Visiting the Apollo 17 capsule at Space Center Houston was about as close as anyone could get to Man’s final voyage to the Moon – until now!  Thanks to NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, we are now able to explore the last landing site in spectacular detail!

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured the sharpest images ever taken from space of the Apollo 12, 14 and 17 landing sites. Images show the twists and turns of the paths made when the astronauts explored the lunar surface.

At the Apollo 17 site, the tracks laid down by the lunar rover are clearly visible, along with the last foot trails left on the moon. The images also show where the astronauts placed some of the scientific instruments that provided the first insight into the moon’s environment and interior.

“We can retrace the astronauts’ steps with greater clarity to see where they took lunar samples,” said Noah Petro, a lunar geologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., who is a member of the LRO project science team.

All three images show distinct trails left in the moon’s thin soil when the astronauts exited the lunar modules and explored on foot. In the Apollo 17 image, the foot trails, including the last path made on the moon by humans, are easily distinguished from the dual tracks left by the lunar rover, which remains parked east of the lander.

Courtesy of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

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The Apollo 17 crew capsule America is part of the vast display of spacecraft and artifacts on display at Space Center Houston.  Located in the Starship Gallery, the last crewed vehicle to fly to the Moon is displayed against a life size diorama of the lunar landscape.  Starship Gallery is included with regular admission to Space Center Houston. Save $5 off admission when you purchase your tickets online.  For hours and directions visit our Guest Information page.

While most astronomers seem to be understandably worried about the best way to steer asteroids away from Earth, Chinese scientists are instead trying to figure out how they can capture nearby asteroids into Earth orbit. And then mine them.

At first glance, nudging an asteroid closer to Earth seems like one of those “what could possible go wrong” scenarios that we generally try and avoid, and for good reason: large asteroid impacts are bad times. The Chinese, though, seem fairly optimistic that they could tweak the orbit of a near-Earth asteroid by just enough (a change in velocity of only about 1,300 feet-per-second or so) to get it to temporarily enter Earth orbit at about twice the distance as the Moon. The orbit would be unstable, and eventually (after a few years) the asteroid would head back out into space from whence it came, but it would stick there long enough for us to poke around on it.

Read the full article on Dvice.com

Did you know you could try your hand at docking the shuttle at Space Center Houston?  In our Feel of Space training area you can practice landing the orbiter, plan a mission to Mars and even take a virtual tour of the International Space Station!  Discounted tickets are now available online at spacecenter.org

Welcome aboard NASA’s Destination: Station!

Experience the next “giant leap” for humanity as astronauts explore life, physics and Earth science from the vantage point of space.  Developed and built by NASA, this multi-media exhibit will immerse you in the amazing story of the space station’s development.  Witness how five international space agencies, representing 15 different countries, came together to develop the world’s largest space station.  Through hands on activities and rich, audio visual environments, you will see how research on the ISS is laying the groundwork for future exploration and improving life on Earth.

Step aboard today and experience the technology of tomorrow!

Dates: Open Now till Sept 5^th, 2011 at Space Center Houston

Cost: Free with Admission – Save $5 Off Admission when you Purchase Online.

Continue your day on the ISS with a light hearted look at life in microgravity in our “Living in Space” live stage show.  Our knowledgeable Mission Briefing Officer will take brave recruits up to the ISS to look at how the astronaut’s eat, sleep –and of course– go to the bathroom in space!

Via NASA’s PAO:

HOUSTON — After space shuttle Atlantis’ scheduled landing Thursday, July 21, a welcome home ceremony for the STS-135 astronauts is planned for Friday, July 22. Journalists and the public are invited to attend the 4 p.m. CDT event at Ellington Field’s NASA Hangar 990.

Gates to Ellington Field will open at 3:30 p.m.

The ceremony will be broadcast live on NASA Television. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

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Can’t catch the crew at Ellington?  “Like” us on our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter for updates on the STS-135 Crew Debrief, a free after hour’s event with the crew!

You can also meet an astronaut every Friday at Space Center Houston, FREE with admission!

On July 14^th, NASA is inviting mission followers to enjoy a virtual “All-American Meal” with the Crew of STS-135.  NASA is even revealing its brisket rub recipe –what some southerners would consider scandalous — so you and your family can get a “taste of space” at home!

NASA astronauts Doug Hurley (left), STS-135 pilot, and Mike Fossum, Expedition 28 flight engineer, are pictured onboard the International Space Station not long after the docking of the space shuttle Atlantis and the station during the mission's third day in space. Fossum displays a smile as he holds a bag of fruit and other items which was brought up by the shuttle crew. Photo credit: NASA

Home chefs around the globe have been invited to download the meal’s “formulations” (recipes), prepare the meal at home and enjoy it with the crew on the 5^th flight day of this historic final voyage.For those of you playing along at home, you may want to skip the thermostabilizing and dehydrating steps.

And now… the secret Brisket Rub Recipe

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Beef Brisket, Barbecued, Sliced

Dry Rub

Ingredients Percent by weight

Salt  29.51

Sugar granulated   23.61

Brown sugar, lightly packed  17.71

Chili powder   5.90

Paprika   5.90

Celery salt    4.43

Ground oregano   3.54

Ground white pepper   2.95

Garlic powder   2.21

Ground black pepper   1.48

Cumin   1.48

Dry mustard   0.79

Cayenne pepper   0.49

100.00

PREPARATION PROCEDURE

Trim beef brisket of fat and rub dry rub mixture into the meat surface (Dry Rub shall be at least 8 grams per pound of raw brisket).  Wrap the brisket in plastic wrap or suitable material and hold at 40°F (4°C) overnight.

Cook briskets in a regular oven set at 235°F (113°C), baste after 3 hours with barbecue sauce.

Cook another two hours until internal temperature is 175-180°F (79-82°C) baste with barbecue sauce and let sit in the oven for one more hour.

The brisket shall be sliced on a meat slicer set at 1/8 inch (3.0 mm).  Serve 2.8 to 3.5 oz (80-100g) of sliced brisket with add one ounce (30 g) of hickory smoke flavored barbecue sauce.

› Watch a video about NASA’s food lab

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If you would like to actually dine with an astronaut, as opposed to virtually, check out our Lunch with an Astronaut event every Friday.  This week we will host astronaut Dr. John-David Bartoe.  Afterwards, checkout our Living in Space presentation to learn more about how astronauts prepare food and eat in microgravity!

Discounted tickets are now available online at spacecenter.org