spaceflight library

 

Spaceflight covers topics related to human presence in outer space. Learn about weightlessness, astronauts and space tourism in this section.

Featured Article:  How the Google Lunar X Prize Works

Internet search giant Google is known for innovation. But now it's sponsoring the Lunar X Prize, in which private teams compete to land on the moon. Why? See more »

How Space Tourism Works

How Space Tourism Works

On September 18, 2006, Anousheh Ansari, a telecommunications entrepreneur, became the first female space tourist and the fourth space tourist overall. Could you be next? Find out what's in the works to get you to space.

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How Spaceports Will Work

How Spaceports Will Work

If the future of tourism lies in outer space, then we'll need to blast off those amateur astronauts from somewhere. Compared to the average airport, how space-age will these spaceports be?

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How SpaceShipOne Works

How SpaceShipOne Works

It's launch time for the first privately funded space flight. In the course of battle for the X Prize, a group called Scaled Composites has built and tested SpaceShipOne, a sub-orbital spacecraft intended to carry tourists on the ride of their life. Learn all about the craft.

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How Spacewalks Work

How Spacewalks Work

When astronauts talk moonwalking, they don't mean the Michael Jackson dance move. Spacewalks take an entire day of preparation -- and a 240-pound space suit.

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How Sputnik Worked

How Sputnik Worked

A small aluminum ball that orbited the planet for three months in the 1950s had a profound influence over your life. If it hadn't, you wouldn't be reading this now.

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How the Google Lunar X Prize Works

How the Google Lunar X Prize Works

Internet search giant Google is known for innovation. But now it's sponsoring the Lunar X Prize, in which private teams compete to land on the moon. Why?

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How the NASA Space Food Research Lab Works

How the NASA Space Food Research Lab Works

In the 1960s, space food was either cubed or tubed, and it wasn't very appetizing. Today's astronauts have a more palatable array from which to choose. Where is it developed?

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How the Space Race Worked

How the Space Race Worked

The space race between the United States and the former Soviet Union began in the early 1950s. What followed was an era of cooperation between the United States, and now Russian, space programs with the building and operation of the International Space Station.

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How Virgin Galactic Works

How Virgin Galactic Works

The not-so-distant future, regular people will be able to take flights into space. So how do you score a spot on a Virgin Galactic flight?

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How Weightlessness Works

How Weightlessness Works

As the International Space Station astronauts return to Earth after a three-month stay, learn about the effects of weightlessness on the body.

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How will Blue Origin work?

How will Blue Origin work?

Jeff Bezos made his fortune selling books online. So the next obvious step was to build rockets. Right? How does Blue Origin, Bezos' space travel company, stand up to the other commercial space racers?

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How Zero-gravity Flights Work

How Zero-gravity Flights Work

Almost everyone dreams of floating effortlessly like astronauts in space. The Zero Gravity Corporation offers this experience to the public. Go inside G-FORCE-ONE to find out what it's like to somersault in zero gravity and how simulating weightlessness works.

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Is space tourism safe?

Is space tourism safe?

If you had the money, would you pay $200,000 to launch into space? For at least one couple, the answer is yes. But is a space tour safe for the average citizen?

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Spaced Out: Astronaut Quiz

Spaced Out: Astronaut Quiz

Astronauts have a reputation for being the brave and skilled few willing to risk their lives by strapping themselves aboard a rocket and blasting into outer space. How much do you know about this dangerous job?

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Spaced Out: Space Shuttle Quiz

Spaced Out: Space Shuttle Quiz

At its best, the space shuttle is the embodiment of 20th-century scientific progress, a stunningly complex vehicle that can lift into space, orbit the Earth, return to Earth's atmosphere, and be re-used in a matter of weeks. At its worst, the shuttle is a symbol of the dangers that come with space travel. How did the shuttle program begin? And what keeps astronauts alive in the depths of outer space?

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Top 10 Moments in Space Bathroom History

Top 10 Moments in Space Bathroom History

When you think about space travel, you don't usually take time to wonder how astronauts go to the bathroom. However, the annals of aeronautic history abound with tales of space bathroom mishaps. Here are 10 of our favorites.

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Top 10 Space Conspiracy Theories

Top 10 Space Conspiracy Theories

Some people don't believe a man walked on the moon. Others still think the Earth is flat. Are the Illuminati preparing the Earth to become an alien colony?

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What is a gimbal -- and what does it have to do with NASA?

What is a gimbal -- and what does it have to do with NASA?

Believe it or not, to get to space and back, NASA relies on a piece of technology that's been around for centuries. Just what is a gimbal, anyway?

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What is it like to sleep in space?

What is it like to sleep in space?

When there are 16 sunsets every day, getting some shut-eye becomes a bit of an issue. Do astronauts get through it with some warm milk as they float?

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Why are there dozens of dead animals floating in space?

Why are there dozens of dead animals floating in space?

Neil Armstrong may have been the first man on the moon, but he wouldn't have gotten there without fruit flies, rhesus monkeys or a dog.

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