Space: Artemis, Delayed
Aug. 29th, 2022 11:58 amYeah, I saw on YouTube that the launch this morning was scrubbed.
Looking forward to the next attempt. Soon, please?
Looking forward to the next attempt. Soon, please?
I have a problem with the idea of letting the International Space Station just de-orbit and burn up. Yes, we've gotten over twenty years' operational life out of ISS. I understand that, and I see how the place is increasingly becoming a thing held together in no small part by Red Green/Jett Reno techniques. I'm still unconvinced that it can't be safely repurposed elsewhere in Sol system.
Specifically? If I had my way, I'd have ISS turned into our first orbital museum. We've missed multiple opportunities with the Skylab, Salyut/Almaz and Mir and it would be a good thing if that not be repeated here. Yes, there's impracticalities that have already been cited elsewhere, and I'm still resistant to accepting any of them as deal-killers.
Specifically? If I had my way, I'd have ISS turned into our first orbital museum. We've missed multiple opportunities with the Skylab, Salyut/Almaz and Mir and it would be a good thing if that not be repeated here. Yes, there's impracticalities that have already been cited elsewhere, and I'm still resistant to accepting any of them as deal-killers.
I'm watching this particular spacewalk live via NASA's YouTube channel as I type this. To say that I am amazed at what I'm seeing right now...maybe not an understatement.
Quoting the summary in full: "After more than 20 years, the International Space Station is getting new solar arrays, and you have the chance to watch it LIVE during a spacewalk! On June 16, Shane Kimbrough of NASA Astronauts and Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency will venture into the vacuum of space for ~6.5 hours to install and deploy two roll-out solar arrays on the space station. "
And Marc Garneau - now the Canadian federal minister of transportation - just got name-checked during this live feed because of his own space-walking history...
Quoting the summary in full: "After more than 20 years, the International Space Station is getting new solar arrays, and you have the chance to watch it LIVE during a spacewalk! On June 16, Shane Kimbrough of NASA Astronauts and Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency will venture into the vacuum of space for ~6.5 hours to install and deploy two roll-out solar arrays on the space station. "
And Marc Garneau - now the Canadian federal minister of transportation - just got name-checked during this live feed because of his own space-walking history...
Spaceflight: Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer
May. 19th, 2021 01:54 pmPhoto sourced from the European Space Agency via Flickr:
I'm a sucker for spacewalk/EVA imagery. Also for logo designs.
I'm a sucker for spacewalk/EVA imagery. Also for logo designs.
There's been talk of such a facility for the past decade if not longer. Apparently, it's finally a "go", but near Canso, rather than on Cape Breton/Unama'ki...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/canso-spaceport-secures-funding-aims-for-first-launch-2022-1.6023222
Additional commentary here:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/21/05/16/0054235/new-spaceport-announced-in-nova-scotia---operational-in-2023
NB: Notes on opportunities for profit through restoring rail service to a community in the comments!
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/canso-spaceport-secures-funding-aims-for-first-launch-2022-1.6023222
Additional commentary here:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/21/05/16/0054235/new-spaceport-announced-in-nova-scotia---operational-in-2023
NB: Notes on opportunities for profit through restoring rail service to a community in the comments!
RIP Michael Collins of Apollo XI
Apr. 28th, 2021 02:25 pmPer his surviving family via his Twitter account:
https://twitter.com/AstroMCollins/status/1387438495040348168
https://twitter.com/AstroMCollins/status/1387438495040348168
A List for the End of February 2021
Feb. 26th, 2021 09:02 am1. The job search continues. As I type this, I'm looking at Indeed and Jobilico. I expect to check several federal commissions, departments and agencies, a couple of crown corporations, GC Jobs, the federal Job Bank, and at least ten temp placement companies (yet again) over the rest of today.
2. I hope to listen to Ontario Today at noon, because Perseverance on Mars is the topic of the day.
3. Downloading new updates for Affinity Designer, Photo, and Publisher.
4. The Affinity suite is still on sale from Serif.com at half-price as I type this. About C$35 for each of the three programs in the suite.
5. Inkscape and Krita and the like are also still useful freeware, so why not get those too?
6. Listening to The Current right now. The discussion in progress as I type this entry?
Letter-writing. Actual letters through the paper-mail system. Apparently, this is making a come-back among many who have the time and enough other resources.
7. More later today as I think of it.
2. I hope to listen to Ontario Today at noon, because Perseverance on Mars is the topic of the day.
3. Downloading new updates for Affinity Designer, Photo, and Publisher.
4. The Affinity suite is still on sale from Serif.com at half-price as I type this. About C$35 for each of the three programs in the suite.
5. Inkscape and Krita and the like are also still useful freeware, so why not get those too?
6. Listening to The Current right now. The discussion in progress as I type this entry?
Letter-writing. Actual letters through the paper-mail system. Apparently, this is making a come-back among many who have the time and enough other resources.
7. More later today as I think of it.
I just watched the successful landing of the Perseverance Rover!
Cue the Starfleet March!
Cue the Starfleet March!
Starships and Railroads
Jan. 20th, 2021 08:25 pmSeemed like a good mix of reading material while I had supper tonight.
Apollo-Soyuz
Jan. 2nd, 2021 04:37 pmThis was the first mission I ever really properly noticed and Paid Attention to. I think the Regina Leader-Post had a full section devoted to this alone.
https://astronomy.com/news/2020/07/apollo-soyuz-mission-when-the-space-race-ended
https://astronomy.com/news/2020/07/apollo-soyuz-mission-when-the-space-race-ended
Space: ESA's Science Fleet
Dec. 27th, 2020 10:49 amSpace nerd wants to revisit this site later. You might end up having fun too.
http://scifleet.esa.int/#/
http://scifleet.esa.int/#/
SPACE: Crew Dragon's Live-Crew Test Run
Aug. 2nd, 2020 08:11 pmNoting comments from ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
krpalmer and muchado about today's spaceflight milestone...
I admit to being distracted myself by multiple factors:
- solving the printing-from-open-applications issue plaguing me for the last two days, successfully.
- the meeting of my Mac User Group earlier this afternoon via Zoom.
- trying to work up a custom-designed greeting card for a neighbour's imminent birthday, preferably by using new-to-me graphic design software.
- worries about the tornado watch AND warning late this afternoon in my region.
- shopping errands.
- general research and exploration of the internet.
- other stuff to be added later, maybe.
The fact is that this was an important milestone of sorts today. The revival of American spaceflight technologies used from Mercury to Gemini to Apollo with upgraded components, with some success. It's a capability rebuilt to some degree, and yet as someone who enjoyed much of the Shuttle era, I cannot help but see it as backsliding somewhat. Physics and economics and human biology and psychology will certainly have their ways to varying degrees here, and have done so these past weeks.
I do await further developments with great interest and some hope. I want to see human adventure expand its horizons, and not to see this turned into a mere escape hatch for the richest of us.
krpalmer and muchado about today's spaceflight milestone...I admit to being distracted myself by multiple factors:
- solving the printing-from-open-applications issue plaguing me for the last two days, successfully.
- the meeting of my Mac User Group earlier this afternoon via Zoom.
- trying to work up a custom-designed greeting card for a neighbour's imminent birthday, preferably by using new-to-me graphic design software.
- worries about the tornado watch AND warning late this afternoon in my region.
- shopping errands.
- general research and exploration of the internet.
- other stuff to be added later, maybe.
The fact is that this was an important milestone of sorts today. The revival of American spaceflight technologies used from Mercury to Gemini to Apollo with upgraded components, with some success. It's a capability rebuilt to some degree, and yet as someone who enjoyed much of the Shuttle era, I cannot help but see it as backsliding somewhat. Physics and economics and human biology and psychology will certainly have their ways to varying degrees here, and have done so these past weeks.
I do await further developments with great interest and some hope. I want to see human adventure expand its horizons, and not to see this turned into a mere escape hatch for the richest of us.
Bookmarking this for later study. You may have your own thoughts on the contents of the link in the meantime.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/static/project-moon-base?utm_source=spectrum-hero
https://spectrum.ieee.org/static/project-moon-base?utm_source=spectrum-hero
Dr. Saint-Jacques returned to Earth last night.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/david-saint-jacques-1.5187999
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/david-saint-jacques-1.5187999
OBITS/SPACE:
Apr. 15th, 2019 05:36 pmIn addition to the news about Notre Dame de Paris and Gene Wolfe...Owen Garriott of Skylab 3 and STS-9 is no more.
My source for the info:
https://twitter.com/TheRealBuzz/status/1117875297334910977
My source for the info:
https://twitter.com/TheRealBuzz/status/1117875297334910977
Canadian Boots on the Moon?
Nov. 18th, 2018 04:02 pmBeen meaning to get back to this subject for a few days.
I might suggest that if the USA gets those Trumpist tariffs out of the way, we might be able to do more and more useful things towards that lunar goal and others relating to space exploration in general.
Whether or not lunar communities of any sort are actually useful...well, that's another debate that's been going on for a few decades, right? It might be better to set up a new major telescope on the Moon than on disputed soil in Hawai'i. No?
I might suggest that if the USA gets those Trumpist tariffs out of the way, we might be able to do more and more useful things towards that lunar goal and others relating to space exploration in general.
Whether or not lunar communities of any sort are actually useful...well, that's another debate that's been going on for a few decades, right? It might be better to set up a new major telescope on the Moon than on disputed soil in Hawai'i. No?
Cobbling this together from stuff written up on Facebook earlier...
Pahvo's near Castor. Seriously, check that map on co-writer Erika Lippert's Twitter account!
Doing a little more digging via Jed Whitten's StarMap website, I'm wondering about Gliese 233 A alias OU Geminorum AKA HD 45088.
For additional data: see stellar-database.com and SIMBAD.
According to Celestia, it's about 17.5 lightyears away from Castor, yet according to whitten.org, it's still in the same sector.
(Does anyone have an icon better suited to Trek trivia postings that they're willing to share?)
Update - 25 Nov 2017: Oh, and check the starmap window "behind" Adm. Terral's video-subspace window in Lorca's ready room on this page of DSC screencaps. You'll see "Risa(Epsilon Ceti)" near the top, and further "down", there's the coreward "tip" of the Briar Patch...
Pahvo's near Castor. Seriously, check that map on co-writer Erika Lippert's Twitter account!
Doing a little more digging via Jed Whitten's StarMap website, I'm wondering about Gliese 233 A alias OU Geminorum AKA HD 45088.
For additional data: see stellar-database.com and SIMBAD.
According to Celestia, it's about 17.5 lightyears away from Castor, yet according to whitten.org, it's still in the same sector.
(Does anyone have an icon better suited to Trek trivia postings that they're willing to share?)
Update - 25 Nov 2017: Oh, and check the starmap window "behind" Adm. Terral's video-subspace window in Lorca's ready room on this page of DSC screencaps. You'll see "Risa(Epsilon Ceti)" near the top, and further "down", there's the coreward "tip" of the Briar Patch...
SO, how was Yuriy's Night?
Apr. 13th, 2017 05:39 amI stuck pretty close to home because day-job work this morning, but I generally tend to forget that anniversary of spaceflight until it's right on top of us all anyway.
But the rest of you?
But the rest of you?
