What it was like to be a solid rocket booster on the Space Shuttle
WHOA.
This new video from NASA shows you exactly what it would be like if you were strapped to one of the shuttle’s solid rocket boosters and given an HD video camera to hold. It’s a wild ride.
As these cannons of chemical fire thrust the shuttle through the lower atmosphere, you can see the ground zoom away, the sky begin to fade into the darkness of space, and even the exact point where the shuttle breaks the sound barrier on its way to orbit (~1:10!).
There’s a speedometer in the upper right and some amazing sound remastered by Skywalker Studios. This is the best trip you’ll take all Thursday (or really any day).
Is That The ‘Death Star’ Suckling on the Sun?
What was that planet-sized ‘Death Star’-like structure seen floating near the surface of the sun on Monday? Although sightings of supposed UFOs in space images are nothing new, this particular orb appears to be refueling with solar plasma — there’s even a hose extending from the sun’s surface!
As you may have guessed, that’s no moon… but it’s no space station either. Obligatory “Star Wars” clip:
