#spaceflight

The inflection point was probably in late 1966 or 1967, so when Neil Armstrong flew to space on Gemini 8, plate tectonics was not widely accepted, but when he landed on the Moon three years later it was the mainstream consensus.

Continents [Explained]

Transcript Under the Cut

Hey, 6th-12th graders! Want to launch an experiment on a high-altitude balloon or suborbital spacecraft? This is your chance — the fifth NASA TechRise Student Challenge is now open! No experience is needed to apply. 

In this nationwide contest, middle and high schoolers at U.S. public, private, or charter schools can design, build, and launch experiments on NASA-supported flights. It’s a great way to get real-world, hands-on experience with the same process that professional researchers follow. 

We will award 60 winning teams: 

$1,500 to build their science and technology experiment 

A starter kit, including a flight box in which to build their experiment 

An assigned spot to test their experiment on a NASA-sponsored flight 

Technical support from advisors who help students learn the skills they need to bring their experiment to life

Just like professional engineers… 

Researchers fly payloads on suborbital vehicles to expose their experiments to the conditions of space and collect the data they need to advance their science and technology projects.

TechRise gives you the same opportunity, allowing winning student teams to test their experiment on one of the following commercial flight platforms:  

A high-altitude balloon operated by World View Enterprises, with approximately 4–8 hours of flight time at 70,000 to 90,000 feet 

Virgin Galactic’s Suborbital-Spaceship, with approximately 3 minutes of microgravity at altitudes above 264,000 feet as well as accelerations three times the speed of sound (Mach 3).

Participants gain critical skills in engineering, computing, electronics, and more that will be required for America’s technical workforce.  

Ready to get started? Gather your team (under the guidance of an educator) and: 

Register for the challenge and use the resources available to brainstorm an experiment idea and choose the best flight vehicle for it.

Sign up for the Sept. 25 Student Virtual Field Trip to hear from special guest speaker Rob Ferl — the first NASA-funded researcher to fly with his payload on a suborbital rocket — submit questions to NASA experts, and get inspired about designing a science or technology project. 

20 March 2026 - This image shows NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) and Orion spacecraft rolling out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. NASA's massive Crawler-Transporter, upgraded for the Artemis program, carries the powerful SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft on the Mobile Launcher from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in preparation for the Artemis II mission.