Men's Journal Looks at the 24 Greatest Feats of 2015

As the final days of the year slip off the calendar, it is a good time to look back and reflect on some of the things that happened in 2015. As usual, it was a busy year, filled with great stories of exploration and adventure. So many in fact, that you sometimes forget everything that happened. Fortunately for us, Men's Journal has put together a great little slideshow highlighting the 24 Greatest Feats of the past year.

Some of the amazing accomplishments that earned a spot on this list include the first winter crossing of the PCT, the longest time spent in space by an American, and Freya Hoffmeister's circumnavigation of South America in a kayak. Scott Jurek's speed record on the Appalachian Trail gets a nod as well, as does Dani Arnold's new speed record on the Matterhorn.

I won't spoil all of the entires on the list, but I will say paging through the MJ slideshow is a bit like taking a walk down memory lane. It reminded me of so many great things that happened this year, a lot off which we covered right here on The Adventure Blog.

For my money, the greatest feat of 2015 occurred all the way back in January. That's when Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson completed the first free climb of the Dawn Wall in Yosemite. For a brief time, the world was transfixed by a pair of rock climbers taking on the hardest big wall on the planet, and they did not disappoint. It was an amazing way to start the year, and it still stands as one of the most impressive climbing accomplishments ever.

With 2015 quickly fading away, now is a good time to look back on these great adventures, before e start looking ahead to those that will come in 2016. It was a great year. Here's to many more!

Video: The View From Space - An Astronaut's Perspective

Yesterday I posted a story about how NASA is now accepting applications for the next class of astronaut candidates. In case you needed some incentive as to why this is such an enticing job, we have this video to offer as visual proof. It was creating using footage of our planet that was captured from the International Space Station. As you'll see, the shots are simply incredible, giving us a perspective of our home that few of us ever get the chance to see. The clip is also narrated by astronauts who have served aboard the ISS, sharing their perspective on what it is like to look out the window and see the Pale Blue Dot from orbit.

The View From Space: An Astronaut's Perspective from The Royal Institution on Vimeo.

NASA is Now Accepting Applications for Astronauts!

Have you always dreamed of becoming an astronaut? Do you see traveling through space  as the ultimate adventure? Well, today just might be your lucky day, because for the first time in more than four years, NASA has begun taking applications for prospective astronauts to join the U.S. space program, potentially making a lifelong dream come true for a few lucky people.

You can read the full job description – and start the application process – by clicking here. As you can imagine, there is a lot of interesting information to be found there. For instance, did you know that the salary range for an astronaut candidate is between $66,026.00 and $144,566.00 per year? And of course, the "openings" for this position are in Houston, Texas, which may be viewed as a downside of this job. Still, if accepted you could be in line to go into space and potentially live aboard the International Space Station or take part in another manned mission at some point.

The application indicates that there are now more manned spacecraft in development in the U.S. than at any other time in history. In fact, astronaut candidates could travel not just on the ISS, but two commercially developed spacecraft, as well as NASA's very own Orion deep-space exploration vehicle which could one day take us to Mars.

Obviously the competition for the few astronaut positions that are open will be tough, and the vast majority of us have no chance. But, you never know what kind of people NASA will be looking for to take part in the next phase of manned space flight. Those with backgrounds in science will obviously be best suited for the job, but those with experience in technology, aviation, exercise physiology, and nursing are also encouraged to apply.

There is a lot more to the job description and application process, so if you're interested, I'd encourage you to read more about the requirements. Even if you know you're not bound for space, it still makes for an interesting read.

Video: Searching for Meteorites in Antarctica

We follow the Antarctic exploration season pretty closely here at The Adventure Blog, watching as adventurers ski to the South Pole or climb Mt. Vinson in particular. But, there are a lot of other things happening on the frozen continent each year, including some important research projects. Case in point, int his video from the Los Alamos National Lab, we learn about an expedition to the Antarctic that is going in search of meteorites. The frozen landscape of region makes it much easier to locate these chunks of rock from space, allowing scientists to study materials from other parts of our solar system.

This clip is the first in a new series of vides from the Lab which will present a science lesson in just 60 seconds. It should be interesting to see what else they have for us in future episodes.