Liftoff
Discovery atop 747
Space Shuttle Discovery mated with SCA NASA 905 chase flight from KSC – VAB in the background.
Source: NASA / Sheri Dunnette Locke
Space Shuttle Discovery
I’m still upset that Houston didn’t get one. Thanks for the words, Engadget:
Nice view up there
Update: Edited the embed because the original video was removed.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip2ZGND1I9Q
When commercial space tourism becomes attainable (but not necessarily affordable), I’m going to have to see this for myself.
A Legacy Concluded
Ares I-X Launch Video
NASA‘s launch of the Ares I-X, the experimental prototype of the new launch vehicle. Pay special attention to around 0:45 into the video and look at the USS (Upper Stage Simulator) – where you can see the effects of the Prandtl-Glauert Singularty, where the sudden massive drop in pressure in the cone of the sonic wave causes water to condense out of the air into a visible vapor cone! Here’s to returning to the moon!
8th ring discovered around Saturn
Right here, thanks to Telegraph.co.uk
8th ring discovered around Saturn. Well crap, why didn’t see see this sooner? It turns out that the ring is only visible in the thermal band, not the visible spectrum that we’ve been staring at it for so long with. When you point Nasa’s Spitzer Space Telescope (which observes in infrared) at it, you get the grand view of the rings, which start at 3.7 million miles out from Saturn and extend an additional 7.4 million miles. Composed of simply space dust, it was observed at a chilly -316F, or about 80 Kelvin.
Thanks to @waybis for pointing this out!
Making coffee with the Aerobie AeroPress, Among Other Things
The result of being unbelievely bored. Video taken with a Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000, heavily post proccessed with VirtualDub. Interesting story, I was looking for a camera replacement for my aging Quickcam Messenger. One night the whole family takes a trip out to do some shopping. I decide to go to the Circuit City to check out some of the closeout deals. They still had absolutely insane prices, $60 for a Everquest expansion that was out nearly 6 years ago? $650 for a computer in “As-is” condition with missing parts? No thanks, I go next door to the Target. What do I see? A clearance boxed Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 sitting on the shelf for the incredible price of $49.99 – at least $20 cheaper than online, and no shipping costs either. According to Cowboy Frank’s Webcam Review site, this was one of the best webcams on the market right now. I bought it. Screw you, Circuit City.
Obama Promises Spending, Budget Increase in Science
Good news for us unemployed engineering majors, like me. Obama has put plans into motion to move major funding into science and research. Hopefully, some of the change he promised will start to show. Click here for the link
Funding for the National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency will all increase substantially, although details remain scarce. Combined with the billions doled out in the stimulus package, government scientific agencies will be better funded than they have been in recent memory, if Congress doesn’t change Obama’s plans too much.