Google+ SpaceTravelFoundation: 2014-02-23

February 27, 2014

First picture of the Moon taken by the NASA's probe LADEE

Dear readers,

while NASA is exploring Mars since August 2012 with Curiosity, The US space agency has some ambitions for our satellite, the Moon. The mission LADEE is a part of that.
LADEE was launched on September 7th 2013, from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia by a Minotaur V space rocket.
Few days ago, the NASA lunar spacecraft, sent its first picture of the Moon taken by on-board camera systems, known as star trackers. The main craters on the lunar surface can be identified. it's really impressive. 

Credit: NASA 

Stay tuned

February 25, 2014

Follow and participate to the live Hangout with the director of Rosetta mission from CNES


Source: CNES 

Participate and ask your questions on twitter with #CNEStalks ! 


Saturn planet just behind the Moon

Credit image: Colin Legg

Be careful: Powerful X4.9-class solar flare recorded by SDO

Dear readers,

This night, a powerful X4.9-class solar flare has been recorded by NASA . This solar flare is the most intense flare of 2014 so far, and one of the most intense of the current solar cycle. Solar flare are really critical, specially for the spacecrafts orbiting Earth. Few weeks ago, the Orb-1 mission of the Antares rocket delayed due to high space radiation environment induced by a high class solar flare. Fortunately, the solar flare was not Earth directed.
The NASA's +SDO | Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash. After a solar flare during the next 3 days, all space partners are used to be very mindful in order to monitor the behavior of their spacecraft and anticipate some possible failures. Moreover, the ISS is used to be reoriented with the aim to protect its critical modules and the crew.



Stay tuned