The 1980’s was an amazing time for computer technology – this was the time frame the concept of the microcomputer came into its own, bringing the ability to own a fully functional computer system into the average home. Computers however are strange machines, compared to what we normally have around our houses. Everything else we […]
Yesterday, June 22nd, marked the 45th anniversary of the end of the Skylab 2 mission, a 28 day stay on America’s first (and so far, only) space station. As I covered extensively in May, Skylab was heavily damaged during its launch, and the Skylab 2 mission had to be delayed for 10 days while a […]
Here’s another classic bit of rocket launch footage that I thought would be cool to share; the launch of the Gemini 10 Agena Target Vehicle on an Atlas-D booster. One of the goals of project Gemini was docking with, and working in relation to, a target vehicle in Earth orbit. The Agena Target Vehicle served, […]
I apologize that I don’t have more time to go into this in this article, but I wanted to throw this out there quickly enough for what it’s worth to other bloggers and those interested in the subject. Last year Photobucket began charging for the ability to hotlink images – something bloggers have been using […]
The first manned mission to Skylab launched on May 25th 1973, carrying astronauts Pete Conrad, Joe Kerwin, and Paul Weitz on a planned 28 day stay on the United States first space station. The first thing the crew would need to do, however, was make Skylab livable. Skylab was heavily damaged during its launch on […]
On May 25th, 1973, the first manned mission to the United States first space station, Skylab, launched from Launch Complex 39-B at Kennedy Space Center. Originally scheduled to launch 10 days earlier, on May 15th, the launch was delayed when it was discovered that Skylab had suffered major damage on its way to orbit; the […]
No, seriously, I didn’t have anything prepared for today, but wanted to get out an article, so, I thought I would share this – one of the best photos I’ve ever seen of my favorite satellite launch vehicle ever, the Titan IV. In this case, a Titan IV-B. This is the same type of vehicle […]
For 10 days in May of 1973, the world waited as NASA worked hard to prepare a fix to the damaged Skylab space station. Based on the information available, they knew what kind of damage had happened to the station during launch, but without being up there to see it, no one knew quite for […]
When the United States first space station, Skylab, was launched on May 14th, 1973, it suffered major damage – the micro meteoroid shield intended to protect the station from space debris and the heat of the Sun was torn off, causing temperatures in the station to rise far beyond what the vehicle was designed for. […]
When Skylab launched on May 14th, 1973 things looked good from the ground. The Saturn V 1st stage ignited, and like the Apollo launches before it, the vehicle began its flight – Americas first space station was off to what looked like a perfect beginning to its mission. After about 50 seconds or so the […]
45 years ago today, the final Saturn V to fly launched from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, carrying on it the first (and only) space station for the United States: Skylab (often stylized as “SkyLab”) I absolutely love Skylab. The station itself, how it came to be, and the dramatic story of its […]
Computers first and foremost are tools to do work. Sometimes, you need to do work “on the go” and if your work involves a computer, you would need a computer that can be just as “on the go” as your work needs – a “portable computer.” Most of the computers in the world today are […]
This is it – the final episode of the 1983 TV Ontario series “Bits and Bytes.” It’s been 11 episodes introducing the basic concepts of computer usage in 1983. This is an interesting one – it focuses on the future of computing, both logistically and practically. Things like people sitting for far too long at […]
Those of you who are fans of vintage technology will certainly have at least heard of LaserDisc, a video format very similar yet oh so different to CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, and the like – formats we well know today. In fact, LaserDisc was the predecessor to optical disc formats. Yep, they all got their start […]
Today marks 32 years since the explosion at Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station in the Ukraine. While there isn’t too much to say today that I haven’t said in many previous articles on the disaster, I do have a few things to share. EDIT 6/13/2019: Wow, this entry is getting rather popular. […]