Knowtex

Private enterprises will be critical players in space at a time when governments face fiscal pressures forcing them to rethink their galactic ambitions.

National Geographic‘s elegant infographic displays 50 years of space exploration in a colorful map of our planetary neighbours. The “Fifty Years of Exploration” map, created by Sean McNaughton and Samuel Velasco for National Geographic, outlines humanity’s journeys into space.

This is an illustration from physics professor Peter Alway's 1995 book Rockets of the World. That little black-and-yellow smudge in the second row, that's the V–2. It’s quite amazing what a monster the Saturn V still is, almost 40 years in retirement.

NASA is keeping a close eye on that solar flare that started on Thursday, July 12, and now it's released dramatic time-lapse video and photos of the flare that's found its way to Earth.

I am reblogging mysfelf here since I truly agree with the European Space Agency (ESA) strategy : to work with science centres and museum together.

A surprise gift from the intelligence community will mean two new eyes on space.

With its project to mine asteroids, Planetary Resources Inc. hopes to bring back to Earth a wealth of important materials. But, when the current value of these resources is based on their rarity, how can this operation be sustainable? The concept of abundance is key.

Following the recent announcement of a project to mine asteroids, much has been made about the audacity of the plan to exploit resources in space. However, Planetary Resources has defined the necessary, incremental improvements to make in space technology and our knowledge of asteroids.

Behold! The San Francisco Bay from space.

On a mission