Earlier today, Virgin Galactic sent its SpaceShipTwo commercial aircraft into space, a historic first for the private company. But at a maximum altitude of 51.4 miles (82.68 kilometers), the spaceplane fell 10.6 miles (17.32 kilometers) short of the Karman line—the internationally recognized boundary separating the atmosphere from space. Prompting the inevitable question: What the hell is space, anyway?
Before we nitpick Virgin Galactic’s achievement, let’s give credit where it’s due.
NBA superstar Steph Curry said he was kidding when he said he doesn’t believe humans landed on the moon.
“Obviously I was joking when I was talking on the podcast,” the Golden State Warriors guard told ESPN on Wednesday. “I was silently protesting how stupid it was that people actually took that quote and made it law.”
While appearing on an episode of the podcast “Winging It,” which posted Monday, Curry asked fellow NBA players Vince Carter, Kent Bazemore and Andre Iguodala “We ever been to the moon?”
NASA’s Juno Mission to Jupiter will zoom past Jupiter at nearly 130,000 mph next week, making its 16th science pass above the planet’s cloud tops. More science and — of course — more stunning images from JunoCam on the way: https://go.nasa.gov/2GdYPeC
Virgin Galactic is headed for the Big Black! https://spacenews.com/virgin-galactic-to-attempt-flight-to-space-this-week/
WASHINGTON — Virgin Galactic plans to perform the next test flight of its SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane as soon as Dec. 13, a flight that could be the first by the vehicle to reach at least one definition of space.
In a Dec. 11 statement, the company said the next powered test flight of VSS Unity, the second SpaceShipTwo, is planned for a window that opens Dec. 13 from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. The flight would be the fourth powered flight for this vehicle and the first since July. The statement came shortly after the publication of airspace restrictions in the vicinity of the airport “for rocket launch and recovery” for Dec. 13 through 15.
“At a basic level, this flight will aim to fly higher and faster,” the company said in its statement. “We plan to burn the rocket motor for longer than we ever have in flight before, but not to its full duration.”
NASA offered to give Stephen Curry a tour of its lunar labs in Houston after the NBA superstar expressed doubts on the moon landings.
Three-time NBA champion Stephen Curry on Tuesday signaled that he is willing to take NASA up on its offer to tour its lunar lab in Houston after his pronouncement this week that he does not believe humans ever walked on the Moon.
During the “Winging It” podcast released on Monday, the Golden State Warriors guard asked fellow players Vince Carter and Kent Bazemore whether they believed humans had ever been to the Moon.
The players said they did not, to which two-time MVP Curry said: “They’re gonna come get us. I don’t think so either.”
NASA has offered to give NBA superstar Steph Curry a tour of one of its lunar labs after the Golden State Warriors guard said on a podcast that he doubts humans landed on the moon.
No, really.
Curry made the head-scratching comment on an episode of the “Winging It” podcast, which posted Monday. According to Bleacher Report, Curry brought up the subject himself during the more than hour-long podcast with fellow NBA players Vince Carter, Kent Bazemore and Andre Iguodala:
The results promise to shed light on this and, in the long run, help us better predict how and when Earth’s magnetic shield can suddenly become porous to let outside particles in. Details: https://go.nasa.gov/2G8lTeX&h=AT0CScAabrNYUB0DKGANhglZ-EihhF…51Yf7jUjKw
A big announcement from NASA about landing on the moon is coming on Thursday.
If NASA’s stunning landing of a car-sized robot on Mars didn’t already whet your appetite for space exploration this week, mark your calendar for 2 p.m. EST on Thursday.
That’s when NASA plans to give an update about a program that aims to land privately developed spacecraft on the moon.
