Phil Plait

Bad Astronomy

Home, from space: Earth Illuminated

roadster in space - shutterstock 1030734130

Flying into space is risky even for fit, well-trained astronauts. Adding space tourists to flights will only boost the odds of something going wrong. What happens then?

Medical Emergencies in Space: Is Private Space Tourism Ready for a Worst Case Scenario?

An artist’s concept of a toroidal space colony that could accommodate 10,000 people. (Credit: NASA) 

toroidal space colony - NASA

NASA is funding new technologies for building things in outer space, from 3D printed spacecraft parts to habitats grown from fungi. 

Space Is Expensive. Can 3D Printing and On-Orbit Construction Drive the Cost Down?

In this photograph captured by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station on July 31, 2011, the oblique angle reveals the layers of Earth's atmosphere, along with a thin crescent Moon illuminated by the Sun sitting below the horizon. (Credit: NASA Earth Observatory)

Earth Atmosphere - NASA

Earth ends and outer space starts at the Kármán line, some 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the planet’s surface.

The Kármán Line: Where Does Space Begin?

On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard (left) carried out the first American spaceflight, climbing some 116 miles (188 km) above Earth's surface with the help of a V-2-inspired Redstone rocket (right).  
(Credit: NASA)

AlanShepardFreedom7

The story of how America safely sent its first man into space, causing an anxious nation to collectively exhale a sigh of relief.

60 Years Ago, Alan Shepard Became the First American in Space

Michael Collins Apollo 11 Flight Portrait - NASA

The astronaut helmed Columbia solo as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the Moon.

Michael Collins, Apollo 11 Command Module Pilot, Dies at 90

On Friday, April 23, the Crew-2 mission successfully carried four astronauts into orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The launch was broadcast live on NASA TV. (Credit: NASA)

crew-2 launch

The Crew-2 mission successfully reached orbit in the early morning hours on Friday, lighting up the Florida sky.

Home, from space: Earth Illuminated

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