Favorite Color Photos Of John F. Kennedy.

Possibly the most iconic image of space exploration: 

Bruce McCandless, 35 years ago this week, embarked on the first ever untethered EVA.

Falcon 9 launch, Telstar 19 Vantage Mission. 🚀

Animated by SPACE Fidelity

TEASER

On Top of The World – Literally

What’s one perk about applying to #BeAnAstronaut? You’re one step closer to being on top of the world.

Part of the job of a NASA astronaut is a task called spacewalking. Spacewalking refers to any time an astronaut gets out of a vehicle while in space; it is performed for many reasons such as completing repairs outside the International Space Station, conducting science experiments and testing new equipment. 

Spacewalking can last anywhere from five to eight hours, and for that reason, astronauts’ spacesuits are more like mini-spacecraft than uniforms! Inside spacesuits, astronauts have the oxygen they need to breathe, water to drink and a bathroom! 

Spacesuits also protect astronauts from the extreme environment of space. In Earth orbit, conditions can be as cold as minus 250 degrees Fahrenheit. In the sunlight, they can be as hot as 250 degrees. A spacesuit protects astronauts from those extreme temperatures.

To stay safe during spacewalks, astronauts are tethered to the International Space Station. The tethers, like ropes, are hooked to the astronaut and the space station – ensuring the astronaut does not float away into space. 

Spacewalking can be a demanding task. Astronauts can burn anywhere from ~1500-2500 calories during one full assignment. That’s about equal to running 2/3 of a marathon. 

Does spacewalking sound like something you’d be interested in? If so, you might want to APPLY to #BeAnAstronaut! Applications are open until March 31. Don’t miss your chance to! 

Want to learn more about what it takes to be an astronaut? Or, maybe you just want more epic images. Either way, check out nasa.gov/astronauts for all your NASA astronaut needs!

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

Successful Launch yesterday of the sixth SpaceX Starlink Mission. 🛰 🛰

Edited by @spacefidelity

ENTROPY THROUGH SPACE

SPACE PIONEER: Will man outgrow the earth? - Cover illustration by Boris Artzybasheff - TIME, December 1952.

First Earthling in space: Laika the dog.

Laika’s ship, Sputnik 2, had no capability to return to Earth. Her 1957 space flight to establish whether or not living beings could survive travel through space was a one-way mission.

It had been planned to euthanize Laika with poisoned food during her flight. She instead died from excessive heat on her fourth orbit around the Earth. Five months later, the spaceship and its canine passenger’s remains burned up as the vehicle’s decaying orbit brought it into Earth’s atmosphere.

Oleg Gazenko, one of the scientists who worked on the mission, would later say, “Work with animals is a source of suffering to all of us. We treat them like babies who cannot speak. The more time passes, the more I’m sorry about it. We shouldn’t have done it … We did not learn enough from this mission to justify the death of the dog.”

Laika’s mission went on to become a touchstone in debates about the ethics of animal testing.

Laika appears on the Monument to the Conquerors of Space in Moscow and has a monument of her own in Star City, Russia.