Bon Voyager

Easily one of the greatest projects to ever come from NASA is the Voyager Program. The idea for this mission sprouted in 1977 from the coincidental alignment of the outer Jovial planets. During this ideal time the outer planets of our solar system would be in linear proximity of each other, making for an opportunity to briefly visit each in one swing. The original plan was to send two probes, Voyager I and Voyager II, to flyby Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn's satellite moon Titan. These probes were not meant to make it home, only to send data and analysis of these planets. Voyager II was launched before it's counterpart to visit the Gas Giants while the Voyager I had a different trajectory to flyby Titan. 

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2

Upon successfully completing the mission the two were reassigned a new mission to explore Interstellar space, or in other words the reaches beyond our solar system. They have both left our system and are now famously the first human items to enter outer space.

Another astounding feature about these craft is their unique cargo. Both Voyagers carry a "gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth" called the Golden Record. This sub-program was installed aboard each craft with hopes to be a sort of time capsule for another being to find. The idea being that maybe in their dormant journey through Interstellar space, a future human or alien civilization might find and decode the messages within to see what the human experience once was. 

The Golden Record- the summary of life on Earth

By 2020, it is projected that the power in each unit will be too low to continue running scientific equipment and will slowly shut down the non-essentials and eventually the whole system. By 2025 the Voyagers are expected to be completely lost to space. Goodbye, dear Voyager program. Bon Voyage!

Dark Energy/Dark Matter

One extremely curious and slightly discouraging component of our knowledge of the universe is the existence of what is call Dark Matter and Dark Energy. Though we can't see or detect traces of either, leading theories suggest the universe is actually made more of these two than of regular matter. Humans, Earth, the Sun, our solar system, the Milky Way, and everything else is made up of elements, atoms, and cells that can be summarized as matter. All of this matter is thought to only make up about 5% of the universes total matter. The rest consists of about 25% Dark Matter and around 70% Dark Energy.

The only reason these two items are theorized is due to the apparent structure of the universe. Scientists have a hard time believing that the content of the universe-the stars, the galaxies-are all loosely bound by gravity from normal matter because it isn't strong enough. Without a structure, the stars might travel aimlessly through the universe, never clumping together to form any galaxies. So that is where scientists think something invisible that doesn't emit or reflect light comes into play and gives shape to the universe. 

Take a look at this video that illustrates and explains Dark Energy and Dark Matter in depth. Watch from beginning to 1:18 to learn the basics. Continue watching for additional information

Black Holes

Black Holes are a difficult topic to summarize. Many respected scientists have differing opinions over the function and existence of these natural mysteries. Because no human has ever been near a Black Hole we can only speculate based on our distant observations. There are varying theories but for the purpose of this blog, we will only worry about the more mainstream ideas.

A Black Hole is best known as a region in space with extremely strong gravity. The gravity is so strong that there is no way for objects that get too near to break away from its gravitational pull, not even light! The point where an object has come too close to break free from the gravitational grasp is known as the Event Horizon. This feature is thought to be the beginning of a pull so strong that even a beam on light shining out from the horizon can't escape, let alone a spacecraft or planet/star. It is popular belief that the pull gets ever-stronger the closer the object gets to the face of a Black Hole, otherwise known as the Singularity. This point represents the end of the line and the end of physics as we know it. Theories of beyond the Singularity range from talk of time and space traveling worm holes to fiery oblivion to even a religious heaven or limbo. The most taught speculation is that the end of the Black Hole is a fiery mass of nothingness that consumes endlessly. 

Check out my podcast over Black Holes for more information!

Black Holes Podcast

Try tuning to my podcast to learn something new about the terrors of the Universe: Black Holes. I briefly describe some theories about the origins and functions of Black Holes.

Photo: http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/cygx1_ill.jpg

Universe and Company Slideshow

Please enjoy a short compilation of some of my favorite computer rendered and real photos of space:

World's Most Famous Telescopes

Take a peek at some  of the world's largest and greatest observatories! I encourage you as a reader to check out the Keck Observatories and how telescopes like these revolutionize the way we calculate distance, speed, and even age of distant objects.



For more Google Maps fun beyond our planet check out this awesome link and explore the Moon and Mars! google.com/maps/space/mars

NASA's New Spacesuit

In early November of 2015 NASA unveiled a new prototype for their new spacesuit, the Z-2.

This is the current prototype for the Z-2 spacesuit. Most likely subject to many changes between now and 2030!

This prototype will eventually be refined into a final version that will be used in the projected Mars missions in the 2030s. This design will likely influence newer models that will be used in other planetary explorations. Though it is still in the non-flight stage, the suit will feature a new technology that allows the Mars walkers to "dock" into a ship or terrestrial base which replaces the necessity for airlocks. Compared to the current models, this suit will also offer maximum flexibility for explorers to be able to get in and out of rovers, and retrieve samples and to top it off, a cool aesthetic design. The ideas and original designs for the suit were originally outsourced in a public poll last year. The original look has been tweaked and optimized to took "less like a Teletubby."