Former astronaut Andy Thomas turned 70 years old today (December 18). Besides having a distinguished career with NASA, he has achieved much as an Australian in space. Even now, Thomas continues to champion the development of the space sector in our country. Thomas grew up in Adelaide and was fascinated with space from a young... Continue Reading →
Astronauts Return to Space from US Soil for the First Time in a Decade
On May 30, NASA and SpaceX launched astronauts from American facilities for the first time in nine years. The flight, part of the Commercial Crew Program, was a success. It was the culmination of many years of research and design of new state-of-the-art rocket technology. Aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft were astronauts Doug Hurley and... Continue Reading →
NASA’s First Female Astronauts
Russia sent the first woman, Valentina Tereshkova, into space onboard Vostok 6 in 1963. It would take America another twenty years before it would send its first female astronaut, Sally Ride, skywards. Besides being the first new group since 1969, the astronaut class of 1978 was special because of its diversity, notably for including Black... Continue Reading →