Mika McKinnon, Author at Gizmodo

A Successful Launch Means it’s About to Get Crowded on the Space Station

The latest trio of astronauts are safely space-bound after an early morning launch out of Kazakhstan. Soyuz will take the scenic route to meet the International Space Station, which is in a higher-than-usual orbit after avoiding space junk. After docking, the station’s crew will temporarily grow to nine astronauts. Astronauts Aidyn Aimbetov, Sergey Volkov and…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Sep 2 '15

Watch a Soyuz “Soft Landing” from Gentle Detachment to Brutal Controlled Crash

We’ve teased that the term “soft” landing is utterly inappropriate, but our latest video makes that painfully clear. The preparation, waving goodbye, and gentle undocking are a deceptive moment of calm before the parachutes fling open and the chaos begins. The Soyuz spacecraft is currently the only way for astronauts to get to and from…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Sep 1 '15

NASA Tossed Astronauts with this Gimbal Rig Before Launching Them into Space

How do you regain control of a spacecraft tumbling through space? The Mercury astronauts trained by spinning in this gimbal rig in an effort to mimic the disorienting chaos they’d need to battle during the earliest human spaceflight missions. All Mercury astronauts trained on this multi-axis space test intertia device, nicknamed the gimbal rig, to…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Sep 1 '15

This is Exactly What New Horizons saw Zipping by Pluto

When the New Horizons spacecraft raced past Pluto this summer, it constantly snapped photographs both coming and going. This is exactly what it saw while zooming past the frozen dwarf planet. Whoa. We’ve seen fan-art of what the probe might have seen in a simulation interpolated from public image releases. But now NASA is providing…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Aug 31 '15

How Next Week’s Space Expo Will Bring The Adventure of Space Travel To Life

What does Long Beach Comic Con have that other big conventions don’t? A whole series of programs devoted to space exploration, called Space Expo. We talked to the panelists about road tripping on Mars, weird landforms on Ceres, and what fictional technologies they most wish would become a reality. Less than two weeks from now,…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Aug 31 '15

New Horizons Locks Onto Next Target: Let’s Explore the Kuiper Belt!

We don’t have the funding but we have the target: the New Horizons spacecraft will adjust its course to make a flyby of Kuiper Belt Object MU69 in January 2019. This will be the most distant world ever explored. The New Horizons spacecraft completed its primary mission by making a flyby of the dwarf planet…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Aug 28 '15

Fall Science Preview: So Much Science is Headed Right for Us!

‘Tis the season for dwarf planets with an impending flood of Pluto flyby data and Dawn just about to point its spectrometer at the weird white spots on Ceres. Add in ocean floor explorations, a pair of weights in perpetual free-fall, and a rash of rocket launches and we just know this year is going…

Space & Spaceflight Mika McKinnon Aug 26 '15

White Stork Delivers Metal-Levitating Furnace, Backup Toilet, and Whiskey to Space Station

Astronauts on the International Space Station are resupplied with the safe arrival of JAXA’s HTV-5 “White Stork” cargo tug. The spacecraft delivered a metal-levitating furnace, a high-energy radiation observatory, whiskey, extra food, and experimental materials to the space station on Monday morning. HTV-5 launched on August 19, 2015. Image credit: JAXA This is the fifth…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Aug 25 '15

This is a Single, Endless Day on Pluto

The New Horizons spacecraft photographed the day side of the dwarf planet Pluto during its flyby this July. Here’s a full rotation from the iconic heart to the squibbly backside that will taunt us with mysteries until the next time we visit the far reaches of the solar system. The New Horizons spacecraft flew past…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Aug 25 '15

Astronauts Spot Another “Rare” Red Sprite Already!

After years of describing red sprites as “rare” and “elusive,” astronauts on the International Space Station are out to prove me wrong. They photographed two entirely unrelated sprites above thunderstorms in the Midwest and Mexico within minutes. What’s going on?! Red sprite over Missouri or Illinois as seen from 2,200 kilometers away over Mexico. Image…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Aug 24 '15

Every Place We Used to Think Was a Planet (Until We Knew Better)

We once considered the Sun a planet, and it took finding Uranus to decide that moons should really be their own category of thing. These are all the places in our solar system that were once planets—but now have far more suitable names. The Sun and the Moon When the Ptolemaic model of an Earth-centric…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Aug 24 '15

Only one of These Images is a Moon, but Which one?

Europa takes a simple question and makes it a challenge: Which of these are frying pans, and which is Jupiter’s moon? Eight of these are of cookware, and one is of a planetary object. How can this be so tricky?! These are real photographs, which leads to a second question: Just what are people doing…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Aug 24 '15

This Scene from Space is Almost too Perfect to be Real

The gentle red glow of aurora and the richness of a star-filled sky make a picture-perfect backdrop the International Space Station. The remote-controlled Canadarm was cocked in preparation to catch and pull in the JAXA space cargo tug HTV5 launched on Wednesday and due to arrive at the station on Monday. After unloading fresh supplies…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Aug 22 '15

15 Stealth Science-Lovers Hiding in Plain Sight

One Direction aren’t the only physics-loving celebrities hiding in plain sight. From PhD astrophysicist and rock star Brian May to mathematics book author and actress Danica McKellar, the list of entertainers who get giddy over the wonder of our universe is near-endless. The Perimeter Institute is back with another round of PI-bites. Last time they…

Physics & Chemistry Mika McKinnon Aug 22 '15

Dammit, Congress: Just Buy NASA its Own Space Taxi, Already

Ever since the shuttle program ended, NASA has been paying Russia to ferry U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station. But the price-per-seat aboard Russia’s spacecraft has gotten ridiculous. The solution is clear and cost-effective: The US needs its own space taxis. So why won’t Congress pay for it? When the Space Shuttles retired, NASA…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Aug 21 '15

Astronauts Capture Rare Photograph of a Red Sprite

Astronauts captured a red sprite from their vantage point on the International Space Station. The vibrant jellyfish is part of a thunderstorm that raged over Mexico in early August. Red sprites are bright flashes that happen directly above thunderstorms with more mundane cloud-to-ground or intracloud lightning strikes. The sprites are brightest at an altitude of…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Aug 18 '15

Farewell, Dione: Cassini Makes Final Flyby of Saturn’s Fourth Largest Moon

Cassini’s epic mission to Saturn is coming to a close with a spectacular finale of daring flybys and swooping encounters. The beginning of the end happened today with the last targeted flyby of Dione, the icy moon of towering cliffs and dizzying canyons. Dione against the backdrop of Saturn in blue, green, and infrared light…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Aug 17 '15

Why are Shade Balls Black Instead of White?

Los Angeles has coated its reservoirs in millions of black plastic balls. But why are they a heat-absorbing black instead of light-reflecting white? Because they’re shade balls, and their purpose has nothing to do with the drought. Switch between wearing a dark shirt and a light shirt on a sunny day and you’ll quickly be…

Physics & Chemistry Mika McKinnon Aug 14 '15

Cygnus Restarts Cargo Runs to the Space Station After Antares Rocket Explosion

The Cygnus spacecraft is back in rotation for cargo runs to the International Space Station for the first time since the previous spacecraft was destroyed during the Antares rocket explosion in October 2014. The cargo craft will launch on an Atlas V rocket in December, resuming flights while the Antares rocket continues safety upgrades. Resuming…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Aug 13 '15

This Jet From Rosetta’s Comet was so Strong it Disrupted the Solar Wind

As Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko sneaks closer to the sun, the Rosetta orbiter is capturing dramatic outbursts from the ever-more active comet. This jet was so powerful, it momentarily out-puffed the solar wind, creating a rarely-observed diamagnetic cavity. The quiescent comet on August 6, 2014 and the far more active comet year later on August 6, 2015.…

Tech News Mika McKinnon Aug 12 '15

Mika McKinnon

A Successful Launch Means it’s About to Get Crowded on the Space Station

Watch a Soyuz “Soft Landing” from Gentle Detachment to Brutal Controlled Crash

NASA Tossed Astronauts with this Gimbal Rig Before Launching Them into Space

This is Exactly What New Horizons saw Zipping by Pluto

How Next Week’s Space Expo Will Bring The Adventure of Space Travel To Life

New Horizons Locks Onto Next Target: Let’s Explore the Kuiper Belt!

Fall Science Preview: So Much Science is Headed Right for Us!

White Stork Delivers Metal-Levitating Furnace, Backup Toilet, and Whiskey to Space Station

This is a Single, Endless Day on Pluto

Astronauts Spot Another “Rare” Red Sprite Already!

Every Place We Used to Think Was a Planet (Until We Knew Better)

Only one of These Images is a Moon, but Which one?

This Scene from Space is Almost too Perfect to be Real

15 Stealth Science-Lovers Hiding in Plain Sight

Dammit, Congress: Just Buy NASA its Own Space Taxi, Already

Astronauts Capture Rare Photograph of a Red Sprite

Farewell, Dione: Cassini Makes Final Flyby of Saturn’s Fourth Largest Moon

Why are Shade Balls Black Instead of White?

Cygnus Restarts Cargo Runs to the Space Station After Antares Rocket Explosion

This Jet From Rosetta’s Comet was so Strong it Disrupted the Solar Wind

Please, Let’s Not Do a Sequel to ‘Project Hail Mary’

Trillion-Dollar Flip-Flop? SpaceX Says Orbital Data Centers May Never Make Money

Anker’s 13-in-1 USB-C Docking Station Hits Its Lowest Price, Includes a Detachable Hub for an All-in-One Setup

NASA’s Next Spacesuit Won’t Be Ready for Artemis 4 Moon Landing, Watchdog Warns

Samsung’s Next Pair of Galaxy Buds Look Like a Huge Departure

The First Clip From ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Sure Looks Like That

Watch Sony’s AI Robot Compete With—and Beat—Elite Table Tennis Players

Skip Paying Full Price for a Costco Membership, BJ’s Wholesale Club Membership Is 75% Off and Pays for Itself on Day One

Forget Bose, Anker Clears Out Soundcore Boom 2 Outdoor Speaker Is Back to Black Friday Pricing Under $90

The New ‘Expanse’ Game Could Be More Than Just a ‘Mass Effect’ Riff

Sleep-Tracking Earbuds Didn’t Fix Me, but They Did Open My Eyes

I’ve Tested a Lot of Bad Smart Glasses and These Are the Worst Yet

Roborock’s Qrevo Curv 2 Flow Is the Ultimate Robot Mop—If You Don’t Have Corners or Walls

Alienware’s $350 QD-OLED Gaming Monitor Nixes Everything for a Pretty Screen

Sony Inzone H6 Air Review: A Perfect Case for Open-Back Gaming Headsets

Anker’s EufyMake E1 Finally Brings Printers Out of the Dark Ages

The Soundboks Mix Is Going to Make You the Most Popular Guy at the Park

Asus Zenbook A16 Review: Start Considering Snapdragon on PC, for Real

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy