Image courtesy NASA/JSC (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-83/lores/sts083-464-005.jpg)
Lecture 1
Image courtesy NASA/JSC (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-83/lores/sts083-464-005.jpg)
Introduction
This lecture gives an overview and explanation of the course. We will go through the outline and schedule, and discuss the class tests and the final project.
During this course, students should browse extensively through space-related websites. We have no textbook, as the field is changing too rapidly for a textbook to be useful. But there is still reading to be done! In part of every Wednesday class we will discuss topics in the news today - planetary exploration, human space flight, space tourism, politics, science fiction. So browse widely, especially in things you find personally interesting. Here are a few links to help...
Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
Canadian Astronauts CSA page
NASA's home page
Jet Propulsion Laboratory - solar system exploration
Applied Physics Laboratory - more solar system exploration ('Messenger' mission to Mercury)
Planetary Data System - raw spacecraft data
European Space Agency science website
(more international links in Lecture 13)
Space Telescope Science Institute
Apollo Lunar Surface Journal - a wonderful record of that amazing achievement, 50 years ahead of its time.
Lunar and Planetary Institute - Houston, host of the venerable Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
The Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (previously, the Lunar Science Institute) - HQ in Mountain View, CA, and UWO is part of it.
U. S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff
Mark Wade's Encylopedia Astronautica - excellent resource on the history of spaceflight.
Unmanned Spaceflight discussion forum - one of the best!
Midnight Planets - Mars rover images - updated daily.
WWW.SPACE.COM - space news
WWW.SPACEDAILY.COM - more space news
WWW.SPACEFLIGHTNOW.COM - even more space news
WWW.SPACETODAY.NET - still more space news
WWW.SPACEREF.COM - yet more space news
WWW.SPACENEWS.COM/ - this one's even called space news (but needs subscription)
WWW.NASASPACEFLIGHT.COM - some public space news, a big forum, lots more with subscription
Parabolic Arc - a good Commercial Space blog.
http://spaceweather.com/flybys/ - watch satellites and the Space Station passing overhead
Calvin Hamilton's "Views of the Solar System" - excellent summary of planetary science and exploration.
Sky & Telescope - news, magazine contents etc.
Astronomy magazine - news, magazine contents etc.
National Space Society - space public interest group.
Space Frontier Foundation - space public interest group.
The Planetary Society - space public interest group.
The Artemis Project - pro-lunar group.
The Mars Society - Mars public interest group conducting Mars simulations in the Canadian Arctic.
Google Lunar X Prize - Win $20 million by putting a rover on the Moon!
Scaled Composites - first private human suborbital missions.
SpaceX - a major player in the private space industry.
(many more of these in Lecture 8)
Image courtesy NASA/JSC (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-83/lores/sts083-464-005.jpg)