In 1945, the German scientist Walter Hohmann died. He was 65, and died in a hospital in Essen following Allied bombing of the city. He had been a major pioneer in German rocketry, with his greatest contribution to rocket science being what is now called the Hohmann Transfer Orbit. By 1915, he had worked out the most fuel-efficient trajectory for interplanetary travel. In the 20s, he got involved in the VfR, a spaceflight society including such luminaries as Werner Von Braun, which sought to explore manned spaceflight, especially flight to the Moon. Hohmann abandoned the group in the late 30s as the Nazis became increasingly powerful and increasingly interested in the military potential of rocket power, as he wanted nothing to do with either. However, his groundbreaking work on trajectory design has influenced almost every spacecraft beyond low Earth orbit. Though ignored by his government (which is probably a good thing, considering) and killed by the war they started, his work lives on.
In 1960, Pioneer 5 was launched. The spacecraft went into heliocentric orbit to study solar flares, interplanetary particles, and magnetic phenomena in the heliosphere. It operated until June 26, and set a record of the most distant radio communications of the time – 22.5 million miles, a record which would be eclipsed many times over in the decades to come.
One year ago today, Endeavour blasted off for STS-123, delivering the Dextre robotic manipulator to the ISS, the Kibo Experiment Logistics Module, and a new American crewman for the station. Dextre is a vaguely humanoid robot that can be mounted at the end of the SSRMS, capable of using tools built for human spacewalkers.
In 1960, Pioneer 5 was launched. The spacecraft went into heliocentric orbit to study solar flares, interplanetary particles, and magnetic phenomena in the heliosphere. It operated until June 26, and set a record of the most distant radio communications of the time – 22.5 million miles, a record which would be eclipsed many times over in the decades to come.
One year ago today, Endeavour blasted off for STS-123, delivering the Dextre robotic manipulator to the ISS, the Kibo Experiment Logistics Module, and a new American crewman for the station. Dextre is a vaguely humanoid robot that can be mounted at the end of the SSRMS, capable of using tools built for human spacewalkers.
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