of 14 meters (~46 feet) on Dec. 3, 2022. It broke its previous record of 12 meters (~39 feet) that was originally set in July 2021 and flown again in 2 subsequent flights.Credit: Space.com | footage and gr
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01:27
Mars helicopter Ingenuity soars over rover tracks! See entire flight 28
Added 150 Views / 0 LikesNASA Mars helicopter Ingenuity flew a distance of 418 meters (~1,371 Feet) during its 28th flight on April 28, 2022. Perseverance rover tracks can be seen during the flight. Credit: Space.com | imagery courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech | produced & edited by [St
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02:09
Mars helicopter Ingenuity spots Perseverance rover during flight 51
Added 75 Views / 0 LikesNASA Mars helicopter Ingenuity flew for the 51st time on April 22, 2023. The Perserverance rover can be seen in the distance during the flight in an enhanced color image. Credit: Space.com | footage courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech | edited by Steve Spaleta (ht
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01:07
Mars helicopter Ingenuity spots Perseverance rover during latest flight
Added 77 Views / 0 LikesNASA's Mars helicopter took a quick flight on Aug. 3, 2023. The Perseverance rover can be seen In one of the images it captured. Credit: Space.com | imagery courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech | edited by Steve Spaleta (https://twitter.com/stevespaleta)
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01:23
Mars helicopter Ingenuity takes off and spins in amazing Perseverance rover view of flight
Added 67 Views / 0 LikesNASA Perseverance rover's Mastcam-Z captured the Ingenuity helicopter's 54th flight on Mars on Aug. 3, 2023. A camera onboard Ingenuity snapped a mid-air view of the rover. Credit: Space.com | footage courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech | edited by Steve Spaleta (