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A coin for Christa: Congress has passed a bill calling for the U.S. Mint to issue a $1 coin honoring Christa McAuliffe, NASA's "Teacher in Space," who died on board the Challenger in 1986. The commemorative silver coins, to be released in 2021 for the 35th anniversary of the tragedy, will be sold to the public to support FIRST Robotics' efforts to engage children in science and technology opportunities.
Plum proposal: Ohio's U.S. Senators have introduced legislation to rename NASA Plum Brook Station for the late Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said they are looking to honor Armstrong, a native Ohioan, to ensure that "future generations will be inspired by Neil Armstrong's amazing accomplishments in air and in space."
Almost to the moon: India's first attempt at a moon landing ended prematurely on Friday (Sept. 6), when all communications were lost with the Vikram lander while on its approach to the moon's south polar region. The Vikram lander, part of the ISRO Chandrayaan-2 mission, had been carrying a six-wheeled rover and science payloads to study the presence of water ice on the lunar surface.
A rover by any other name: When the next NASA rover launches to Mars in 2020, it will do so with a name chosen by a student. The space agency has launched a contest to find a name for its new wheeled probe, which will search for signs of past microbial life on the red planet and cache Martian soil samples for a future return to Earth. The public will have a chance to vote on the finalists before the selected name is revealed in February 2020.
Apollo to OmegA: The mobile launcher that 50 years ago gave Apollo 11 its start will now support a new commercial rocket. NASA and Northrop Grumman signed an agreement on Friday (Aug. 16) providing the mobile launch platform and a bay in the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building for the company's OmegA booster.
Timex X Snoopy In Space: Snoopy, the first beagle on the moon, has landed on Timex's new limited line of wristwatches. The Snoopy In Space collection features the spacesuited comic strip character walking on the moon in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first lunar landing. The first Timex X Snoopy In Space watches were released in July, with the rest of the collection coming this month.
The real stuff: National Geographic recently arranged for the cast of its new adaptation of Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff" to see some of the real stuff at NASA. In a new featurette for the upcoming TV series, Patrick Adams and Jake McDorman (John Glenn and Alan Shepard) join other actors as they prepare to portray the Mercury astronauts.
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Gateway logo: NASA's Gateway, part of the Artemis program to return U.S. astronauts to the moon before ultimately heading to Mars, now has its own logo. The emblem, revealed by the Johnson Space Center, "is a bold look closely aligned with the Artemis brand." The lunar Gateway will serve as a way station for Orion spacecraft and landing vehicles moving between Earth and the moon's surface.
Astronaut's 'Apo11o': Drawing from his 213 days following similar NASA flight plans and inspired by the 50th anniversary of the moon landing mission, Terry Virts created "Apo11o: To the Moon and Back," a new luxury edition of the Apollo 11 Flight Plan. Hand-crafted in leather and 23 karat gold, the limited reproduction is enhanced by a photo essay, new introductions and gate-fold technical drawings.
Barbie honors Sally Ride: The world's most famous fashion doll meets the first American woman to fly in space with the latest release in Mattel's Inspiring Women Series. The new Sally Ride Signature Barbie is modeled after the late astronaut's appearance when she launched on her first space shuttle mission in June 1983. The flight suit-clad doll is exclusively available from Target and Barbie.com.
Dream Chaser's ride to space: With its first launch expected in late 2021, Sierra Nevada Corporation's Dream Chaser spacecraft now has a ride to orbit. The cargo spaceplane will fly atop United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan Centaur rocket for its six NASA-contracted missions to take supplies to and from the International Space Station.
Cookies in Space: Later this year, the crew on board the International Space Station will use a new oven to bake cookies in space for the first time. But not just any chocolate chip cookies; the first cookies baked in space will be of the same recipe that guests receive when checking in to DoubleTree by Hilton hotels. To celebrate, DoubleTree is offering "Cookies in Space" limited edition tins for sale.
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