space Archives - Mechtraveller

If we are past the winter solstice, why is sunrise getting later?

Alastair — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 18:47:48 +0000

Ok, I’m sure this has been troubling you, as it has me. I had an alarm set on my phone to mark the winter solstice (3.03pm Sun 21st Dec). Ok, it’s a little geeky, but it meant that when the moment came I could rejoice in the idea that we were heading back to the […]

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The Science Museum opens its new ‘Space’ gallery

Alastair — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 23:01:26 +0000

London’s Science Museum has today (20 Sep 2025) opened its new ‘Space’ gallery showcasing some historic pieces of space equipment, together with some new technologies from the UK space industry. The ‘stars of the show’ are two historic space vehicles: the Soyuz TMA-19M Descent Module and the Apollo 10 Command Module. Both of these are […]

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NASA’s Historic Apollo Mission Control Center is Restored

Alastair — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 11:54:21 +0000

Space Center Houston¹ re-opened the Apollo Mission Control Center to the public yesterday, after a two-year restoration programme. The mission control room, which was used during the Gemini, Apollo and Shuttle eras and became a National Historic Landmark in 1985, has been returned to the state it was in when the Apollo 11 mission landed […]

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By the Light of a Silvery Moon

Alastair — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 07:48:25 +0000

The Chinese city of Chengdu has announced plans to replace street lighting with the ‘light of a silvery moon’¹ reflected down from a satellite with a large mirror. According to People’s Daily Online, the Chairman of the Chengdu Aerospace Science and Technology Microelectronics System Research Institute Co, Wu Chunfeng, announced the “artificial moon” at a […]

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HARP Space gun, Barbados

Alastair — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 21:41:36 +0000

Barbados is home to many obvious things; palm trees, beaches, rum and Bajan cuisine, but nobody expects a Cold War relic like the massive HARP space gun. Nor are they likely to stumble across it accidentally. You have to go and find it. The High Altitude Research Project (HARP)¹ was the brainchild of a British […]

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