History was made 49 years ago today, when the first humans set foot on the Moon during Apollo 11. Watched live on television by a worldwide audience, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin went where no one had gone before.
On July 16, 1969, the huge, 363-feet tall Saturn V rocket launches on the Apollo 11 mission from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, at 9:32 a.m. EDT. Onboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft are astronauts Neil A. Armstrong – commander, Michael Collins – command module pilot and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr (Buzz Aldrin) – lunar module pilot. Apollo 11 was the United States first lunar landing mission. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the Lunar Module “Eagle” to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Collins remained with the Command and Service Modules “Columbia” in lunar orbit.
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin spent 21 hours, 36 minutes on the moon’s surface.
MajorTim.space have been invited to attend Bluedot Festival 2018 on Saturday 21st July as press!
We will be posting live updates throughout the day on Twitter and Facebook.
Star guests this year include – Jim Al-Khalili, Dallas Campbell, Libby Jackson, Chris Lintott, Tamsin Edwards, Robin Ince, Tim O’Brien and Teresa Anderson!
Keep an eye out for us – stop and say hello!
In the week following the festival we will be posting our review – keep checking back to read it.
69 years ago yesterday (16.07.18), Apollo 11 launched carrying Neil Armstong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins to the Moon!
Photo source – NASAPhoto source – Wikipedia
On July 16, 1969, the huge, 363-feet tall Saturn V rocket launches on the Apollo 11 mission from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, at 9:32 a.m. EDT. Onboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft are astronauts Neil A. Armstrong – commander, Michael Collins – command module pilot and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr – lunar module pilot. Apollo 11 was the United States first lunar landing mission. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the Lunar Module “Eagle” to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Collins remained with the Command and Service Modules “Columbia” in lunar orbit.
We had a great time running our drop-in ‘Be Mystified – The Forces of Science!’ workshops and some friction activities at Techniquest Glyndwr’s Fun Day, in Wrexham yesterday (30th June 2018)!
We were celebrating Asteroid Day with two different drop-in activities and some friction challenges:
Be Mystified – The Forces of Science!
Visitors made Hoop Gliders and Thaumatropes, while learning the science behind them!
Plus, we had some friction challenges that got them thinking!
The event was held in the old TJ Hughes building, in Wrexham!
The event coincides with each of the monthly Wrexham Street Festivals that now take place on the last Saturday of the month in the town centre.
We thoroughly enjoyed exhibiting again at the Fun Day!
We will be running our drop-in ‘Be Mystified – The Forces of Science!’ workshops and some friction activities at Techniquest Glyndwr’s Fun Day, in Wrexham this Saturday (30th June 2018)!
This month at the Techniquest Fun event we are celebrating Asteroid Day!
We will be running two different drop-in activities and some friction challenges:
Be Mystified – The Forces of Science!
Make a Hoop Glider and a Thaumatrope, while learning the science behind them – Both of which you can take away with you!
Plus, we have some friction challenges that will get you thinking!
The event will be held in the old TJ Hughes building, in Wrexham!
From 11am until 5pm Techniquest Glyndwr will be opening the doors again to the public to this major building in the town centre situated between Chester Street and Henblas Square.
The event coincides with each of the monthly Wrexham Street Festivals that now take place on the last Saturday of the month in the town centre.
Our drop-in ‘Be Mystified – The Forces of Science!’ workshops are always extremely popular!
We had a great time running our drop-in workshops in the Discovery Zone (Town Hall) at Cheltenham Science Festival on the 9th and 10th June 2018 (Family Fun Days)!
We were running 3 different drop-in activities and some friction challenges:
Be Mystified – The Forces of Science!
Visitors to our stand built their own mini Hovercraft, made Hoop Gliders and Thaumatropes, while learning the science behind them!
Plus, we had some friction challenges that got them thinking!
Special guest speakers at the event included – Dallas Campbell, Roma Agrawal, Greg Foot, Jim-Al-Khalili, Tamsin Edwards, Maddie Moate, Alice Roberts, Hannah Fry, Adam Rutherford, Robin Ince, Stefan Gates and Quentin Cooper – plus many more!
On this day (18 June 2018) 2 years ago in 2016 – Tim Peake returned to Earth with cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko & NASA astronaut Tim Kopra after his 6 month Principia mission!
He described the journey back as “the best ride I’ve been on ever”, adding: “The smells of Earth are just so strong”.
Tim Peake of the European Space Agency (left), Yuri Malenchenko of Roscosmos (centre) and Tim Kopra of NASA sit in chairs outside the Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft just minutes after they landed in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Saturday 18th June 2016. Photo Source – (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Children have been inspired by his Principia Mission – in a way that they may not have been interested in space especially from a scientific or mathematical point of view, but have been drawn in through a number of different ways, such as competitions, challenges and experiments!
Principia was the eighth long duration mission for an ESA astronaut and was named after Isaac Newton’s ground-breaking text on physics, Principia Mathematica Philosophiae Naturalis, describing the principal laws of motion and gravity physics.
Education and inspiring youngsters was a core element of the Principia mission. Tim was determined to make Principia an exciting adventure for the younger generation. As an ambassador for science and space based careers, he had an intensive programme to inspire children during his stay in space.
On this day (16th June 2018) 55 years ago in 1963 – Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space.
Valentina Tereshkova remains the only woman ever to have flown a solo space mission!
Valentina Tereshkova before her mission! Source – Roscosmos
Interested in parachuting from a young age, Tereshkova began skydiving at a local flying club, making her first jump at the age of 22 in May 1959. At the time of her selection as a cosmonaut, she was working as a textile worker in a local factory.
After the first human spaceflight by Yuri Gagarin, the selection of female cosmonaut trainees was authorised by the Soviet government, with the aim of ensuring the first woman in space was a Soviet citizen.
On 16 February 1962, out of more than 400 applicants, five women were selected to join the cosmonaut corps: Tatyana Kuznetsova, Irina Solovyova, Zhanna Yorkina, Valentina Ponomaryova and Valentina Tereshkova. The group spent several months in training, which included weightless flights, isolation tests, centrifuge tests, 120 parachute jumps and pilot training in jet aircraft.
Four candidates passed the final examinations in November 1962, after which they were commissioned as lieutenants in the Soviet air force (meaning Tereshkova also became the first civilian to fly in space, since technically these were only honorary ranks).
Originally a joint mission was planned that would see two women launched on solo Vostok flights on consecutive days in March or April 1963. Tereshkova, Solovyova and Ponomaryova were the leading candidates. It was intended that Tereshkova would be launched first in Vostok 5, with Ponomaryova following her in Vostok 6.
However, this plan was changed in March 1963: Vostok 5 would carry a male cosmonaut, Valeri Bykovsky, flying the mission with a woman in Vostok 6 in June. The Russian space authorities nominated Tereshkova to make the joint flight.
Her daughter Elena, was the first child born to parents who had both been in space.
First Man – the riveting story of NASA’s mission to land a man on the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the years 1961-1969. A visceral, first-person account, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the movie will explore the sacrifices and the cost – on Armstrong and on the nation – of one of the most dangerous missions in history.
The official trailer has been released, watch it below –
We had a great time running our drop-in ‘build your own balloon car’ workshops and a quiz with prizes (including MajorTim.space Anniversary badges) at Techniquest Glyndwr’s Fun Day, in Wrexham on the 26th May 2018!
The event was held in the old TJ Hughes building, in Wrexham!
We had many visitors to our stand who had fun learning about astronomy, Newton’s Third Law of Motion and friction!
The event coincides with each of the monthly Wrexham Street Festivals that now take place on the last Saturday of the month in the town centre.
