Space Rocket History Podcast

With the successful launch of Dongfanghong I, China became the fifth country after the Soviet Union, United States, France, and Japan to independently launch a satellite. The post Space Rocket History #296 – Space 1970 – Dongfanghong 1 & Zond 8 first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

On July 16th 1969, nearly a million people crowded the Florida highways, byways, and beaches to watch man’s departure from the earth to walk on the moon. Twenty thousand guests looked on from special vantage points. The post 50th Anniversary Special – An Encore Presentation of Space Rocket History #213 – Apollo 11 – The Launch first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

Osumi was the name of the first Japanese satellite placed into orbit. It was named after the Osumi Province in the southern islands of Japan. The post Space Rocket History #295 – Space 1970 – Osumi (Japan) & Uhuru (US) first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

At midnight June 1, 1970 Soyuz 9 lifted off from Area 31 at Baikonur and successfully entered low earth orbit with an apogee of 227 km and a perigee of 176 km. The post Space Rocket History #294 – Space 1970 – Soyuz 9 – Part 2 first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

The original Soyuz 9 mission was planned to fly two Soyuz spacecraft in the August to September 1970 time frame for a rendezvous and docking; however, at the end of December 1969 the communist party bosses ordered that the mission … Continue reading → The post Space Rocket History #293 – Space 1970 – Soyuz 9 – Part 1 first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

The VENERA 7 lander was the hardiest of the Soviet Venus probes yet built. Its creators wanted the vessel to land on the planet’s surface in working order. The post Space Rocket History #292 – Space 1970 – Venera 7 first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

Luna 16 was the first robotic probe to land on the Moon and return a sample of lunar soil to Earth after five unsuccessful similar attempts. The post Space Rocket History #291 – Space 1970 – Luna 16 & 17 first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

“Three brave astronauts are alive and on Earth because of the mission operations teams’ dedication, and because at the critical moments the people of that team were wise enough and self-possessed enough to make the right decisions. Their extraordinary feat … Continue reading → The post Space Rocket History #290 – Apollo 13 – Welcome Home first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

“During blackout every team member does his own soul searching, reviewing the decisions and the data, knowing they had to be nearly perfect and knowing how tough perfection is.” Gene Kranz The post Space Rocket History #289 – Apollo 13 – Splashdown first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

To Kranz and his team, this crew was special. They just could not lose them. Failure was not an option. The post Space Rocket History #288 – Apollo 13 – Re-entry first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

Three hours before dawn, Gene Kranz’ White Team took its place next to Windler’s Maroon Team controllers. The eighty hours of uncertainty were now past and mission control was down to Apollo 13’s final shift. The post Space Rocket History #287 – Apollo 13 – Separation Anxiety first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

While the Mercury 7 were fulfilling their roles as symbols of space exploration, Korolev was once again offering the real thing. He now prepared to undertake the most demanding mission yet. The mission that would accomplish the next step in … Continue reading → The post In Honor of China’s Moon Lander Chang’e-4 – An Encore Presentation of Space Rocket History #18 – Luna 2 and 3 first appeared on S...

As If there were not enough problems, Houston still had not completed the command module power up checklist. The post Space Rocket History #286 – Apollo 13 – I Want My Power Up Checklist. Now! first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

From beneath the Lunar Modules floor there was a thud, then a hiss, then another thump that vibrated through the cabin. The post Space Rocket History #285 – Apollo 13 – More Problems first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

Swigert counted down five, four, three, two, one.” Lovell pressed the big red engine button set in the bulkhead and once again felt the vibration below his feet. “Ignition,” Lovell said to his crew-mates. The post Space Rocket History #284 – Apollo 13 – Mid-course Correction first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

In the White House, President Nixon was very concerned for the Apollo 13 crew. Since Apollo 8’s successful lunar orbit, just one month before his inauguration, Nixon had developed a fascination with moon flight and a special admiration for the … Continue reading → The post Space Rocket History #283 – Apollo 13 – Encouragement from the President first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

At the manned spacecraft center in Houston, Don Arabian was in Building 45 when battery number two in Aquarius’ descent stage exploded. The post Space Rocket History #282 – Apollo 13 – Battery #2 first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

There was now cause for optimism in Mission Control. At the TELMU station, where the Lunar Module’s environmental signs were being continually monitored, the readings of the carbon dioxide concentrations aboard Aquarius were steadily dropping all day long. The post Space Rocket History #281 – Apollo 13 – Homeward Bound first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

Mariner 4’s primary objective was to conduct closeup scientific observations of Mars and to transmit these observations to Earth. Additional goals included performing field and particle measurements in interplanetary space, and providing experience and knowledge of engineering capabilities for interplanetary … Continue reading → The post In Honor of NASA Mars Probe “InSight” – An Encore Presentati...

In a healthy spacecraft, the CO2 meter should climb no higher than 2 or 3 millimeters of mercury. When it rose above 7, the crew was instructed to change their lithium hydroxide canisters. If it was allowed to rise above … Continue reading → The post Space Rocket History #280 – Apollo 13 – Carbon Dioxide first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

In the satellite room of the carrier Iwo Jima, the communications man sat back and removed his headset. He knew, that Apollo 13 was in fact coming their way. The post Space Rocket History #279 – Apollo 13 – Leaving the Moon – Part 2 first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

Lovell’s disappointment with Kranz’s decision to not run another star check was quickly becoming academic since the time to conduct it was running out anyway. The post Space Rocket History #278 – Apollo 13 – Leaving the Moon – Part 1 first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

“They’re all coming out,” Swigert said, straining for a glimpse through Lovell’s window. “You said it,” Lovell said. “There’s Nunki, there’s Antares. We may have enough here for that confidence check.” The post Space Rocket History #277 – Apollo 13 – Approaching the Moon first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

According to the profiles Bill Peters and his electrical specialists calculated, it was possible to power the LEM with just 12 amps. Under normal conditions it needed about 55 amps of current to run. The post Space Rocket History #276 – Apollo 13 – Minimizing Power – Part 3 first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .

“The first burn, Griffin explained, would be a long one. Pushing the descent throttle all the way to the full position, Lovell would leave it there for more than six minutes before shutting the engine down. This maneuver, which for … Continue reading → The post Space Rocket History #275 – Apollo 13 – Minimizing Power – Part 2 first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast .