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Progress is not permanent: from Concorde and Apollo to ancient machines, human capabilities vanish when industries, skills and institutions stop sustaining them.
Space History
18posts
From Apollo’s 20-Watt Radio to Modern Milliwatt Signals: The Evolution of Space Communication
From Apollo’s radios to modern weak-signal techniques, space communication is a story of doing more with less power.
“Try SCE to AUX”: three words to save a Moon mission
The famous Apollo 12 call shows how obscure switches, calm expertise, and memory can save a mission in seconds.
Duct Tape and Determination: Ed Smylie’s Apollo 13 Heroics
Ed Smylie’s Apollo 13 fix is a reminder that survival in space can depend on ordinary materials and extraordinary thinking.
The Lunar Rover: Driving on the Moon's Surface
The lunar rover turned walking distance into exploration range, changing what astronauts could actually do on the Moon.
The Curious Tale of Fritz Lang and the Rocket Countdown: When Hollywood Meets Rocket Science
The rocket countdown owes more to cinema than many realize, blending dramatic timing with real launch discipline.
Heinz Haber: The Man Who Made Science Accessible to All Ages
Heinz Haber helped make science feel accessible, visual, and exciting for audiences far beyond the laboratory.
Tape in Space: Apollo's Duct Tape Chronicles & The Strut Saga
Apollo’s duct-tape fixes show how improvised materials can become mission-critical technology when options run out.
From Fiction to Reality: What Jules Verne Got Right (and Wrong) About Moon Travel
Jules Verne’s Moon voyage was wildly wrong in places and surprisingly insightful in others.
The Surprising Collection of Apollo 11's Moon Leftovers
Apollo 11 left more on the Moon than footprints, and those objects tell a surprisingly human story.
Why NASA Loves Acronyms: The Secret Language of Space Geeks
NASA’s acronym culture looks comic from outside, but it reflects a world built from systems, teams, and shorthand.
Carl Sagan: The Visionary Voice on Climate Change and the Legacy of the "Pale Blue Dot"
Carl Sagan’s climate warnings and cosmic perspective still challenge how we think about Earth’s fragility.
The Cheeky Lunar Surprise: When Playboy Met Apollo 12!
Apollo 12’s hidden Playboy joke reveals the informal human humor tucked inside one of history’s most serious programs.
Rapid Unscheduled Disassemblies (RUDs): A Historical Perspective on Space Exploration
Rapid unscheduled disassembly sounds comic, but it captures a long history of learning through violent hardware lessons.
The Gemini 5 Controversy: Public Perception and the Funding of Space Exploration
Gemini 5 shows how public patience, political funding, and technical milestones can collide in human spaceflight.
Casting Shadows on Time: Unraveling the Secrets of Sundials and Crafting Your Own
Sundials turn sunlight into time, linking simple craft with astronomy, history, and everyday observation.
The Evolution of Computers in Space: A Journey from Apollo to Now
Space computers have evolved from Apollo-era constraints to modern autonomy, but reliability remains the central demand.
Rocket Engines, Acoustics, and the Resonance of Launch
Rocket launches are acoustic events as much as mechanical ones, and vibration can be a serious engineering enemy.