The fifth Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF satellite has been successfully launched on Thursday, Feb. 20. The GPS satellite launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and boasts new world class space-based positioning, timing capabilities, and navigation to support users around the world.
Jumping from 128,100 feet above the Earth’s surface, GoPro’s HERO2 cameras documented every moment of the record breaking feat. Back in October of 2012, Felix Baumgartner broke the speed of sound while free-falling from the edge of space, setting three world records in the process.
Ever since the Russians successfully put the first man into space in 1961, the race to explore and colonize it has been relentless. Regularly scheduled space travel is around the corner for those who dare and have deep pockets.
Solar storms emit energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation that interfere with the Earth’s magnetic field. A once-a-century super solar storm is expected in 2012 and threatens to knock out major technological infrastructure, including electricity grids, radio communications and navigation satellites.
When Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down at the Kennedy Space Centre on May 26, 2010, it marked the end of 25 years of service for the space vehicle, traveling more than 120 million miles in it’s lifetime.