Free Republic

On April 14th, 1970, a new crater was carved into the surface of the Moon: How do we know it’s new? Because we made it. That’s the impact scar of the third stage of the Saturn V rocket (technically designated S-IVB) that carried Apollo 13 to — but sadly, not on — the Moon. Earlier missions had placed seismic instruments on the lunar surface to measure if the Moon had any activity. They found it did, and in fact several moonquakes were big enough that had you been standing there, you would have felt them quite strongly (and probably been...

The History Channel is showing the Tom Hanks movie, Apollo 13. How many of you know ANYTHING about the Apollo missions? How many men walked on the Moon? How many circled it? How many have gone twice? How many who have gone are still alive? When Teddy Kennedy can answer these questions (without a cheat sheet from an aid) I'll listen to him about education policy, particularly regarding "our position in science in the world."

Rona, the wife of astronaut Col. Ilan Ramon, told Israeli reporters in Houston on Sunday night that she didn't have any particular premonitions of disaster while waiting for her husbands return. But she recalls now that during the launch, when everyone was on a high because it was so successful, her daughter, Noa, 5, cried out, " 'I lost my daddy.' It turns out that she knew." Speaking after family members arrived from Israel to comfort her, she called on NASA to continue its space program. Wearing dark sunglasses and a blue blouse with a space shuttle logo, she said...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Nov. 9 — It was bad enough when a medical problem sidelined one astronaut, but then a back injury forced another off space shuttle Endeavour's upcoming flight, sending shock waves through the crew. Not since Apollo 13 had a career astronaut, let alone two, been bumped from an impending U.S. space shot because of health concerns."We were joking a lot about being Number 113," said Kenneth Bowersox, who at last check was still fit for Monday's launch and a lengthy space station stay. He suggested, during lighter moments, changing the mission's STS-113 designation.For the record, Endeavour's flight...