• Question: How do you know when something bad is happening space

    Asked by 358spaa48 to Jane, Helen, Heather on 16 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Jane MacArthur

      Jane MacArthur answered on 16 Nov 2014:

      I follow a large number of dedicated space news sources on Twitter, so I often find out about things a few hours or days before it hits the mainstream media. I often watch launches over the internet so I was watching the Antares rocket live when they had to detonate it as its path had gone off course.

      I was also online when I saw a friend of mine, a NASA mission controller, comment on facebook about the Virgin Galactic disintegration of Spaceship two, so social media really is one of the quickest and earliest alert mechanisms in the media today.

      The International Space Station has constant communications links to Earth, to control centres in Houston Texas (USA) and in Germany – a friend is now the ‘voice of space’ to the ISS from Germany, which is a pretty amazing job to have! She is an engineer from Australia originally.

      This week there have been extensive tweets from separate accounts for each of the instruments on the Philae lander, and between the lander and Rosetta spacecraft, bringing the mission to life, particularly as Philae ‘went to sleep’ losing power on Friday night. It was a nailbiting evening as Philae managed to successfully upload ALL its data in time, after all instruments had had a chance to operate. @ESA_Rosetta @Philae2014

    • Photo: Helen Johnson

      Helen Johnson answered on 16 Nov 2014:

      I use twitter a lot too, I think it’s a great way to keep up to date with all things space and find out about exciting events. Do you or your school have a twitter? I really wish I had it when I was at school, it’s great to follow what scientists and doing and ask them questions. The 5 of us (Julian, Jane, Hugh, Heather and me!) all have twitter accounts. Mine is @strangequarklet.

Comments