timescapes: rapture

tome lowe has been traveling around the southwestern part of the US for the last many months (a year almost?) with a huge haul of equipment to record timelapse shots for his upcoming feature film, timescapes, to be released next year.

his past work was gorgeous, but the production footage below shows that he is really revolutionizing this technique. i absolutely love the scenes that follow in the frame of our milky way galaxy across the sky, showing the earth in the foreground moving past. i've never seen the universe filmed in such a way. stunning work!

TimeScapes: Rapture from Tom Lowe @ Timescapes on Vimeo.

Geomagnetic activity in Tromsø Norway

The solar geomagnetic activity in northern Norway takes a little to produce a beautiful display of the aurora. Helge Mortensen sends this Oct. 29th snapshot from the outskirts of Tromsø to SpaceWeather. Some say that the Aurora Borealis may be at a low.

'CALL TO STATIONS' -Countdown Begins!

The launch of space shuttle Discovery is now targeted for 3:52 p.m. EDT Wednesday, after technicians worked overnight to repair helium and nitrogen leaks in Discovery's right-hand Orbital Maneuvering System pod. This will be the final launch of space shuttle Discovery. Flight Status. The launch will be webcast on NASA-TV.

More from CBS, Central Florida News, Florida Today, Space.com, and AP.

Chapel Area Hike -- Post 5

Here are the last pictures from the Chapel-Mosquito hike that friend Wendy and I took a couple of weeks ago. The rock formations at Mosquito are unmatched in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

What is up in November? Take a Look

Catch two meteor showers in November while you're out spotting the gas giants. And don't miss the opening act from Venus in the morning hours.

The interesting case of 'buckyballs'

It was just three months ago that scientists first announced they'd found the 60-packs of carbon molecules, known as buckminsterfullerens, in a planetary nebula, the death shroud of an exploded star, according to findings from the Spitzer Space Telescope.

This week, astronomers report four more sightings of buckyballs in planetary nebula, including one located beyond the Milky Way in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a neighboring galaxy about 210,000 light-years away, writes Irene Klotz for Discovery News.

Deep Dark Science: The Neutrinos

Dr. Arthur B. McDonald, Queen's University, gives a one hour lecture at Berkeley on the current status of neutrino experiments, the role of neutrinos in basic physics and astrophysics and future measurements made possible by the low radioactivity experimental environment. Neutrinos have also become a valuable cosmic messenger, providing unique information from the core of the Sun and from the deepest reaches of the Universe.

Life on Mars!

Halloween: Nazis on the Moon in 1945

IRON SKY: As World War II comes to an end in 1945, Hans Kammler and other German scientists make a breakthrough in anti-gravity research. From a secret base in the Antarctic, Nazi spaceships are sent to the "dark side" of the Moon to establish the military base "Schwarze Sonne" (Black Sun). Their plan is to build a powerful fleet and return to conquer Earth. The film is set in the year 2018 when their descendants finally return.

The dark science fiction comedy film has commenced production in Frankfurt, Germany this month. Produced in collaboration with an on-line community of film enthusiasts, that are creating a new kind of participatory cinema with a release expected in late 2011.

In similar science fiction horror genre, The Cosmonaut is being produced in Spain.

The Cosmonaut film follows the misadventures of the soviet cosmonaut chosen to be the first soviet cosmonaut to land on the moon. During the journey, his ship disappears, and his childhood friend Andrei, the director of the mission searches for him for the next seven months. Seven months after the accident, the ship reappears, without a trace of Stan. At the same time, a series of eerie radio transmissions supposedly broadcast by Stan claim that he has actually come back home and that he found the Earth completely empty.

US drifting from China in space

In light of this space-related gridlock involving the US and China, Joan Johnson-Freese, professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College in Rhode Island, labeled Bolden's trip as little more than a gesture.

"The good news is that Bolden went to China and the Obama administration is far more open to working with China than the [George W] Bush administration was; the bad news is that I do not think the US is any closer to substantively working with China on space than it was during the Bush administration," said Johnson-Freese.

"The problems are twofold: the entire US civil space program is still in an upheaval since [the Constellation program] was canceled - a cancellation likely inevitable due to the goals-resources mismatch - and there are still a large number of legislators who do not want to work with China on much of anything. So regardless of good intentions, the visit seemed more of a gesture than a step forward," writes Peter J. Brown in The Asia Times.

The Brown article provides insight on the drift in space between China and the United States. The article is complimented by another offered by Gunjan Singh at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis. Reposted here is this Blogger's view. My 2009 Christmas wish may be the only viable diplomatic route.

Chapel Area Hike -- Post 4

I arrived back home from the busy down state trip on Thursday. Thanks to all those who put me up including friends Lynnette, Joan, Marsha, Steve, and Sandi as well as my son Jonathan and his wife, Jessica. The Mason show was one of the best of the year. I also had a blast visiting with people who brought agates by for me to see.

Since I have been gone, I have to play catch-up with this photo blog. I am still posting the pictures from the hike Wendy and I did around the Chapel loop a few weeks ago. In addition to the standard Mosquito Beach photos, I've tried to document the rock formations. First, a picture of Wendy and I sitting in a little wave-carved cave.



Here are a few shots looking east.





Mosquito Beach is all rock -- there is no sand. But the rocks are amazing as the following series shows. Two photos down shows fossilized lake bed ripples.









The trees along the Lake Superior shoreline sometimes have to hold on for dear life. It helps when there are two hugging each other.


Although most of the leaves were down, we found a few areas that still had brilliant color.

Launch Date Re-Set to Wednesday

NASA launch managers have re-set the launch date for the space shuttle Discovery to Wednesday for 3:52 pm EDT Wednesday, with a 70-percent chance of acceptable weather. The launch had been previously delayed from Monday to Tuesday due to a pressure leak.

bloody halloween

here is an interesting periodic table of videos installment about blood (for halloween).

Overview of a Decade of ISS Cooperation

There is no better example of cooperation between the US and Russia than what is going on in space exploration. NASA and the Russian program rely on one another and work together. Soon, the US will be completely dependent on Russian shuttles to go back and forth to the International Space Station (ISS) when the US shuttles are retired. Jeffrey Manber. managing director of NanoRacks LLC, gives an overview of the "technological marvel."

An $8-Billion One Way Trip to Mars?

NASA has begun exploring the possibility of sending humans to Mars. There's just one catch - it would be a one-way journey. Sky News reporter Paul Harrison reports the details. No launch date has been set! A second British TV report provides discussion of a Mars mission by scientists.

Dr. Wernher von Braun 1972: "The Religious Implications of Space Exploration" lecture

The video provides a small audio excerpt of Dr. Wernher von Braun's lecture at Taylor University on February 12, 1972, entitled "The Religious Implications of Space Exploration." Braun gave the lecture's without the benefit of a script. Taylor University is looking for people who were in the audience for the two von Braun lectures at the university in 1972.

Robonaut 2 Packed, Ready to Go!

Robonaut 2 gets packed for the trip to space in this time-lapse video awaiting launch on space shuttle Discovery now set for Tuesday afternoon from the Kennedy Space Center. R2 will subsequently be unpacked aboard the International Space Station to join future ISS crews at work. NASA released a new testimonial tribute to space shuttle Discovery.

Discovery Launch to Space Delayed by 1-Day

NASA ordered a minimum one-day postponement on Friday after failing to plug a small helium gas leak aboard Discovery. A nitrogen gas leak also was detected. The problems are unrelated to a fuel leak that cropped up a few weeks ago. Discovery's launch to the International Space Station is now scheduled for Tuesday afternoon — Election Day, Nov. 2, at 4:17 p.m. EDT. Engineers are working the problem with launch managers expected to announce the time later today to commence the countdown clock. Flight Status.

Adobe Promotes HTML5 With A Flash To HTML Converter

I'm really excited to see that the Adobe's team itself is taking steps to promote HTML5 technology.
John Nack Posted on  his blog:

Are you surprised? Don’t be. As I’ve written many times, Adobe lives or dies by its ability to help customers solve real problems. That means putting pragmatism ahead of ideology.

Read more »

Orbital Paths of U.S., China Set to Diverge

President Barack Obama's early initiative to explore joint manned space missions with China appears to have been stalled by the changing political winds on Capitol Hill—even as Beijing details ambitious plans to complete its first manned space station within the decade, according to The Wall Street Jorunal.

An apparent lack of concrete progress in talks on the subject last week suggests the U.S. could miss out on potential benefits, such as cheaper flights to the International Space Station, while China presses ahead with its space program and expands cooperation with Europe, Russia and others to get the technology and experience it needs.

Gen. Charles Bolden became the first head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to tour China's highly sensitive manned space flight facilities during his visit last week—access that both sides might have portrayed as a major breakthrough in a different climate. More from The Wall Street Journal.

'Envoys of Mankind' deserve the benefits of the Astronaut Rescue Treaty with China

Envoys of Mankind were the essential words used to describe humans in space by international law adopted over forty years ago. Humans from around the world are now going to space as the "envoys of mankind," a legal moniker adopted in the Outer Space Treaty and the Rescue of Astronauts regime by members of the United Nations.

The importance of this international law is growing everyday as commercial space launch capability expands to place more and more non-government 'envoys of mankind' into space in this decade. It is probable, if not likely, that there will be a commercial Apollo-13-like mishap on orbit with a micrometeorite piercing the hull, an electrical shutdown, on-board fire, or some other now unknown event that causes the call for help to go forth to others in space.

This new ocean of space is to be sailed with ships of many nations. It is almost certain that the Chinese, Russians, Indians and Americans will be sailing the ocean of space in the years ahead. One, if not all, will face their own human space crisis. The spirit and the letter of decades old international law demands that nations be prepared to offer one another assistance in orbit of Earth or the moon.

Several members of Congress appear not to be willing to obligate, or to receive, assistance from Chinese-made space vehicles or their human crews despite the international law. Mostly notably, Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf questions cooperation with the Chinese in space, citing human rights violations or military technology transfer concerns. The Congressman has legitimate concerns with the Chinese. The question is whether this is the correct venue to seek to enforce it. Space may not be the proper venue when it comes to astronaut rescue.

Sino-American relations are not perfect but most analysts have characterized US-China foreign policy as complex and multi-faceted. The People's Republic of China and the United States are neither allies nor enemies. The American military establishment does view China as an enemy, but as a competitor in some areas and a partner in ours. The United States must decide if China is a competitor or partner is space affairs. In either case, international law obligates both nations to cooperate when the lives of "envoys of mankind'" are at stake.

American commercial space launch firms plan to place more humans in space in this decade than the number all nations have over the past fifty years. It would be an error not to have a bona fide protocol to provide one another assistance in space if the situation demands. Like Nixon, it may be that Congressman Wolf is the more appropriate person to open this door to the future in Chinese-American space relations and to suggest some space détente rescue pact among American, Chinese, Indian and Russian space agencies.

Cooperation does not have to be difficult. Human spacefaring nations need cooperation on ship-to-ship communication protocols, docking ports, oxygen and water hose sizes, and the like to save the lives by those opting to spaceflight in the decades ahead. The United States need not transfer the designs of our booster rockets or the next spacecraft design to visit an asteroid to accomplish a mutual rescue in space plan.

The United States need not wait the siren call of a Titanic-like space mishap to determine if we have measured-up to the spirit of international space law. We need not determine the ethnicity of envoys of humanity to determine their worth of a space rescue. Whether or not they are Chinese, Indian, Russian, American NASA astronaut or a private American space tourist, Americans need to lead in the development of protocol and etiquette in providing assistance in space emergencies.

There will be another Apollo 13, Challenger or Columbia mishap in space by Americans. Equally, there will be life-threatening problems in space for the Chinese, Russians and Indians. We need not adopt domestic policy that demeans the international law to save the lives of fellow envoys of humankind. Quite the contrary, America needs men like Congressman Wolf leading the way ensuring domestic codification of the international astronaut rescue agreement for 21st century spaceflight.

*****************

Those who attack NASA Administrator Charles Bolden's trek to China need to think about this content.

History of Discovery: Nov. 1 Final Launch

A NASA-produced video history of OV-104, NASA's oldest space shuttle orbiter. Discovery is scheduled to blast off on November 1, 2010 on its 39th and final mission before being retired. The spacecraft provided significant moments in space history. The flight of the humanoid R2 will be a fitting finale for Discovery and the 180 people to fly aboard her. The STS-133 crew arrived at the Kennedy Space Center today for the final flight of Discovery. Flight Status.

Falcon 9 Dragon Launch Set Nov. 18, 2010

Scott Henderson, SpaceX Director of Mission Assurance, provides a tour of Space Launch Complex 40, the company's launch pad for its Falcon 9 rocket. The tour starts with Henderson's introduction driving onto the complex and tour the launch pad. The tour was part of Air Force Week media day events, hosted by the 45th Space Wing at Patrick AFB in Florida. The Falcon 9 with the Dragon space capsule is set for launch from Cape Canaveral on Thursday, November 18, 2010.

Virgin Galactic - Milestones to Space

Virgin Galactic shares highlights with Sir Richard Branson . A short film showcasing where we are now and the huge milestones reached over the past year. [Hat Tip to SFF Advocate Cathy Harper along The New Mexico Space Trail! ]

Vintage Virginia Spaceport Wine Released

The Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority and Holly Grove Vineyards are pleased to announce ‘Genesis’, a new Virginia wine, with a very unique wine label celebrating the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) and Virginia’s return to space. Billie Reed, the Space Authority’s Executive Director will give ‘Genesis’ to his NASA hosts when he attends the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery in Florida, scheduled for November 1, 2010.

Jonathan Bess, the owner and vintner at Holly Grove Vineyards on Virginia’s Eastern Shore discussed this idea with Spaceport officials while attending a presentation by Bigelow Aerospace, another company investigating launching its rockets from MARS.

“I know Wallops is where our nation’s space program was started,” Bess said. “NASA Wallops and NASA Langley tested rockets and trained astronauts before Kennedy or Johnson Space Centers were created. I’m really excited about the Taurus II launches. This is going to have a positive impact here on the Shore and on our nation. I wanted to be a part of making history so I suggested a special wine label in celebration of America’s first space coast’s return to space!”

The fine Virginia spaceport wine make for wonderful holiday gifts for space enthusiasts and wine connoisseurs. The Genesis wine is a special Bordeau blend of 33% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Franc, 33% Petit Verdot. UPDATE HERE.

halloween begins

we had a bit of its-nearly-halloween fun dressing up for work today!

Nokia N8 Used For Shooting A Short Film

"The Commuter" A Short Film Starring Dev Patel, Ed Westwick And Pamela Anderson. This 7.5 Minute Film Was Entirely Shot Using The Nokia N8.
Read more »

Mobile Number Portability Service To Start From November 1

Mobile number portability is the ability to retain one's phone number despite changing service providers. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has already missed two deadlines for implementing this service.Read more »

Spaceports blog has over 1-million views

The Spaceports blog has be honored to have over 1-million views by readers in countries on every continent of the globe since the count started 31 December 2006. Many of the blog readers interact via Linked-In, Twitter, e-mail, cellular call, post comments, participation in polls, or more often, follow or subscribe to the daily space science information flow.

English philosopher John Locke said it best. "The improvement of understanding is for two ends: first, our own increase of knowledge; secondly, to enable us to deliver that knowledge to others." Locke's statement is apropos. The endeavor here is to learn by applied journalism; secondly, to share the quest for humanity to become spacefaring.

A simple 'thank you' for coming along seems so inadequate.

Humanoid R2 has long-term mission plans

The future is R2: "to go where no humanoid robot has gone before!"

R2 will be the first humanoid robot in space, and although its primary job for now is teaching engineers how dexterous robots behave in space, the hope is that through upgrades and advancements, it could one day venture outside the International Space Station to help spacewalkers make repairs or additions to the station or perform scientific work. There are no plans to return R2 to Earth after its launch aboard space shuttle Discovery on Monday, November 1, 2010. R2 will be deployed aboard the station in 2011.

See Project M: Humanoid Robot on the Moon.

ARTEMIS Lunar Probes to Study Moon

Launched in 2007, NASA's five THEMIS spacecraft have now successfully completed their 2 year mission to determine the cause of geomagnetic substorms. Because they are continuing to work perfectly, NASA is re-directing the outermost two spacecraft to special orbits at and around the Moon. This new mission, which is called ARTEMIS, uses some very complex maneuvers over two years (2009-2010) to get both spacecraft into position.

As the Moon orbits the Earth, it passes in and out of the Earth's magnetic field and the million-mile per hour stream of particles emitted by the Sun known as the solar wind. While in these regions, the two ARTEMIS spacecraft will seek evidence for turbulence, particle acceleration, and magnetic reconnection, three fundamental phenomena that control the nature of the solar wind's interaction with the Earth's magnetosphere.

Employing their full complement of instruments and unique two-point vantage points, the spacecraft will study the vacuum the Moon carves out in the solar wind, and the processes that eventually fill this lunar wake. Nearer the Moon, they will observe the effects of surface electric fields, ions sputtered off the lunar surface, and determine the internal structure of the Moon from transient variations in its magnetic field induced by external changes.

After six months at the Lagrange points, ARTEMIS will move in closer to the moon, at first only 100 kilometers from the surface, but eventually even closer. From point-blank range, the spacecraft will look to see what the solar wind does to a rocky world when there is no magnetic field to protect it.

ARTEMIS will work in tandem with current missions, such as NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, LADEE (Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer to launch from Wallops Island, VA) and Grail (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory), and Chang'e 2, a Chinese unmanned probe, to prepare the ground for increased robotic exploration of the moon by future U.S. missions, including the international lunar network.

Russia Launches Soyuz Progress M-08M

The Russian cargo transport carrier Progress M-08M launched on Wednesday from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan. The vehicle has reached the orbit for its approach to the International Space Station with docking scheduled for Saturday. This was announced by a representative of Roscosmos. Progress will deliver food, fresh fruit and vegetables, water, fuel, ISS equipment, parcels from family and festive gifts for the Space Station crew.

Meanwhile, the STS-133 space shuttle Discovery is in a final launch campaign to commence Monday, November 1, 2010 bound to the orbiting laboratory.

Gamsung Galaxy S, The best smartphone which is powered by the Google's Android OS. The phone has all the good features which an android should have.
Read more »

International Space Station to Mark Decade of Constant Human Habitation in Space

As the International Space Station Program completes 10 years of continuous human presence, administrators and former crewmembers discuss its past, present and future. The first residents, astronaut Bill Shepherd and cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko came aboard the ISS on Nov. 2, 2000 on Expedition 1.

Tuesday, November 2 will mark an event of more long-term historic significance than mid-term Election Day results. The International Space Station (ISS) will have made nearly 60,000 orbits and traveled nearly 2-billion miles above us Tuesday, marking the 10th anniversary of the first American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts taking-up residency aboard the orbiting laboratory, hurdling 220-miles above our heads at the speed of 17,500 mph.

Despite the impending grounding of the space shuttle, the International Space Station will continue human operations until at least 2020, periodically growing a little brighter from expansion. The Russians, Europeans and Japanese will be sending cargo ships there. For the first time next year, a capsule launch from Virginia will arrive with water, food, and scientific experiments for the orbiting six-member crews.

In NASA parlance, there is a study underway for an international effort to build a human spaceship at the ISS to orbit the moon in this decade. There is also discussion of disassembly of a few modules of the ISS to use as crew quarters for a lengthier human mission to one of the many near-earth-asteroids. These concepts are more than power point charts: flash forward to the future, these studies and plans will become our reality as humans again break the bonds of Earth gravity to journey 240,000 miles to the moon or one million or more to an asteroid.

Space entrepreneurs are now building space vehicles to fly near the space station with privately owned inflatable habitats expanding the space neighborhood with more humans. This new breed space resident will launch to space from Virginia, as well as Florida, with men and women working on it every day now. In the decade ahead, the space station will serve as the orbiting location point where humanity will leave for the moon, the asteroids, and in the next two decades even to Mars.

a rain dance

i find these rain dance photos by pierre nagley mesmerizing.

NASA Future Human Missions Discussed

Dr. David Korsmeyer, Chief of the Intelligent Systems Division at NASA Ames Research Center, shares his 1-hour lecture on the so-called The Flexible Path architecture for human spaceflight. The plan calls for incrementally more aggressive human missions out into the inner solar system. Dr. Korsmeyer reviewed the study and where it now stands.

NASA's EPOXI Closes on Hartley 2 Comet

NASA's EPOXI mission continues to close in on its target, comet Hartley 2, at a rate of 12.5 kilometers (7.8 miles) per second. On Nov. 4 at about 10:01 a.m. EDT (7:01 a.m. PDT) the spacecraft will make its closest approach to the comet at a distance of about 700 kilometers (434 miles). It will be the fifth time that a comet has been imaged close-up and the first time in history that two comets have been imaged with the same instruments and same spatial resolution.

The mission's encounter phase begins the evening of Nov. 3, when the spacecraft is about 18 hours from the time of closest approach to the comet's nucleus. At that time the spacecraft will stop transmitting through its large high-gain antenna and reorient itself so its two visible-light and one infrared imager maintain lock on the comet for the next 24 hours-plus.

The hours surrounding comet encounter will be especially challenging for the mission team as they are commanding a recycled spacecraft that was not designed for this comet flyby. The spacecraft was designed and employed successfully for NASA's Deep Impact encounter of comet Tempel 1 back on July 4, 2005. By recycling Deep Impact's already built, tested and in-flight spacecraft, the EPOXI mission provided savings on the order of 90% that of a hypothetical mission with similar goals, starting from the ground up.

Music On The Net Legally | Introducing Google Music India

Now You Can Listen To Your Favorite Songs Legally, With The Help Of Google Music India. Google Music Will Help You To Search Songs By Name, Film, Artist, Album, Etc.
Read more »

buckeyes or conkers?

i'm originally from the state of ohio, USA, which is known as the "buckeye state." buckeyes are the common local name of a type of tree that are more generally called horse chestnuts.

ohioans have been inspired to make make necklaces out of the seeds of the buckeye tree in support of the ohio state buckeyes:


the region is also known for sweet candy treats called "buckeyes" which are made from peanut butter balls dipped in melted chocolate and left to dry. mmmmmm... buckeyes!


the british, on the other hand, have developed quite a different tradition using the seeds from the horse chestnut trees, which they call conkers. the game of conkers is a moderately violent affair where you string up your conker and try to knock an opponent's conker off his or her string.


a couple years ago we held a conkers tournament among the astronomers and physicists in our building... the brits wanted to initiate all us foreigners to the tradition, you see. we were warned of a few of the rules, which mainly revolved around forbidden methods to potentially strengthen your conker: soaking in vinegar, drying in an oven, etc...


what surprised me is how painful this game can be when your shot is not accurate. if you miss your opponent's conker altogether, which i did quite often, the conker flings around on the end of the string and slams into your forearm. my unskilled conker flicks continued to hit the same spot on my arm and built up quite a painful bruise! ouch! of course i lost my conker during my first battle.


brady haran, who produces sixty symbols, has produced an interesting video about horse chestnut trees for his trees project, which explains a bit more about the game of conkers (but doesnt mention "buckeyes" at all :(

NASA Seeks Commercial Crew Proposals

NASA has issued an announcement seeking proposals from U.S. industry to further advance commercial crew space transportation concepts and mature the design and development of system elements, such as launch vehicles and spacecraft. Awards will result in funded Space Act Agreements.

Multiple awards are expected to be announced by March 2011 for terms of up to 14 months. Approximately $200 million total is expected to be available for awards under this announcement, but funding is dependent on the 2011 fiscal year appropriations from Congress. The deadline for submitting proposals for CCVEV2 is Dec. 13, 2010.

The agreements are expected to generate significant progress toward maturing the design and development of commercial crew systems elements that also ensure crew and passenger safety. The overall objective is to accelerate the availability of U.S. commercial crew transportation capabilities and reduce the gap in U.S. human spaceflight capability. Through this activity, NASA also may be able to spur economic growth as potential new space markets are created. Once developed, crew transportation capabilities could become available to commercial and government customers.

White House Science Advisor Sends Letters to Congressional Leaders about Asteroids

In separate 10-page letters to the House Committee on Science and Technology and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Dr. John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy outlines plans for "(A) protecting the United States from a near-Earth object (asteroids and comets) that is expected to collide with Earth; and (B) implementing a deflection campaign, in consultation with international bodies, should one be necessary." Dr. Holdren's letter to each committee is linked above herein.

Russell Schweickart, a former astronaut and former co-chairman of the Task Force on Planetary Defense of the NASA Advisory Council, wrote a OpEd in The New York Times published Oct. 25, 2010.

University of Kentucky to Launch CubeSat

University of Kentucky engineering students have been preparing a 'CubeSat' for launch into orbit in February 2011.

“KYSat-1 will travel to California Polytechnic State University on Monday to be integrated into a standardized satellite launcher and to undergo final flight qualification vibration testing,” according to electrical and computer engineering Professor Dr. James Lumpp. “From there it will travel to Vandenberg Air Force Base where it will be integrated onto a Taurus-XL rocket for a Feb. 22, 2011 launch.”

“The satellite, Kentucky Satellite-1, is the first free-flying, orbital satellite the lab has developed and is the result of a state-wide collaboration among Kentucky universities, coordinated by the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation, a non-profit corporation focused on high-technology and innovation in Kentucky,” Lumpp said.

White House Science Fair for Students Held

More from the White House Blog.

OFFICIAL: STS-133 Launch Set for Nov. 1

Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to begin an 11-day mission to the International Space Station with a launch at 4:40 p.m. EDT on Monday, Nov. 1, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The STS-133 mission is Discovery's final scheduled flight.

Discovery's launch date was announced Monday at the conclusion of a flight readiness review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and determined the shuttle and station's equipment, support systems and personnel are ready.

clever hair style

this is brillant!

FutureForward: Back to the Moon

"Back to the moon" with private enterprise was published in The Daily Progress in Charlotesville, Va. Sunday, after first appearing in The Kingsport Times-News (print edition only) on Saturday, October 9, 2010. Hope you recommend it on FaceBook or Twitter.

With the evdience of water and silver on the lunar surface, the facts only point more in the direction of commercial lunar efforts in the near-term future.

The Future of Space Travel

Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Galactic and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson discuss the future of Spaceport America and human spaceflight.

the optical delusion of our consciousness

Lori Garver Speaks in New Mexico

NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver speaks at Spaceport America's runway dedication in Upham, NM on Oct. 22, 2010. Also attending the event were Virgin Galactic Founder Richard Branson, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Apollo lunar astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Harrison ' Jack' Schmitt. Garver touted the new partnership emerging between the civil and commercial space sectors. [Hap tip to Doug Messier]

SpaceShip2 Visits Land of Enchantment

Virgin Galactic's Sir Richard Branson, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and prospective astronauts gathered in the southern New Mexico desert Friday to celebrate the completion of the runway at the world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport [AP and raw video]

The VSS Enterprise spacecraft made a celebratory flight over the New Mexico facility, where Sir Richard Branson told crowds the first commercial flights could take place within nine months [BBC News video]. Branson said that Virgin Galactic will build a spaceship for low earth orbit in the near-term future [SS3].

small worlds

the results are out for the 2010 nikon small world contest. here are a few of my favorites! the descriptions below come from the big picture.



Magnified 400 times, this is a 2-Photon fluorescence image of glial cells in the cerebellum. Glial cells provide support for the brain's neurons. This image was made by Thomas Deerinck of the National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, University of California, San Diego.



Two human cancer cells seen just before they divide into four cells, viewed at 100x magnification. This image of Telophase HeLa (cancer) cells expressing Aurora B-EGFP took 11th place and was made by Dr. Paul D. Andrews of the University of Dundee in Dundee, Scotland.



Patterns of light are seen in soap film, magnified 150 times in this 18th place image by Gerd Guenther from Dusseldorf, Germany.