apollo 11

Apollo +40

New York Times to NASA: You're Right, Rockets DO Work in Space


On the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, it seems like every news outlet worth its weight in regolith is reproducing classic content to put the historic moment in the proper content. Well, here’s one Apollo-related news item, printed on July 17th, as Aldrin, Armstrong and Collins were well on their way to the Moon, that I doubt the New York Times wants to draw much attention to today: a retraction of a 1920 article which stated rocket motors couldn't work in the vacuum of space, almost fifty years after the fact.

[ Read Full Story ]
READ MORE ABOUT > , , , , ,
Feature

Five Human Achievements That Could Top Walking on the Moon

Forty years after Apollo 11, a look forward at the world-changing discoveries that could match--or even top--humankind's first steps on the moon

Free Fusion Energy?: The National Ignition Facility Target Room
Possibly the single most influential event in the public's interest in science and technology (not to mention one of humankind’s greatest adventures), the Apollo 11 mission touched the collective dreams of millions, while pushing science and technology swiftly forward at an unprecedented pace.

But in the decades since man first walked on the moon, science has advanced so rapidly that technology which even a few years ago might have been considered magic has become commonplace. Even so, it would be naïve to assume that Apollo 11 ever represented science and technology’s pinnacle, and that nothing forthcoming will similarly explode the world’s collective dreams and perceptions of what it means to be human.

So what’s next? What will be the next worldwide event or discovery that fundamentally changes the way we look at ourselves and the universe we live in?

[ Read Full Story ]
Apollo +40

A Map of the First Moonwalk, Showing Scale


Baseball on the Moon:  NASA

For your convenience, NASA has here superimposed a map of Aldrin and Armstrong's strolls around the Sea of Tranquility onto a standard baseball diamond.

[ Read Full Story ]
Apollo +40

Fly to the Moon with Google Earth


Earthlings can celebrate 40 years since the first lunar landing by planting their virtual boots back on the moon in Google Earth. Or they can just swoop over the 3-D lunar landscape, Superman-style.

Google unveiled the new "Moon in Google Earth" feature today during a press conference in Washington, D.C. Those in attendance included female space tourist Anousheh Ansari, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and NASA officials.

[ Read Full Story ]
Apollo +40

Apollo +40


If you haven't yet noticed, today we're celebrating the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11, and the first humans to step foot on the moon, which happened at around 4:15 pm EST, July 20, 1969. And in perhaps the world's most fitting use of this particular cliché, Things Have Never Been the Same.

[ Read Full Story ]

Lunar Probe Delivers First Photographs of Old Apollo Landing Sites


Apollo 14 Landing Site: NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter snapped this image of the Apollo 14 landing site during its lunar tour.  NASA

Look, it's the Apollo 11 lunar module! And astronaut footprints left by Apollo 14! Well, you can make them out if you squint. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has been honing its camera-hound skills.

The lunar probe captured images from five of six Apollo sites between July 11 and 15, after first reaching lunar orbit on June 23.

[ Read Full Story ]

NASA's Releases Restored Apollo 11 Video From the Moon



NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has released a tantilizing preview of their newly-restored video footage of the Apollo 11 moon landing. NASA's working with restorations specialists Lowry Digital to greatly enhance the quality of the best available broadcast source, bringing it up to never-before-seen quality.

But why must they work from a recording of the broadcast? It's heartbreaking: NASA accidentally erased the original tapes.

[ Read Full Story ]
READ MORE ABOUT > , , , , ,



Download Our iPhone App

Stay up to date on the latest news of the future of science and technology from your iPhone with full articles, images and offline viewing



Follow Us On Twitter

Featuring every article from the magazine and website, plus links from around the Web. Also see our PopSci DIY feed



Become a Fan On Facebook

Share links with friends, comment on stories and more


December 2009: Best of What's New

In our December issue, Popular Science names the 100 best innovations of the year: bombproof wallpaper, self-parking cars, the fastest helicopter, and 97 more. Plus inventor profiles and videos.

Check out the best of what's new here.

Popular Science Photo Pool


Share your photos in the Pop Sci pool at www.flickr.com!
tags_sprite.png
POP_embeddedForm_cover_May09.jpg