Death from the Skies
Finally! After some delay with Amazon.co.uk, it's here! Read more...
davep's astronomy, Today, 2:41pm
Building a Portal to the Universe
Do you have one or more RSS feeds whose content is related to astronomy? If so Dr Pamela Gay would like to hear from you. Read more...
davep's astronomy, Today, 2:14pm
I've done my Globe-at-Night Report
Well, I've been virtuous and I've done my Globe-at-Night Report. Mind you, the weather has been awful (those people flooded out in Queensland, or who had their houses/cars trashed in Melbourne may not feel very sympathetic). So far, there are only 3 reports from Australia (including mine), which isn't surprising given the weather we have had. But it's clearing up now, and the survey ends on the 16th, so why not step out and have a look when you can (don't forget to allow some time for your eyes to adjust after coming from indoor lighting). Read more...
Astroblog, Today, 2:17am
2009 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Awards
Dispatches from the Final Frontier, Yesterday, 2:13pm
Game Reserves In Kenya - Lake Nakuru National Park
Lake Nakuru's alone geographics and geological history it throws captivation for geologists, naturalists, botanists, bird watchers and preservationists. Of course, wherever there is involvement to scientific discipline there is also appeal to the perhaps less scientific species among us, the tourist, who is none the less eager for new and interesting information .50 Million old age ago subterranean military units ripped apart the earth's Earth's crust creating a y-shaped ace across the surface of the earth. The crack, known as the Great Rift Valley, stretch alongs from Syrian Arab Republic and Lebanese Republic at one end to Republic Of Mozambique at the other end. The Red Sea, the Gulf of Jordan River and the Gulf of Aden were all defined around and because of the rift. Lake Victoria, along with all the great lakes in Africa, and in fact Lake Nakuru itself, all defined as a consequence of the rift. In East Africa, and in... Read more...
Apolloera, Yesterday, 2:13pm
Another Thing I Didn't Know Existed (A Continuing Series)
(Previous member of series here.)Wingsuit flying/base jumping -- looks like some kind of human flying squirrel.This sort of thing, like ice golf, would be much easier on Titan. Read more...
¤, Yesterday, 2:13pm
Big Sunspot Coming Around
Graze on over to the SOHO MDI Continuum Latest Image page, then break out your (properly-filtered) equipment for a look. After a couple of very quiet years, the Sun will actually be something other than a blank disk for a while. (Hat tip to David Young of the ASKC, who notes that our PST is "just sitting here in storage" -- members can check it out for 2 weeks at a time. Another reason for locals to join.) Read more...
¤, Yesterday, 2:13pm
50th Anniversary of NASA
Via this tweet by Will Gater: 50th Anniversary of NASA. Read more...
davep's astronomy, Yesterday, 2:13pm
Sad Day
I'm sure by now, most of you have heard about Len Cormier's passing. He's my second friend I've lost to cancer within the past two or three months. Len was a great guy--the first person who ever offered me a job in the space transportation business. He was unfortunately, way ahead of his time when it came to commercial space (IIRC he's been trying to get commercial space businesses off the ground for over 40 years now). I'm going to miss him. I hope commercial space succeeds before we lose too many more of the trailblazers like Len. Read more...
Selenian Boondocks, Yesterday, 2:13pm
Sundahl on The Space Show
That's right, another space lawyer lights up The Space Show. If you missed last Monday's edition of the Show (Nov. 19, 2007) featuring the illustrious Dr. Mark Sundahl talking about,... Read more...
Space Law Probe, Yesterday, 2:13pm
Orbital Access Methodologies Part IV: Glideback TSTO
Some of the comments to my last post got me thinking about what I'm trying to accomplish with this series. The reality is that each of these approaches that I'm discussing could easily fill a full chapter in a textbook, complete with 20-30 pages of text, tons of graphs, equations, sample designs, detailed discussions of tradeoffs, etc. I'm probably not the guy you would want writing such a textbook--that's something better left to either a Masters/PhD student looking for a fun dissertation, or someone who has more aerospace engineering experience than myself (say a Mike Kelley, or a Dan DeLong or maybe a group of such people). Read more...
Selenian Boondocks, Yesterday, 2:13pm
LGF: The Canker Sore You Just Keep on Licking
I've been posting a lot lately about what a 'tard Charles at LGF can be. Today is no exception. We have the LGF headline: Man charged with stockpiling weapons: Tea Partier and Palin Fan. This eye-roll inducing headline is typical of Charles' take on us knuckle draggers. Let's have a closer look. Charles sums up the situation: A Massachusetts man arrested Tuesday and charged with possessing explosives and a stockpile of weapons was a tea partier and a fan of Sarah Palin.Massachusetts. Great place to start for those of us who know the secret... Read more...
carnaby fudge, Yesterday, 2:41am
Election Advertising, Drugs and Risk Communication
Way to stay classy, South Australian Labor Party. In a election advertisement I saw last night the Labor Party is wittering on about how it is tough on drug crime (with a picture that says 100 dead from ecstasy in the back ground - more about this figure later). It then cuts to the Opposition Liberal leader, Elizabeth Isoble Redmond, saying "Ecstasy is not as bad as some other drugs" and then the add voice-over says. "Not Bad Ms Redmond?" with the clear implication ecstasy is really, really bad. Read more...
Astroblog, Yesterday, 2:18am
Carnival of Space #144 is here.
Carnival of Space #144 is now up at Discovery News - Space. Lots of Spacey Goodness here, it has an academy awards theme, with best pyrotechnics in space, most convincing galactic cannibal and much, much more. Rush on over and add to the applause. Read more...
Astroblog, Yesterday, 2:18am
By Special Request of the Colonel (Part Deux) Read more...
The Lensman's Children, Yesterday, 2:18am
Genes and Culture
-- is the subject of my latest offering over on Chicago Boyz. Enjoy! Read more...
¤, Mar 9, 2:41pm
Any Old Blogger Can Donate Blood
UPDATE: Yikes! OK, the usual instructions are -- poke around a little while you're here; I particularly encourage reading the posts listed under "Important Stuff" in the left sidebar. Feedback is welcomed via the link above; first-time e-mailers will have to batter their way through Spam Arrest. Read more...
¤, Mar 9, 2:41pm
X-51 hypersonic waverider prepping for spring flight
Dispatches from the Final Frontier, Mar 9, 2:15pm
Are you a fugitive from justice?
I was reading the manual from Ruger for my new rifle. Half the book is warnings of some kind or another, many repeated. Not helpful warnings butWARNING: GUNS CAN HURT YOU REAL BAD.Like that.There must be a few people out there who don't know better than to peer down the barrel of a rifle while pulling the trigger. How do these people get to the store without getting run over by a bus? Read more...
Space For Commerce, by Brian Dunbar, Mar 9, 2:15pm
If it's dumb and it works it's not a dumb idea
We're into the fourth day of the Great Government Shutdown. And the country still chugs along doing whatever it is we doFor years we've paid farmers not to grow food. Perhaps we could pay the government not to show up for work.Call it an extended paid furlough.[1] We pay them a salary and tell them to stay home. Bump them up the GS scale on a regular basis. Cost of living, you know. Sure, we're out the money for their salary and benefits. But they're not busy making work, building empires, or thinking of more ways to tell the rest of us what to do.So it's pretty much a win-win for everyone.[1] There is precedent. After San Jacinto, Sam Houston found himself with a horde of volunteers who hadn't seen any war, wanted to fight, and were... Read more...
Space For Commerce, by Brian Dunbar, Mar 9, 2:15pm
You only think your data is secure
rt @lmacvittie @cswolf The nature of "Cloud" suggests asset location is irrelevant. Except for control, management, integration, costs...@bdunbar How secure is it, really?Not less secure than an a racked server sitting in your... Read more...
Space For Commerce, by Brian Dunbar, Mar 9, 2:15pm
The Future is going to look strange. Darn strange.
I’m interested in what we define as beauty, when we choose to create it ourselves.The future of beauty is big puffy lips, pouty looks, guys looking like disaffected women, women looking like a transhumanist Barbie Doll and not a one of them looks like they could change their own tire on the side of the road.NSFW warning: boobies. Read more...
Space For Commerce, by Brian Dunbar, Mar 9, 2:19am
Uganda: Credit Reference Bureau Starts Work in June - AllAfrica.com
Sylvia JuukoKampalaTHE first Recognition Mention Agency (CRB) will open up store by June.The development is expected to cut down the hazard of loaning by fiscal institutions. Juma Walusimbi, the manager of public dealings at the cardinal bank, said last hebdomad that Compuscan Information Technologies, a South African company, had been selected for the service.He said owed to deficiency of a national identification, an personal identity system would be put up with the introduction of new fiscal cards."All intending borrowers volition get a fiscal card that volition cost about $2 that volition bear their exposure and thumbprint because we make not have got got national IDs," Walusimbi explained.The inside information of a borrower, he added, would be stored with the CRB for mention regarding a customer's recognition history."This will cut down the figure of borrowers that are not... Read more...
Apolloera, Mar 9, 2:19am
Flying Moondust
Here is an interesting article about the possible dangers of flying moondust when we go back to the Moon, particularly to stay at moonbases. The film and video of lunar landings and liftoffs showed the dust flying off at high speeds. During landing, the Lunar Modules (LMs) descent engine scoured the surface as the lander approached, kicking dust out at speeds of probably around a kilometer per second. Without an atmosphere on the Moon, the dust will fly off on ballistic trajectories rather than billowing like it does on Earth during rocket launches that we see commonly on TV. The article above shows the affects of concrete blasted out of the flame trenches of the shuttle launch pads that drill holes in fences and damage other equipment. The smaller... Read more...
Apollo, Space & Science, Mar 9, 2:19am
U.S. Plans A- Bomb as a Space Engine; U.S. Plans to Test Atom Space Drive
John A Osmundsen Read more...
Deep Space Bombardment, Mar 9, 2:19am
Romance
There's something strangely sweet and nice about this. Read more...
carnaby fudge, Mar 9, 2:19am
The Sky This Week - Thursday March 11 to Thursday March 18
The New Moon is Tuesday March 16. Mars has faded but is still easily visible. Saturn is now seen in the evening above the eastern horizon near the bight stars Regulus and Spica. Venus appears low in the twilight. The Globe at Night sky survey ends. Jupiter is visible in the morning sky. Read more...
Astroblog, Mar 9, 2:19am
Black Holes and space law consulting
Along with all the buzz about Professor Frans von der Dunk joining the faculty of the University of Nebraska's new space law program, we've also been hearing talk about... Read more...
Space Law Probe, Mar 9, 2:19am
CxP LOC/LOM Numbers
I wasn't planning on doing any more blogging today, but I had a serious "what the hud!" moment earlier today, and thought it worth bringing attention to it. This is a presentation that was given by NASA back on July 2nd, and linked to by "anonymous.space" over in a comments section in Space Politics. Anonymous.space brought attention to three rather troubling slides: pages 26, and 62-65. Read more...
Selenian Boondocks, Mar 9, 2:19am
Were these plumbers supposed to be here this show?
Banging away in a terminal session .. Read more...
Space For Commerce, by Brian Dunbar, Mar 8, 2:41pm
Unexpected Rainbows (Part 12)
This isn't a rainbow, but a 22 degree halo. It's a bit hard to see (click to embiggen) as it's faint on the image, but was quite clear in the sky. Read more...
Astroblog, Mar 8, 2:14pm
Charles Non-science on Climate Change Again
My new buddy Charles at LGF has posted again on climate change. Once again, he takes sides without considering why his side might be dumb. In this instance, he links to a Times article about the latest snow storms back east. Charles writes in this regard:One of the most ignorant (and often intentionally deceptive) “common sense” talking points promoted by the climate denial industry is that cold weather proves global warming theories are a hoax. Every time there’s a blizzard, this hoary old chestnut is taken out of the freezer, thawed out, and hyped by all the usual suspects, including the Republican Party. And every time they defrost it, it smells worse.Charles has apparently not noticed how the opposite "common sense" talking points have been dragged out for years by... Read more...
carnaby fudge, Mar 8, 2:46am
Money down the rat hole
I'm not ragging on these guys for grammatical mistakes. No - what irks me is that they spent a good chunk of cash for a real nice display slap-bang in the middle of East Towne Mall in Capitol City and could not be bothered to proofread their copy. 'Where the stone business based on attention to detail!' Read more...
Space For Commerce, by Brian Dunbar, Mar 8, 2:22am
Imperial Grunts
I'm reading Robert Kaplan's 'Imperial Grunts'. The military is out there doing what we ask them to do, sometimes making up policy on the ground. When guys like this are put in play stuff happens. I hope you're paying attention.Pg 19.. like the Marine lieutenant colonel I had met briefly at Camp Pendelton, Adolph didn't know how to be subtle, or how to dissemble. He was brutally, refreshingly direct. Dealing with him saved time.Pg 77Braun, Perez, and Wynn were three well-spoken men with tattoos, guns, and serious reading material all over their hootch: Bruan had been dipping into the complete works of James Fenimore Cooper. Wynn, through frustrated by the timid military-diplomatic policy of the previous days, nevertheless told me that "everyone has his place and I accept mine. I'm just happy being a sergeant. What... Read more...
Space For Commerce, by Brian Dunbar, Mar 8, 2:22am
QBR: 0* :Aiming for the Stars
Quick Book Review: Zero Stars Read more...
Deep Space Bombardment, Mar 8, 2:22am
Voyager's Grand Tour
I've been reading a book I found on a sale table at the Toadstool Bookshop in Keene, NH last weekend (great bookstore, BTW). Voyager's Grand Tour: To the Outer Planets and Beyond by Henry Dethloff and Ronald Schorn (2009). Among other things, the authors do a great job of setting the scene in terms of how little anyone knew... Read more...
Music of the Spheres, Mar 8, 2:22am
Stellarium Revisited (now with satellites)
I haven't looked at Stellarium for quite while so I decided to see what might be new. If you're not familiar with it, Stellarium is a great freeware (open source) planetarium program. I installed the latest version (0.10.3, January 2010) and was pleased to find that it now supports plug-ins, including one called Satellites that uses NORAD TLE (three-line elements) data to add many artificial satellites to the sky objects the program can display. I fast-forwarded... Read more...
Music of the Spheres, Mar 8, 2:22am
SPA Convention 2009
It's that time again! The Society for Popular Astronomy have announced that their 2009 convention will be held at the Institute of Astronomy on March 7th. Read more...
davep's astronomy, Mar 8, 2:22am
Our kind of market insight
Heh. UBS's moon market humor is making the rounds. (Now in WaPo and elsewhere, yesterday reported on Simberg's TransMu.) Read more...
Space Law Probe, Mar 8, 2:22am
George Nield, acting AST chief
I see no announcement or notice on FAA/AST's website but Patti Smith confirms via e-mail that, no surprise, deputy associate administrator Dr. George C.... Read more...
Space Law Probe, Mar 8, 2:22am
The "Gap" and Continued Light Blogging
I've got a couple of other posts I want to write about soon, and I'm about 75% finished with my final Orbital Access Methodologies post. But unfortunately, for the next week I'm not going to have much of any free-time at home or at work, so light blogging is going to continue for a while. Read more...
Selenian Boondocks, Mar 8, 2:22am
Orbital Access Methodologies Part III: Pop-up TSTO
This third installation in my Orbital Access Methodologies series (parts I can be found here, and part II here) has been a long time in the coming. It has taken so long, not because I've been spending months researching and analyzing the topic (I knew most of what I wanted to say back in January), but mostly because I was surprised by how much favorable attention the first part received, and I've been worried about not meeting expectations. A good part of the reason why that first article was so good was that I was able to lean heavily on help provided by Dan DeLong and Antonio Elias, both of who had been analyzing air-launched orbital access methodologies since I was still in gradeschool. I now have a bit more empathy for movie directors trying to make a sequel or a... Read more...
Selenian Boondocks, Mar 8, 2:22am