Free Moonbase Alpha Game from NASA
NASA gives you an opportunity to try your hand at establishing a colony on the Moon with Moonbase Alpha. In the free game, you are an astronaut working on a base at the moon’s south pole. Upon returning from a research expedition you witness a meteorite impact that cripples the life support capability of the settlement.
Moonbase Alpha is “first person explorere game” with both a single player and network or internet team option
Launch Day Success
My family traveled 10 hours to Florida to witness one of the last three shuttle launches in person. My children are only 5 and 2 so I’m not sure how much they will remember, but I am glad that we made the trip.
We ended up tent camping at Manatee Hammock campground 12 miles across the Indian River from the launch pad. We joined the other campers sitting on the bank of the water to countdown the final seconds to Atlantis’ likely last mission to outer space.
I’ve watched the launches dozens of times on television, but being there in person was truly special. The rumble took quite a while to reach us although we could already see the plumes of smoke rising as the rocket began its journey to the International Space Station.
While at the Cape, we didn’t visit the Kennedy Space Center although we did do a “drive-by” and saw the Rocket Garden from a distance. I hope to go back when the boys are older.
There are only two planned launches left-in September and November. If you get a chance, make the trip. It’s history in the making.
NASA Spinoff
Since 1976, NASA Spinoff magazine has described the ways space technology is making a difference in real-world living. Each year the publication features 40-50 of these commercial products.
2009’s edition includes things like sensors developed for research on Mars that are now used to provide early warning of biological threats or air humidifiers to kill germs and preserve food.
I’m going to watch one of the last few shuttle launches soon. Now, I have even more appreciation for the work they are doing.
Printing Food
We’ve heard about space food (freeze dried packets of pizza and ice cream) but now MIT is looking to take food to another level, just like NASA.
Like the freeze dried stuff I doubt the focus for MIT is taste, but simplicity, that’s a definite focus. The food printer concept will basically print sheets that are food, made up of the flavors you desire. I don’t know how delicious that sounds, but it’s very sci-fi so at least it’s interesting. The novelty of it is a definite draw, but we’ll have to see how the average stomach handles it all.
Twitter is Out of this World–Literally
A U.S. astronaut has sent the first tweet from space.
T.J. Creamer (@Astro_TJ) sent a tweet from the International Space Station that read:
“Hello Twitterverse! We r now LIVE tweeting from the International Space Station — the 1st live tweet from Space!
NASA announced that for the first time astronauts on the ISS now have the ability to surf the Web from space. Previously, the astronauts would email info to be posted on Twitter. It is expected to be a morale boost to the crew, NASA said.
The Longest Solar Eclipse for a Thousand Years
Apparently a solar eclipse occured on Friday. I was too distracted by the fact our local weather reached 60 degrees and was worshipping the sun for other reasons. That and the fact that it wasn’t really visible from where I live. It was best viewed on a 185 mile stretch of Africa across the Indian Ocean to India, China and Myanmar.
The eclipse lasted 11 minutes and 8 seconds, making it the longest solar eclipse until December 23, 3043. That is a LONG time away. This eclipse occurs annually however. It just won’t be this long for many years to come.
Fortunately NASA and a number of scientists have recorded and commented on the event if you want to experience it virtually.
NASA Sites
NASA is attempting to draw interest for its programs from the public through the internet, and two recent additions to the web are particularly interesting.
The older site NASA @ home and city is an interactive page where users can explore how NASA technology effects their every day lives. The site uses clickable interactive buildings and rooms to explore how NASA has influenced everything from toothpaste and mattresses to jet lag prevention and airplane engines.
More recently NASA has partnered with Microsoft to bring the be a martian site online. Users can sign up to a martian citizen on Mars. With interactive maps, research tasks and view images and information. Actual participation through the site can help NASA scientist determine the age of Mars by counting craters. Tasks earn points. A forum is also present on the site for users to voice questions and hear from actual Mars experts.
The End of the World
I don’t have a Twitter account. I don’t feel I need one, or more specifically I don’t feel I have the time to invest in checking one. It’s much simpler for me to just check my fan sites and be done with it. But if there was anything that would draw me to Twittering it’s Asteroids.
That’s right with @AsteroidWatch your Twitter account can go beyond simple celebrity updates to real important news (sort of). The account is just what it sounds like, AsteroidWatch posts updates of Asteroids that are set to come within a certain distance of earth (and miss us hopefully).
If AsteroidWatch tickles your fancy maybe you’ll also appreciate NASA updates from the likes of the Mars Phoenix Rover (@MarsPhoenix) and other bots. Hey, it’s the most interesting thing I’ve heard from Twitter so far.
Buzz is on his way home
You may remember that I wrote a year ago about Buzz Lightyear blasting into space as part of a NASA shuttle mission. Disney and NASA teamed up to inspire kids to learn more about science, math and technology.
For the past year, Buzz has been aboard the International Space Station and is now packed aboard the shuttle to make his return trip to Earth. I’m sure he will have stories to tell!
While in space, Buzz has been filming scenes such as being let go by a sleeping astronaut and floating through a chamber followed by a real astronaut. The scenes are part of a NASA educational outreach that will have a Toy Story theme. (Toy Story 3-D is coming in a few months!)
Buzz will get a big homecoming in October when he appears in a ticker tape parade at Walt Disney World along with Buzz Aldrin of Apollo 11.
Happy 40th Apollo 11
40 years ago today the last and greatest frontier opened up as men landed for the first time on the surface of the moon. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins became household names on July 20, 1969.
While today is an amazing anniversary it also highlights the fact that we have not returned to the lunar surface any time recently. The plan is to return man to the moon by 2020 and to set up a permanent base on the ground by 2025. This would give astronauts a place to study, not only the surface, but also the troubles involved with extended stay on new harsh environments to prepare them for trips to other alien worlds (aka: Mars).
The new Constellation program promises to be exciting and unique (if it gets off the ground) but today it’s about our past even more than our future. Look what we did 40 years ago, it’ll be crazy to see what we can do now. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
