![]() ![]() One of those Pluto stamps was launched toward the small icy world on NASA's New Horizons mission in 2006. Six years later, the probe's flight team and more than 12,000 supporters petitioned the USPS to issue a stamp for the spacecraft in 2015, to coincide with its flyby of Pluto. In February 2013, the New Horizons team received notice that their idea would be put up for review by the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC). A year later and the approved subjects list published by The Washington Post, which included stamp topics for 2014 through 2016, didn't include mention of New Horizons or Pluto. The only space-themed subject on the Post's acquired list is the "Solar System." Whether that means that the CSAC chose to combine the New Horizons' request with the solar system issue or if it is still under review (or has now been rejected) is still to be seen.Ĭlick through to to see the U.S. All rights reserved.Ĭ Editor, Contributor Postal Service's 1991 solar system-inspired "Space Exploration" stamps.įollow on Facebook and on Twitter at collectSPACE. Robert Pearlman is a space historian, journalist and the founder and editor of, an online publication and community devoted to space history with a particular focus on how and where space exploration intersects with pop culture. Pearlman is also a contributing writer for and co-author of "Space Stations: The Art, Science, and Reality of Working in Space” published by Smithsonian Books in 2018. ![]() He previously developed online content for the National Space Society and Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, helped establish the space tourism company Space Adventures and currently serves on the History Committee of the American Astronautical Society, the advisory committee for The Mars Generation and leadership board of For All Moonkind. Where there are signs of water, there might also be signs of life! explore In 2021, he was honored by the American Astronautical Society with the Ordway Award for Sustained Excellence in Spaceflight History.Color Your Universe: Find the Hidden ObjectsĬan you find all the NASA and space-themed hidden objects? play Space Camp Hall of Fame in Huntsville, Alabama. You probably know that a year is 365 days here on Earth. ![]() The biggest planet in our solar system explore exploreĭrive around the Red Planet and gather information in this fun coding game! play But did you know that on Mercury you’d have a birthday every 88 days? Read this article to find out how long it takes all the planets in our solar system to make a trip around the Sun. What Is the Weather Like on Other Planets?Įach of the planets in our solar system experiences its own unique weather. How Is the Sun Completely Blocked in an Eclipse? Learn more about what happens when the moon passes between Earth and the sun! explore We can use a planet’s gravitational pull like a scale! explore Yes, there is ice beyond Earth! In fact, ice can be found on several planets and moons in our solar system. Inside they found Ham in good spirits, and he excitedly accepted an apple and half an orange.Make a mask and pretend to be your favorite planet in our solar system! do Learn more about asteroids, meteors, meteoroids, meteorites, and comets! exploreĪnd what can we learn from these space rocks in our solar system? explore exploreĪsteroid or Meteor: What's the Difference? It all has to do with the distance between Earth and the sun and Earth and the moon. It landed out of sight of the recovery forces, but they found the ship within a half hour and airlifted it to the nearby USS Donner. Then 16 minutes and 39 seconds after the launch, the craft splashed down in the Atlantic. The rocket also reached a higher speed than expected and Ham was weightless for 6.6 minutes instead of the expected 4.9 minutes.ĭespite the issues that arose, Ham successfully went about completing his tasks, which included pushing levers about 50 times. There were also cameras onboard that showed how Ham reacted to the weightlessness and also revealed a surprising amount of dust floating in the air. Additionally, the cabin pressure dropped due to an unexpected issue, but Ham was safe in his space suit. The rocket ended up on a high flight angle, which would lead to it missing its landing area by 130 miles. The launch was delayed for nearly four hours due to a few minor issues, but at 4:55 pm, the MR-2 lifted off. The craft had six new systems that weren’t on prior flights, including environmental controls, attitude stabilization, live retrorockets, voice communications, a closed loop abort sensing system, and a pneumatic landing bag. At 12:53 pm on January 31, 1961, Ham was placed into the spacecraft. ![]()
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