Tag: nasa

Ceres

NASA’s Dawn spacecraft is approaching Ceres.  Ceres is considered a Dwarf Planet as well as an asteroid.  Not only “an” asteroid, but the original asteroid.  It’s full name is 1 Ceres because it was the first object classified as an asteroid.

Back in 2006 when the whole Pluto-is-not-a-planet fiasco happened there was talk of Ceres being included in the list of planets. It was discovered in 1801 and for a number of years it actually was considered a planet before getting demoted to asteroid. Then in ’06 it was classified a dwarf planet instead of a planet. I felt bad for the little ball of ice. It was like it had been kicked in the teeth twice. I vowed at that time that I would be the first red head to walk on its surface.

How’s that working out for me?

Orion

Today NASA is launching what I believe is the first actual field test of the new Orion capsule. If you haven’t seen Orion yet, it looks a lot like the old Apollo capsules that the lunar astronauts rode to the moon and back except it’s bigger and awesomer.

The countdown was held at three minutes and change for some reason, but the folks in charge are working on clearing whatever it is that’s holding things up.

Fingers crossed that all goes well. A successful test today brings us a step closer to Mars.