Neil Armstrong: 1930-2012

The moon will miss its first son of earth.

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, has died, following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures. He was 82.

Armstrong's words "That is one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind," spoken on July 20, 1969, as he became the first person ever to step onto another planetary body, instantly became a part of history.

Those few words from the Sea of Tranquillity were the climactic fulfillment of the efforts and hopes of millions of people and the expenditure of billions of dollars. A plaque on one of the lander's legs that concluded "We came in peace for all mankind," further emphasized that Armstrong and fellow astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin were there as representatives of all humans.

Click here to read the whole story at NASA.gov

Suited for Space Premiere Event - 08.25.12 @ 5:30

Hello Friends,

Starting August 25th, just in time for the Fall semester, the Center for Earth & Space Science Education at TJC will host a new exhibit, a new show, and a special event.

Suited for Space, a new exhibition from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, opens Saturday, Aug. 25. The exhibit, which explores the evolution of spacesuit development from the early 20th century until the dawn of the shuttle era, features large-scale photographs of suits worn by astronauts from Project Mercury through the Skylab program, as well as suits used in testing and training. The CESSE is the only Texas stop for the Suited for Space exhibition. Following its Nov. 18 closing, it will then head to Massachusetts then on to the National Museum of Air and Space in Washington, D.C.

Heather Paul, a NASA Johnson Space Center engineer for future space suits, will speak at the exhibit opening 5:30-7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25. Paul’s engineering career at Johnson Space Center has included developing life support designs for next-generation spacesuits that astronauts will wear as they explore places such as the Moon, Mars, or an asteroid.

“Astronaut,” narrated by actor Ewan McGregor (from “Star Wars” and “Moulin Rouge”), takes viewers on a 30-minute journey through inner and outer space to witness a rocket launch from inside the body of an astronaut and see the effects of floating around the International Space Station.

The event will include Paul’s program, admission to the Suited for Space exhibit, the center’s new dome-theater presentation “Astronaut,” and a reception with hors d’oeuvres. Tickets to this special event are $20 and can be purchased in advance online at http://www.tjc.edu/cesse.

What: A Date in Space!

Where: The Center for Earth & Space Science Education at Tyler Junior College (1411 E. Lake St.)

When: August 25, 2012, 5:30pm-7:00pm

Tickets: $20/person, includes reception, exhibit, speaker, show.

For more information on these and other events at the Center for Earth & Space Science Education at TJC, please go to www.tjc.edu/cesse or call 903-510-2312.

Curiosity Lands on Mars!

NASA's most advanced Mars rover, Curiosity, has landed on the Red Planet. The one-ton rover, hanging by ropes from a rocket backpack, touched down onto Mars early Monday EDT to end a 36-week flight and begin a two-year investigation.

Click Here for the pics on Nasa.gov!