It then became a kind of public notepad, to keep links, many of them concerning the legendary Apollo missions, which I'm a big fan of.
ISS
Aka the International Space Station.Current position and Live Streams
There's a separated page for this kind of information.
If loading all the streams at once slows your computer, use this link. It opens the page without loading any stream. You will have to start them manually.
The compact view page only display streams.
I use it for Spacewalks broadcasts. More info on spacewalks below.
If loading all the streams at once slows your computer, use this link. It opens the page without loading any stream. You will have to start them manually.
The compact view page only display streams.
I use it for Spacewalks broadcasts. More info on spacewalks below.
Information
AstroCosmonauts usually stay for up to 5½ months, but two of them stayed one year in orbit: American Astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko, during the expedition 44.
View the current crew.
Facts and figures about the ISS (NASA website).
View the current crew.
Facts and figures about the ISS (NASA website).
Spacewalks
For the next spacewalks, read the NASA TV schedule (link below), or use my excerpt showing only the spacewalks in the events.
Sometimes parts on the outside of the station need to be verified, repaired or replaced. AstroCosmonauts need to get in suits and get outside the station.
These expeditions are usually broadcasted on "ISS cam 1" (on this website) and the NASA TV channel, via the AstroCosmonauts webcams and other webcams outside of the station.
Sometimes, each stream is displaying the view from a different AstroCosmonaut. It's funny to watch them progress when they are close.
Spacewalks last a few hours, around 7-9h !
Use the compact view page to follow nicely a spacewalk: streams are organized to display the "ISS cam 1" and the NASA TV broadcast next to each other.
You may have to disable the sound of one stream, to avoid getting an echo of the comms, as the streams are not synchronized.
I usually swap from one to another, using the "ISS cam 1" as the main audio source. But as it still broadcasts the comms between the AstroCosmonauts inside the station and the ground, comms can overlap and get inaudible.
On the NASA TV stream though, there is a commentator which explains what is being done on the station and why, what each AstroCosmonaut is doing, etc.
It sometimes displays the mission time, the desk in the ground/control room (one can see who is guiding/talking to the AstroCosmonauts), the position of the ISS when comms get cut, ...
Wiki list of all EVAs here (go to 2018 directly)
Sometimes parts on the outside of the station need to be verified, repaired or replaced. AstroCosmonauts need to get in suits and get outside the station.
These expeditions are usually broadcasted on "ISS cam 1" (on this website) and the NASA TV channel, via the AstroCosmonauts webcams and other webcams outside of the station.
Sometimes, each stream is displaying the view from a different AstroCosmonaut. It's funny to watch them progress when they are close.
Spacewalks last a few hours, around 7-9h !
Use the compact view page to follow nicely a spacewalk: streams are organized to display the "ISS cam 1" and the NASA TV broadcast next to each other.
You may have to disable the sound of one stream, to avoid getting an echo of the comms, as the streams are not synchronized.
I usually swap from one to another, using the "ISS cam 1" as the main audio source. But as it still broadcasts the comms between the AstroCosmonauts inside the station and the ground, comms can overlap and get inaudible.
On the NASA TV stream though, there is a commentator which explains what is being done on the station and why, what each AstroCosmonaut is doing, etc.
It sometimes displays the mission time, the desk in the ground/control room (one can see who is guiding/talking to the AstroCosmonauts), the position of the ISS when comms get cut, ...
Wiki list of all EVAs here (go to 2018 directly)
Apollo missions and the moon
The Apollo Flight Journals
All missions can be re-lived through the Apollo Flight Journals.
This is the source for a lot of official material concerning the lunar part of Apollo missions, as it provides everything ! It's recommended for all Apollo fans.
This is the source for a lot of official material concerning the lunar part of Apollo missions, as it provides everything ! It's recommended for all Apollo fans.
The Apollo Lunar Surface Journals
The Apollo Lunar Surface Journals (LSJ) are exclusively dedicated to the moon activities.
Each LSJ contains an exhaustive list of the missions audio and video feeds, comments made by astronauts or other people involved after the mission, and a lot of links are provided too.
This is the source for a lot of official material concerning the lunar part of Apollo missions, as it provides everything ! It's recommended for all Apollo fans.
For some missions, there are also translated versions of the journals.
For example, all individual LSJ videos of Apollo 11 can be found here
As it's 2019 as of writing, so the 50th anniversary of Neil & Buzz first steps, more material will be restored, following for example the movie/documentary Apollo 11. Which I recommend to any Apollo 11 fan !
Each LSJ contains an exhaustive list of the missions audio and video feeds, comments made by astronauts or other people involved after the mission, and a lot of links are provided too.
This is the source for a lot of official material concerning the lunar part of Apollo missions, as it provides everything ! It's recommended for all Apollo fans.
For some missions, there are also translated versions of the journals.
For example, all individual LSJ videos of Apollo 11 can be found here
As it's 2019 as of writing, so the 50th anniversary of Neil & Buzz first steps, more material will be restored, following for example the movie/documentary Apollo 11. Which I recommend to any Apollo 11 fan !
Apollo 11 & 17 in real time
You can re-live the full missions in real-time ! Amazing websites containing the full journeys, from launch to landing, with videos, pictures, commentaries from the post-flight press conference, ...
It's on apolloinrealtime.org/11 and apollo17.org
It's on apolloinrealtime.org/11 and apollo17.org
Zi Moon
Google has a small website to discover all Apollo landing sites.
Use the zoom to discover a few photos and explanations about the missions.
Also, Google Maps works on the moon.
But no streetview here, just satellites/probes pictures, so only a few details can be seen : the LEMs, some scientific experiments (ALSEP, ...), and some of the Lunar Rover (LRV) traces in the regolith. "House Rock" is visible too.
Direct links to the landing sites with full zoom :
Use the zoom to discover a few photos and explanations about the missions.
Also, Google Maps works on the moon.
But no streetview here, just satellites/probes pictures, so only a few details can be seen : the LEMs, some scientific experiments (ALSEP, ...), and some of the Lunar Rover (LRV) traces in the regolith. "House Rock" is visible too.
Direct links to the landing sites with full zoom :
Apollo 11 : Mare Tranquilitatis
Apollo 12 : Oceanus Procellarum
Apollo 14 : Fra Mauro
Apollo 15 : Rima Hadley (Hadley Rille/Apennines)
Apollo 16 : Descartes
Apollo 17 : Taurus-Littrow
Try going from one site to another by de-zooming in-between, and you'll understand why it's impossible for ANY telescope to see the human traces on the moon from earth !
The Hi-Def images were obtained from lunar satellites which were flying not very high above the moon's surface, and yet you can barely see the LEM.
Apollo 12 : Oceanus Procellarum
Apollo 14 : Fra Mauro
Apollo 15 : Rima Hadley (Hadley Rille/Apennines)
Apollo 16 : Descartes
Apollo 17 : Taurus-Littrow
Try going from one site to another by de-zooming in-between, and you'll understand why it's impossible for ANY telescope to see the human traces on the moon from earth !
The Hi-Def images were obtained from lunar satellites which were flying not very high above the moon's surface, and yet you can barely see the LEM.
AGC and DSKEY (for Apollo/Space/IT nerds)
The AGC is the Apollo Guidance Computer, and the DSKEY (pronounced dis-key) is its DiSplay and KEYboard interface.
A lot of info and pictures are on the wiki article.
There's a video documentary about how the AGC has been thought : MIT Science Reporter - "Computer for Apollo" (1965)
I even found a kickstarter campaign to build your own DSKY !
AGC simulators :
A lot of info and pictures are on the wiki article.
There's a video documentary about how the AGC has been thought : MIT Science Reporter - "Computer for Apollo" (1965)
I even found a kickstarter campaign to build your own DSKY !
AGC simulators :
- A "simple" one, in javascript : http://svtsim.com/moonjs/agc.html (open the launch checklist aside to test a real Saturn-V launch).
- The most complete technical/IT information can be found here : Virtual AGC - AGS - LVDC - Gemini
May be of use when playing with those toys :- The most complete technical/IT information can be found here : Virtual AGC - AGS - LVDC - Gemini
Definition of Inertial Cartesian Coordinate System: on NASA website.
Definition of Two-line Element Set Coordinate System (aka TLE): on NASA website.
Definition of Two-line Element Set Coordinate System (aka TLE): on NASA website.
Exoplanets - Fermi paradox
Video found on the APOD site showing the exoplanets rate of discovery (1:13) from the 1st in 1992 to 2019.
[FR] Hubert Reeves quick answer on the Fermi paradox (5:53).
[FR] Hubert Reeves quick answer on the Fermi paradox (5:53).
Other links
Nasa web TV
Upcoming events: the spacewalks schedule is there.
Channels: public - education - media - iss (or there on ustream)
Alternate streams sources: public - education - media (m3u8 files, use VLC)
Channels: public - education - media - iss (or there on ustream)
Alternate streams sources: public - education - media (m3u8 files, use VLC)
Misc
APOD : Astronomy Picture of the Day, a NASA website featuring "each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer".
Week in images (ESA website): nice pictures with explanations.
Week in images (ESA website): nice pictures with explanations.