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Should NASA fake an interplanetary holy war?
by Robert Lamb | September 22, 2011
Neil deGrasse Tyson is probably the last person to suggest NASA falsify the threat of alien invasion to play on humanity’s fears. I also doubt he’d suggest that the space agency exploit America’s religious conservative movement with “proof” that said aliens are governed by demons.
But just for the sake of argument, let’s you and I go there.
Humans Training for Space Exploration All Over the Place
by Josh Clark | September 20, 2011
If you were to put on weighted boots and scuba gear and shuffle off into the water of Largo Sound at Key Largo, Florida, and were you lucky enough, you may wander smack dab into a camper-sized structure in the shape of a Dumpster®. This would be the famed Jules Undersea Lodge, the only true undersea lodging open to the public. Any type of underwater quarters are few and far between as a Hotel Club.com blogger found when he tried to come up with a Top Five Underwater Hotels post (one of which is partially above water and three of which are under construction). It is the Jules alone that stands as the only true current underwater lodge that is fully complete, as it was established in 1986.
It’s a tough time to be a space enthusiast. The space shuttle’s replacement is still a decade off, budget cuts abound and — most damning of all — the United States hasn’t sent a horror movie icon into orbit since 2001. Think back to the slasher trio we sent up in the late 90s and early 00s. Back then, our future amid the stars seemed assured and space exploration promised us the long-term survival of the human race’s failing horror franchises.
When you hear the name “Walt Disney,” chances are you think of cartoon animals, amusement parks and maybe an urban legend about a frozen head from the 1960s. But do you really know the score on Walt Disney the futurist? In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Julie and I examine Disney’s dreams for a technologically-enhanced future and his “conditional optimism” for the humanity.
If so, DARPA and NASA would like to hear from you. These organizations have numerous experts working with them on any number of endeavors, but they’re asking for outside help tackling the next big question: How can we create a spaceship (and a society) capable of surviving a 100-year-long journey into space? If you have [...]
I would have written this post earlier, but I was too worried I’d jinx my second shuttle launch attempt if I got cocky and started handing out advice and whatnot without ever actually having watched one lift off. Now that I’ve seen Endeavor safely into the sky, however, here goes. Because while seeing a shuttle launch wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t cheap, it was so amazing it brought tears to my eyes. I’m tearing up a little now just reminiscing about it. And to any aeronautics enthusiasts out there who are debating, I have to say, it was well worth the effort and expense. 100 percent. The experience is incredible, and now that I’ve seen a shuttle blast off into space, I can’t imagine passing up the chance while I had it.
So for anyone out there harboring the dream, you have one more shot with the space shuttle Atlantis (tentatively targeted for June 28 or possibly mid July) and I’ll give you the lowdown on what I found works and what doesn’t after the jump.
With the limited number of retiring space shuttle orbiters to go around, competition among museums and other science-related facilities was understandably pretty stiff, even considering the bare-bones price tag would set each institutional recipient back a minimum of $28.8 million. The final cost of the complicated process required by NASA for transporting and displaying each orbiter may end up closer to $100 million a pop by the time everything’s said and done.
The space shuttle Discovery took off for what’s likely the last time yesterday, and it got me thinking about the future of space travel, especially in the form of tourism. More specifically: affordable space tourism. Virgin Galactic is going to be offering flights soon, for example, but at $200,000 a pop, that’s a little more than my wallet — and bank account, and 401k, and Roth IRA, combined — can handle. So how much longer do I have to wait here?
Space Music: Did Walkmans kill manned space exploration?
by Robert Lamb | February 16, 2011
I’ve been thinking about this since a fellow traveler mentioned it over vacation. “No one wants to go into space anymore,” he said. “It all started with the Walkman. The kids all slipped on headphones and retreated inward.” I’m paraphrasing a little there and I should stress that no one’s implying that the rise in headphone usage directly links to the public’s decreased interest in space exploration. But the notion still keeps kicking around my skull. What changed in us when the Walkman swept across the world?
It’s eerie that America’s most famous space exploration disasters have anniversaries so close to one another. The three crew members of Apollo 1 were killed in a fire on the launch pad on on Jan. 27, 1967. The space shuttle Challenger was destroyed during liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986. And eight years ago today, the space shuttle Columbia broke apart during reentry, 16 minutes from home. NASA holds a Day of Remembrance every January to honor all three; This year it was held on Jan. 27.
During my vacation earlier this year, I heard John Roderick of The Long Winters, backed by Jonathan Coulton and Paul and Storm, sing the amazing song, “The Commander Thinks Aloud,” which commemorates the Columbia disaster. Here it is.
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