The National Aeronautics and Space Administration plans to send the space shuttle Columbia soaring toward the orbiting telescope on Feb. 28 for an elaborate overhaul and upgrade of what has become one of astronomy's most valuable tools.
I vividly remember that overcast morning in June of 1983, when Sally, NASA's youngest astronaut, was strapped into her seat aboard the space shuttle Challenger, then soared into the history books.
"Orbital Rocket Airplane... Nova Zembla" (ca. 1976) is a faithful depiction of a space shuttle as it soars above an ice-covered body of water, painted when plans for NASA's Space Shuttle Program were underway.
When America's space shuttle fleet was soaring in its prime, this spot was flying with activity, history and most of all astronauts.
Prince Sultan was the first Arab astronaut, soaring aloft in the space shuttle Discovery in 1985, before taking over the tourism authority.
The space shuttle Columbia had many things in its hold when it soared into the Florida sky last month, including basic examples of schoolyard curiosity.
But it suggests that operating costs may soar in the same ruinous way the space shuttle's did.
When astronaut Mark Kelly blasts off at Cape Canaveral on Friday afternoon, commanding a flight of the space shuttle Endeavour, millions of people will watch him and his crew soar into orbit.
At 11 26 a.m. last Friday (July 8), I joined millions to watch in silent awe as the space shuttle Atlantis, for the last time, "slipped the surly bonds of earth" and soared into orbit.
During his association with Bell, Dornberger participated in the Air Force NASA project Dyna-Soar, which was eventually transmuted into the space shuttle program.
