R.I.P. Atlantis!

Atlantis, we will miss you! You are so cute and cuddly looking. And you like to piggy back on Boeing 747 rides home when you land in California! OH WOA IS THIS MOJ FOR ATLANTIS WILL NOT RIDE AGAIN! May we let this cute little shuttle rest in peace!

This is my favorite shuttle! I know that it doesn't go on long distance missions. Atlantis has never been to the moon. But it appeals to the eco-geek in me! At least it's reusable!

[click here to read article in it's original context on nasa.gov]

Homecoming for Atlantis

Space shuttle Atlantis' main gear touched down on Runway 33 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 8:48 a.m. EDT, completing a 12-day mission to the International Space Station. On board were Commander Ken Ham, pilot Tony Antonelli, Garrett Reisman, Michael Good, Steve Bowen and Piers Sellers. The six-member STS-132 crew carried the Russian-built Mini Research Module-1 to the International Space Station. STS-132 is the last planned flight for Atlantis.

Hellas Yeah!

Okay friends, I know I haven't posted in a little while, but I saw NASA's photo/article of the day and I just had to share it with everyone! EVERYONE, meet Hellas Planitia...


[click here to see this article in it's original context]

Hellas Planitia

This image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter covers a small portion of the northwest quadrant of Hellas Planitia on Mars. With a diameter of about 1,400 miles and a depth reaching the lowest elevations on Mars, Hellas is one of the largest impact craters in the solar system.

The area has a number of unusual features, which are thought to be quite old because of the high crater density. The crater inside Hellas has been filled with material, which may be related to volcanic activity on the basin's northwestern rim. It also might be related to the presence water and water ice. However, there is evidence elsewhere that the ground here is rich with ice.

HiRISE will be used to investigate this in more detail when the basin is free from atmospheric dust.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/International Research School of Planetary Sciences