 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Bonn, Germany (SPX) Nov 05, 2010 Drops of orange juice that transform into cubes, astronauts sliding back and forth on a sled in zero gravity, repeated glimpses of the blue globe below. The images that reached Earth from the D1 Spacelab mission are spectacular even today. The first German mission, it was launched on 30 October 25 years ago from Cape Canaveral. Space Shuttle Challenger carried the European research laboratory, Spacelab, which looked like a gigantic metal can from the outside, packed full of technology on the inside. It was crewed by the astronauts Ernst Messerschmid, Reinhard Furrer and Wubbo Ockels, sent into orbit to perform almost 80 experiments in a state of weightlessness. This was the first time a non-US control centre had taken control of a Space Shuttle. At the German Space Operations Center, on the premises of what was then the German Institute of Aviation and Spaceflight Research and Development (Deutsche Forschungs- und Versuchsanstalt fur Luft- und Raumfahrt; DFVLR) in Oberpfaffenhofen, 80 scientists and engineers held the reins. Former astronaut Ernst Messerschmid returns to the Spacelab module he floated around in 25 years ago for this DLR webcast. With a firm grip, the 65-year old opens the shutter behind which the experiments were stored back then, explains why DLR and the European Space Agency could only conduct some experiments in a glovebox, and tells us how he communicated with the ground team. Fellow astronaut Ulf Merbold remained on the ground to keep in contact with his colleagues in space from within the German control centre. The mission lasted 7 days, 44 minutes and 51 seconds, with astronauts and scientists working in shifts around the clock. Messerschmid believes that this Spacelab mission continues to provide benefits even now. The experience gained has contributed significantly to the work on the International Space Station, he says.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links DLR webcast German Aerospace Center (DLR) Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News
Netherlands stops Shell's CO2 storage projectThe Hague (AFP) Nov 4, 2010 The Dutch government said Thursday it will not allow oil giant Shell to store millions of tonnes of arbon dioxide in a depleted gas reservoir under a small town, upholding the fears of townspeople. "The CO2 storage project in (the western town of) Barendrecht is not going ahead," the ministry of economy, agriculture, and environment said in a statement. A "total lack of local support" wa ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook
