The Galileo Project: web site | Twitter
This could be interesting. Avi Loeb wants to look for artificial interstellar object inspired by the Oumuamua. Look out for his Galileo Project that he’s now starting up.
Wikipedia: Oumuamua
Avi Loeb on Medium
Lucy in the Sky
The Lucy Mission is now launched. Solar arrays are deployed. Follow the mission here:
Lucy mission in depth | NASA Lucy mission blog
Lucy Mission web page | Paper model
The Planetary Society is writing about Lucy, the SETI Institute and Space.com too.
Upcoming missions in 2021
This year isn’t over yet. Three highlights in space exploration remains. The James Webb Space Telescope will supersede Hubble. Lucy will visit eight different asteroids during its 12 year mission through our solar system. Dart is a asteroid defense mission that can one day save our lives!
James Webb Space Telescope
The telescope, planned in the 90s and delayed for years, is now set to be launched December 18!
NASA: Where is Webb? | NASA James Webb blog
Website: https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/
Website (ESA): https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Webb
Website (STScI): https://webbtelescope.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NASAWebb
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/nasawebbtelescope
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasawebbtelescope/
Press kit: Launch kit (ESA)
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Webb_Space_Telescope
Lucy
Lucy is launched on October 16 and will visit eight asteroids!
Lucy mission in depth | NASA Lucy mission blog
Targets:
20 April 2025 – 52246 Donaldjohanson
12 August 2027 – 3548 Eurybates + its small moon Queta
15 September 2027 – 15094 Polymele
18 April 2028 – 11351 Leucus
11 November 2028 – 21900 Orus
2 March 2033 – 617 Patroclus + Menoetius
Website: http://lucy.swri.edu/
Website (NASA): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/lucy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LucyMission
Press kit: Lucy fact sheet
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_(spacecraft)
DART
DART is launched on November 24.
Website: https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense/dart
Website (APL): https://dart.jhuapl.edu/
Planetary Defense (NASA): https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AsteroidWatch
Press kit: DART Fact Sheet
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Asteroid_Redirection_Test
Don’t forget current mission still out there like BepiColombo, Juno or Neowise.
The Viking Labeled Release Experiment
More about the Labeled Release Experiment on the Mars Viking landers.
Patricia Straat: To Mars with Love
The book To Mars with Love is sold by the Viking Mars Missions Education and Presevation Project.
Wikipedia: Viking lander biological experiments | Planetary protection
Proof of life?
Did the Viking landers find life on Mars? Hear it from Gil Levin himself. The creator of the Labeled Release experiment on the Viking landers.
Related:
PhysOrg: Did 40-year-old Viking experiment discover life on Mars?
Scientific American: Looking for Life on Mars: Viking Experiment Team Member Reflects on Divisive Findings
Book: Infinity Beckoned by Jay Gallentine
Wikipedia: Viking lander biological experiments
Free Astronomy Books
Openstax Astronomy is free astronomy course ebook from Rice University. Download it from Openstax. Additional material is availble at this OER Commons hub.
Another free ebook is Introduction to Astronomy by Dr. Karina Kjær.
Astonomy Notes may look like a very early web page but it’s up to date and used by scholars.
NASA has bunch of free ebooks here. My favorite is the Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration.
Night Sky Navigation
This video (not mine) is a very first introduction to the night sky. More links here: The Night Sky.
Current Space Probes
Great video over current space probe locations.
Hubble in 3D
Hubble goes 3D:
This 3D animation was made of pictures taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. Find out more here.
One Giant Leap
Or was it a just a small step? Anyway, it was 40 years ago. What? The Moon landing, of course! Born in 1971 I just missed it. Thanks to the JFK Library I can experience it just as it happened in 1969 at the site We choose the Moon! Nasa is celebrating too, check out this site: Apollo 11. Two cool sites you must not miss!
Cosmodrome 