The first flight of the second version of the Delta Clipper, the DC-XA, at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. (Credit: NASA)
The rocket looked like it was out of a science fiction movie. A gleaming white pyramid resting on four spindly legs, the experimental craft was NASA’s ticket into a new era of space exploration.
With a series of built-in rockets
on its underside, the ship could rise from the ground and touch back down again
vertically — the first of its kind.
...read more
The Voyager proof test model in the space simulator chamber at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on December 3, 1976. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
When NASA launched Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 in the summer of 1977, its engineers were sending the spacecraft on specific missions. Originally, the space agency tasked the Voyagers with conducting close-up studies of Jupiter and Saturn. They would compile data on magnetic fields, the Sun’s influence, Saturn’s rings, a few large moons, and se ...read more
This artist's concept shows Voyager 1 entering the interstellar medium. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
1. High-Gain AntennaSHUTDOWN DATE: Still activePURPOSE: CommunicationsKEY FINDING: This is the craft’s main contact point with Earth. It once sent back the robust data from the craft; today, it sends out basic information from the low-power instruments still online.2. Magnetometers and Low-Field MagnetometerSHUTDOWN DATE: Still activePURPOSE: Measure the magnetic fields of the Sun and the ...read more
(Credit: Kraulis/Shutterstock)
From baby blue to black-speckled beige, bird eggs are as varied as the species that lay them. Why bird eggs come in so many colors is still something of a mystery, but new research identifies a reason for a common trend among birds, especially those up north: their dark-colored eggs.
Previous research on tropical birds has shown that darker hues help guard against predation — they are harder for hungry neighbors to see. Deep pigments in eggshells also c ...read more
Satisfying everyday curiosity. That’s what we’re about. And it’s why Discover is bringing you an entirely new website.
In the coming weeks, we will be refreshing the look and experience on Discovermagazine.com. We’ll still have all the great science stories you love, with smart writing and relevant, engaging information. But it will be framed with a sleek, more modern design that we hope you’ll like as much as we do. We will have a faster and easier-to-navigate site ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine