collectSPACE - space history, space memorabilia, space artifacts, and space collectibles

Space News
space history and artifacts articles

Messages
space history discussion forums

Sightings
worldwide astronaut appearances

Resources
selected space history documents

Websites
related space history websites

The Source for Space History and Artifacts

[ About ] [ Search ] [ Contact ]

Updates | Photo Galleries | Timeline | Shuttle Tracker | Discussions

May 26, 2012 / 6:10 p.m. CT (2310 GMT)

Final frontier's "golden spike": Don Pettit, who became the first to enter the Dragon on Saturday, compared the arrival of the private cargo spacecraft at the International Space Station to the golden spike that was used to complete the first U.S. transcontinental railroad 143 years ago this month. "The important thing to remember was that the railroad was completed and was now open for use to help settle the western frontier," Pettit radioed from orbit.

May 25, 2012 / 2:06 p.m. CT (1906 GMT)

Dragon's berth-day: History was made 251 miles above the Earth on Friday, as SpaceX and NASA commanded the berthing of the first commercial spacecraft to arrive at the International Space Station (ISS). SpaceX's Dragon unmanned cargo capsule, with its payload of crew meals and student science experiments, was captured by the station's robotic arm at 8:56 a.m. CDT (1356 GMT) and about two hours later was attached to the Earth-facing port on the Harmony node. "This really is, I think, going to be recognized as a significant historical step forward in space travel," SpaceX CEO and chief designer Elon Musk said.

May 25, 2012 / 4:04 a.m. CT (0904 GMT) - SPOILERS!

MIB3's launch: Columbia Pictures' "Men in Black 3" opens in theaters Friday, reuniting actors Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as the comic book-based secret agents "J" and "K" protecting the Earth from visiting aliens. Much of the movie's action takes place in 1969, a pivotal year for space history and as it turns out, for the film's plot — eagle eye enthusiasts watching the MIB3 trailer may've spotted a familiar looking launch vehicle, as visual effects supervisor Jay Redd discussed with collectSPACE.com.

May 24, 2012 / 6:03 a.m. CT (1103 GMT)

Spaceship at sea: A full size space shuttle mockup embarked Thursday on an eight day mission that will deliver it to its new display home in Houston, Texas. Its sunrise launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center took it out, rather than up, as it set sail atop an open-air barge for its ocean journey. The shuttle replica is scheduled to enter Clear Lake near Johnson Space Center on June 1, where a "Shuttlebration" will welcome it to Space Center Houston.

May 22, 2012 / 9:35 a.m. CT (1435 GMT) - UPDATED

Dragon's dawn: For the first time in history, a commercial spacecraft launched Tuesday to the International Space Station. Lifting off into the early morning sky, SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket created a new dawn for U.S. spaceflight as it trailblazed the path for NASA's commercial orbital transportation services (COTS) program. If successful, SpaceX's mission will be followed later this year by the first of 12 unmanned cargo flights.

May 22, 2012 / 9:26 a.m. CT (1426 GMT)

Falcon flier: Tucked inside the upper stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that lifted off Tuesday with a Dragon spacecraft destined for the space station was a canister with the cremated remains of more than 300 people, including original NASA astronaut Gordon "Gordo" Cooper. "The New Frontier Flight" marked the third time to space for the Mercury and Gemini pilot's ashes, which previously flew on suborbital rockets launched in 2007 and 2008.

May 18, 2012 / 7:11 p.m. CT (0011 GMT May 19)

Not-so-secret SpaceX souvenirs Riding on the first commercial spacecraft to launch for the International Space Station is a stash of souvenirs. The Official Flight Kit stowed on SpaceX's Dragon capsule includes patches, pins and stickers totaling about 12,000 mementos. The kit is a round trip passenger; most of the cargo — food for the station's crew and student science experiments — will be left on the outpost before the Dragon splashes down.

May 18, 2012 / 2:33 a.m. CT (0733 GMT)

Endeavour's new wing: In recognition of a "transformational gift" from the Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Oschin Family Foundation, the new and future home of space shuttle Endeavour was named for Samuel Oschin on Thursday, the California Science Center (CSC) announced. While the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is developed over the next five years, Endeavour will be exhibited inside the Samuel Oschin Space Shuttle Endeavour Display Pavilion opening later this year at the Los Angeles museum.

May 16, 2012 / 2:09 p.m. CT (1909 GMT)

There be (no) Dragons: Packed aboard and set to launch on SpaceX's first Dragon to fly the International Space Station are students' experiments and mission patches as part of NCESSE's Student Spaceflight Experiments Program Mission 1 to ISS, named Aquarius. The 15 liquid mixing experiments and 22 emblems were selected out of thousands of proposals and designs. But in an ironic twist, none of the students' patches depict the vehicle on which their experiments will fly and make history in the process.

May 14, 2012 / 10:41 p.m. CT (0341 GMT May 15)

Smokey and fire: Three new crew members launched for the International Space Station Monday, soaring atop a pillar of smoke and fire from a Russian rocket. Soyuz TMA-04M crew mates Gennady Padalka, Sergei Revin and Joe Acaba will arrive at the orbiting complex Thursday and stay for four months. The trio's talisman, which served as their "zero-g indicator," is Smokey Bear, the long-time mascot of the U.S. Forest Service, as provided by Acaba.

May 13, 2012 / 12:21 p.m. CT (1721 GMT)

Enterprise grounded: Early Sunday, space shuttle Enterprise moved one step closer to its public display at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York. Overnight, the original prototype orbiter was hoisted off the modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft that flew it to a landing at JFK International Airport on April 27. Enterprise will wait at the airport until June 4, when it is set to begin a three-day river journey by barge to deliver it to the Intrepid.

May 11, 2012 / 10:06 a.m. CT (1506 GMT)

Endeavour unplugged: For the last time in history, a space shuttle went dark on Friday. NASA pulled the plug on its youngest orbiter Endeavour, the last of its three shuttles still able to be powered, at 8:58 a.m. CDT as the preparations to deliver it for display at the California Space Center continued. NASA recently invited collectSPACE on board Endeavour's flight deck for a last look at a lit shuttle.

May 10, 2012 / 8:27 p.m. CT (0127 GMT May 11)

Astronaut blasts off on Big Bang Theory: Mike Massimino isn't a Soyuz crewmember, but he plays one on TV. The real-life NASA astronaut made his second cameo on CBS's "The Big Bang Theory" on Thursday, joining the show's Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) to launch to the International Space Station aboard a Russian capsule. collectSPACE caught up with Massimino to talk about the show, its mock spacecraft and spacesuits, and the future of spaceflight, both by NASA and "The Big Bang Theory."

May 9, 2012 / 4:45 p.m. CT (2145 GMT)

Shuttlebration: Space Center Houston, the official visitor center for the NASA Johnson Space Center in Texas, announced Tuesday that a high fidelity space shuttle mockup will arrive by barge on June 1. Sailing into Clear Lake, the shuttle's landing will launch "Shuttlebration," a 3 day public celebration that will culminate in a parade down NASA Road 1, delivering the shuttle to the space center.

May 9, 2012 / 11:55 a.m. CT (1755 GMT)

Sponsor-a-shuttle: Stars or tiles, take your pick... New York's Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and the California Science Center in Los Angeles have each launched sponsor campaigns to fund their permanent displays for space shuttles Enterprise and Endeavour, respectively. The Intrepid's "Project Enterprise" offers to display donors' names on stars placed alongside the prototype orbiter. The California Science Center's "Team Endeavour" offers heat shield tiles (virtual ones) with their sponsors' names. Both offer additional incentives for larger gifts, including limited edition collectibles and priority viewing of the shuttles.

[ browse earlier updates ]

collectSPACE RSS

Featured space events:

Convention [5/30-6/3]
Spacefest
JW Starr Pass Resort, Tucson, AZ

Auction [6/9]
Space, Coins and Collectibles
Regency-Superior Galleries, Calif.

more events

Newly Added Sightings:

[07/11]	SSP Astronaut Panel
[07/07]	Greg H. Johnson
[07/14]	Dan Bursch Millie Hughes-Fulford Rick Searfoss

more sightings