Physics Buzz

The impact of the Apollo space program runs deep. Aside from the vast technological and scientific advancements it brought to life, footsteps on the moon left a legacy of hope, wonder, inspiration, and unity. The Apollo astronauts took humanity on a crazy journey of discovery. Now it seems that, even in death, Apollo astronauts are helping us prepare for future journeys that involve deep space travel. The emblem of the Apollo program. Image Credit:  NASA

Everyone's talking about The Martian , a nerdy novel (and soon-to-be film) about a stranded astronaut's self-reliance on Mars. The story is a whirlwind of adventure and its science is spot on. Unlike your typical superhero, the hero of this novel is equipped with scientific and practical know-how that allows him to (just) scrape through many disasters in the unforgiving Martian environment. More than any other story I've read, this book emphasizes the need for a broad scientific literacy that lies deeper than a Google search (no internet on Mars), as a matter of life and death. When I was a kid I thought that all I needed to do to be an astronaut was to become physically fit and learn some astronomy. After all, out in space they'd need an astronomer, right? I pored over the list of basic astronaut requirements , took up running, worried incessantly about my eyesight, and took my first astronomy course when I was 16. Ten years later, I have a PhD in astrophysics bu

In a heart-warming, ironic twist, a child’s book about a dog’s trip to the International Space Station is currently en route to that very place. Today, at 1:10 p.m. EST time a rocket, the first of eight commercial logistics deliveries launched by Orbital Sciences Corp. , fired up its rocket boosters and embarked on the roughly 260-mile trip to the ISS. Orb-1, as Orbital Sciences calls it, will resupply the ISS and its residents with experiments, spare parts, fresh fruit and more. Perhaps the most exciting of Orb-1’s cargo is a dog, named Max. Max is a one-of-kind, wildly intrepid Rottweiler who has a knack for space travel. In the Max Science Adventure book series for children, author Jeffrey Bennett has sent Max to multiple destinations throughout our Solar System including the ISS, Mars and Jupiter. Bennett based Max on his own Rottweiler who has passed but who lives on in Bennett's endearing stories. The International Space Station. Credit: NASA

Add “in space” to the end of any sentence and you create a completely different picture full of possibilities. For example, “drinking a glass of water” in space does not require the glass since you can simply suck a floating water blob out of the air. Astronaut and chemical engineer Don Pettit has conducted a number of engaging experiments in space during his off-duty time aboard the International Space Station, which the American Physical Society has captured in our 14-video series Science off the Sphere . Fans of Science off the Sphere are in luck. Today, APS released a bonus clip that includes never-before-shown footage of some of Pettit’s experiments, which show what everyday-life activities are like in space. From toying with a yo-yo to watching water dance to the bass vibrations of ZZ top tunes, Pettit offers an entertaining look at his spacey science hobbies that capture and inspire the imagination.

For those who spent the weekend tracking commentary on the sequester or, for that matter, the Snowquester , you may have missed the story of a huge 60-foot robot arm that grabbed a 1,200 pound suitcase flying by the International Space Station more or less 250 miles above Ukraine. International Space Station Expedition 34 crew captured SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with huge robotic arm.  Video Credit: NASA On Sunday morning at 5:31 am EST, the SpaceX Dragon capsule arrived at the International Space Station with its second delivery of scientific equipment. NASA's "flawless rendezvous" was the second resupply of the International Space Station by the commercial Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX).

When astronauts head up to the International Space Station for extended periods of time, they face a host of health dangers. In the microgravity environment of the ISS, bones and muscles weaken; radiation exposure increases; and swelling fluids give rise to "puffy" faces. Now there's a new likely danger to add to the list: deformed eyeballs.

Through an exclusive partnership with NASA, Physics Central is bringing you a series of educational videos from space. Hosted by astronaut Don Pettit, the videos demonstrate a number of fun microgravity experiments performed on the International Space Station. Known as Science Off The Sphere, the project will provide a new video — and new experiment — every one to two weeks. The second video, called "Bistro-nauts," has been released today. In the video, Pettit addresses the following question: How do astronauts drink in space? Don Pettit showcases his special cup for drinking coffee in microgravity.

With the Smithsonian ( @ReliveApollo11 ) tweeting the 40th anniversary of the Apollo11 mission and current space shuttle mission commander Mark Polansky ( @Astro_127 ) tweeting the crew's work on the International Space Station, no space nut these days can operate without a twitter account. Today NASA took the experiment one step further and held a tweetup. Part of the growing twitter lexicon this term refers to a real-life meetup for tweople (people on twitter, I'm led to believe). Usually this means a dozen or so people in a bar, but in the case of NASA followers, which broke 100,000 today, the auditorium at NASA headquarters did the trick today. A lucky 150 or so people flew in from as far away as Arizona, Vancouver, and even (wow!) Spain, crowded in, turned on their iPhones and laptops, and were treated to a good two hours with the crew of the STS-125 shuttle mission to make repairs to rejuvenate the Hubble space telescope. We've come a long way since the first TV

Here's the scene: the bride's wearing a futuristic wedding dress, a celebrity minister is performing the rites, and a small group of queasy-looking family members and friends are in attendance. Where are we, a Las Vegas rent-a-chapel? No, we're aboard G-FORCE ONE , the only commercial microgravity aircraft, and it's the world's first "weightless" wedding. Tomorrow about 24,000 feet in the air above Cape Canaveral, Florida, Erin Finnegan and Noah Fulmor will tie the knot in the presence of seven guests and space tourist Richard Garriott while experiencing free-fall on the "Vomit Comet." Cake will not be served. There have been some great posts on this blog in the past on the many misconceptions people have about experiencing weightlessness. No, astronauts at the International Space Station don't float because they're far from the surface of the earth ; gravity's influence on them is only reduced by about five percent . So simply