Awesome Space

Getting spaceships and satellites into orbit requires powerful rockets and all of the challenges that come with them. But would it be possible to use a giant cannon of sorts to shoot these objects safely into orbit instead? Curious Droid explores the possibilities.

Nissan’s UK division worked with the European Space Agency (ESA) to build this special Navara pickup, which tows an observatory-grade telescope to the darkest corners of the planet, providing amazing views of the night skies anywhere the truck can go.

The thought of setting up shop and living on the surface of the moon seems like a far away sci-fi dream, but we actually have the technology and smarts to do it in the next decade – assuming we had the funding. Kurzgesagt explains, in part one of their series about space colonization.

Our best look yet at Damien Chazelle’s biopic about astronaut Neil Armstrong (played by Ryan Gosling), and the trials and tribulations of the years leading up to his landing on the moon. It’s no coincidence it’s being released in October, in time for year-end Oscar noms.

Pablo Carlos Budassi created this incredible image, which attempts to illustrate the entirety of the observable universe, from our solar system, to distant galaxies and beyond. It’s interesting that that the whole thing also resembles a giant eye. Prints available here.

Back in the 1980s, car salesman Dennis Hope started selling plots of land on Earth’s moon, and has since expanded to other lunar and planetary bodies. We’re pretty sure he and his buyers own absolutely jack squat, but it’s a nice dream anyhow. Zach Christy’s video explains.

Portholes that can instantly transport us between different areas of space and time are a staple of science fiction and fantasy. But are wormholes really a thing, and if they are, how might they work, and where could we find one? Kurzgesagt explores.

“Dreams are maps. Let the best ones point the way.” The amazing documentary series Cosmos is getting a new season. In Cosmos: Possible Worlds, host Neil deGrasse Tyson will take us to hopeful explorations of both inner and outer space. Premieres Spring 2019 on FOX.

The idea of visiting far-off worlds is the stuff of science fiction, and sadly it’s likely to remain that way for a very long time. You see, the big problem is that we humans just don’t live long enough to travel very far. RealLifeLore explains some of the many challenges we face.

LEGO Ideas members Valerie Roche and Matthew Nolan’s SpaceX Ultimate Collection consists of 1,583 pieces. It lets you build the Falcon 9, the Falcon Heavy and the launcher. It also comes with a cargo ship, the Dragon spacecraft and Musk’s Tesla Roadster.

Most of the footage of SpaceX’s rockets are shot from far away, with little to no context to their size. Corridor Crew thought it would be nice to stack them up next to buildings so we can appreciate just how amazing it is that these babies can land and be reused.

A team of artists teamed up with engineers and scientists from NASA/JPL-Caltech to create a series of 14 awesome poster designs which envision a future filled with exotic trips to far-off worlds. Hi-res images are available to download, or as prints on Etsy. (Thanks Susan!)

Director Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land) reteams with Ryan Gosling for a dramatic retelling of the story of Neil Armstrong, and NASA’s early efforts to put a man on the Moon. We haven’t been this excited for an astronaut movie since The Right Stuff.

It’s been a long time since we sent astronauts to the Moon, but if we ever decide to explore Earth’s natural satellite again, what would it be like to live there for an extended period of time? TED-Ed’s Alex Gendler explores the challenges of establishing and maintaining a lunar base.

Filmmaker Nicolas Arnold used in-camera visual effects to envision what the uncharted outer reaches of space might look like, using liquids and chemicals to approximate the gasses and other matter that make up the universe.

Astronaut Chris Hadfield knows a thing or two about space exploration. So who better to trust when it comes to separating reality from myth when it comes to floating around above the Earth? This 11-minute video from WIRED is packed with nifty facts about space.