July 26, 2010 - Return to Flight

Published in cooperation with The Planetary Society

Spend the year in space, one week at a time

Recent Weeks

January 30, 2012 - Lunar Orbiter Liftoff

January 23, 2012 - Magellan Turns up the Stereo

January 16, 2012 - Southern Sibling Sees Stars

January 9, 2012 - Hitching a Ride Home

January 2, 2012 - Transforming the Space Frontier

December 26, 2011 - These Laws Can't Be Broken

December 19, 2011 - Long and Winding Road

December 12, 2011 - Blast from the Past

December 5, 2011 - It’s Just Like Folding a Map

November 28, 2011 - A Warmer, Wetter Mars

November 21, 2011 - Spy in the Sky

November 14, 2011 - The Dark Side of Nebulosity

November 7, 2011 - End of an Era

October 31, 2011 - Final Service Call

October 24, 2011 - STEREO Transit

October 17, 2011 - Observatory Mashup

October 10, 2011 - Brewing up a New Moon

October 3, 2011 - Special Delivery

September 26, 2011 - Tadpoles in Space

September 19, 2011 - International Sunrise

September 12, 2011 - Twins over India

September 5, 2011 - Belly of the Beast

August 29, 2011 - High Resolution

August 22, 2011 - Playing Host

August 15, 2011 - Royal Astronomer

August 8, 2011 - New Life for Leonardo

Customer Comment

I am finding this year's calendar to be full of interesting information and colorful photographs. Also there is sufficient space for calendar notes.

--Thomas B., Cincinnati, OH

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2012 Desk Calendar

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144 full-color pages
6" x 9", spiral bound
Art-quality paper

Weekly photo essay
Daily Moon phases
Night sky events
Space trivia
Holidays
Room for notes/appts

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Customer Comment

I love each new year's pictures, and flat calendar layout - plenty of room to write in for each day of the month.

--Joellen S., Saratoga, CA

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The Week in Space

July 26 - August 1, 2010

Return to Flight Following the loss of the shuttle Columbia in February 2003, the space shuttle fleet was grounded for more than two-and-a-half years while new procedures and tools were developed to prevent a similar accident. When Discovery lifted off on the STS-114 mission five years ago this week, ground cameras and onboard cameras watched for any insulating foam that could have damaged the orbiter during ascent. Discovery executed a graceful backflip maneuver—now standard—when it reached the International Space Station, allowing further examination of its surfaces by the ISS crew. Finally, the new Orbiter Boom Sensor allowed remote inspection of Discovery’s thermal protection system. Spacewalking astronauts also tested new techniques for repairing damaged tiles in flight.

Image credit: NASA

Weekly Calendar

July 26 - August 1, 2010

Holidays - Sky Events - Space History

Monday 26

1958: Explorer IV launched
1971: Apollo 15 launched, fourth lunar landing mission, first mission to use lunar rover
2005: STS-114 Discovery launched