Sign in

The Space Above Us

@thespaceabove.us
242 followers 16 following 597 posts

A NASA human spaceflight history podcast, covering everything from Freedom 7 to STS-135 in chronological order, one mission at a time. New episodes every other Thursday (ish) More details at the show's website: thespaceabove.us

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 02/09/2026
Akiyama Toyohiro, the first Japanese national in space, has passed away. He was 84 years old. Akiyama, a notable TV journalist in the 1980s, boarded a Soviet Soyuz craft in 1990 and blasted off for the Mir Space Station. He famously had a rough time of it. Here is his story: youtu.be/s3lTfIyh_Es
youtu.be
The Japanese Astronaut Who Hated Space: Akiyama Toyohiro
YouTube video by Unseen Japan
06524
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 01/08/2026
New episode! The ISS is growing so much that soon the shuttle arm won’t be able to help attach new modules. So let’s give the ISS an arm of its own! We’ll also wonder just what's up with the C&C computers, and try to blink our way through our problems. Show notes: thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep1...
A photo of Chris Hadfield on a spacewalk during STS-100. Next to him is the new robot arm for the space station.
094
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 22/07/2026
Hey we know that guy!
020
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Astronaut Terry Virts @astroterry.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
2266
Reposted by The Space Above Us
SpacePolicyOnline @spacepolicyonline.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Artemis 3 crew: Commander Randy Bresnik, Pilot Luca Parmitano (ESA), Mission Specialist Frank Rubio, Mission Specialist Andre Douglas Backup: Bob Hines
1143
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Anime News Network @animenewsnetwork.com · 08/06/2026
Astronaut Stanley Love went viral during the Artemis II mission when not-so-subtle anime references were spotted in Mission Control. Erica Friedman talks to Dr. Love about his fandom, magical girls, and more.
animenewsnetwork.com
The Astronaut Who Loves Anime
91122362
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Daniel Solis @danielsolis.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
A heartfelt tenth anniversary to @thespaceabove.us podcast, documenting each NASA mission in chronological order. On a season break at the moment, but will return soon. 🚀 thespaceabove.us
thespaceabove.us
The Space Above Us
A podcast about the history of NASA human spaceflight. New episodes every other Thursday-ish.
041
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Robert Pearlman @collectspace.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
The first astronaut to catch a satellite in orbit, John Fabian died on Thursday (May 21). He was 87. Selected in 1978 with the first space shuttle candidate class, Fabian launched twice into Earth orbit...
collectspace.com
John Fabian, NASA astronaut who was first to catch a satellite in orbit, dies at 87
Former NASA astronaut John Fabian, who in 1983 became the first person to deploy and then retrieve a free-flying satellite, has died at the age of 87. Selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in 1978, F...
0114
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
HOUSTON (AP) — Artemis II’s astronauts return to Earth, ending a record-breaking trip around the moon with a splashdown in the Pacific.
6574621819
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Simeon Schmauß @stim3on.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
A bit of a different take on the amazing Artemis II launch footage. Here I stitched clips from the four Solar Array Wing Cameras to make this panoramic video. This is during the later part of the Core Stage burn until MECO and stage separation, sped up to 10x. 🔭🧪 #Artemis
161170360
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Joseph Gruber @josephgruber.com · 08/04/2026
Artemis II is carrying a US flag onboard Orion that was on STS-1, STS-135, left at the ISS for several years until SpaceX Crew Dragon DM1 "captured the flag". And now its taking a trip to the moon and back. Rough estimate 1,152,357,360 miles travelled
273
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Swapna Krishna @swapnakrishna.com · 03/04/2026
Will I ever get over this image? I don’t think so
634262
Reposted by The Space Above Us
CosmoQuest @cosmoquest.org · 02/04/2026
There are now 10 toilets in Space International Space Station: 4 Crew Dragon Docked at ISS: 1 Soyuz Docked at ISS: 1 Tiangong Space Station: 2 Shenzhou Docked at TSS: 1 Artemis II on way around Moon: 1 This will be the first time a toilet has left low earth orbit!
15456731596
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 17/03/2026
Happy 100 year anniversary to the first ever liquid fueled rocket. It was designed by rocketry pioneer Robert Goddard and flown on this day 100 years ago.
A black and white photo of Robert Goddard standing next to his liquid fueled rocket.
030
Reposted by The Space Above Us
CONTACT LIGHT @contactlight.de · 06/02/2026
February 6, 1971 #Apollo14 astronaut Alan Shepard hit two golf balls on the #Moon, he became the first lunar golfer in history. One of his golf balls landed in a crater about 15 m away, making this the first hole-in-one on another world. ⛳️ contactlight.de
11210
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 01/02/2026
Of course, good point. I suppose I more meant "what if this foam-strike incident happened on an ISS-bound mission?"
010
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 01/02/2026
23 years ago today we lost Space Shuttle Columbia and the crew of STS-107. The more I learn about this period of spaceflight history the more I realize how unusual a mission it was for its time. Another one of those great "what-ifs": what if STS-107 was headed to the ISS? Remember their sacrifice.
The crew of STS-107 poses in the white room just outside Space Shuttle Columbia.
150
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 28/01/2026
40 years ago today, we lost the crew of STS-51L aboard Space Shuttle Challenger. Today is a major milestone and another chance to reflect on the risks willingly taken on by astronauts as we push the boundaries of what is possible in space.
A photo of the crew of STS-51L.
030
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 27/01/2026
59 years ago today. Thinking of the Apollo 1 crew. Gus Grissom, Ed White, Roger Chaffee. There's a good chance Grissom would have been the first person to set foot on the Moon. "The conquest of space is worth the risk of life." - Gus Grissom
Photo of the Apollo 1 crew in their flight suits, standing near the launchpad.
021
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 06/01/2026
The exhaust would be dangerously hot and fast but it would be possible to contain it near the ground, sort of like missiles that launch from underground silos: youtu.be/D4FeDJ53DUk?... But yeah, I think noise and explosions are really the biggest concern as long as they're not using toxic prop.
youtu.be
U S Nuclear Missile Test Launch • Minuteman III ICBM
YouTube video by Wars in the World
010
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 05/01/2026
Depending on the type of rocket, the exhaust could just be water vapor! That's what comes out of a rocket that uses hydrogen and oxygen as propellant.
110
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 31/12/2025
Well it's not a new TSAU episode, but if you're just missing hearing me talk about space, check out the latest Kanzenshuu episode and listen to me try to answer increasingly implausible Dragon Ball related questions about space!
121
Reposted by The Space Above Us
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 15/11/2025
New episode! On STS-102 we've got what looks like a pretty simple mission but all sorts of complexities abound. Let's just hope that we don't have to hit that ominous red button on the control stick! Show notes with photos, video, links, transcript, etc are here: thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep1...
Cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko floating inside the cavernous Multi-Purpose Logistics Module on STS-102.
074
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 15/11/2025
New episode! On STS-102 we've got what looks like a pretty simple mission but all sorts of complexities abound. Let's just hope that we don't have to hit that ominous red button on the control stick! Show notes with photos, video, links, transcript, etc are here: thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep1...
Cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko floating inside the cavernous Multi-Purpose Logistics Module on STS-102.
074
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Gumby Screens @gumbyscreens.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
Frame #3664 from 60sE11 the small planets
29929
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 01/11/2025
I'd like to try to be more active on this account, so here's a fun fact: the PlayStation 2 was released in North America one week before human occupation of the ISS began. If you had asked me the dates, I would have known that, but somehow it feels weird to think about how close in time they are.
030
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Robert Pearlman @collectspace.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
From the makers of the Apollo in Real Time websites comes a new experience with 500 times more data. ISS in Real Time offers the chance to explore more than 9,000 days of photos, video and audio transmitted during the 25 years of continuous human residency on the International Space Station.
collectspace.com
25 years, one website: 'ISS in Real Time' captures quarter-century on space station
With the milestone just days away, you are likely to hear this week that there has now been a continuous human presence on the International Space Station (ISS) for the past 25 years. But what does th...
05124
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Talia al Ghoul 🏳️‍⚧️ @usili.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
An image spread in six separate pieces, with it going from top left-top right, medium left-medium right, bottom left-bottom right:

Top Left: A person pointing himself at a mirror and saying: "I am a grown man."

Top Right: A person getting ready to sit down in front of a laptop saying: "I'm a big adult."

Medium Left: The person saying "I can do this" with the image on the laptop screen saying "STS-135 landing."

Medium Right: STS-135 landing, vortices on either wingtip getting ready to touch down for the final time, with the words of PAO: "Having fired the imagination of a generation, a ship like no other, its place in history secured."

Bottom Left: The Space Shuttle now rolling down the runway for the final time: "The Space Shuttle pulls into port for the last time. Its voyage at an end."

Bottom Right: The person from the start crying over it.
1416
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 02/07/2025
Wow, that's pretty incredible. What a piece of history!
010
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 05/06/2025
That's just cause I already talk at 1.5x speed.
000
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 05/06/2025
:'( www.usgs.gov/landsat-miss...
usgs.gov
A Final Farewell to Landsat 7
The Landsat 7 satellite will receive its final transmission from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on June 4, 2025, at 1:08 PM CST. The satellite launched in April 1999 and will be decommissioned afte...
001
Reposted by The Space Above Us
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 03/06/2025
New episode! After years of planning and building the early International Space Station, the first long duration crew is here! Let's meet them, get a taste of life aboard the station, and wonder where to get bootleg movies on the streets of Moscow. thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep1... #Expedition1
The crew of Expedition 1: Bill Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko, and Sergei Krikalev, pose for a photo before launch. They are wearing white and blue Sokol launch and entry suits.
495
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 03/06/2025
Thanks as always to all who listen, but it's especially heartfelt this time. Apologies again for the unexpected hiatus. I can't promise smooth schedules, but I can promise I'll try. Thanks to all who wrote concerned and understanding emails. Glad to be back!
051
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 03/06/2025
New episode! After years of planning and building the early International Space Station, the first long duration crew is here! Let's meet them, get a taste of life aboard the station, and wonder where to get bootleg movies on the streets of Moscow. thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep1... #Expedition1
The crew of Expedition 1: Bill Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko, and Sergei Krikalev, pose for a photo before launch. They are wearing white and blue Sokol launch and entry suits.
495
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 31/05/2025
Alright, for real this time, the Expedition 1 episode will be going up soon. The plan is to record tomorrow and have it posted by the end of the weekend. So if you wanted to get back up to speed, re-listening to the STS-98 episode wouldn't be the worst idea! thespaceabove.us/episodes/ep1...
Expedition 1 crew members Bill Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko, and Sergei Krikalev put their hands together in a "go team" display before their launch into orbit.
032
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Andy Saunders - Apollo Remastered @andysaunders-1.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
#OTD 1969. Apollo 9. Such is the resolution, once enhanced, the tiny 0.6mm dot on this half-century old film frame reveals the Saturn V 3rd stage (S-IVB) as it is remotely fired into an orbit around the Sun. McDivitt: ‘It's just like a bright star disappearing into the distance.’
1317
Reposted by The Space Above Us
ESA Exploration @exploration.esa.int · 08/02/2025
📸🎂 The best view in the world turns 15 today: happy birthday Cupola! 🎉 🚀 #OTD in 2010, the European-built module was launched to the International Space Station on the Space Shuttle mission STS-130. 👨‍🚀 Video by @esa.int project astronaut Marcus Wandt. 🌍 Beautiful views of Earth, 24/7.
24613
Reposted by The Space Above Us
JP @yatpay.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
He was a worthy adversary. He will be missed.
Photo of a very loved cat named Buzz, with the added text "SEE YOU SPACE COWBOY..."
051
Reposted by The Space Above Us
David Hitt @homesteading.space · 27/01/2025
#OTD in 1967, NASA lost the crew of Apollo 1 in a fire on the launch pad during a test. In exploration, risk is a key ingredient for achieving great things. But so also is diligence, and in even greater measure. #NeverForget #NASARemembers
031
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 24/01/2025
Interesting article about early reconnaissance satellites that collected radio signals to pinpoint Soviet ships: spectrum.ieee.org/reconnaissan...
spectrum.ieee.org
A Spy Satellite You’ve Never Heard of Helped Win the Cold War
Engineers at the Naval Research Lab launched a spy satellite program called Parcae and revolutionized signals intelligence at the height of the Cold War. The program relied on computers to sift throug...
000
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Wayne Hale @waynehale.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
NASA has designated today as 'Remembrance Day' You can read my thoughts about it here: waynehale.wordpress.com/2016/01/27/r... waynehale.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/f... waynehale.wordpress.com/2019/06/19/b... waynehale.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/a...
waynehale.wordpress.com
After Ten Years: Enduring Lessons
From the Rogers Commission to reading Dr. Diane Vaughn’s book The Challenger Launch Decision took me 17 years.  For all those years I had learned the wrong lesson about the loss of Challenger.  The…
1136
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Gene J. Mikulka @genejm1017.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
I found this old #NASA video that describes a typical #Apollo mission profile. Its a no BS, no marketing buzzwords look at what a Apollo mission might look like. I honestly wish such a thing existed for #Artemis. - www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXY4...
youtube.com
1960’S NASA ANIMATED " APOLLO LUNAR MISSION PROFILE ” OVERVIEW OF MOON MISSION EXPLAINER XD48854
YouTube video by PeriscopeFilm
2208
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 21/01/2025
Interesting analysis about the demographics of spacefarers: www.scientificamerican.com/article/ever...
scientificamerican.com
Everyone Who Has Ever Been to Space, Charted
Space traveler demographics have shifted over time
031
Reposted by The Space Above Us
David S. F. Portree @dsfpspacefl1ght.bsky.social · 16/12/2024
I wrote about the JSC Shuttle II - spaceflighthistory.blogspot.com/2017/02/nasa...
spaceflighthistory.blogspot.com
NASA Johnson Space Center's Shuttle II (1988)
The story of spaceflight told through missions and programs that did not happen - that is, the great majority of them.
1125
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Ben Feist @benfeist.bsky.social · 10/12/2024
Apollo 17 has just gone behind the moon and is about to shoot some 16mm film of what they see. Landing tomorrow. Follow along live: apolloinrealtime.org/17/
apolloinrealtime.org
Apollo 17 in Real Time
A real-time interactive journey through the last landing on the Moon. Relive every moment as it occurred in 1972.
2164
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 30/11/2024
Wow, quite a collection of autographs over those last few posts! I'm jealous!
110
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 27/11/2024
Super cool use of InSAR. Too bad STS-59 and STS-68 didn't fly before 1992!
020
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Jonathan McDowell @planet4589.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
Jonathan's Space Report No. 839 published at planet4589.org/jsr.html
planet4589.org
Jonathan's Space Report - Latest Issue
Jonathan's Space Report | Current Issue
07012
Reposted by The Space Above Us
Tory Bruno @torybruno.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
This shot is a week or two old, but I thought you guys might enjoy it. The new methane tank starting its voyage out to California for SLC3. #VulcanRocket
81277
The Space Above Us @thespaceabove.us · 16/11/2024
Oh, y'know, typical Friday night. (Just a few more weeks..)
A page full of hand-written calculations converting Keplerian elements into inertial position and velocity vectors.
040