Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Werb Suggests Ending Socialism in Space!
sixty symbols: testing the jabulani
WARNING: these videos show scientists playing football! we actually play five-a-side once a week, but that might not be evident from the highlights shown here ;)
i was pretty excited to play with the jabulani and overall i was impressed by the quality. i lack the ability to purposely spin the ball in all sorts of directions so i cant comment about that aspect of the jabulani's performance, but one thing i noticed is that it bounces a lot higher than the one i'm used to playing with. maybe its a similar thing to tennis - when you use new balls they are really bouncy! brady got annoyed that we kept asking him about the air pressure and whether he filled the ball too much! ha!
the jabulani also makes an incredibly awesome echo sound when you strike it!
in addition to the fabulous football footage shown in the video above, brady put together a bonus video of our highly-competitive penalty shoot-out! i missed my penalty, but got to try out a vuvuzela!! i have no idea how people can blow those things for 90 minutes. previous experience playing brass instruments is a big plus!
a pet AT-AT
AT-AT day afternoon from Patrick Boivin on Vimeo.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The Social Network | "The Facebook Story"
The Upcoming Movie From Colombia Pictures, The Social Network, Or “The Facebook Movie”, Is Based In Part On The Book "The Accidental Billionaires".
Read more »playful astrophotography
inspect the full-size image to find many unexpected subtleties!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Jack Kennedy Honored for Service in Virginia
Kennedy is a co-founder of the Energy Technology Summit, held annually in April on the campus of the University of Virginia's College at Wise, brings experts and firms to the coal-producing region to review space-based solar power, solar power utilities, wind turbine technology, electric and hydrogen-powered automobiles, fusion, and a host of other cutting-edge energy technologies for possible investment. Hundreds of business, academic and government leaders have attended the summit the past three years for the technology council-sponsored event.
A civil, commercial, and military space enthusiast, Kennedy serves as a gubernatorial appointee on the 13-member Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority board of directors governing the state's commercial spaceport at Wallops Island, VA. From the 'Space Island' location the first commercial cargo launches will take flight to the International Space Station next year.
Kennedy's advocacy of the spaceport has manifested in many forms ranging from organizing ZeroGravity flights for Virginia school teachers; organizing enactment of Virginia laws favorable to commercial space launch opportunities; writing space-related commentaries for daily newspapers; editing a space-related blog read by hundreds from around the world; and, organizing college and university student earth science and observational astronomy programs.
A Virginia licensed attorney, Kennedy is the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Wise County and Norton and resides in Wise, Va. He holds six degrees in business, management, judicial administration, political science, space science and law.
National Space Policy Released by President
"No longer are we racing against an adversary," President Obama said in a statement. "In fact, one of our central goals is to promote peaceful cooperation and collaboration in space, which not only will ward off conflict, but will help to expand our capacity to operate in orbit and beyond."
"Above all, this policy is about the boundless possibilities of the future,” Obama said. “That is why we seek to spur a burgeoning commercial space industry, to rapidly increase our capabilities in space while bolstering America’s competitive edge in the global economy,” building on his April 15, 2010 comments at the Kennedy Space Center.
White House officials did say they are talking with the Chinese government about including them in U.S. space efforts — such as the International Space Station — but there is nothing concrete yet, [more from The Christian Science Monitor, MSNBC, UPI and AFP].
ICBM Test Set June 30 at 'Vandy'
A Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile [ICBM] opeartional test flight is scheduled to launch from North Vandenberg Wednesday, June 30, 2010 between 3:01 a.m. to 9:01 a.m. PDT to determine the weapon system's reliability and accuracy.
The USAF 576th Flight Test Squadron, which will direct the missile launch, installed tracking, telemetry and command destruct systems on the missile to collect data and meet safety requirements. Maintenance and operations task force personnel from the USAF 341st Missile Wing, Malmstrom AFB, Montana, are conducting operational tasks supporting the launch.
Virginia Spaceport Readies for Launch to ISS
Laurie Naismith, Director Government Relations & Public Affairs for the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority [VCSFA] notes that new liquid oxygen tank slowly made it's way on 56 wheels to the Wallops Island, Va. launch facility to support the Taurus 2 launch to the International Space Station next year. The VCSFA board governs the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport and seeks commercial space launch investment by commercial space launch firms.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Randa Milliron: A Spaceport of Her Own
Whether or not InterOrbital Systems is successful in achieving orbital velocity and a sustainable Earth orbit in 2011 or thereafter remains to be seen but the dedication to a dream of expanding to a private spaceport in Tonga is interesting.
Russia to Resume Buran Space Shuttle?
In an unusual report from Space Daily, Russia is said to be returning to its program of building the space shuttles and super-heavy carrier rockets after 2018, citing an Interfax news agency report from Moscow on Friday. The Buran flew to space once over 20 years ago.
New carrier rockets will have a workload over 24 tons, director of Moscow's Central Machine-building Institute, Gennady Raikunov, reportedly said during the Strong Russia business conference with tests of the rocket to start in 2015 and its commercial exploitation will commence in 2018.
Russian space engineers also are working on building the rocket capable of delivering to the orbit a workload over 100 ton per launch, he said adding that in the more distant future, Raikunov's institute plans to work out a new manned spaceship and non-disposable boosters.
2010 Lunar Conference Set for Moffett Field
Among the many highlights of the forum will be a musical and visual display by Jose Francisco Salgado, PhD entitled "Communicating Science through Art." Space journalist Andrew Chaikin will lecture about how recent lunar missions have revolutionized our thinking about our closest neighbor - "The New Moon," advises Clive R. Neal, PhD from the University of Notre Dame.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Cosmonaut Museum for 50th Year of Gagarin
A visit to Moscow this year and next would be incomplete without touring the Cosmonaut Space Museum and giving a hat tip to the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin [narrated video inside the museum]. It will be fifty (50) years ago on April 12, 2011 that Gagarin rocketed into orbital space and into the history books.
And while in Moscow, one may also want to take a trek to Korolev to visit the Russian ISS Mission Control Center and Star City for look-see into the cosmonaut training center [video]. Following the early 2011 retirement of the American space shuttle, Star City will be the only avenue to space for the West at least for three or four years.
But if you are a brave human being but one who can not expend $30-million and six months training for a Russian orbital spaceflight sometime in 2012, you could also take flight on the MiG 29 OVT. The Russians will provide a commercial flight on this spectacular bird for just the right price. Yes, exceedingly cheaper than a commercial orbital spaceflight and pulls up to a ballistic 8Gs in flight!
FINALLY: Ariane 5 Roars from Kourou
A second video provides poor view but the distant sound of the Ariane climbing to orbit.
3rd Attempt: Ariane 5 Launch Today!
2010 New Space Set July 23-25 in Sunnyvale
With the suddenly ramped-up “mainstream” attention, a new and often far more intense phase of the battle has been joined. Hear from and meet those in the front lines of both the private and public fronts, [The Lurio Report].
Terrier-Orion Rock-On with Student Experiments from Wallops Island, VA
According to project documentation, the following universities had payloads on this mission: Temple University, West Virginia University, University of Louisiana University of Minnesota, University of Wyoming, University of Puerto Rico, University of Colorado at Boulder, Virginia Tech, University of Northern Colorado, and Colorado State University, notes NASA Watch.
Friday, June 25, 2010
No Invitation Issued to Chinese to Join ISS
But leaders of the Russian space program and the European Space Agency have been open to Chinese participation in the international project. Over a year ago presidential science advisor John Holdren had suggested the possibility that US astronauts could fly aboard a Chinese spacecraft in the future.
President Space Policy Directive Coming June 28, 2010 White House Announcement
an underwater star
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Its Football Time | Search Story
Watch This New Video From Google Team. "Search Story": Ole
abbreviations
via married to the sea.
i've also always thought that "lisp" is the worst possible word to describe what it means.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
NASA Shuttle Retirement Slowing to 2011
Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 to Fly in 2013
OCO-2 is NASA's first mission dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the leading human-produced greenhouse gas driving changes in Earth's climate. OCO-2 will provide the first complete picture of human and natural carbon dioxide sources and "sinks," the places where the gas is pulled out of the atmosphere and stored. It will map the global geographic distribution of these sources and sinks and study their changes over time. The OCO-2 spacecraft will replace OCO-1, lost during a launch vehicle failure in 2009, [OCO Sci Video].
The total cost of the OCO-2 launch services is approximately $70 million, according to NASA JPL. More from The Christian Science Monitor.
Obama Space Policy Directive Coming Soon
Press attention likely will focus on the National Space Policy’s implications for changes at NASA and the future of the piloted spacecraft program, but experts point out that the document language also will indicate how the Obama administration will approach space security, which is more important internationally. If the administration’s public statements are any indication, the new policy likely will represent a return to a more international approach to space; a more balanced view of civil, commercial and military uses of space; and a greater openness to arms control and cooperative solutions to international space security issues.
NASA Technologist to Host Industry Forum
The meeting will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT on July 13 and from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EDT, at the University of Maryland University College, Inn and Conference Center, 3501 University Blvd. East, Adelphi, MD. The first day will also feature the announcement of three new Centennial Challenges prize competitions, [UPI].
To attend, interested parties must register for the free event. Registration is limited to 300 people and closes at 4:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, July 7, 2010.
skydivers view shuttle launch
Monday, June 21, 2010
Welcome to Summer 2010 at Stonehenge
"Whatever is dreamed on this night, will come to pass."
A Mid-Summernight's Dream
Largest Solar Flare of 2010 Was Sunday!
It's no secret that the sun has been acting rather strange lately, and it's very difficult to predict what it will do next. Although the likelihood of a devastating solar flare is low, damage to our infrastructure by solar activity has happened in the past and it will happen again.
In 1859 a huge solar storm burned out telegraph wires across Europe and the United States. Dr Stuart Clark has written a book, The Sun Kings, about when that happened. He says that the “Carrington flare”, as it was known, “smothered two-thirds of the Earth’s skies in a blood-red aurora a night later, and crippled all of global navigation and global communication, such as it was at that time. Compasses span uselessly and the telegraph network went down as phantom electricity surged through the wire.”
The sun's 11-year peak -- or "solar maximum" -- is due in 2013. The last one in 2001 did one billion dollars [USD] infrastructure damage.
Big Bang Set for New Mexico Space Museum!
The Fireworks will begin at approximately 9:15 pm. All events are weather permitting. A back up date of July 5 has been scheduled. Music for the fireworks program will be carried live on KZZX Radio, 105.3 FM, through the support of Burt Broadcasting.
The New Mexico Museum of Space History is a division of the NM Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information on Museum related activities or on how you can become a member of the International Space Hall of Fame Foundation, call 437-2840 or 1-877-333-6589, or visit the website [video].
Japan Considering Hayabusa-2 Probe Funding
By improving the Hayabusa probe, JAXA is planning to visit a NEO whose orbit is similar to that of Itokawa, and aiming sample-return from an asteroid of different type from Itokawa. The target body of Hayabusa-2 is a C-type asteroid, considered to contain more organic or hydrated materials than S-type asteroids like Itokawa. What types of organic materials exist in the solar system, and is there any relation to life on Earth. No date has been set for the new mission.
Google's View Point On Getting Quality Links
Obama plan to land on asteroid for 2025?
It sounds like a science-fiction movie, but this surreal scene could, if President Obama has his way, become a reality. However, unlike Hollywood depictions in such movies as Armageddon, it's going to be a lot harder to pull off, writes Traci Watson in an intriguing story for USA Today.
Museum Mineral Room Photos
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Roskosmos, Arianespace Sign $500 Mil Deal
The contract between Roskosmos and Arianespace provides for a delivery of additional Russian Soyuz carriers for the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana, with the sum of the contract totalling 16.6 billion roubles or over $500USD, Roskosmos head Anatoly Perminov told Itar-Tass on Sunday.
“We shall have to deliver additionally ten Soyuzes for firings from the Kourou cosmodrome in French Guiana,” Perminov said, specifying that part of carriers are to be delivered by 2014; deliveries are to be made a year before a supposed launching. According to Perminov, the duration of the contract is not pegged to years, but depends on the number of firings.
Arianespace chief Jean-Yves Le Gall told Itar-Tass that it had been planned initially to make 14 blast-offs of Soyuz ST launch vehicles, but a decision was taken later on purchasing of additional ten carriers. “All in all, we plan to make 24 launches,” Le Gall added. He confirmed that the first launch of a Russian Soyuz ST from the Kourou spaceport would be made late this year.
The Aurora Australis Shot from ISS
The aurorae are usually between 50-to–100 miles above the Earth’s surface. This particular May 29, 2010 sight was probably caused by subatomic particles from an explosive event called a coronal mass ejection from the Sun. Previous ISS shots of the Aurora Borealis have been a delight.
SciLapse: Science Hack Day Video
Splash In Photos
Saturday, June 19, 2010
More Dunes Photos
Throughout the dunes there are "ghost forests" where old tree stumps mark the battle fields between trees and shifting dunes. Here are a couple of the old trees.
Here are a few more dunes photos.