You can watch the first space shuttle mission on YouTube and the last. The video Ascent, a 45 minute tribute that narrates the space launch’s thirty year history is also available. This week STS-135 and its four astronauts soared into space as 1 million people cheered from the Florida coast. Nostalgic? Interested? Let’s explore what’s available for the iPad.
Download NASA Television on your iPad and watch history.
Enjoy the live broadcasts from the shuttle. I remember using CuSeeMe to view space through the space shuttle window in the late 90’s. The middle school students quietly stated, “it’s only in black and white”. They wouldn’t be disappointed today, the live broadcast from the NASA app is in color. The app also archives some additional footage from the launch proceedings, as well as the music video supporting the space program “What Kind of World Do You Want?”
The AstroApp: Space Shuttle Crew
features information on all the astronauts and missions. It includes the astronaut poster, so you can create that personalized astronaut image!
A pair of iPhone 4s are on board using an app, SpaceLab for iOS that will measure altitude and the curvature of the Earth. When the iPhones return in the fall of 2011, flight data will be collected, analyzed and shared with this app.
StarWalk allows you to simply point the iPad at the sky and enjoy the appropriate labeled star map. The $5 app includes an astronomical calendar, picture of the day, and current rising and setting times for celestial bodies.
Science360 is full of powerful science videos. History of the Cosmos is one of their space features.
Don’t miss exploring iTunes U for additional information. One of the featured videos this month is NASA and Human Spaceflight. During the school year CNN Student News provides a 10 minute news program every day and every week during the summer.
Feeling like you need to respond by launching a personal rocket? The NSDL/Exploratorium has a Bottle Blast Off Video with 4 videos on building rockets.
The space shuttle will rendezvous with the international space shuttle. Use the Wolfram Alpha app and locate the current position of the space shuttle as well as a multitude of astronomical information.
Need more, try Flipboard for the latest in news. It’s a smooth, easy way to read the latest information on all interest areas.
Ready to land the space shuttle? Then don’t miss F-SIM Space Shuttle on sale to celebrate the final Atlantis mission.
Happy exploring!

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