The Final Frontier
I’ve mentioned Virgin Galactic before, the possibilities of privatized space travel, and the enormous price tag that entails. However, there is another company out there, and the price does go down (a little).
Space Adventures will take paying customers into suborbital euphoria for the low cost of $102,000 (not a small sum, but only about half of what Virgin Galactic is asking). I’m not saying I’ll be able to afford to go any time soon, or even in this lifetime, but it’s nice to know competitive pricing is on its way, and maybe one day someone will be able to afford to go without having won the lottery first.
One Last World Cup Wonder
A Spain-based space tourism company, zero2infinity, sent one Spanish soccer jersey where none has been before–108,000 feet into the atmosphere.
The number 7 jersey of striker David Villa was attached to the company’s entry in the 14th annual European Balloon Festival. The 40-foot-wide, helium filled balloon carried the jersey through the atmosphere and recorded it video camera. Eventually the balloon and jersey returned to Earth.
The company is developing a “bloon” that will enable people to soar into the upper atmosphere 36 km above the Earth. The four hour trip includes the launch, a 2 hour cruise at 36 km height and a return to ground. You can book your flight for 110k euros. Special customizations include flying to or from a specific location, watching a solar eclipse, flying with a retired professional astronaut, enjoying a special *** Michelin menu and more. The aircraft is still in testing phases, but the first flights could lift off as early as 2013 or 2015.
Found via Wired/Playbook
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.
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.”
The Technological Frontier
Lets talk Disruption Tolerant Networking. I know, it sounds like any network, any plagued internet connections, but this is still something new.
DTN is basically space style internet. That’s space as in the cosmos. Information can now be transmitted from NASA to ships about 20 million miles away. The hitch is the delay. The connection is not continuous and data is often stalled and late, but hey, it’s still internet in deep space. And it does put any sluggish earth bound computers in perspective doesn’t it?
Goodnight Mars
After far more than the planned 90 days the Mars Phoenix Lander has seen it’s last martian sunrise.
After seeing everything from red dust to ice and snow . The lander has at last run out of its last drop of power and is now frozen on the red planet, just like the ice it dug up so many weeks ago. The Landers mission was successful for the most part, detecting water, observing weather, and doing a whole number of other experiments. A mission set to last only 90 days lasted nearly 60 more, and that’s a pretty big success as NASA missions go.
We’ve reached Mars by Phoenix, so when will we reach it with men?
Because 1 Ship isn’t Enough
I’ve written about space tourism before but this new concept suborbital vehicle is a little different than designs we’ve seen previously.
It looks like a fish bowl. It’s just a concept ship right now but it’ll provide one hell of a view. Quite a leap from those singular port hole windows of yesteryear. Armadillo Aerospace plans to build a prototype in 2009 for a launch in 2010. It sure looks funny but I hope it all works out. Although, for an $100,000 trip price tag, the trip better be pretty incredible.
Driving Along in an Automobile
So in 2020 we’re supposed to go back to the moon. I’m excited. Recently NASA unveiled an updated version of the lunar rover supposedly getting tested for just such a trip.
The Small Pressurized Rover Concept can travel at 6 mile per hour and can hold a charge for up to two weeks of travel. That means that with a pressurized cabin two astronauts can wander from their bulkier space ship to the further reaches of the lunar surface. That’s pretty cool, though I don’t know how comfortable I’d be in that nothing but that tiny compartment for protection for two whole weeks.
A New Space Nation
South Korea has now joined the worldwide race for space. It’s not as much of a race today, but that fact is they are now ready to take their first step to joining the ranks of orbit bound countries around the rest of the planet. Perhaps it’s not privately funded like The Google X prize here in the US, but it’s still a step forward for the world as a whole.
The KSLV-1 (unveiled at the Naro Space Center in Goheung) will be capable of putting Korea’s first satellite into orbit sometime between April and June of 2009. It’s a big deal. Our new frontier is in the news again and things look to be moving forward as we continue exploration up and out.
