SpaceWordGame

A fun way to get up to speed on space jargon, by proposing better meanings for exciting-sounding words from way way up beyond the atmosphere. There are many fabulous words used in the space business every day -- bring them into your workplace with you, fresh with new meanings, and impress your co-workers. With a nod to Douglas Adams and John Lloyd who did something much more powerful for placenames, this was inspired by The Snowball Herminator, who takes all credit and no responsibility.

2011-03-19

Hiatus

There is a going to be a pause now, a break in spacewordgame. Depending on a host of factors, it may resume shortly, or not.

Thanks!

2011-03-10

Maria

Maria are the plural of mare. A dark, flat, large region on the surface of the Moon. The term is also applied to the less well-defined areas on Mars. Although maria literally means “seas,” watery regions do not exist on the Moon or Mars. Marias on the Moon and elsewhere may be evidence of past volcanic lava flows.

2011-03-09

Ablative

Ablative means 'able to be eroded or flaked away'. An ablative heat shield is one in which the shield material itself vaporises and takes the heat away with it as it goes. The Apollo command module used an ablative heatshield made of a resinous material held in an aluminum honeycomb, and most entry and reentry vehicles use some form of ablative aeroshell in the same way.