NASA Archives - Eric F. Frazier

AS11-44-6552 (16-24 July 1969) --- This view of Earth rising over the moon's horizon was taken from the Apollo spacecraft. The lunar terrain pictured is in the area of Smyth's Sea on the nearside. Coordinates of the center of the terrain are 85 degrees east longitude and 3 degrees north latitude. While astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit.

Moon Race Altered Earth More than Space Travel

July 20, 2019December 31, 2019 Eric F. Frazier

As we mark Apollo 11’s 50th anniversary, a central truth stands out. The race to the moon altered earthbound culture more profoundly than it advanced our spacefaring ambitions.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the ISS

March 15, 2014March 15, 2014 Eric F. Frazier

As Vladimir Putin tightens his grip on Crimea and masses troops along the Ukraine border, it’s a good time to remember that U.S. astronauts are entirely dependent on Russia for transportation to and from the International Space Station. NASA astronaut…

“Gravity” Highlights Space Debris Issue

October 14, 2013 Eric F. Frazier

More than twenty-four hours after watching the new movie “Gravity” in IMAX 3-D, images from the film continue hurtling periodically through my mental machinery, and like the orbital debris that drives the plot, they keep puncturing and shredding whatever task…

About Eric F. Frazier

I am an independent writer, editor, book reviewer and co-author of GPS Declassified: From Smart Bombs to Smartphones.

Frazeology is my take on matters large and small, in the news or off the radar. My approach is personal, but the goal is not to write about me. Rather, it is to offer subjective observations about experiences and concerns that we all share.

From time to time, I link to and comment on things others have said particularly well--or especially poorly. And sometimes I make up new words. We have more than enough already, but it's fun and I find playing around with language irresistible.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by, and I hope you enjoy reading.

“A useful work about a complex topic.”

— Roger Launius, Quest

“GPS Declassified is a carefully researched, well written, fast-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable book. It offers an excellent mix of science, technology, history and culture. This book is highly recommended.”

— William F. Mellberg, The Space Review

“Expertly weaves the story of GPS development and its ever-expanding use."

— M. W. Carr, Choice

“Written in a clear and lively style GPS Declassified provides readers with GPS development history including personal recollections from leading developers…. As an introduction to GPS, its history, uses, issues and concerns GPS Declassified can’t be beat.”

— Robert Schaefer, New York Journal of Books

“The authors do the impossible, making an intricate technological advance fascinating to read. They offer an informative and well researched account of how GPS proved its worth even before the system was complete.”

—Walter J. Boyne, author of How the Helicopter Changed Modern Warfare and former director of the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution

“A fine and entertaining story of the origins of the Global Positioning System, a consequential space-age technology that has affected the lives of hundreds of millions in war and peace."

—Mike Gruntman, PhD, professor of astronautics, University of Southern California at Los Angeles, and author of Blazing The Trail: The Early History Of Spacecraft And Rocketry

“The authors deftly place the concept and development of GPS within two broader historical contexts: navigation and robotic spaceflight.”

— from the foreword by Rick W. Sturdevant, PhD, Deputy Director of History, Air Force Space Command

Paid writing gigs keep me busy, so I post these personal blogs at irregular times. Subscribe below to receive new posts as soon as I make them.