The Greater Beyond

Most people view the concept of being an astronaut as a childhood dream, but do those people actually know what astronauts do while in space? While in space there are usually in four main categories of work: supply, repair,assembly and research.


Supply

Astronauts working in the supply category work with the transporting of equipment and supplies for the international space station. Essentially they gather the materials needed to either repair or add on to the international space station.


Repair/Maintenance

Astronauts working in the repair category could possibly check satellites for any problems and repair them as needed. Also they are in command of keeping the space station nice and tidy, both inside it and outside it.

Assembly

The scientist in the category of assembly are in charge of assembling new modules that are needed to be attached to the space station.

Research

The astronaut researchers' main goal plain and simple is to try to find out what is going on beyond from we stand.

Ever since I was a little toddler running around, I have always had a spark of interest in the sky and what's beyond it. A while back i received my first telescope for Christmas and took it out to my family's lake house where the sky is clear. Just peering through the telescope for a few minutes was enough to let me know that i wanted to go up there some day, to those places I've seen. I also enjoy working hard and solving problems for something I'm interested in. And in space there will always be problems that would need to be solved and I would be honored to help figure those problems out. From my research, I have gathered that being an aeronautical scientist would be very hands on, and i am a very kinesthetic learner. These are just some of the qualities that I believe make me a good candidate for pursuing a career in the field of Areonautical Science.

Big Asteroid + Dinosaurs = Mass Extinction?

There has been a huge controversy over what actually killed off the massive population of the dinosaurs and other organisms they co-existed with. The myth came about when archeologists started discovering dinosaur fossils all around the world. The scientists don't know how or why they died and where they are now. Some people think it was an enormous asteroid (estimated 120 miles in diameter) smashing into the earth. Another theory is a massive volcanic eruption.

Scientists have estimated that the dinosaurs were walking on the earth about 65 million years ago. According to Dr. A. Buckley of Sothworth Planetarium, Maine, USA, he believes it was an enormous asteroid that struck the earth and killed the dinosaurs; he thinks this because the mineral iridium was found in the soil where the fossils were discovered. And iridium is only found in two places and one of those places is in outer space. The other place iridium is found is near the center of the Earth. That’s the reasoning behind why scientists think a massive volcanic eruption destroyed the Dinosaur’s thriving population. However, some scientists around the world think they still exists today. According to a video on 60 minutes they have reason to believe that they can regenerate a dinosaur through a chicken becuase both a chicken and a dinosaur have simliar qualities.

This myth or controversy is a worldwide question. Nobody is certain which of the two theories was the actual killer of the dinosaurs. At this point in time (2009) one single person can't be 100% positive on the cause of the mass extinction of so many dinosaurs and organisms 65 million years ago.