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"Deb Martin is the former managing editor of LAUNCH Magazine, and currently serves as senior managing editor of Niche Media in New York City."

Farewell, Andromeda

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Liftoff!

Mark Mayfield

"Mark Mayfield is the former editor-in-chief of LAUNCH Magazine and author of 'The Spaceflight Vault: A History of NASA's Manned Missions.'"

Desktop rockets

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Walt's Viewpoint

Walter Cunningham

"Former Apollo 7 astronaut Walter Cunningham is known for straight talk—a trait sorely missing in today’s world of political correctness. Cun..."

Beyond the Great Wall

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Tackling the Really BIG Questions

Details: Written by Diane K. Fisher

How does NASA get its ideas for new astronomy and astrophysics missions? It starts with a Decadal Survey by the National Research Council, sponsored by NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy. The last one, New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics was completed in 2010. It defines the highest-priority research activities in the next decade for astronomy and astrophysics that will “set the nation firmly on the path to answering profound questions about the cosmos.” It defines space- and ground-based research activities in the large, midsize, and small budget categories.

The Art of Space Imagery

Details: Written by Diane K. Fisher

When you see spectacular space images taken in infrared light by the Spitzer Space Telescope and other non-visible-light telescopes, you may wonder where those beautiful colors came from? After all, if the telescopes were recording infrared or ultraviolet light, we wouldn’t see anything at all. So are the images “colorized” or “false colored”?

Thank Goodness for Magnetism

Details: Written by Dr. Tony Phillips

Only 93 million miles from Earth, a certain G-type star is beginning to act up.

Every 11 years or so, the solar cycle brings a period of high solar activity. Giant islands of magnetism—”sunspots”—break through the stellar surface in increasing numbers. Sometimes they erupt like a billion atomic bombs going off at once, producing intense flares of X-rays and UV radiation, and hurling massive clouds of plasma toward Earth.This is happening right now. Only a few years ago the Sun was in a state of deep quiet, but as 2012 unfolds, the pendulum is swinging. Strong flares are becoming commonplace as sunspots once again pepper the solar disk. Fortunately, Earth is defended from solar storms by a strong, global magnetic field.