The First Time Astronauts Walked In Space Without A Tether (Cool Weird Awesome 944)
Today in 1984, two US astronauts walked in space. And, for the first time, they weren’t connected to anything.
When Alan Shepard Hit Golf Balls On The Moon (Cool Weird Awesome 891)
Today in 1923, the birthday of Alan Shepard. He was the first American in space, and the first person to ever play golf on the Moon.
A College Student In The 1890s Became The Candid Camera Of Norway (Cool Weird Awesome 831)
For National Photography Day, here’s a remarkable photographic story from the 1890s: a guy in Norway made his own candid camera.
Wally Funk, At Long Last An Astronaut (Cool Weird Awesome 707)
Today in 1939, the birthday of Wally Funk. She first passed astronaut training in her 20s and could have been one of the first US astronauts, but after some 60 years of trying, she finally got into space.
Félicette, The First Cat In Space (Cool Weird Awesome 636)
Today in 1963, a black and white cat from the streets of France became the first cat to go into space. She didn't choose to go, of course, but she's a pioneer just the same - and until a few years ago, a greatly underappreciated one. Plus: today in 1922, a girl in Illinois made it to school after being run over by a train?!?
Ellen Ochoa Blazed Trails In Space (And Played The Flute Up There) (Cool Weird Awesome 633)
For National Hispanic Heritage Month, here's the story of the first Hispanic woman in space, Ellen Ochoa, talented and versatile even by astronaut standards. Plus: an art student in China breaks stuff for art's sake, through a very peculiar vending machine.
A Felt Tip Pen Helped Get Apollo 11’s Moonwalkers Back To Earth (Cool Weird Awesome 577)
Today in 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. But as the Apollo 11 mission went on, they had a problem: a broken switch threatened to keep them from returning to Earth. Fortunately, they had a solution: office supplies. Plus: the Lunar Lander Dwelling in Washington state is a 250 square foot getaway in the shape of the lunar module.
Why Don’t Astronauts Do Laundry In Space? (Cool Weird Awesome 569)
There was a story recently about how NASA was partnering with Tide laundry detergent to work on a way to do laundry in space. Which means we don’t already do laundry in space, and there are some pretty big reasons why. Plus: the Royal Mail delivers a letter addressed to a woman who’d been on TV, only the writer didn't exactly have the woman's address.
A Strike (Or A “Sensitivity Session”) Aboard A Space Station (Cool Weird Awesome 445)
On this day in 1973, something happened aboard the Skylab space station. Depending on who you talk to, it was somewhere between a "sensitivity session" between astronauts and ground crew, and a full-on space mutiny. Plus: Japanese Lego artist Jumpei Mitsui just created an all-brick version of Hokusai's famous print "The Great Wave off Kanagawa."
NASA Likes To Say Good Morning To Its Astronauts With Music (Cool Weird Awesome 419)
If you're an astronaut, way up there in space, chances are you started the day with a song. Why? It's a NASA tradition. Plus: an artist in California has turned "Star Trek" into a widescreen format, so it fits on modern TVs.