Hi-tech shrimp fishing
An evening pause: It might seem simple, throwing a net overboard to catch shrimp, but as with everything humans do, it involves a far more sophisticated technology.
Hat tip Rocco.
Year: 2016
Prep work for SpaceX’s Texas spaceport continues
The competition heats up: Though the first launch there is likely delayed until 2018, SpaceX has begun the preliminary foundation work to begin constructing its private spaceport near Brownsville, Texas.
They are hauling in a gigantic amount of dirt to stabilize the ground before work on the launchpads themselves begins.
Privately-built inflatable module installed on ISS
The competition heats up: Bigelow Aerospace’s BEAM inflatable module, built in only three years for a mere $17 million, was installed on ISS this past weekend.
BEAM will allow Bigelow and NASA to demonstrate the capabilities of the inflatable habitat on ISS. It is expected to perform for at least two years of testing on the Station, providing a key shake out of the technology that is likely to play a major role in human deep space exploration. “(BEAM) will be a great way to test out the thermal characteristics of this new type of module, along with its radiation protection,” added Kopra. “It’s going to be a neat thing.”
Following its test period, the SSRMS will remove the module from the Station before releasing it Nadir (Earth-facing). The module will eventually re-enter around a year later.
Audioslave – I Am The Highway
An evening pause: Hat tip Wayne DeVette.
“I am not your rolling wheels – I am the highway.
I am not your carpet ride – I am the sky.”
North Korean missile launch fails
Does this make you feel safer? An attempt by North Korea to test a ballistic missile launched from a mobile platform failed seconds after launch today.
Obamacare unsustainable according to insurers
Finding out what’s in it: Healthcare insurance companies are warning that because of Obamacare they either must be allowed to raise rates significantly or they will have to close down.
The rate increases will be on top of gigantic increases already imposed. Read it all. None of the news is good, and it is only going to get worse.
ExoMars instrument activation so far good
The activation and check-out of ExoMars as it heads towards its rendezvous in October has so far uncovered no problems.
The check-out will continue over the next few weeks but right now it looks like the concern about possible damage during launch was unfounded.
Funds needed to identify “Wow!” signal
An astronomer who thinks the “Wow!” radio signal was not from aliens but caused by two comets that were not known at the time is trying to crowd-source the funds he needs to obtain radio telescope time to prove his theory.
Comet 266P/Christensen will pass the Chi Sagittarii star group again on 25 January 2017, while 335P/Gibbs will make its passage on 7 January 2018. Paris plans to observe these events to look for a recurrence of the mystery signal. But time is not on his side for using an existing radio telescope – they are all booked out.
So, he has launched a crowdfunding campaign on gofundme to raise the $13,000 he needs to buy a radio telescope to make the observation. Donations are rolling in and he is already most of the way to his target. “I would like to [be fully funded] in May, order the stuff so that I can have it by October,” he says. This would give him time to construct the dish, test it and prepare for the January encounter.
Drone racing deal for ESPN
The success of competitive drone racing this year has resulted in a broadcast deal with ESPN.
ESPN’s new multi-year, international distribution deal will bring a number of races to television screens this year, beginning with the 2016 US National Drone Racing Championships on Governors Island, New York City, between August 5 and 7. This will be followed by the 2016 World Drone Racing Championships in October, which will attract pilots from more than 30 countries to the Kualoa Ranch private nature reserve in Hawaii for a share of $200,000 in cash prizes. Both events will be streamed live on ESPN3, and then packaged into one hour specials to be shown on the ESPN network thereafter.
First test flight for Rocket Lab upcoming
The competition heats up: With ground testing of its second stage completed, the first test flight of Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket is expected before the end of the year.
They are getting their launch site in New Zealand up and running, are beginning qualification tests of Electron’s first stage, and if all goes as scheduled hope to begin commercial launches in 2017.
April 14, 2016 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast
Tonight’s podcast is embedded below the fold. Lots of ULA discussion, as well as Russian court battles.
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L’Arpeggiata – Ciaconna by M. Cazzati
An evening pause: Anyone who says classical musicians can’t jam has not seen this video. Man, are they enjoying themselves! And for good reason, as the music is quite beautiful, and has rhythm.
Hat tip Edward Thelen.