I'm probably not the only person who can hardly believe that 2017 is already over and that we're now in 2018. Today though, most of my colleagues here at the European Space Agency were back at work and another year is underway. Seeing as 2017 has been another exciting year for the space scene, I thought it would be appropriate to do a short summary of the year, and do a recap of the highlights from each month of 2017.
I hope you'll enjoy!
January
The Saturn probe Cassini began the end of its 12-year long mission orbiting Saturn. The final phase of the mission had Cassini fly in between Saturn and its rings, something no other space probe had ever done before. During this stage, Cassini sent back new data that had previously not been accessible before aiming to make a controlled crash landing later in 2017.
Artist's impression of Cassini at Saturn as it enters below its rings
Image credit: NASA/JPL source
In Europe, we saw the successful launch of SmallGEO. The satellite is Europe’s response to a new market demand for more flexible and modular telecommunications platform. It was also a significant achievement for European industry, as it marked the first commercial telecommunications satellite built predominantly by the satellite manufacturing company OHB System AG.
Launch of SmallGEO on a Soyuz rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana January 28
image source
February
The biggest highlight of the month in terms of setting records and pushing barriers, was when India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) deployed no less than 104 satellites with one launch on February the 14. This was a new record for the number of satellites deployed with the same launch. It was a proud moment for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) who operated the launch. It was also a huge success for the American Earth Observation Satellite company Planet who could add 90 new satellites to their constellation with the launch. To me, this was a very powerful demonstration of where we are going in enabling cheaper and more efficient access to space also for smaller payloads.
People watch as India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C37) carrying 104 satellites in a single mission lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India February 15, 2017. (Reuters | Manila Bulletin)
image source
For the exoplanets enthusiasts out there, the biggest news of the month was certainly when NASA revealed that they had discovered the first known system of seven Earth-size planets around a single star. From the information released at the time, it was deemed possible that all of the planets could have liquid water, a key factor when determining the likelihood of finding life.
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory video: "A Treasure Trove of Planets Found"
March
One of the scientific highlights of the year was when ESA's research satellite Swarm finished mapped all magnetism in the Earth's outermost layers. The data will provide scientists with a wealth of new data to learn more about the magnetic field, which occurs because of processes deep in the Earth's interior. You can read more about the discovery and also find more information about the mission on ESA's dedicated info page about Swarm here.
Artist's impression of the Swarm satellites image source
March also saw the launch of the European Sentinel-2B imaging satellite of the Copernicus program. The two sentinel 2 satellites are the optical imaging satellites in the Sentinel constellation which is newest and most ambitious Earth Observation program in Europe. You can still watch the launch on ESA's website here.
Digital illustration of the Sentinel 2 Satellites
image source
Those of you who enjoy my Beautiful satellite images of our Planet series may find it interesting to know that it is images from these satellites that I predominantly use in the series. Adding Sentinel 2B now means that we receive a new image of the same point on the ground twice as frequently as before, opening the space for new applications using the data.
April
This month, Peggy Whitson set a new record to become the American astronaut who has spent the most cumulative time in space at 534 days total. She has also set records prior to that, when in 2008 she became the first woman to command the International Space Station.
American Astronaut Peggy Whitson onboard the International Space Station Image credit: NASA, image source
May
The NASA James Webb Telescope was finally fully assembled and completed its last test held at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The giant space-based telescope set to replace the Hubble Space Telescope in 2019 will spend 2018 at the Johnson Space Center in Houston where it will further tested in extreme temperatures before its long sought launch in mid 2019.
A view of the James Webb Space Telescope image credit: NASA
image source
June
SpaceX successfully launches BulgariaSat-1, making it the first satellite fully operated by Bulgaria. The first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket used for the launch went on to successfully land, as you can see in the video below. Bulgariasat went on to win the 2017 award for "Newcomer Satellite Operator of the Year" (source)
SpaceX successful launch of BulgariaSat-1 followed by the landing of the Falcon 9's first stage
It was a very positive day for those of us who wish to see space becoming increasingly accessible and benefiting for all.
July
Adding to the list of private companies aiming to return us to the moon, Astrobotic Technology Inc unveiled a contract with United Launch Alliance to use their Atlas 5 rocket to send their Peregrine lander to the lunar surface in 2019. The company will aim to send smaller payloads of around 35 kilograms to the lunar surface, a sufficient size for many science experiments.
Illustration of the lunar lander that Astrobotic aims to land on the Moon in 2019
image credit: Astrobotic
Images taken by the JunoCam imager aboard the Juno spacecraft are processed and shared by amateur astronomers and space enthusiasts around the world. The Juno spacecraft is the first mission to also carry an instrument intended purely for public outreach. Only in June did it become truly well known following a series of stunning images processed and shared by Seán Doran, such as the one below.
Processed image of Jupiter using the publically available data from the JunoCam onboard NASA's Juno spacecraft
image credit NASA/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt/Seán Doran
August
August 17 was a huge day not only for Astromers but also for the fundamental sciences in general. Then, astronomers made the first-ever observation of a cosmic event using both light and gravitational waves. Using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and advanced Virgo observatories on Earth, the Astronomers could detect the gravitational ripples from when two neutron stars spiraled toward each other and fused together some 130 million years ago.
Illustration of the colliding neutron stars image source
September
The biggest event this month was certainly the grand finale of the Cassini mission. After 13 years of researching Saturn and its moons, the spacecraft made its final dive into the atmosphere of the giant ring planet on September 15. You c an read more about it's mission and see some of its stunning images in the post I wrote about it on the day called Ode to Cassini.
Illustration of the grand finale of the Cassini spacecraft as it plunges down towards Saturn image credit: NASA/JPL image source
Later in September, the International Astronautical Congress (IAC), was held in Australia. Here, Elon Musk presented his vision for using SpaceX's future rocket dubbed "BFR" to perform "Earth to Earth" transportation. The talk got a lot of public attention and the idea of using vertical rockets for people transportation between different points on Earth was heavily discussed in the days that followed.
Earth to Earth Transportation video by SpaceX
October
An odd shaped Asteroid was discovered that captures a lot of headlines perhaps thanks to its shape resembling that of a large spaceship. Astronomers suggest that the asteroid must have originated from another star, thus making it the first confirmed interstellar asteroid to have entered our solar system in modern times.
Artist’s concept of interstellar asteroid 1I/2017 U1 (‘Oumuamua)
image credit: European Southern Observatory / M. Kornmesser
The new Sentinel-5P environmental satellite was also launched this month. This satellite is also part of the Sentinel programme mentioned earlier, but the Sentinel 5 occupies a higher orbit and carries different instruments designed to measure air pollution and air quality worldwide.
Digital illustration of Sentinel 5P image credit ESA _image source
It will be used both to help improve environmental quality in cities, but also in research on climate and its connection with pollutants.
November
Astronauts Paolo Nespoli and Randy Bresnik Some took this stunning image of the Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo ship as it delivered new supplies for the astronauts on the station together with new research payloads. The new science experiments brought to the ISS will study how the space environment and microgravity affect microbiology and botany. This includes the effectiveness of antibiotics on astronauts, as well as how plants absorb nutrients in microgravity.
The Cygnus spacecraft as it is picked up by Canadarm at the International Space Station
picture taken by astronauts Paolo Nespoli and Randy Bresnik
image source
December
On December 12, 2017, four new Galileo satellites were launched adding to the fleet of European navigation satellites. Once the satellites were fully operational, tests could show that Galileo is now more accurate than GPS. Applications using both systems, however, can achieve even higher levels of precision and update frequency, something that will become increasingly noticable in 2018 when the Galileo constallation is expected to be complete.
Artists impression of a Galileo satellite in Orbit. Image credit ESA
In America, the year ended with President Donald Trump signing a new US space directive, named Space Policy Directive-1. It states that America will again commit itself to returning to the Moon, this time in both corporate and international collaboration. Exactly how Mr. Trump imagines that NASA will make it back to the Moon with his current budget is however unknown to most in the sector...
Donald Trump putting pen to paper for a new directive for NASA
image source
Note: I wish this was also just an artist's impression
And that's it!
Do you have any other memories fromwhat happened in space in 2017 that you would like to discuss? Let me know in the comments!
Want to discover more science and technology related content on Steemit? Follow @steemSTEM to see a weekly selection of quality science posts, as well as STEM-related contests. Are you interested in writing posts on related topics yourself? Make sure to join the steemSTEM channel on steemit.chat to engage with other scientists on steemit!
As always, take care and steem on!
I love 2017 space highlights Fredrikaa! I wish Trump would allocate just 1% of the military budget to NASA and others to fund space exploration. That alone would be enough to keep a moon base running within the next 10 years!
Thanks for the positive feedback! Yeah, that's what all of us who are young and working in the space sector have been thinking/saying too. "Where would we be if X% that was spent on wars would instead be used on space exploration?"
Perhaps Crypto can have some influence here. As more money leaves the old system, people will perhaps choose differently. Maybe then we'll see new collaboration projects to fund exploration. After people have bought their lambos, of course.
SpaceXcoin? ;)
This is the one of the amazing information, oh......how I love science fiction
WOW!!! What a brilliant post, thank you so very much for all this quality, great information, superb photography and artists renditions!
I have always been a huge fan of astronomy and your article is totally delectable. Thank you so very much.
Upvoted, resteemed and shared!
Namaste :)
Thanks a lot for the positive feedback Eric!
Yes, what is there not to love about astronomy? On a day to day basis, it is easy to forget how amazing the Universe really is, until you look up!
Thanks a lot for the resteem and shares!
I am also a fan of astronomy, but it saddens me to know I would never be one 💔. But I hope to be a part of the science revolution of the 21st century... 💕
I found your post from Eric's resteem :)
Some amazing times we are moving into @fredrikaa. 2018 will be even better! Im not sure if you have heard of Naveen Jain and what he is doing with Moon Express. They are planning a launch this year and it is a very exciting and ambitious project that can potentially have a huge impact on humanity here on Earth.
"On July 20, 2016, Moon Express became the first company to receive U.S. government approval to send a robotic spacecraft beyond traditional Earth orbit and to the Moon. This was the first time in history that any government signatory to the Outer Space Treaty exercised its rights and obligations to formally authorize and supervise a commercial entity to fly a mission beyond Earth orbit. This historic ruling is a breakthrough U.S. policy decision supporting our commercial lunar exploration and discovery and heralding a new era of expanding space enterprise. " - Source: www.moonexpress.com
Yes I agree. It is a very interesting paradigm shift we're seeing where suddenly it is commercial interests that are pushing the Space Agencies for better and quicker access to space as they have so many different projects they would aim to carry out.
And I'm very familiar with Moon Express.The other co-founder Bob Richards who previously co-founded the International Space University where I went back in 2012. I had the pleasure of speaking with him then and have been following their progress closely as he is in my circle of connections here and there.
I had hoped that they would make it to the moon already last year with the Google Lunar Xprize. But it turned out that their launch provider Rocket Labs, although impressing with their first test launch were still overpromising how soon they would be able to provide a launch to the moon.
But I have my fingers crossed for them big time and would love to also contribute to their mission one day.
Great things yet unseen await us in 2018. Please I will love a link on this "Naveen Jain and what he is doing with Moon Express. " I want to know what the project is all about
He was on tai Lopex and he said to THINK BIG he wats to go to the moon with drones to get moonrocks polish them as diamonds to sel as BTETER than Diamonds! why give her diamonds when you an give her THE MOO such a cool marketing idea and fuck yeah moon rings would be WAY better than diamonds fuck yeah!
Thanks I appreciate. @thejohalfiles
Please I will love you to check out my post on the beauty of nature. I'm a photographer
https://steemit.com/photography/@xtel/beautiful-view
Really a good videoband informative post for me .i viewed it for the first time in my life. @thejohalfiles
I have made a post for you if u dont mind please a visit on that
https://steemit.com/text-editing/@bitcoinist/editing-for-the-johal-files
@thejohalfiles
This guy is amazing. Watched another video of him while writing one of my post. These people can think insane. Beyond our imagination
@xtel here is a good video where he talks about Moon Express.
Really a good videoband informative post for me .i viewed it for the first time in my life. @thejohalfiles
I have made a post for you if u dont mind please a visit on that
https://steemit.com/text-editing/@bitcoinist/editing-for-the-johal-files
@thejohalfiles
What's going to the Moon this year is Steem!!! fingerscrossed
The Moon is not 384k km away as we are told, so we might be able to visit it closer.
But Space Exploration is just a Sci-Fi movie and deception.
Finally something we can agree on ;)
Even amateur radio operators measure the distance to the moon all the time! If you found a local ham operator enthusiast with the setup, perhaps you could ask him to show you how to measure the distance to the moon that anyone can do themselves! It's really cool.
http://moonbouncers.org/
You can also measure the distance to the moon through parallax. Anyone can measure the distance to the moon. And we know it HAS to be very very far away because of the parallax. The moon's size would have to change drastically if it were close. But it doesn't. Parallax says it all.
https://phys.org/news/2014-05-distance-moon.html
Admittedly I've not researched the Moon's distance enough.
If the Moon is indeed so distant in Space, then noone will be exploring or visiting it.
Or will only be "visited" the way NASA did, which means through deception and CGI.
And is not just NASA faking it. All moon landings so far have been faked.
Commercial flights into Space will probably use VR screens (augmented windows) to fool passengers, and explains why it has taken so long (half a century!) for Commercial Space Exploration to even commence. They first needed this VR technology to be ready:
"Admittedly I've not researched the Moon's distance enough."
Or how we know the earth is round since we've known it's been round for over 2000 years with simple observations anyone can make, even without a telescope in most cases, although that helps with some of the thousands of observations on how we know it's a spheroid.
Whatever you believe about space, the earth is easily proven to be round, and easily proven NOT to be flat. Just as our ancestors have understood for thousands of years now, based on simple observations.
Please stop confusing the two things. REGARDLESS of whether space travel is fake or not, the earth is EASILY determined to be a sphere. I honestly have no idea how these two different issues have become so mixed up in the minds of people.
To say "NASA is lying, so the earth must be flat" is an argument from SHEER and utter ignorance of how we know the earth is a globe. We know it by thousands of easy and simple observations anyone can make, not because of NASA.
If you actually are a truth seeker, I suggest you join a local astronomy club, after they pick themselves up off the floor after laughing that you believe the earth is flat, any one of them will be able to SHOW YOU in hundreds of ways you can see for yourself that the earth is demonstrably a sphere.
How am I 1000000% sure there is no conspiracy to hide a flat earth? You can purchase basically any grade of telescope your heart desires. NASA can't hide the night sky, and the night sky tells us in thousands upon thousands of ways that the earth is round.
I am still waiting for a good explanation for why vertical buildings/structures cast their shadows at the exact angles you would predict, at different places around the world and at different times of the day, when assuming that the Earth is round and that the Sun circles around it.
@Lavater I suggest you google Eratosthenes, and then also read the different experiments done, not just by him, but by people in every part of the world.
You may want to start here:
https://www.scientificamercican.com/article/measure-earths-circumference-with-a-shadow/
I enjoy this conversation as long as it is open-minded and driven by a desire to know more, and not just hold onto existing beliefs.
Very interesting. I thought Tesla's company SpaceX was doing that also.
Are you also inclined in this field, because I am fascinated with the progress science is making, and I hope to be a big part of the revolution
This is hilarious! I wonder how you think your cell phone works.
The flat earthers are big proponents of magic. Thus, cell phones work by magic.
Ahh, well that explains everything. Now I no longer have to think critically. If something doesn't make sense to me I know it's just magic.
Yep. They claim to be the only 'critical thinkers' yet they use crayon logic and 'because god' and 'because I believe my eyes'.
transatlantic cables and short wave transmission. Why do you think satalite phones are notorious for not working in the mountains?
Because telecommunications satellites usually use a geostationary orbit, meaning an orbit where they will stay above the same point on the ground continuously as their orbit height makes their speed match the rotation speed of the Earth and so they stay fixated above the same point and may thus always connect to the same receiver on the ground. Because of that, they work poorly in the mountains where if a mountain intercepts the direct path between the satellite and the receiver, there will be no connectivity.
However, there are low earth constellations of communication satellites too such as those provided by Iridium. You can see their illustration below:
These satellites always have a direct link to one another, as there is nothing in space to break the direct link between the satellites closest to one another. With these, even if you're down in a valley, you can rely on having a link to at least one satellite at any given time (or at least within just a few minutes if the valley is really narrow). With their phones, which are used by mountain search and rescue organisations for instance, will have connectivity where your mobile phone does not. You can even buy their phones here and try it out yourself if you want to run an expensive experiment...
earth is flat. There are no satalites. Any other information is false. We cannit get passed the van allen radiation belt. The earth plane is flat. Use your common sense. Dont believe the globe retards
You are not providing any arguments, just asserting your beliefs. I am not believing the Earth is round because someone told me, but because I (and many others) can and have carried out our own experiments that proves it.
I currently work at the European Space Agency and have been involved in the space sector now for almost 6 years. I have been part of more satellite and ISS cargo launches than I can count. Every time, you I can watch the launch, see the trajectory and direction, observe the speed of the launch vehicle and its geo position, and observe how it connects to different ground stations around the world as it travels. You see, we have different ground stations scattered from close to the North pole at Svalbard, down to the south pole as well as all along the equator in order to have a continuous link with the launch vehicles during launch and the deployed satellites. I can then see how the signal is received at one ground stations as the vehicle gets within a certain range of it, and how it then later disappears after it has passed by, only to reappear after it has travelled the distance equivalent to an orbit. You can even do the math once you know both the altitude of the vehicle, and the distance at which it received a link with a given ground station, to calculate the curvature. This is undeniable proof of a round earth. How else could you fire a rocket in one direction and have it reappear over your head? How else would you explain why we need ground stations all around the world, and how they receive signals from a launched vehicle in the exact order, and at the exact times, you would predict based on assuming that the Earth is round and has a diameter and curvature that our models suggest? You can’t.
I can only suggest that you spend more time reading and educating yourself and less time watching conspiracy theories on YouTube. You’re far too young to let a bunch of jobless losers without a job in some poorly crafter YouTube videos influence your thinking to such an extreme extent.
One of the posts that I re-steem to my FB profile.
Just the perfectly written review. It's also a beautiful example how the real knowledge and passion trace its way to the public.
When I was a kid, we grew listening the stories told by Milivoj Jugin who was able to speak about space wonders for hours and we simply wanted more. This reminds me of him.
Thank you for one of the best compliments I could have asked for with that comparison. :)
Also happy to hear that I have made something that was worth sharing also outside of steemit, we need more articles to be shared on different platforms for steemit to grow.
Yes, I try my best to let whatever are the stories that catch my interest, that makes me stop and think about where we are going, or can go, in the space, and let that be the content I share. Will try to make more short reviews that contain a very short explanation together with my personal view.
Again thank you for the comment! See you around on steemit.
WOW cool, I just know there is complete space news along with pictures like this, as far as I know only the photos are circulating on the internet. no explanation is really clear. thank you for opening my knowledge window. I will do the upvoting, resteeming and following
Thank you for the great comment and feedback.
Yes, I try my very best to communicate on stories that I find interesting myself in a way that is both easily understandable but still educating. I'm very glad you learned something new and enjoyed it :)
Welcome to steemit too!
@fredrikaa ... That was amazing.
Such a breeze to read my friend. Quite an extraordinary life you have going on there. I have to say that you are way to kind for helping me the past week.. I see you have way more important things to do than that.
What a man. 😊
t.
Wow ! Both the article and comment has really amazed me at how much knowledge and wealth of human resources we have here.
Go Steemians.
WOW!!! Amazing post and great information!!
I think you have not forgotten anything.
im huge fan of Astrophysics, i will resteem your post.
Wow there you go. Didn't realize so much happened in 2017 in the space arena. Only one getting coverage is Musk from what I see.
LOL meme material right here
Its like hes pinching that guys cheek
ahha i made this for you @contentjunkie
Incredible post, I was quite surprised you managed to capture some bits of news that I haven't knew about such as record set by the ISRO, keep on posting more of this content. Since you managed to capture my attention I will be upvoting, resteeming and following :D
Hi, I found some acronyms/abbreviations in this post. This is how they expand:
I might need to add a handbook to future posts O.o
How can I have a profile banner for mobile devices and pc at the same time, like @fredrikaa?
Sorry, if the question is on the wrong place..
maybe I will start following you, so I can benefit from the handbooks.
First day on Steem and this is absolute quality. Great article.
Welcome to steemit!
I'm very happy to hear that you liked it :)
The aliens will pay for it of course...
They will probably only have to pay for his space wall. ;)
Hi. excellent summary. thanks for the info. To all the people who are fanatics of astronomy, they will like it a lot
Whatever the repurcussions or how ideal private space ventures are, it reminds me of a sci-fi future of space corporations and private space crafts. It really is breathing a breath of fresh air into my excitement about space! Here's to a 2018 full of progress!
I love space. Really in depth blog here:) love the Jupiter pic💫✨
Thanks for the very informative and detailed post. I’m really intrigued by all the promise that these space explorations/travels show but also wary at the same time for all the repurcussions these new knowledge may bring us.
Some amazing pictures i have seen first time, a great year you have spent i think, Hope so a best year is up ahead for you, Good luck.
Glad to have provided you with something new that you find interesting :)
Yes, 2017 has been really cool for me, at least with regards to my own professional development and the new challenges I have taken on. I think 2018 will be even cooler for the space sector, starting already this month with the Falcon Heavy launch by SpaceX!
See you around on steemit :)
Good luck mate for 2018, Hope it will also be as 2017 or better then it :P
wow I had no idea of everything that had been done at the spatial level in 2017, thank you for sharing the information and allowing us to inform you. Great image quality
Amazing flight)
i am so excited for what's coming at 2018! we keep advancing really quickly. i am an exoplanet enthusiast i had made 4 posts about in general exoplanet that have been found and about the planets they discovered looking like earth the huge deal isn't only the fact that they discover them but the how
they used AI ( i am extremely excited about this, they merged advancing technologies together for the common good) and that AI used data that mostly nobody cared and checked!
You certainly do sound excited :P
I think we're only getting started. New enabling technologies and a cheaper access to space will drive a pace of innovation that this space has not seen in a long time.
and the Trump's move you mentioned above was really clever in that period of time, i hope when you make this post next year the new initiatives to have change the world ( for the best :P )
Thanks For Such Great Information !!
Wonderful compilation of everything that was done in space matters in the 2017! I love it because I love everything related to space, I hope I can get to work in a space agency like the ones you've named.
Thank you for the positive feedback :)
If you really love space then there will be an increasing number of new opportunities coming, not only for engineers, but also for other professions. We're only going to do more in the years to come :)
I hope you'll use all your motivation to work hard and perhaps one day we will become colleagues!
Steem on :)
For me it would be an honor, I will strive maximum until get it!
excellent post
Amazing post! One of the all time best!
Thank you :) glad you liked it!
I developed a keen interest in astronomy after reading Carl Sagan's Cosmos and watching the Neil Tyson presented series by the same name a few years ago.. The pictures you have postd are fascinating and know what? For a long time I used to actually think many artist illustrations were photographs taken from space by space telescopes (and was perplexed how did they get such vast coverage) ...
As a particle physicist, the neutron star merging detection was the event of the year! So many discoveries in one go!
Awesome post! I am kind of surprised you only included SpaceX once in this post. At the same time, I am really surprised at how many new and innovative companies are entering space. I am really hoping for a successful 2018 for all space companies.
Thank you for a great comment :) Well, I included SpaceX at two occasions, one being Elon's presentation of their intended the Earth to Earth Transport system using the upcoming BFR rocket and the recond being the launch of Bulgariasat :)
Yes, space is opening up to more and more new players every year, which is a stark contrast the the past when it was basically the same companies (Lockheed, Boeing, Ariane, Airbus) doing all the business.
Good call making each event only a paragraph-long. This lets you highlight the importance of the milestone and moves on before the reader loses interest. Awesome post!.
Thank you for the great feedback!
This is a really good, I mean the whole year summary of space work, I couldn't be wow'd more. The quality of the images and the post itself, it's really great keep it up.
Thanks man! Appreciate it :)
The biggest news for me was the detection of Gravitational Wave by LIGO. Once again it proved something that was predicted mathematically. It's an example, how much mathematics can do.
great summary - keep em coming!
I remember when I used to believe in space fairy tales, planets, spaceships, orbiting satellites and other silly nasa beliefs. Then I started thinking on my own and realized none of the images shown by nasa are photographs; just paintings, CGI, image splices, and cartoons.
So many people are caught up in this belief system that holds no proofs of evidence, and I constantly wonder why they get so angry when someone proves their beliefs to be wrong.
Why are you talking about NASA?
There are now hundreds of different, independent institutions around the world who own satellites and access to remote sensing data of the Earth from space. NASA is just one. Even students from most well known Tech Universities have launched their own cubesats...
Satellites can't go past the Van Allen Belt / Exosphere. There is no evidence of Satellites in "Space" apart from CGI. There are 2 types of Satellites : Aerostatic Balloons, High Altitude Drones.
Here's some real Satellites:
Have you heard people talk about the Van Allen Belt? It waxes and wanes. Once it actually "waxes" enough, it can then harm low orbit satellites.
This link has more information on it, I hope you read it and learn more about it while ignoring any bias you have.
Before you start claiming something is CGI prove it at least, these balloons that you see are test equipment. For example in the second video what looks like is a high altitude balloon called blast which was used for testing the SPIRE on the Herschel Satellite. Anyways there are many experiments that were visible from earth, such as on the (Luna 2) a 10 kilogram tank of sodium was turned into plasma and was used to study the moon's magnetic field.
Here's plenty of evidence of CGI :
And Aerostatic Balloons carrying Satellites is what they've been using for at least 2 decades, not just some test.
And Aerostatic Balloons obviously cannot reach Space.
There is no hard proof that any Satellite or Spacecraft ever got out of the Van Hallen belts or Exosphere.
I'd like to believe in Space Exploration but unfortunately without evidence it is only a fantasy, and the only evidence actually points to a Conspiracy to deceive humanity.
Instead of sending me compilations of "CGI Proofs" how about you send me one with direct source and timestamp (not only that the video saying how they fake it is clearly viewed in an editting program and is extremely blurry just so it's hard to make it out, so practically you have to believe his word). On the video on faking watching the first three minutes makes me literally immediately click off, what they are clearly saying in the video is that NASA apparently has augment reality contact lenses? Do you know how big this technology would be and ontop of that in real time? Most of this technology is recent development and is extremely bulky. So now please come back with some actual evidence then rather go off what other people tell you what to believe.
the 2nd video I agree is debatable, though augmented contact lenses already exist (military has them and samsung even has a consumer model coming), and it's the only way to explain why the "astronaut" is moving an object which isn't there.
But in the 1st video there's lots of undeniable evidence of CGI (transparent arm etc), harnesses , under water diving (bubbles in space?).....if you can't see it is because you don't want to see it.
If you knew what video information looks like in the code, you would know that is exactly what you see when there is a disturbance in the signal.
It proves nothing except that a video downlink can be imperfect at times.
I'm talking about nasa because they are the organization that came up with this silly idea to trick people into believing in these fairy tales you've posted about, also because you credit their organization or subsidiaries in each of your 'images'.
Thinking that students at tech universities and independent institutions launch their own satellites is a simple belief. There is no evidence for this anywhere, just hearsay. Plus it has been proven to be impossible and faked many times already. Time to wake up and realize you've been duped.
That is just factually incorrect. Whether or not they were right, people believed that the Earth was round and that space existed long before NASA was created. People have sailed around the world, we have been able to make accurate predictions in physics without error based on models that assume the Earth to be round, again long before NASA.
You're saying that I am "being duped". You realize that I work at the European Space Agency and are using satellite data every day? It works, and that is evidence enough.
Have You Spent Any Time Looking into the Other Side of this Century-old Argument? There are sound Arguements to be made in defense of Flat Earth. The Suez Canal and the Lack of Planning for curvature is one such case
Yes I have. Because I am curious about how in 2018, people can still believe that the earth is flat. As someone who cares a lot about education and how we can equip people with the critical thinking and scientific literacy to be able to answer questions for themselves and not rely on just being told what is true and what is false.
I looked into the Suez Canal and you are absolutely right. It would have needed special planning if there existed significant curvature from the starting point in the north, down to the exit at the bottom. So that does suggest that there is no significant curvature there.
But is that necessarily an argument for a flat earth or against a round earth?
No.
Why? Because the Earth can also be round, but uneven. Here's the best model we have at the moment of the Earth based on the results provided from the GOCE satellite which measures gravity around the Earth. (The thinker the Earth is at a point, the stronger the gravity, so thus we can measure the shape)
And lo and behold: If you pause the video at 00:03 you can see that in the Northern part of Africa, the land is indeed "flat" within that limited plane.
Now I know this will not convince you that the Earth is round. But I hope it has at the very least demonstrated to you that examples such as these are not arguments against the earth being round or indeed in favor of the whole Earth being flat.
Can you offer evidence to these claims of it being proven impossible?
Humans have been researching it for 2000 years before NASA. No educated person since the 4th century has believed it's flat based on simple observations anyone can do, such as simple horizon drop. They even have cell phone apps for horizon drop.
If you are worried that nasa has infiltrated the photographers's apps, you can make a homemade water level and get the same results.
This is when people think we only know the earth is round because of nasa. We have literally known this for close to 2000 years before NASA existed, and 500 years before either the masons or the Jesuits existed based on simple observations.
" and I constantly wonder why they get so angry when someone proves their beliefs to be wrong."
We get angry because you retards operate at 2nd grader mentality, petulantly asserting that the pictures you just drew with crayons are 'the evidence that disproves' thousands of years of established science and math.
It's not the differing opinions that upset us. It's the unwillingness to use the brains god gave you.
Cognitive dissonance is such a pain in the ass, I get it. It's hard to let yourself know you have been lied to your whole life and couldn't figure it out. It's so much easier to just believe in what others say is correct. If you are willing to do the research you would come to the same conclusion as I have, but you show your inability to do so with your rude and belittling comments. Instead of spewing shit from your mouth about something you know nothing about, you should spend some time doing research and scientific experiments to prove to yourself the shape of the earth, or whether or not satellites in space is possible.
"Cognitive dissonance is such a pain in the ass,"
Your mastery of irony is world class.
"If you are willing to do the research you would come to the same conclusion as I have,"
That is incorrect. Because I have, and because you're retarded.
im so sorry,i made comment before reading yours.i was saying the same sort of thing
Need to wake up the people who vote for you.
I'm not the one going around flagging people. :)
Nor am I the one going around posting straight up bullshit.
Nah, he's just threadjacking to use fredrika's popularity to try to scrape some notoriety/popularity for himself.
Like a monkey banging a pan loudly to get attention hoping someone will give him a bananna.
He's the type of poster that is fighting against a growth in STEEM value.
Great summary!
wow, thanks for ur time, the post is brilliant :) Looking forward for a 2018 one! xD Happy new year!
Hoping for a great year as well :)
Happy new year to you too!
Feb's PSLV is the best for me personally
Wow what a great and amazing post!!!! It is very interesting and gives a lot of information!!! This is kind of post which loved by everyone and resteem the most!!! Iam feeling very motivate by it !!! Thanks for sharing it@fredrikaa
I am glad you liked it :)
And I agree, this is what gets me up in the morning to go work hard myself!
Thank you!!!@fredrikaa
August is my favourite month in your post... It's incredible, so much energy colliding, we are nothing in comparison. Astronomy always surprise me, feeling loke nothingness... Thanks for this post!!!
I agree. The reason why I wanted to work with space in the first place was to enable us to better understand the fundamental rules and laws that govern the Universe, whereby understanding them more fully be can build things faster, stronger and better. So helping enable new science missions that can take our eyes and experiments to new places is what gets me up in the morning at least.
And this was just the perfect example of such a success :)
What a quality science posts about space. It is hardly to see similar post in steemit.
Thanks!
Looks like we're heading in the right direction! Let's hope the funding and support only increases.
I think so too! The next 10 years will hopefully be one where private industry can both take on and improve spacefaring capabilities with SpaceX among others leading the way. Then, "old space" can spend more of its time and energy on science and exploration missions.
Exciting times ahead!
Space-X has just been such a god sent in their ability to pump out innovation after innovation. Nexus is making great stops now too and I don't see it stopping anytime soon!
There is no visiting other planets using this dimension of existence. There is no going to mars physically. The next 10 years will be nothing but more lies and deceit trying to hold the lie together
Dude. I sat right there in the Headquarters of the European Space Agency as we waited for signal to come back from the Trace Gas Orbiter.
^ Picture I took with my phone as we waited for the TGO to give us back a signal.
There, some of the best science and engineering talent we have in Europe were watching as what they had worked for many, many years to achieve happened right before our eyes. I will not forget what it was like when we finally got signal back, meaning we had successfully entered Mars Orbit.
You claiming that this is all lies and deceit are claims that you cannot possibly make. You hold no sufficient knowledge to throw out statements like that, and you know it perfectly well yourself that you can't know it.
I genuinely feel sorry for you bro. We're in a time where we are pushing new barriers and learning new things every day. yet you choose to live in the stone age.
Lmao, I am living in "The Stone Age" yet Ancient Civilizations were capable of Building The Giza Plateau which we still cannot fathom How it was built.
You are living a lie. Everything is a lie. Space is a lie. You believe in lies that have been propagated for thousands of years to make you feel as if you are a small mammal living on a rock hurling through the vacuum of nothingness at 67,000 mph. You are conditioned to believe life has no meaning and we as humans are the smallest of entities in the grand scheme of the cosmos.
You claim we are Such an Advanced Species yet we cannot even provide food for every single human on this planet.We are so advanced in our ways yet we still kill one another each and everyday.By Not believing you are furthering the lies put out each and everyday.Research Flat earth, use your analytical brain to decipher the lies
Awesome article! I love space news, I wish the mainstream media focused on it more than politics and war... Seeing the Cygnus being picked up by the Canadarm made me remember one time when I was a teenager and I worked summers in my uncles electroplating and anodizing shop. One day he gave me a piece and told me to be VERY careful with it, it was one of a kind and needed a very specific thickness of plating,down to thousandths of an inch. After I did the job he told me what it was for - it was job for SPAR aerospace, and it was a piece of a joint on the Canadarm going to the ISS! He joked with me that he picked me to do it because if I messed it up, he could kill me since we were family lol Pretty cool to know I had a small part in that with no science or engineering background to speak of! lol
Haha, that's a great story :D wish I had a tinkering uncle ^^ So you've held something that is now on the ISS? That's awesome!
Thanks for adding value to the post :)
I have! It was a piece that looked something like the pic, about 8-10 inches x 8-10 inches. I remember thinking it was so light for it's size! It wasn't so much him tinkering as owning an electroplating company. We did work for SPAR, Bombardier, Boeing, Nortel, and more. One I remember is Amphibico underwater cameras. Sometimes I see them in nature documentaries and I wonder if it was one I worked on! lol We mostly did electrical components.I also worked on lots of airplane parts, anodizing them to prevent them from conducting current and shorting things out lol I also worked on nickel plating pieces of the machine that puts labels on Molson beer bottles! It was an interesting job,but mainly physical labor and relatively low paying. lol
Really cool! Thanks for the great overview, good collection of information and images.
I've worked for a couple years with an astronomy group building a radial velocity instrument for the LBT. But I don't keep up enough with what's going on elsewhere, so this was great!
wow..amazing
This is such a nice recap of all the things that were going on in the universe that I wasn't aware of. thanks for sharing, this is very interesting.
Glad you liked it!
Great pics! Nice month to month "play by play" on what has been going on in space -
Some stunning circumstances we are moving into.
2018 will be far and away superior! Im not certain in the event that you have known about Naveen Jain and what he is doing with Moon Express.
They are arranging a dispatch this year and it is an exceptionally energizing and eager task that can possibly hugy affect mankind here on Earth.
Moon Express turned into the primary organization to get U.S. government endorsement to send a mechanical rocket past conventional Earth circle and to the Moon.
This was the first run through in history that any administration signatory to the Outer Space Treaty practiced its rights and commitments to formally approve and regulate a business substance to fly a mission past Earth circle. This noteworthy decision is a leap forward U.S.
Carry on your creation..✌✌
wao its a awesome ,pictures are so beautiful ,feeling exited to see the places of other than earth
indeed
Awesome collection of information