To Live Like Russians: Remembering America’s Long Mission to Mir, 25 Years On (Part 1)

By Ben Evans, on March 22nd, 2020

Norm Thagard and Bonnie Dunbar participate in Soyuz-TM training in October 1994. Photo Credit: NASA

In March 2020, it seems inconceivable to think of U.S. astronauts being totally unaccustomed to long-duration spaceflight. Over the past quarter-century, no fewer than 67 Americans—from civilian medical doctors to biochemists and engineers to physicists, and from Army and […]

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'Even Better at Night': 25 Years Since the Artificial Sunrise of STS-56

By Ben Evans, on April 8th, 2018

Twenty-five years ago, after one false start, Discovery roared into space to begin a mission of exploration for the Home Planet. Photo Credit: NASA, via Joachim Becker/SpaceFacts.de

Twenty-five years ago, tonight, in the seconds leading up to 1:29 a.m. EDT on 8 April 1993, all eyes were on the three dark bells of […]

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'Probably Earned My Keep': 25 Years Since the Launch of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (Part 2)

By Ben Evans, on April 3rd, 2016

The Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) is readied for deployment on 7 April 1991. Photo Credit: NASA, via Joachim Becker/SpaceFacts.de

A quarter-century ago, this week, the crew of Atlantis delivered into orbit the heaviest scientific payload ever launched at that time by the space shuttle. Commander Steve Nagel, Pilot Ken Cameron, and Mission Specialists […]

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'If It Goes Poorly, You Take the Blame': 25 Years Since the Launch of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (Part 1)

By Ben Evans, on April 2nd, 2016

Astronaut Jerry Ross grins through Shuttle Atlantis’ aft flight deck windows, as the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory is readied for deployment in April 1991. Photo Credit: NASA, via Joachim Becker/SpaceFacts.de

For a few hours in early April 1991, it seemed that things could not get any worse for NASA. A year earlier, the […]

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'Ice Cream Sandwiches': 20 Years Since the Second Shuttle-Mir Docking Mission (Part 2)

By Ben Evans, on November 8th, 2015

The orange-colored Docking Module (DM) is clearly visible at the extreme end of the Kristall module in this view of Mir, as seen by the departing crew of STS-74. Photo Credit: NASA, via Joachim Becker/SpaceFacts.de

For 15 years, Americans and Russians have lived together, on a continuous basis, aboard the International Space Station […]

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'A Real Thrill': 20 Years Since the Second Shuttle-Mir Docking Mission (Part 1)

By Ben Evans, on November 7th, 2015

Becoming the first Canadian to operate the shuttle’s Canadian-built Remote Manipulator System (RMS), Chris Hadfield installs the Docking Module (DM) atop the Orbiter Docking System (ODS), ahead of the shuttle’s second docking mission to Mir, 20 years ago this month. Photo Credit: NASA, via Joachim Becker/SpaceFacts.de

The second is rarely remembered in the […]

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'To Live Like Russians': 20 Years Since the Record-Setting Mission of Norm Thagard (Part 1)

By Ben Evans, on March 14th, 2015

Twenty years ago, this week, NASA astronaut Norm Thagard embarked on the United States’ first long-duration space station expedition in more than two decades. Photo Credit: NASA

Today, in 2015, it seems hard to imagine U.S. astronauts being totally unaccustomed to long-duration spaceflight. Over the past two decades, around 50 Americans—from civilian medical […]

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Win a Space Shuttle Replica Signed by Five Astronauts!

By Jason Rhian, on August 21st, 2012

Photo Credit: Jason Rhian

Ever wish you owned a high-quality Space Shuttle replica of your very own? How about one signed by several astronauts? AmericaSpace is looking for a few (well more than a few actually) “likes” on Facebook and is offering an astronaut autographed, 1/200 scale Space Shuttle orbiter to the person […]

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