Ever Wonder What Every Space Mission From the Last 50 Years Looks Like on One Map?
By Adrian Covert



A Visual History of Space Exploration: National Geographic

Well, here it is. National Geographic has plotted the route of every space mission carried out over the last 50 years onto a map of the solar system, giving a nice visual look at the history of space travel.

Each line represents a different space mission, highlighting notable missions, including those from different countries, those of historical significance, and those which have failed. (The map doesn't seem to make note of the recent LCROSS mission, where a rocket plowed into the moon to probe for water.)

Did you know there have been three more missions to Venus more than Mars (43 to 40)? Check out the whole thing for yourself here

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2009...s-looks-one-map

The world's largest Solar Sail, called The Sunjammer, designed to demonstrate the viability and value of propellant­­­-free propulsion is slated to launch into space in late 2014. As an advanced propulsion technology, solar sails are now an engineering reality. It may just enable us to break out of our snail’s pace exploration of the inner solar system and enable us to take those first steps toward true interstellar exploration.







via: Sunjammer Mission

55 years ago, its greatest glory with the moon shots & space program, and it retains much engineering talent and lofty aspirations. But even as the agency talks of expanding civilization throughout the solar system, it has been forced to recognize its limitations. Flat budgets have become declining budgets. The joke among agency officials is that, when it comes to budgets, flat is the new up. Lacks the money and the technology to do what it has long dreamed of doing, which is to send astronauts to Mars and bring them safely back to Earth. It has resorted to fallback plans, and to fallbacks to the fallbacks.