Forget Endor: Chewbacca is American

Peter Mayhew, 60, that wonderfully cuddly, overly gangling, lovable ape in the "walking carpet" suit, has become an American citizen.

I don't think people appreciate what this guy has been doing for the past 30 years. Wearing that ridiculous suit everywhere he went, never taking it off, even in the shower--

Whoops! I just got a note from the editor: It appears Mayhew just happens to look like Chewbacca, and doesn't actually wear the suit all the time. My mistake.

Still--Congratulations Mr. Mayhew. And thank you--seriously--for all the joy you have brought to so many people by being the embodiment of such a lovable, yet enigmatic character.
And thanks George Lucas, for bringing him back for Episode III!

NASA Unveils Fantastic New Earth Image

NASA has given us an image of Earth unlike any we have seen before. Using the most cutting edge digital satellite photography, and pasting together a years worth of those vivid images, they have captured a vision of beauty.
The only home of human kind.
You can check out the new photo, and a catelog of NASA Earth images from the past 50 years at the official site, here.
It's definitely worth a look.

Russia Runs the ISS and Nothing Bad Happens

While everyone on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. was acting like they had no idea a hurricane was coming, NASA made plans with Russia for them to helm the International Space Station in case Johnson Space Center took a direct hit.
Not that anyone was scared they couldn't handle it, but there was some trepidation on the part of those of us who remember Mir...falling apart around the astronauts.
As it turned out, everything was fine.
Hard to believe it's been five years of permanent human presence in orbit. Quite an accomplishment.

Sowing the SEEDS of Space Superiority

Unlike the United States, the European Space Agency (and everyone else in the world for that matter) recognizes the importance of Space exploration, understanding the important role technical advances will play in making our Space dreams reality.
To that end, they have Space Exploration and Development Systems (SEEDS), the first International Post-Graduate Masters Course for Space nuts.
The idea is to grab new technologies and make the most of them. Finding practical, space related, uses for the latest technological advances.
Sounds like a bunch of Big Brains will sit around and chew the fat about what they would do if they had unlimited financial resources. Of course, since it's the ESA they'll probably get all the money they need....

NASA Interstellar Mission Update

Are you out there? Can you hear me running?
That's Voyager 1 up there, shouting back a description of what it's like to pass beyond the full strength of the solar wind into the heliosheath, where solar wind speed is sub-sonic (yes, Voyager proved that is a fact.) In another ten years it will pass beyond the boundary of our Solar System.
Voyager 2 is a little behind, but should be crossing the termination shock around 2008.
Since 1977 the little probes have proved they can go the distance by successfully completing their original mission of exploring Jupiter and Saturn and going on to Neptune and Uranus and now the edge of the Solar System. Both are part of the first NASA Interstellar Mission, tacked by the Deep Space Network and both should continue to send back usable data for at least another decade.
That's plenty of time for them to pass completely out of our Solar System.
And many of the Caltech scientists that launched the things are still running the mission.
Simply amazing.

If you'd like to listen to the electronic noise recorded as Voyager 1 crossed the termination shock, check this out:
Prof. Don Gurnett, University of Iowa, has a nice collection of Space sounds to choose from. Including Voyager 1.

The Future Is Now: Robotics

Check this out: We've been hearing about the new robotic exo-skeletons for ages; I remember watching Ellen Ripley use a bright orange one to load cargo onto the Marine's Transport ship in the movie aliens. It was all science fiction then, but now it's time for the real thing.
In November Cyberdyne researchers in Tsukuba, Japan, will be releasing the first commercially available robotic exo-skeleton for use by the elderly and people with special needs. U.S. Researchers have a similar design in mind, but it's for DARPA use only, at this point.

Cyberdyne...Cyberdyne...That name rings a bell....Wait a sec'! That's the people who built the Terminator right? In the movie anyway...Wow, talk about life imitating art, imitating life...

What's next, Skynet?

Chinese Successfully Launch Two Taikonauts

A second successful launch for China, this one coming two years after their first, and carrying two Taikonauts on a weeklong trip. (Well, nobody knows how long they'll be up there, Chinese officials won't say, but they have food and water for a week.)
This makes them the third nation capable of launching astronauts to Space on their own.
Pretty cool....

Amateur Radio Operator: Get Started Today

There seemed to be increased traffic at the mention of Amateur Radio Operators (or maybe it was S.S.E.T.I.?) so I found a link for anyone interested in learning how to get started.

The National Association for Amateur Radio and the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) have everything you need to get started. Of course you need a few dollars to buy some equipment and whatnot, but learning to send Morse code or studying to take your licensing test is all free. And they say basic equipment is cheap but still offers plenty of potential. Save for your equipment and learn the tech first. You can always get fancy technical hardware later.
It sounds like fun. Maybe I'll join too....

Jeopardy! Back To School Week

That old standby, Jeopardy! When there's nothing else on I can tune in and be reminded why college is a waste of money. All one really needs is a well-trained memory.
This week is Back To School Week, when they let Jr. High kids have a crack at answering questions with more questions.
Last night they had three bright young people, schooled in seemingly every conceivable category, save one: Space.
There was a Space category and it pretty much creamed them all.
Example: When asked to name the moon of Saturn recently explored by the Huygens probe, (Correct answer, What is Titan?) they were completely stumped.
One girl answered, "What is Venus?"

Shameful.

The Amazing Race Family Edition, U.S. Space and Rocket Center and Edward O. Buckbee

U.S. Space and Rocket Center might see a boost in visitors given its recent 15-minutes-of-fame as a Roadblock on The Amazing Race: Family Edition.
For those of you who saw the episode, you might have noticed they found a clue at the Edward O. Buckbee Hangar.
In case you were wondering, Edward O. Buckbee has been a U.S. Space program advocate, lecturer, journalist, founder of the U.S. Space Camp, International Space Camp and Aviation Challenge programs, among other things.

NASA: Your Tax Money At Work

It's amazing: With all the news coverage of fallout from Katrina and Rita, nary a word about the role NASA has played. From providing round the clock, up-to-the-minute satellite imaging of the storms, with imaging potential to watch the impact on a single home or structure; tracking the storm surge and flooding through advanced weather instrumentation, and even providing for families of workers at Michoud and Johnson Space Center who may have been adversely affected.
NASA is more than rockets. It's making a difference every day. Cool.

SuperString Theory and You

String Theory can be explained thusly for dolts like me: Shrink everything in the universe down to its smallest part, or elementary particles, and we should find we're all the same stuff. Not particles of the same matter, smaller than that. Think about the stuff that makes an electron an electron and a neutrino a neutrino and a quark a quark.
Physicists call it String Theory and hope it will unite quantum physics with the rest of the mathematical world. It is hoped String Theory will be the unified theory of all four observed forces in nature: Electromagnetism, Gravity, Strong Force (Atom bombs go BOOM! When this bond is broken) and Weak Forces (radiation slowly leaks past this bond.)
Physicists suggest all matter in the universe is comprised of these minuscule, twisted, vibrating strings. Based on its vibrations and/or oscillations, a string could be anything--a positron or a proton. They also suggest these strings conceal (or create) alternate dimensions within them.
The fact is, something makes particles on a sub-atomic level function differently--for instance, gravity seems to have no effect on electrons circling the nucleus of an atom, so it's theorized there is another set of dynamics at play in the universe, and most people call them "Strings."
Anyway, nobody has been able to prove this is the case, but researchers are getting closer.

Two Physicists recently announced they might have discovered how and why the universe formed the way it did, revealing it had a choice of developing either three or seven dimensions.

Here's a cool story from scientific journalist Diana Steele. I know, it's hard for some scientists to believe a woman could get her pretty little head around such complex issues and write a compelling story, but here's the link anyway. Check it out!

Demonstrator Spacecraft Still Missing

The Demonstrator Spacecraft is an experimental, collapsible International Space Station escape vehicle that could revoltutionize Space travel. Assuming they find it and it worked properly.
It should also be noted this isn't their first attempt at a successful test launch, it's their fourth. For some reason the Russians, who boast such an impressive record of successful Soyuz launches, can't get it together for this thing. Odd.
The craft itself, built by the Russians for the ESA, boasts some fantastic innovations: collapsible, it can be stored easily on a Progress Spaceship for shipping to ISS, or even for storage on ISS; it can make safe landings with crew or cargo on Earth or other planets. It's a complete deviation from normal craft design.
I don't know exactly what the stuff is, but the body of the spacecraft is some type of heat resistant fabric, hence the ability to collapse the entire thing like a pup-tent. Despite the fact it has no engines, designers say the thing is capable of bringing several tons of cargo (or crew) back to Earth for a safe landing.
It was successfully deployed and inflated in Space and survived re-entry, but they can't find the craft for complete analysis. Russia has suspended the flight; no further information on plans for a fifth flight, or what happens next, as scientists continue to crunch the numbers.

S.S.E.T.I. Seeks Amateur Radio Operators From Around The globe!

Sorry, I made a mistake. I thought the S.S.E.T.I. team was only seeking amateur radio operators from Europe, but apparently anyone, anywhere, with the means, is welcome to participate.

The idea is this: Students build a micro-satellite, no more than two kilos, and use a grid of amateur radio operators as a ground control. Operators must download and learn to operate the required software, and have a true desire to see the project succeed, but otherwise, it's open to anyone. Join now!

The cool thing is, if this system works they will build a micro-lunar orbiter and Lander (with remote rover) and lay the groundwork for what may become a fleet of microsats in orbit. Students from twelve European countries are working together on this project, with a little help from the European Space Agency, Arianespace and the Russians.
I would like to see students from Asia and the Americas participating, or even competing. Students can bring a lot of knowledge and hard work to a program such as this. With the guidance of professionals at NASA, the Canadian Space Agency and the Brazilian Space Program, I think a student run Space launch cooperative could be very successful.
It might have the added bonus of spurring renewed interest in science, math and engineering programs and re-invigorate the Space programs of its host countries.
Just a thought...

Anyway, if you're an amateur radio operator, get on board at S.S.E.T.I. and good luck!

Oh, and drop me a line if do you participate...I'd like to hear about it.

Returning To The Moon: The Basics

This neat little story from Spacedaily.com shows a step-by-step for NASA's return to the Moon, and reveals a few more details about the vehicle itself.
It does have some interesting new features. It can be re-used up to 10 times (possibly more once they get going), carries four to six astronauts to the Moon and lets them stay almost a week, and it makes a ground landing via parachutes.
It is like Apollo on steroids!
Supposedly it will be carrying crew and supplies to the International Space Station in just five years. That would surely be a kick in the pants; a booster shot for NASA.
And they sure could use it...

Life on Titan Today

Planetary scientist Dr. David Grinspoon makes the case for life on Titan today in an intriguing interview with Astrobiology Magazine. Interesting stuff, to be sure, but the really interesting stuff comes in his book, Lonely Planets: The Natural Philosophy of Alien Life (2003), excerpted in six-parts at their site, here.

The author says his work is "not strictly a science book but a work of natural philosophy"; expounding on the stuff that sci-fi writers have been conjuring up for a century, he offers pragmatic scientific views for what is possible and we can prove it. He even touches on the possibility aliens are currently here right now, "studying us or perhaps even infiltrating our societies."

Grinspoon is a planetary scientist working at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado.

Damaris Demonstrates Gap Filler: Very Cool!

Her link is right over there: how i am becoming an astronaut

Her name is Damaris and she is currently working at NASA hoping to make a trip to Space sometime. Anyway, her blogs are sporadic (much like mine) but she has a cool one up now explaining Gap Filler technique, with neat pictures and some cool commentary.
Check it out...

2005 DARPA Grand Challenge Winner:Stanley!

DARPA has a winner of it's 2005 Grand Challenge. In fact multiple teams successfully, and fairly rapidly completed the 130+ mile autonomous trip across the Nevada desert.

DARPA officials couldn't be happier. Last year, the first competition, nobody completed the trip. Not even close. This year 27 teams competed much more successfully.

I can't wait to see what the future holds for autonomous driving systems.

Learn to Build With Moon Dirt--Make Money Fast!

The scientists call it Lunar Regolith. I call it Moon dirt. That's what it is essentially. Granted the properties are different: the material itself is of a finer consistency, soft and powdery it clings to everything, more like dust; static electricity is also a problem, generated by moving the powdered dust-dirt.
The fifth in a series of NASA Centennial Challenges , the Regolith Excavation Challenge is worth $250,00 to the successful player. NASA hopes this will help them find the simplest and best way to build bases and habitable buildings with the stuff.

These guys are much like the Romans, one of the first to develop concrete and therefore able to build modern, grand and elaborate structures quickly and easily, many of which can still be seen today, two-thousand years later.
Can't wait to see who wins...find out in late 2006 or early 2007

Devastating Earthquakes in Asia; ARC Marches On

Devastating is not a strong enough word for the recent earthquakes. In Asia there is true suffering today: Entire families; schools full of children; towns obliterated, their lives, knowledge, legacy--gone forever.
It's frightening.
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Stan; landslides in Guatemala that buried entire villages, killing every single soul and leaving no sign of human habitation.

It reminds me why I truly believe the advancement of Space technology is so important to the survival of the human species. It's not about having sex in Zero-G, cruising through the galaxy in starships or turning a profit. It's about survival.
Things happen on this planet that are beyond our control. Things explode. Like mountains.
When that happens, when something explodes with or without advance notice, say Yellowstone perhaps, things go wrong around the globe.
Or a new flu. One that spreads from human to human quickly, and kills very slowly, with a slight delay in symptoms--three quarters of the human race could be gone. So too would entire cultures, languages, learning, art and music. What if it were Hollywood? Or London?
Or all of California and half of Europe?
Just a simple natural disaster. Nothing the Earth hasn't experienced before.

I guess I wasn't the only one thinking about it.

The Alliance to Rescue Civilization (ARC)is trying to address the risks by preparing a rescue team staffed with back-up copies of all human culture, and human presence itself, on the Moon.
It sounds like science fiction, but they make some valid points about having a crew in place, somewhere safe, connected to the earth, protecting a repository of genetic material repopulating livestock and animal species, possibly even humans, and coming when we need them. It could also be used as a Space port, or whatever, they say, until such time as it is needed.
Sounds like a normal Space base to me, but whatever. The point is, we DO need such a place. And the sooner, the better.