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116-421: The basin is located in the southwestern quadrant of the gulf, with its closest point to the U.S. coast at 200 miles (320 km) southeast of Brownsville, Texas . The actual maximum depth is disputed, and estimates range between 3,750 and 4,384 metres (12,303 and 14,383 ft). The average depth of the gulf is roughly 1,615 metres (5,299 ft). The Sigsbee Abyssal Plain is the deepest and flattest sector of

232-517: A U.S. Army soldier during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). As a county seat , the city and county governments are major employers. Other primary employers fall within the service, trade, and manufacturing industries, including a growing aerospace and space transportation sector. It operates international trading through the Port of Brownsville . The city experienced a population increase in

348-509: A humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ). Winters are warm, and summers are hot and humid. Due to its location on the Gulf Coast about 2.49° north of the Tropic of Cancer , the climate closely borders a tropical savanna climate . Due to its proximity to the deserts of Chihuahua and Gulf Coastal Plains , Brownsville's geographic location lies near the boundary of a hot semi-arid climate . Snow

464-421: A spaceport (cosmodrome), which may be equipped with launch complexes and launch pads for vertical rocket launches and runways for takeoff and landing of carrier airplanes and winged spacecraft. Spaceports are situated well away from human habitation for noise and safety reasons. ICBMs have various special launching facilities. A launch is often restricted to certain launch windows . These windows depend upon

580-492: A sub-orbital spaceflight the spacecraft reaches space and then returns to the atmosphere after following a (primarily) ballistic trajectory. This is usually because of insufficient specific orbital energy , in which case a suborbital flight will last only a few minutes, but it is also possible for an object with enough energy for an orbit to have a trajectory that intersects the Earth's atmosphere, sometimes after many hours. Pioneer 1

696-508: A "time buffer" and substantially widened the allowable launch windows . The parking orbit gave the crew and controllers time to thoroughly check out the spacecraft after the stresses of launch before committing it for a long journey to the Moon. Robotic missions do not require an abort capability and require radiation minimalization only for delicate electronics, and because modern launchers routinely meet "instantaneous" launch windows, space probes to

812-483: A 1,200-acre (1.9 sq mi) system of parkland and 32 mi (51 km) of bike lanes. The city also has three gymnasiums, two public pools, and 55 athletic fields. Brownsville's proximity to the coast has allowed the city to register several locations under the list of protected areas of the United States . Resaca de la Palma State Park is one of six nature preserves (and three state parks) that are part of

928-561: A 5.8% jobless rate the following year. Despite high unemployment rates, the urban area is also one of the fastest growing in the United States. Brownsville's economic activity is derived from the service and manufacturing industries. Government and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley are both large contributors to the local economy. Other prominent industries in Brownsville include education and aerospace and space transportation. During

1044-443: A counter measure to United States bomber planes in the 1950s. The Tsiolkovsky-influenced Sergey Korolev became the chief rocket designer, and derivatives of his R-7 Semyorka missiles were used to launch the world's first artificial Earth satellite , Sputnik 1 , on October 4, 1957. The U.S., after the launch of Sputnik and two embarrassing failures of Vanguard rockets , launched Explorer 1 on February 1, 1958. Three years later,

1160-416: A flight that normally lasts over twenty hours , could be traversed in less than one hour. While no company offers this type of transportation today, SpaceX has revealed plans to do so as early as the 2020s using Starship . Suborbital spaceflight over an intercontinental distance requires a vehicle velocity that is only a little lower than the velocity required to reach low Earth orbit. If rockets are used,

1276-529: A historic building named after Baldwin G. Stegman, one of the city's first streetcar line developers. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) selected Brownsville as one of six cities for their "Greening America's Communities" program. The agency worked on a revitalization project for Market Square, a building constructed in 1850. The city also received a $ 3.4 million grant from the Façade Improvement Program for this project. Brownsville

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1392-447: A launch tower and flame trench. It is surrounded by equipment used to erect, fuel, and maintain launch vehicles. Before launch, the rocket can weigh hundreds of tons. The Space Shuttle Columbia , on STS-1 , weighed 2030 metric tons (4,480,000 lb) at takeoff. The most commonly used definition of outer space is everything beyond the Kármán line , which is 100 kilometers (62 mi) above

1508-585: A liquid-fueled rocket on March 16, 1926. During World War II , the first guided rocket, the V-2 , was developed and employed as a weapon by Nazi Germany . During a test flight in June 1944, one such rocket reached space at an altitude of 189 kilometers (102 nautical miles), becoming the first human-made object to reach space. At the end of World War II, most of the V-2 rocket team, including its head, Wernher von Braun , surrendered to

1624-414: A murder rate of 1.4. Robbery crimes make up 25% of overall crime in the city, with a rate of 58.1 per 100,000 residents. In 2011, Brownsville became one of the first cities in the United States to require stores to charge a fee for single-use plastic shopping bags. The ordinance was enacted to reduce pollution and litter around the city. The city repealed the ordinance in 2018 after it was ruled illegal by

1740-611: A pre-programmed list of operations that will be executed unless otherwise instructed. A robotic spacecraft for scientific measurements is often called a space probe or space observatory . Many space missions are more suited to telerobotic rather than crewed operation, due to lower cost and risk factors. In addition, some planetary destinations such as Venus or the vicinity of Jupiter are too hostile for human survival, given current technology. Outer planets such as Saturn , Uranus , and Neptune are too distant to reach with current crewed spaceflight technology, so telerobotic probes are

1856-458: A significant degree of salinity in many places; other types of soils present around the city include Cameron clay and sporadic amounts of Laredo silt loam. Due to Brownsville's proximity to the coast, Lomalta clay is common around the swamp areas of the vicinity. Several parts of the city have a high risk of localized flooding because of flat topography, ubiquitous low- permeability clay soils, and inadequate infrastructure funding. According to

1972-555: A smuggling point for Confederate goods into Mexico. Most significantly, cotton was smuggled to European ships through the Mexican port of Bagdad to avoid Union blockades . The city was located at the end of the "Cotton Road", southwest of the Cotton Belt . In November 1863, Union troops landed at Port Isabel and marched towards Brownsville to take control of Fort Brown. In the ensuing Battle of Brownsville , Confederate forces abandoned

2088-550: A year typically. On December 25, 2004, Brownsville recorded its first instance of measurable snow in 109 years with 1.5 in (3.8 cm), and the first recorded White Christmas . Brownsville's lowest temperature on record occurred on February 13, 1899 , when the city reached 12 °F (−11 °C). Based on 30-year averages obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's National Climatic Data Center weather records, 24/7 Wall St. ranked Brownsville

2204-469: Is the fourth-highest proportion of Hispanic Americans of any city in the United States outside of Puerto Rico . In 1781, Spanish government officials granted José Salvador de la Garza 59 leagues of land (408 sq mi). He used the land to construct a ranch several miles northwest of the area. During the early 1800s, Brownsville was known to residents as los tejidos (English: " pasturelands "). The area

2320-523: Is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Cameron County , located on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas , adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Tamaulipas , Mexico . The city covers 145.2 sq mi (376.066 km ), and had a population of 186,738 at the 2020 census . As of the 2020 U.S. Census , it is the 135th-largest city in the United States and 18th-largest in Texas. It

2436-691: Is a very rare event in Brownsville. Its wet season is concentrated during the late summer and early fall, peaking in September, when the threat from tropical cyclones is greatest. In most years, November through April is the dry season . As such, Brownsville receives modest annual rainfall, averaging about 26.78 in (680 mm) annually based on records between 1991 and 2020. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 62.9 °F (17.2 °C) in January to 87 °F (30.6 °C) in August. Heat waves during

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2552-646: Is accepted by some historians as the last battle of the American Civil War. President Grant sent Union General Frederick Steele to Brownsville to patrol the United States–Mexico border after the Civil War to aid the Juaristas with military supplies. Texas, like other Southern states, passed a new constitution and Jim Crow laws that established racial segregation and disenfranchised African Americans at

2668-432: Is an application of astronautics to fly objects, usually spacecraft , into or through outer space , either with or without humans on board . Most spaceflight is uncrewed and conducted mainly with spacecraft such as satellites in orbit around Earth , but also includes space probes for flights beyond Earth orbit. Such spaceflights operate either by telerobotic or autonomous control. The first spaceflights began in

2784-491: Is done by a set of orbital maneuvers called space rendezvous . After rendezvousing with the space station, the space vehicle then docks or berths with the station. Docking refers to joining of two separate free-flying space vehicles, while berthing refers to mating operations where an inactive vehicle is placed into the mating interface of another space vehicle by using a robotic arm . Vehicles in orbit have large amounts of kinetic energy. This energy must be discarded if

2900-887: Is effective mainly because of its ability to sustain thrust even as the atmosphere thins. Many ways to reach space other than rocket engines have been proposed. Ideas such as the space elevator , and momentum exchange tethers like rotovators or skyhooks require new materials much stronger than any currently known. Electromagnetic launchers such as launch loops might be feasible with current technology. Other ideas include rocket-assisted aircraft/spaceplanes such as Reaction Engines Skylon (currently in early stage development), scramjet powered spaceplanes, and RBCC powered spaceplanes. Gun launch has been proposed for cargo. On some missions beyond LEO (Low Earth Orbit) , spacecraft are inserted into parking orbits, or lower intermediary orbits. The parking orbit approach greatly simplified Apollo mission planning in several important ways. It acted as

3016-513: Is expected to create 700 jobs and generate $ 3 million in private investments. Brownsville's economy is based mainly on its international trade with Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Due to Matamoros' maquiladora (English: textile factory) boom, Brownsville experienced growth in the air cargo industry during the late 1980s. It is home to one of the fastest-growing manufacturing sectors in

3132-710: Is home to the Sabal mexicana , the only species of palmetto palm native to Texas with a significant trunk ( Sabal minor , also native to Texas, is nearly trunkless). Though it used to cover a large portion of the land next to the Rio Grande, the city contains one of the last native stands of S. mexicana . Citharexylum berlandieri (Tamaulipan fiddlewood), Rivina humilis (pigeonberry), and Leucophyllum frutescens (Texas sage) are also native flora. Soils are mostly of clay to silty clay loam texture, moderately alkaline ( pH  8.2) to strongly alkaline (pH 8.5) and with

3248-586: Is impossible. To date several academics have studied intergalactic travel in a serious manner. Spacecraft are vehicles designed to operate in space. The first 'true spacecraft' is sometimes said to be Apollo Lunar Module , since this was the only crewed vehicle to have been designed for, and operated only in space; and is notable for its non-aerodynamic shape. Spacecraft today predominantly use rockets for propulsion , but other propulsion techniques such as ion drives are becoming more common, particularly for uncrewed vehicles, and this can significantly reduce

3364-509: Is intended to provide students and faculty access to radio frequency technologies used in spaceflight operations, and will include satellite and spacecraft tracking . SpaceX's presence caused the median price for a home to rise to $ 239,000 in April 2022, almost $ 100,000 more than three years earlier. BEDC purchased five lots in Boca Chica Village totaling 2.3 acres (0.93 ha) near

3480-541: Is known as Kessler syndrome . There are several terms that refer to a flight into or through outer space . A space mission refers to a spaceflight intended to achieve an objective. Objectives for space missions may include space exploration , space research , and national firsts in spaceflight. Space transport is the use of spacecraft to transport people or cargo into or through outer space. This may include human spaceflight and cargo spacecraft flight. The first theoretical proposal of space travel using rockets

3596-689: Is located in Brownsville. It has a capacity of 10,000 and it opened in 1957. The stadium is used mostly for American football and soccer. FC Brownsville is a soccer team that formed in 2015 and joined the National Premier Soccer League in 2018. FC Brownsville currently uses the Brownsville Sports Park for Home matches. In 2023, FC Brownsville won the NPSL Lone Star Conference, defeating the Lubbock Matadors 1-0 in

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3712-596: Is located in northwest Cameron County and measures 90,788-acre (36,741 ha). The refuge contains trails that are connected to the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail . The Boca Chica State Park and Brazos Island State Park are state parks that were transferred by separate lease agreements to the Lower Rio Grande Valley refuge center in 2007. They measure 10,680-acre (43.2 km ) and 217-acre (0.88 km ), respectively. Laguna Madre

3828-419: Is located on the eastern side of the county. It is a long, shallow, hypersaline lagoon , and is one of the most protected lagoon ecosystems in the United States. Brownsville has a council–manager government . The mayor and a six-member city commission are selected in nonpartisan elections. Four members are elected from geographic districts; the remaining two members are elected at-large. Since Brownsville

3944-647: Is more fuel-efficient for a craft to burn its fuel as close as possible to its periapsis (lowest point); see Oberth effect . Astrodynamics is the study of spacecraft trajectories, particularly as they relate to gravitational and propulsion effects. Astrodynamics allows for a spacecraft to arrive at its destination at the correct time without excessive propellant use. An orbital maneuvering system may be needed to maintain or change orbits. Non-rocket orbital propulsion methods include solar sails , magnetic sails , plasma-bubble magnetic systems , and using gravitational slingshot effects. The term "transfer energy" means

4060-691: Is native to the Prosopis glandulosa (honey mesquite) bush, Opuntia engelmannii (prickly pear), and Yucca treculeana (yucca). The city encompasses two national wildlife refuges. Located in northeast Cameron County, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge protects several endangered species, including the Texas ocelot ( Leopardus pardalis albescens ), a rare wild cat , and the Aplomado falcon ( Falco femoralis ). The refuge measures 65,096-acre (263.43 km ). The Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge

4176-451: Is not generally recognized by the public that the increase in potential energy required to pass the Kármán line is only about 3% of the orbital energy (potential plus kinetic energy) required by the lowest possible Earth orbit (a circular orbit just above the Kármán line.) In other words, it is far easier to reach space than to stay there. On May 17, 2004, Civilian Space eXploration Team launched

4292-533: Is one of the southernmost cities in the contiguous United States ; only a handful of municipalities in Florida 's Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties (plus Everglades City in Collier County ) are located farther south than Brownsville. The city has a total area of 84.867 sq mi (220 km ), of which 81.528 sq mi (211 km ) are land and 3.339 sq mi (9 km ) are water, according to

4408-466: Is part of the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan area . The city is known for its year-round subtropical climate, deep-water seaport , and Hispanic culture. The city was founded in 1848 by American entrepreneur Charles Stillman after he developed a successful river-boat company nearby. It was named for Fort Brown , itself named after Major Jacob Brown , who fought and died while serving as

4524-688: Is projected to employ 75–100 full-time workers in the early years with up to 150 full-time employees/contractors by 2019. Musk helped fund a revitalization of downtown Brownsville, with new restaurants and bars. As of October 2014 , the University of Texas at Brownsville and the Brownsville Economic Development Council (BEDC), in collaboration with SpaceX, are building radio-frequency (RF) technology facilities for STARGATE (Spacecraft Tracking and Astronomical Research into Gigahertz Astrophysical Transient Emission). The facility

4640-475: Is the county seat of Cameron County, many county offices are in Brownsville. The city's public library system has two branches. The primary law enforcement agency for the city is the Brownsville Police Department. The Brownsville Fire Department has nine stations around the city; its central office is located on the eastern side of the city. Spaceflight Spaceflight (or space flight )

4756-599: Is the county seat of Willacy County. The Brownsville-Harlingen-Raymondville combined statistical area is home to 445,309 people (2017 estimated), making it the 106th-largest combined statistical area in the United States. Based on the Uniform Crime Report conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2013, the Brownsville metropolitan area ranked last on its list of the "Most Dangerous Cities" in Texas, with "240 incidents of violent crime per 100,000 people" and

Sigsbee Deep - Misplaced Pages Continue

4872-641: Is the fifth spacecraft put on an escape trajectory leaving the Solar System . Voyager 1 , Voyager 2 , Pioneer 10 , Pioneer 11 are the earlier ones. The one farthest from the Sun is Voyager 1 , which is more than 100 AU distant and is moving at 3.6 AU per year. In comparison, Proxima Centauri , the closest star other than the Sun, is 267,000 AU distant. It will take Voyager 1 over 74,000 years to reach this distance. Vehicle designs using other techniques, such as nuclear pulse propulsion are likely to be able to reach

4988-456: The 2020 United States census , there were 186,738 people, 53,506 households, and 42,240 families residing in the city. The ancestry of Brownsville was 0.9% German , 0.6% English , 0.5 Irish , 0.4% French , 0.4% Italian , and 0.2% Dutch . The median age was 29.9 years old. A total of 12.0% of the population was 65 or older, with 7.1% between the ages of 65 and 74, 3.3% between the ages of 75 and 84, and 1.6% 85 or older. A total of 25.9% of

5104-651: The American Civil War took place in the city, such as the Battle of Brownsville and the Battle of Palmito Ranch . The city was also involved in the Texas Revolution . Brownsville's idiosyncratic geographic location has made it a wildlife refuge center. Several state parks and historical sites are protected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department . Brownsville has a predominantly Hispanic population, which at 93.9%

5220-600: The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway of Texas. The port has become an important economic hub for South Texas , where shipments arrive from other parts of the United States, Mexico, and other foreign countries. The port also participates in ship recycling ; it has five of the country's eight ship-recycling companies. It received a $ 1.8 million grant from the United States Department of Commerce to support business and infrastructure development. The grant

5336-613: The Secure Fence Act of 2006 . The act administered the construction of a border fence extending from San Diego in California through the entry of the Port of Brownsville . In 2008, the United States Department of Homeland Security issued a proposal to add 70 mi (110 km) of border fence and reallocate portions of the University of Texas at Brownsville campus. The proposal would have transferred 180 acres (73 ha) of university land, including several historical monuments and

5452-746: The Supreme Court of Texas . Forbes identified Brownsville as one of 12 metropolitan areas in the United States with the cleanest air. In 2018, the Brownsville–Harlingen area was among the "Cleanest U.S. Cities for Ozone Air Pollution" in the American Lung Association 's "State of the Air" in 2018. Broadleaf evergreen plants, including palms , dominate Brownsville neighborhoods to a greater degree than other locations in Texas, including nearby cities such as Harlingen and McAllen . Brownsville

5568-478: The Tsiolkovsky rocket equation , can be used to find the total Δ v {\displaystyle \Delta v} , or potential change in velocity. This formula, which is still used by engineers, is a key concept of spaceflight. Spaceflight became a practical possibility with the work of Robert H. Goddard 's publication in 1919 of his paper A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes . His application of

5684-457: The USSR made one orbit around the Earth. In official Soviet documents, there is no mention of the fact that Gagarin parachuted the final seven miles. As of 2020, the only spacecraft regularly used for human spaceflight are Soyuz , Shenzhou , and Crew Dragon . The U.S. Space Shuttle fleet operated from April 1981 until July 2011. SpaceShipOne has conducted three human suborbital space flights. On

5800-519: The United States Geological Survey , Brownsville's soils are primarily alluvium and windblown deposits. The majority of the city's soil is made of floodplain deposits from the Rio Grande; it consists of clay, sand, silt, gravel, and organic matter. Windblown deposits are made up of "active dunes and dune complexes" that contain mostly clay and silt near the coastal region and combination of clay, sand, and silt inland. Brownsville has

5916-558: The World Birding Center . It is also the largest nature preserve of the park system, with approximately 1,200 acres (490 ha) of native semitropical brushland. The area was part of the Battle of Resaca de la Palma. The National Park Service lists the site of the Battle of Palo Alto as a National Historic Park . The agency purchased 300 acres (120 ha) of the site's land, with two-thirds belonging to private landowners. It

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6032-434: The census of 2010, 175,023 people, 49,871 households, and 41,047 families were residing in the city. The population density was 1,207.1 people/sq mi (466.0/km ). The 53,936 housing units averaged 372.0/sq mi (143.6/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 88% White, 0.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 9.1% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 93.2% of

6148-452: The de Laval nozzle to liquid-fuel rockets improved efficiency enough for interplanetary travel to become possible. After further research, Goddard attempted to secure an Army contract for a rocket-propelled weapon in the first World War but his plans were foiled by the November 11, 1918 armistice with Germany . After choosing to work with private financial support, he was the first to launch

6264-602: The siege of Fort Texas . Charles Stillman arrived in Matamoros in 1828 from Connecticut to help his father in the mercantile business. Brownsville became part of Texas after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. During that year, Stillman formed a partnership with Samuel Belden and Simon Mussina to form the Brownsville Town Company. They reportedly sold lots valued at $ 1,500. The city of Brownsville

6380-707: The 1950s with the launches of the Soviet Sputnik satellites and American Explorer and Vanguard missions. Human spaceflight programs include the Soyuz , Shenzhou , the past Apollo Moon landing and the Space Shuttle programs . Other current spaceflight are conducted to the International Space Station and to China's Tiangong Space Station . Spaceflights include the launches of Earth observation and telecommunications satellites, interplanetary missions ,

6496-508: The 1970s revealed that the soldiers were not responsible for the attacks, and the Nixon Administration reversed all dishonorable discharges. Fort Brown was decommissioned after the end of World War II in 1945. In 1948, the city and college acquired the land. In the spring of 1991 a cluster of anencephaly cases made national headlines and prompted a public health investigation. A high anencephaly rate of 19.7 per 10,000 live births

6612-504: The ACUF Mexico basin with "Sigsbee deep" as an alternate name is given in the NGA database as 25° N 92° W. There are other features with BGN approved names in the region in recognition of Sigsbee: 23°52′N 91°35′W  /  23.867°N 91.583°W  / 23.867; -91.583 Brownsville, Texas Brownsville ( / ˈ b r aʊ n z v ɪ l / BROWNZ -vil )

6728-403: The Earth's surface. (The United States defines outer space as everything beyond 50 miles (80 km) in altitude.) Rocket engines remain the only currently practical means of reaching space, with planes and high-altitude balloons failing due to lack of atmosphere and alternatives such as space elevators not yet being built. Chemical propulsion, or the acceleration of gases at high velocities,

6844-679: The Gemini program ended just before the Apollo 1 tragedy. Following multiple uncrewed test flights of the Saturn 1B and the Saturn V , the U.S. launched the crewed Apollo 7 mission into low earth orbit . Shortly after its successful completion, the U.S. launched Apollo 8 (first mission to orbit the moon), Apollo 9 (first Apollo mission to launch with both the CSM and the LEM ) and Apollo 10 (first mission to nearly land on

6960-455: The GoFast rocket on a suborbital flight, the first amateur spaceflight. On June 21, 2004, SpaceShipOne was used for the first privately funded human spaceflight . Point-to-point, or Earth to Earth transportation, is a category of sub-orbital spaceflight in which a spacecraft provides rapid transport between two terrestrial locations. A conventional airline route between London and Sydney ,

7076-455: The Moon and developed continuous crewed human presence in space with a series of space stations , ranging from the Salyut program to the International Space Station . Rockets are the only means currently capable of reaching orbit or beyond. Other non-rocket spacelaunch technologies have yet to be built, or remain short of orbital speeds. A rocket launch for a spaceflight usually starts from

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7192-423: The Moon and other planets generally use direct injection to maximize performance by limiting the boil off of cryogenic propellants . Although some might coast briefly during the launch sequence, they do not complete one or more full parking orbits before the burn that injects them onto an Earth escape trajectory. The escape velocity from a celestial body decreases as the distance from the body increases. However, it

7308-644: The SpaceX launch site and renamed it as the Stargate subdivision. The beach location will include a 12,000 sq ft (1,100 m ) tracking center. Stargate received several startup grants including US$ 1.2 million from the United States Economic Development Administration . According to the BEDC, the top employers in the city as of May 2015 were: Brownsville has 37 parks connected by

7424-506: The USA on the 20th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin 's flight, on 12 April 1981. During the Shuttle era, six orbiters were built, all of which flown in the atmosphere and five of which flown in space. The Enterprise was used only for approach and landing tests, launching from the back of a Boeing 747 and gliding to deadstick landings at Edwards AFB, California . The first Space Shuttle to fly into space

7540-529: The USSR launched Vostok 1, carrying cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into orbit. The US responded with the suborbital launch of Alan Shepard on May 5, 1961, and the orbital launch of John Glenn on February 20, 1962. These events were followed by a pledge from U.S. President John F. Kennedy to go to the moon and the creation of the Gemini and Apollo programs. After successfully performing a rendezvous and docking and an EVA ,

7656-476: The United States Census Bureau of 2017. The city is situated at the intersection of different climates (subtropical, Chihuahuan Desert , Gulf Coast plain, and Great Plains); this produces high bird migration rates. Its idiosyncratic network of resacas (English: oxbow lakes ), distributaries of the Rio Grande, provide habitat for numerous nesting/breeding birds of various types typically during

7772-524: The United States renaming Sigsbee Deep, with coordinates of 23° 52′ N 91° 35′ W, to "Mexico Basin" was rejected by the Sixteenth Meeting of the GEBCO Subcommittee on Undersea Feature Names, the international authority on feature names, in 2003 with the note that it is "an historical name dating back to Sir John Murray." The committee discussion of the United States nomination Mexico Basin as having

7888-569: The United States, and were expatriated to work on American missiles at what became the Army Ballistic Missile Agency , producing missiles such as Juno I and Atlas . The Soviet Union , in turn, captured several V2 production facilities and built several replicas, with 5 of their 11 rockets successfully reaching their targets. (This was relatively consistent with Nazi Germany's success rate.) The Soviet Union developed intercontinental ballistic missiles to carry nuclear weapons as

8004-468: The United States. Brownsville has been recognized as having one of the best pro-business climates in the United States, and the city has been ranked among the least expensive places to live in the country. President Barack Obama signed a bill in 2016 allowing for the deepening of the Brownsville Ship Channel from 42 ft (13 m) to 52 ft (16 m). The Sams Memorial Stadium

8120-432: The ability to deorbit themselves. This becomes a major issue when large numbers of uncontrollable spacecraft exist in frequently used orbits, increasing the risk of debris colliding with functional satellites. This problem is exacerbated when large objects, often upper stages, break up in orbit or collide with other objects, creating often hundreds of small, hard to find pieces of debris. This problem of continuous collisions

8236-450: The conferences' championship. Entrepreneur Elon Musk announced the construction of the SpaceX South Texas launch site (now Starbase), a spaceport for private spaceflight east of Brownsville on the Gulf Coast in 2014. The launch facility is estimated to produce US$ 85 million for the city of Brownsville and generate approximately US$ 51 million in annual salaries from the roughly 500 jobs to be created by 2024. The facility itself

8352-574: The coordinates 23° 52′ N 91° 35′ W as the Sigsbee Deep under consideration noted the Mexico Basin is in the GEBCO Gazetteer with coordinates of 22° 30′ N 95° 00′ W to 25° 00′ N 90° 00′ W. The issue appears to be one of the entire basin or a particular point within the basin for application of the names. The United States' proposal to rename the 23° 52′ N 91° 35′ W point "Mexico basin was rejected while

8468-708: The deep basin. The use of "Sigsbee" for the feature originates from Commander Charles Dwight Sigsbee 's Gulf of Mexico surveys that defined the general features of the body while he was commanding officer of the USC&;GS George S. Blake . "Sigsbee Deep" applied to the entire deep basin appears on some of the earliest charts of the Gulf of Mexico . Sigsbee Deep is a variant name for the United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) approved name of Mexico Basin for cartographic materials produced by federal agencies. A proposal by

8584-470: The early 1900s, when steel production flourished. Due to significant historical events, the city has multiple houses and battle sites listed under the National Register of Historic Places . The city played a primary role in the Mexican–American War with the siege of Fort Texas and the first engagements of the war: The Battle of Palo Alto and the Battle of Resaca de la Palma . Several key events of

8700-442: The facility as Fort Brown. An old cannon at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College marks the spot where Major Brown received his fatal wound. On July 13, 1859, Juan Cortina saw Brownsville city Marshal Robert Sheers arrest and beat an elderly man who had been a ranch hand at his mother's ranch. Cortina approached the marshal, questioning his motives, before shooting him twice after he refused to release

8816-546: The federal poverty line , including 48.4% of those under 18 and 31.5% of those 65 or over. Based on data collected from the United States Census Bureau 's American Community Survey, the Brownsville metropolitan area ranked as the second-poorest urban area in the country, behind the McAllen metropolitan area . In 2017, the city's unemployment rate was 6.2% with 18.1% adults holding a bachelor's degree . It reported

8932-533: The fifth-hottest city in America in 2016. Brownsville is the 18th-most populous city in Texas. It ranks as one of the top U.S. cities in terms of the percentage of Hispanic residents. According to the Pew Research Center , its metropolitan area holds the 26th-largest Hispanic population with roughly 373,000 (88.7%) sharing this distinction. Of that percentage, 96.7% are Mexican and 0.8% are Puerto Rican. As of

9048-487: The first battle of the war. The following day, Mexican troops had retreated. Taylor's troops charged up to them, resulting in the Battle of Resaca de la Palma , which took place within the present limits. When Taylor arrived at the besieged Fort Texas, he found that two soldiers, including the fort's commander, Major Jacob Brown, had died. Brown, who suffered an injury when a cannonball hit his leg, died three days after his injury on May 9. In his honor, General Taylor renamed

9164-399: The first decade of the 1900s, the city's population increased after a boom in the agriculture industry . Brownsville's subtropical climate has made it a commercial hub for the citrus industry. The Port of Brownsville produces significant revenue for the city of Brownsville. The port, located 2 mi (3.2 km) from the city, provides a link between the road networks of nearby Mexico and

9280-500: The fort, blowing it up with 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) of explosives. In 1864, Confederate forces commanded by Colonel John Salmon Ford reoccupied the town, and he became mayor of Brownsville. Robert E. Lee and his Confederate army surrendered to Union commander Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, signing a hand-written document at the Appomattox Court House , officially ending the American Civil War. Theodore Barrett

9396-589: The incident were sent to President James K. Polk, who announced, "American blood has been spilled upon the American territory." On May 13, the United States Congress declared war against Mexico. American General Zachary Taylor retreated from Fort Texas on May 1, 1846; Mexican General Mariano Arista began preparing artillery and troops from across the Rio Grande. On May 3, Arista and the Mexican Army began

9512-528: The largest juvenile immigration detention center in America, which is located within Brownsville's city limits. Downtown Brownsville has received several revitalization projects from the city government to increase tourism and safety. The Texas Historical Commission named Brownsville as part of its Main Street Program in 2016. Several historic buildings were restored, including the Stegman Building,

9628-429: The man. The first shot reportedly missed Sheers, but the second struck his shoulder, causing him to fall to the ground. Cortina and the elderly man rode off on a horse. The following year, Cortina returned with troops, executing four Anglo men and simultaneously releasing several Mexican prisoners. He then issued a proclamation explaining his reasons for the attack. During the American Civil War , Brownsville served as

9744-409: The moon). These events culminated with the first crewed moon landing, Apollo 11 , and six subsequent missions, five of which successfully landed on the moon. Spaceflight has been widely employed by numerous government and commercial entities for placing satellites into orbit around Earth for a broad range of purposes. Certain government agencies have also sent uncrewed spacecraft exploring space beyond

9860-412: The nation. The median income for a household in the city was $ 24,468, and the median income for a family was $ 26,186. Males had a median income of $ 21,739 versus $ 17,116 for females. The per capita income for the city is $ 9,762. It is frequently cited as having the highest percentage of residents in the nation below the federal poverty level . About 31.6% of families and 35.7% of the population were below

9976-406: The nearest star significantly faster. Another possibility that could allow for human interstellar spaceflight is to make use of time dilation , as this would make it possible for passengers in a fast-moving vehicle to travel further into the future while aging very little, in that their great speed slows down the rate of passage of on-board time. However, attaining such high speeds would still require

10092-417: The night of August 13, one white bartender was killed, and a white police officer was wounded by rifle shots in the street. Townsfolk, including the mayor, accused the infantrymen of the murders. Without affording them a chance to defend themselves in a hearing, President Theodore Roosevelt dishonorably discharged the entire 167-member regiment due to their alleged " conspiracy of silence ". Investigations in

10208-402: The only way to explore them. Telerobotics also allows exploration of regions that are vulnerable to contamination by Earth micro-organisms since spacecraft can be sterilized. Humans can not be sterilized in the same way as a spaceship, as they coexist with numerous micro-organisms, and these micro-organisms are also hard to contain within a spaceship or spacesuit. The first uncrewed space mission

10324-437: The population were foreign born, with 35.7% of those being US citizens, and 64.3% of those were not US citizens. The median household income was $ 47,435, with families having $ 50,127, married couples having $ 59,604, and non-families had $ 18,322. A total of 22.0% of the population were in poverty, with 36.4% of people under 18, 21.2% of people between the ages of 18 and 64, and 28.2% of people 65 or older were in poverty. As of

10440-410: The population. Of the 38,174 households, 50.1% had children under 18 living with them, 59.3% were married couples living together, 20.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 15.7% were not families. About 13.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size

10556-399: The position of celestial bodies and orbits relative to the launch site. The biggest influence is often the rotation of the Earth. Once launched, orbits are normally located within relatively constant flat planes at a fixed angle to the axis of the Earth, and the Earth rotates within this orbit. A launch pad is a fixed structure designed to dispatch airborne vehicles. It generally consists of

10672-402: The remainder heats the atmosphere. The Mercury , Gemini , and Apollo capsules splashed down in the sea. These capsules were designed to land at relatively low speeds with the help of a parachute. Soviet/Russian capsules for Soyuz make use of a big parachute and braking rockets to touch down on land. Spaceplanes like the Space Shuttle land like a glider . After a successful landing,

10788-426: The rendezvouses and dockings with space stations , and crewed spaceflights on scientific or tourist missions. Spaceflight can be achieved conventionally via multistage rockets , which provide the thrust to overcome the force of gravity and propel spacecraft onto suborbital trajectories . If the mission is orbital , the spacecraft usually separates the first stage and ignites the second stage , which propels

10904-523: The siege of Fort Texas, during the first active campaign in the Mexican–American War. This was counteracted by the United States 7th Infantry Regiment . Despite heavy strikes, Mexican General Pedro de Ampudia outlined a traditional siege to move forward. Taylor was notified of the incident and began moving towards Fort Texas. Mexican troops intercepted them near Palo Alto , about 5 mi (8.0 km) north of present-day Brownsville, resulting in

11020-463: The size of the rocket relative to the payload is similar to an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). Any intercontinental spaceflight has to surmount problems of heating during atmospheric re-entry that are nearly as large as those faced by orbital spaceflight. A minimal orbital spaceflight requires much higher velocities than a minimal sub-orbital flight, and so it is technologically much more challenging to achieve. To achieve orbital spaceflight,

11136-467: The southern border, including Brownsville. On January 25, 2017, days after assuming office, Trump issued Executive Order 13767 , directing construction for a border wall. Brownsville was also the center of controversy surrounding the new administration's continuation of the Obama policy of housing children separate from adults (except mothers) who entered the country unlawfully. The issue surrounded Casa Padre ,

11252-431: The spacecraft to high enough speeds that it reaches orbit. Once in orbit, spacecraft are at high enough speeds that they fall around the Earth rather than fall back to the surface. Most spacecraft, and all crewed spacecraft, are designed to deorbit themselves or, in the case of uncrewed spacecraft in high-energy orbits, to boost themselves into graveyard orbits . Used upper stages or failed spacecraft, however, often lack

11368-636: The spacecraft, its occupants, and cargo can be recovered. In some cases, recovery has occurred before landing: while a spacecraft is still descending on its parachute, it can be snagged by a specially designed aircraft. This mid-air retrieval technique was used to recover the film canisters from the Corona spy satellites. Uncrewed spacecraft or robotic spacecraft are spacecraft without people on board. Uncrewed spacecraft may have varying levels of autonomy from human input, such as remote control , or remote guidance. They may also be autonomous , in which they have

11484-420: The spring and fall migrations. Brownsville's vegetation is classified as grassland . Brownsville is in one metropolitan statistical area as defined by the United States Census Bureau. The Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville combined statistical area consists of Cameron County and Willacy County . It includes the Brownsville metropolitan area and the micropolitan area of Raymondville. The city of Raymondville

11600-446: The summer have caused 141 days of high temperatures over 90 °F (32.2 °C) and fewer than five days of temperatures above 100 °F (37.8 °C). The city is located along the boundary of USDA hardiness zones 9b and 10a. The hottest temperature on record in Brownsville occurred on March 27, 1984, and August 28, 2023, when the city reached 106 °F (41 °C). On the other extreme, freezing temperatures occur once or twice

11716-610: The tangential velocity around the Earth is as important as altitude. In order to perform a stable and lasting flight in space, the spacecraft must reach the minimal orbital speed required for a closed orbit . Interplanetary spaceflight is flight between planets within a single planetary system . In practice, the use of the term is confined to travel between the planets of our Solar System . Plans for future crewed interplanetary spaceflight missions often include final vehicle assembly in Earth orbit, such as NASA's Constellation program and Russia's Kliper / Parom tandem. New Horizons

11832-411: The total amount of energy imparted by a rocket stage to its payload. This can be the energy imparted by a first stage of a launch vehicle to an upper stage plus payload, or by an upper stage or spacecraft kick motor to a spacecraft . In order to reach a space station , a spacecraft would have to arrive at the same orbit and approach to a very close distance (e.g. within visual contact). This

11948-508: The turn of the 20th century, generally by raising barriers to voter registration. While Hispanic residents were considered white under the terms of the United States annexation of Texas, legislatures found ways to suppress their participation in politics. On August 13 and 14, 1906, Brownsville was the site of the Brownsville affair . Racial tensions were increasing between white townsfolk and black infantrymen who were stationed at Fort Brown. On

12064-478: The university's golf course, to Mexico. The proposal was altered after Andrew Hanen , a federal district judge, rejected the department's idea. In 2016, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump proposed building a border wall along the United States-Mexico border. Trump's proposed wall, if passed, would consist of 2,000 mi (3,200 km) "of hardened concrete, and ... rebar, and steel" across

12180-460: The use of some new, advanced method of propulsion . Dynamic soaring as a way to travel across interstellar space has been proposed as well. Intergalactic travel involves spaceflight between galaxies, and is considered much more technologically demanding than even interstellar travel and, by current engineering terms, is considered science fiction . However, theoretically speaking, there is nothing to conclusively indicate that intergalactic travel

12296-413: The vehicle is to land safely without vaporizing in the atmosphere. Typically this process requires special methods to protect against aerodynamic heating . The theory behind reentry was developed by Harry Julian Allen . Based on this theory, reentry vehicles present blunt shapes to the atmosphere for reentry. Blunt shapes mean that less than 1% of the kinetic energy ends up as heat reaching the vehicle, and

12412-456: The vehicle's mass and increase its delta-v . Launch systems are used to carry a payload from Earth's surface into outer space. Most current spaceflight uses multi-stage expendable launch systems to reach space. The first reusable spacecraft, the X-15 , was air-launched on a suborbital trajectory on 19 July 1963. The first partially reusable orbital spacecraft, the Space Shuttle , was launched by

12528-453: Was Sputnik , launched October 4, 1957 to orbit the Earth. Nearly all satellites , landers and rovers are robotic spacecraft. Not every uncrewed spacecraft is a robotic spacecraft; for example, a reflector ball is a non-robotic uncrewed spacecraft. Space missions where other animals but no humans are on-board are called uncrewed missions. The first human spaceflight was Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961, on which cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin of

12644-422: Was 3.62, and the average family size was 3.99. In the city, the age distribution was 34.6% under 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males. Despite a fast-growing economy, Brownsville has one of the highest poverty rates in

12760-480: Was NASA's first space probe intended to reach the Moon. A partial failure caused it to instead follow a suborbital trajectory to an altitude of 113,854 kilometers (70,746 mi) before reentering the Earth's atmosphere 43 hours after launch. The most generally recognized boundary of space is the Kármán line 100 km (62 mi) above sea level. (NASA alternatively defines an astronaut as someone who has flown more than 80 km (50 mi) above sea level.) It

12876-550: Was found and that neural tube defects in general, including spina bifida , and encephalocele had been occurring in Mexican American women undetected for years in the area. Subsequently, multiple risk factors were found foremost folic acid deficiency , and increasing dietary folate intake had a protective effect. Brownsville has received significant media attention surrounding immigration policies and border-wall funding costs. In 2006, President George W. Bush signed into law

12992-428: Was inhabited by a few settlers around 1836 when Texas declared its independence from Mexico. On February 4, 1846, President James K. Polk instructed American General Zachary Taylor and his troops, including 2nd LT. Ulysses S. Grant, to begin moving south towards Brownsville. Once Taylor arrived, he built Fort Texas . It was later renamed Fort Brown in honor of Major Jacob Brown, one of two soldiers who died during

13108-764: Was not decided until 1879, when the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of Stillman. On April 25, 1846, Captain Seth B. Thornton received reports of Mexican troops crossing the Rio Grande. Thornton and 63 U.S. dragoons moved to Rancho de Carricitos and discovered several houses in the area. Mexican General Anastasio Torrejón crossed the Rio Grande the previous day. He commanded 1,600 cavalry and infantry troops to surround Thornton's troops in fractions. Due to heavy force from Torrejón's troops, Thornton's troops surrendered. Eleven American casualties were reported; 45 troops and Thornton were held as prisoners. Reports of

13224-441: Was ordered to move 500 62nd Regiment troops of colors towards Brazos Island. On May 11, Barrett's troops moved inland towards Brownsville and spotted Confederate soldiers. John Salmon Ford received news of this and prepared to attack. On May 15, 1865, 34 days after the signing of the surrender , the Battle of Palmito Ranch took place. Confederates killed or wounded around 30 opponents and captured more than 100 other troops. This

13340-444: Was originally established in late 1848 by Stillman, and was made the county seat of Cameron County on January 13, 1849. The state originally incorporated the city on January 24, 1850. This was repealed on April 1, 1852, because of a land-ownership dispute between Stillman and its former owners (including Juan Cortina , a Mexican rancher). The state reincorporated the city on February 7, 1853; this remains in effect. The issue of ownership

13456-657: Was published by Scottish astronomer and mathematician William Leitch , in an 1861 essay "A Journey Through Space". More well-known is Konstantin Tsiolkovsky 's work, " Исследование мировых пространств реактивными приборами " ( The Exploration of Cosmic Space by Means of Reaction Devices ), published in 1903. In his work, Tsiolkovsky describes the fundamental rocket equation: Δ v = v e ln ⁡ m 0 m f {\displaystyle \Delta v=v_{e}\ln {\frac {m_{0}}{m_{f}}}} Where: This equation, known as

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