Tag: space shuttle

Houston Matters

Full Show: Lessons From The Columbia Disaster, And Our Unpredictable Texas Weather (Jan. 31, 2018)

Posted on · On Wednesday's Houston Matters: We look back at the space shuttle Columbia disaster, 15 years later. We discuss the latest political stories with an eye for how they might affect Houston. State climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon discusses the roller coaster that is Texas weather. And we learn about Houston Grand Opera's production of Elektra.

Full Show

Economic Impact of the Super Bowl: Tuesday’s Show (January 31, 2017)

Posted on · A new study commissioned by the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee says Super Bowl 51 will bring in $350 million for the city. We talk with Ken McGill, managing director of Rockport Analytics, the research firm behind the study, about how they calculated that amount, where the money is going, and what the Super Bowl […]

Houston Matters

The Astronaut’s Secret: Spacewalking with Parkinson’s Disease

Posted on · Rich Clifford is a former astronaut who's logged more than 12 hours of spacewalk time over three shuttle missions during the 1990s. And while that's impressive enough, it might impress you even more to know he conducted one of those spacewalks while carrying a secret he kept from all but one of his crewmates. His […]

Houston Matters

Challenger Disaster Still Resonates at NASA 30 Years Later

Posted on · A ceremony is taking place today (Jan. 28, 2016) at Houston's Johnson Space Center marking 30 years since the disaster that destroyed the Challenger space shuttle on Jan. 28, 1986, killing astronauts Ellison Onizuka, Greg Jarvis, Judy Resnik, Mike Smith, Dick Scobee, Ron McNair and teacher Christa McAuliffe. One man who was at the Johnson […]

Houston Matters

Inside Houston’s New Shuttle Exhibit

Posted on · Space Center Houston, the visitors center for NASA's Johnson Space Center, has a new exhibit featuring a space shuttle replica – mounted on top of the Boeing 747 that used to transport space shuttles to and from Kennedy Space Center. We learn more from Paul Spana, exhibits manager at Space Center Houston. MORE: Space Center […]

Houston Matters

The Astronaut’s Secret: Spacewalking with Parkinson’s Disease

Posted on · Rich Clifford is a former astronaut who's logged more than 12 hours of spacewalk time over three shuttle missions during the 1990s. And while that's impressive enough, it might impress you even more to know he conducted one of those spacewalks while carrying a secret he kept from all but one of his crewmates. His […]

Houston Matters

Astronaut Discusses Helping His Kids Deal with Him Being Away for Long Periods

Posted on · In the first in a series of discussions with Houston parents whose jobs can take them away from their kids, we hear from former astronaut Kenneth Cockrell about the challenges of being a parent working in space during the height of the Shuttle program. Cockrell was born in Austin, but considers his home Rockdale, a […]

Houston Matters

Hubble 25th Anniversary: Space Telescope Rewrote the Astronomy Books

Posted on · This past Saturday marked the 25th anniversary of the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope. The project was years behind schedule, and millions of dollars over budget. And its deployment was marred by the discovery of a flawed mirror that rendered its first images blurry. But after subsequent shuttle missions to correct the issue, the […]

Houston Matters

Plans in the Works to Expand Space Center Houston

Posted on · Since 1992, Space Center Houston has served as the official Visitor Center for NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Space Center Houston features a number of exhibits and attractions, including the world’s largest collection of lunar samples. Last year, 800,000 people visited Space Center Houston, making it one of the major tourist attractions for the Greater Houston […]