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This picture of the galaxy UGC 10214 was was taken by the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), which was installed aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in March 2002 during HST Servicing Mission 3B (STS-109 mission). Dubbed the "Tadpole," this spiral galaxy is unlike the textbook images of stately galaxies. Its distorted shape was caused by a small interloper, a very blue, compact galaxy visible in the upper left corner of the more massive Tadpole. The Tadpole resides about 420 million light-years away in the constellation Draco. Seen shining through the Tadpole's disk, the tiny intruder is likely a hit-and-run galaxy that is now leaving the scene of the accident. Credit: NASA / Marshall Space Flight Center
This Month in NASA History: Hubble Spots a Hit-and-Run
April 26, 2012 // by

April 30, 2012 Vol. 5, Issue 4   Ten years ago this month, the Hubble Space Telescope saw its first “Tadpole” in space.

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Artist's concept of Mars Global Surveyor. Image credit: NASA/JPL
This Month in NASA History: A Second Chance to Map Mars
March 26, 2012 // by

March 28, 2012 Vol. 5, Issue 3   Fifteen years ago this month, Mars Global Surveyor entered orbit around Mars.

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The Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise is off-loaded at Redstone Arsenal Airfield for later Mated Vertical Ground Vibration tests (MVGVT) at Marshall Space Flight Center's Dynamic Test Stand. The tests marked the first time ever that the entire shuttle complement (including orbiter, external tank, and solid rocket boosters) were mated vertically. Credit: NASA
This Month in NASA History: Enterprise Makes Its First Trek
February 27, 2012 // by

February 29, 2012 Vol. 5, Issue 2   This month marks the 35th anniversary of the space shuttle Enterprise’s maiden flight.

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The prime crew of Apollo 1, Virgil I "Gus" Grissom, Edward H. White, II, and Roger B. Chaffee, during training in Florida. Credit: NASA
This Month in NASA History: Apollo 1 – Abandon in Place
January 23, 2012 // by

January 26, 2012 Vol. 5, Issue 1   Forty-five years ago this month, a cry let out from the Apollo 1 capsule, “There’s a fire in here.”

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Saturn blockhouse personnel at Launch Complex 37 during the liftoff of SA-3 include Center Director Kurt Debus and Wernher von Braun (foreground). Credit: NASA
This Month in NASA History: Attaining Extreme Altitude with Saturn I
October 19, 2011 // by

October 28, 2011 Vol. 4, Issue 8   This month marks the fiftieth anniversary of the first flight of the Saturn I rocket.

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"Dave Scott (right) and Jim Irwin (left) drive the Geologic Rover ( aka Grover) along the rim of the Rio Grande Gorge at Taos, New Mexico. At this location, the Rio Grande Gorge is about the same width as Hadley Rille at the Apollo 15 landing site. During this training exercise, Dave and Jim conducted a geologic investigation similar to the one they later did at Hadley. Ulli Lotzmann notes that the 1g trainer was also known as the Geology Rover or Grover." Credit: NASA
This Month in NASA History: Lunar Roving
July 18, 2011 // by

July 20, 2011 Vol. 4, Issue 5 Forty years ago this month, the Apollo 15 astronauts took the first lunar rover for a ride.

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Surveyor 1's shadow against the lunar surface. Credit: NASA/JPL
This Month in NASA History: Surveyor 1 Lands Softly
June 13, 2011 // by

June 14, 2011 Vol. 4, Issue 4   Forty-five years ago this month, scientists let out a sigh of relief when Surveyor 1 didn’t sink into the moon’s dusty surface.

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The Gemini VII spacecraft. Credit: NASA
This Month in NASA History: 1965 “Rapid Fire” Gemini Flights
December 20, 2010 // by

December 29, 2010 Vol. 3, Issue 12   This month marks the 45th anniversary of the Gemini VI and Gemini VII flights, which performed the first manned space rendezvous.

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Frank “Bill” Burcham’s napkin sketch for the Propulsion Controlled Aircraft (PCA) system. (Click image for close-up) Photo Credit: NASA/Dryden Flight Research Center (Dennis Taylor)
This Month in NASA History: First Thrust-Only Airliner Landings at Dryden
November 19, 2010 // by

November 30, 2010 Vol. 3, Issue 11   This month marks the 15th anniversary of modified thrust-only airliner landing tests at Drydena good idea that started on a napkin.

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