Breaking the Ice in Antarctica
The first tests in Antarctica of a drill designed to drill cores on Mars.
The first tests in Antarctica of a drill designed to drill cores on Mars.
Author: Robert Zimmerman
Breaking the Ice in Antarctica
The coming train wreck for Commercial Human Spaceflight
This post by retired NASA engineer Wayne Hale explains why it probably is a good idea if Congress cuts the subsidies for new commercial space: The coming train wreck for commercial human spaceflight. This is the key quote, where Hale describes the regulations NASA is requiring these new companies to meet:
The document runs a mind-numbing 260 pages of densely spaced requirements. Most disappointing, on pages 7 to 11 is a table of 74 additional requirements documents which must be followed, in whole or in part. Taken all together, there are thousands of requirement statements referenced in this document. And for every one NASA will require a potential commercial space flight provider to document, prove, and verify with massive amounts of paperwork and/or electronic forms.
This post by retired NASA engineer Wayne Hale explains why it probably is a good idea if Congress cuts the subsidies for new commercial space: The coming train wreck for commercial human spaceflight. This is the key quote, where Hale describes the regulations NASA is requiring these new companies to meet:
The document runs a mind-numbing 260 pages of densely spaced requirements. Most disappointing, on pages 7 to 11 is a table of 74 additional requirements documents which must be followed, in whole or in part. Taken all together, there are thousands of requirement statements referenced in this document. And for every one NASA will require a potential commercial space flight provider to document, prove, and verify with massive amounts of paperwork and/or electronic forms.
More TSA abuse
Another example of the TSA’s abuse of airline passengers. And here’s another, this time abusing a three-year-old.
Another example of the TSA’s abuse of airline passengers. And here’s another, this time abusing a three-year-old.
Third crack found on Discovery’s external tank shell
A third crack has been found on Discovery’s external tank shell.
A third crack has been found on Discovery’s external tank shell.
People are awesome
The comet is carbonated
The comet is carbonated!
The comet is carbonated!
Workout at the gym
F Troop
School Reverses Course After Ordering Student to Remove American Flag From Bike
In a victory for free speech (from a battle that shouldn’t have been fought in the first place), a school has reversed course after ordering a 13-year-old student to remove the American flag from his bicycle because some students said they’d be offended. Key quote:
[School superintendent Edward] Paraz says the school . . . now will be shifting its focus to the students who complained. “In no way did we want to take that right away from Cody,” Paraz told Fox40 on Friday. “…We think we know who the instigators are that were trying to do that and we need to meet with their parents and those students to just kind of explain that this isn’t what we want to have.”
In a victory for free speech (from a battle that shouldn’t have been fought in the first place), a school has reversed course after ordering a 13-year-old student to remove the American flag from his bicycle because some students said they’d be offended. Key quote:
[School superintendent Edward] Paraz says the school . . . now will be shifting its focus to the students who complained. “In no way did we want to take that right away from Cody,” Paraz told Fox40 on Friday. “…We think we know who the instigators are that were trying to do that and we need to meet with their parents and those students to just kind of explain that this isn’t what we want to have.”
Is the Mars rover Spirit dead?
Is Spirit, the Mars rover, finally dead?
Is Spirit, the Mars rover, finally dead?
Big Sis Forced To Respond To Nationwide Revolt Against TSA
The private race to build space stations
The cold war is back! Companies in the U.S. and Russia are in a race to build the first private space stations.
The cold war is back! Companies in the U.S. and Russia are in a race to build the first private space stations.
British bureaucrats offended by “gingerbread man”, rename him “gingerbread person”
Political correctness gone mad: British bureaucrats, offended by the term “gingerbread man” on school menus, had the menus changed to read “gingerbread person.”
Political correctness gone mad: British bureaucrats, offended by the term “gingerbread man” on school menus, had the menus changed to read “gingerbread person.”
Sinkholes on Mars
Caver alert! Releases this week from both the Mars Express orbiter and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show a variety of sinkholes and collapse features on Mars, which in turn suggest the possibility of underground passages.
First, there is this picture from Mars Express, showing the area called Phoenicis Lacus (Latin for Phoenix Lake).
The large and long canyon in box 1 is actually a collapse feature, almost two miles deep and formed as this region was stretched, warped, and cracked by the powerful volcanic activity of the nearby giant volcanoes of the Tharsis plateau, including Olympus Mons, the solar system’s largest volcano. You can also see how this activity causes several sinkholes and craters in all three boxes to become elongated and distorted.
In places where the surface is deformed in this way on Earth, you often find tectonic caves, underground cracks produced as the ground is pulled apart. The large collapse feature suggests the possibility that there are voids below it.
Then there is this subimage from this release of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, showing the central peak and southern slope of an old crater in the Terra Sirenum region of the Martian southern hemisphere.
Down that south slope can be seen what look like fluvial-like flows. In the center of these flows as well as near the top of the peak are what appear to be a string of collapse features. Below is the close-up as indicated by the box above:
From the caption: “It is possible that these pits are evidence of subsurface piping or hydrothermal activity. Piping occurs when subsurface water flows through soil, takes some soil with it, and causes the overlying ground to collapse. These fluvial-like features and the connected pits may have formed during a late stage of crater formation when temperatures were suitable for liquid water.”
On Earth, this is one of the geological processes that forms sinkholes on the surface as well as caves underground. When cavers go out to look or dig for new caves, we often head for just this kind of string of sinkholes, as they are excellent evidence that an unentered cave lies hidden below, ripe for exploration.
Facts and ideology, science and politics
Facts vs ideology in the politics of science.
Facts vs ideology in the politics of science.
Vase earns record auction price
Why a yard sale to get rid of your junk is not always a good idea: An old vase, ignored by a surburban family for years, fetched them a record $83 million in an auction today.
Why a yard sale to get rid of your junk is not always a good idea: An old vase, ignored by a surburban family for years, fetched them a record $83 million in an auction today.
In Flanders Fields
NOW Calls On President Obama To Reject
NOW Calls On President Obama To Reject Fiscal Commission’s Assault On Social Security
Oink! The National Organization of Woman is demanding that President Obama reject the Social Security recommendations of his Fiscal Commission.
Oink! The National Organization of Woman is demanding that President Obama reject the Social Security recommendations of his Fiscal Commission.
NPR says it’s ‘imperative’ that its federal funding not be cut
Will the squealing never stop? NPR says it’s ‘imperative’ that its federal funding not be cut.
Will the squealing never stop? NPR says it’s ‘imperative’ that its federal funding not be cut.
Leaking vent line attachment disassembled, apparent seal problem found
Engineers have apparently found the cause of the leak in the hydrogen fuel line to Discovery’s external tank.
Engineers have apparently found the cause of the leak in the hydrogen fuel line to Discovery’s external tank.
Commercial space advocates fight proposed spending cut
More squealing of pigs! The advocates for commercial space are screaming about the spending cuts proposed by the White House’s deficit reduction commission.
More squealing of pigs! The advocates for commercial space are screaming about the spending cuts proposed by the White House’s deficit reduction commission.
Less Than Half of American Muslims Support the Ground Zero Mosque
Is this good or bad? Less than half of American Muslims support the Ground Zero mosque.
Is this good or bad? Less than half of American Muslims support the Ground Zero mosque.
The Bashing of American Exceptionalism
Outrage over TSA “naked scans” grows
It appears the outrage over the TSA’s new security measures is growing.
It appears the outrage over the TSA’s new security measures is growing.
China releases Chang’e 2 images of its proposed lunar landing sites
Take a look at these spectacular images China released from its Chang’e 2 lunar probe that they say show potential landing sites for later Chinese probes.
Take a look at these spectacular images China released from its Chang’e 2 lunar probe that they say show potential landing sites for later Chinese probes.
Senate to hold hearings on NASA’s budget
As if budget cuts and budget overruns are not enough, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Technology committee announced today it will hold a hearing on NASA’s future on November 18. More here.
As if budget cuts and budget overruns are not enough, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Technology committee announced today it will hold a hearing on NASA’s future on November 18. More here.
Orbital Sciences tests the first stage engine of its Taurus II rocket
Orbital Sciences today successfully completed the first test of the first stage engine for its Taurus II rocket, the rocket the company plans to use in sending cargo to ISS.
Orbital Sciences today successfully completed the first test of the first stage engine for its Taurus II rocket, the rocket the company plans to use in sending cargo to ISS.
More cracks found on Discovery’s external tank
Bad news for that November 30 shuttle launch date: Two cracks have been found on the aluminum body of Discovery’s external tank.
Bad news for that November 30 shuttle launch date: Two cracks have been found on the aluminum body of Discovery’s external tank.
James Webb Space Telescope in trouble, again
The James Webb Space Telescope is in trouble again, requiring an addition $1.5 billion and an additional year to get finished.
The James Webb Space Telescope is in trouble again, requiring an addition $1.5 billion and an additional year to get finished.
I’m a denier!
An evening pause: Global warming, from a somewhat different perspective. Those who remember the 1960s TV show, The Monkees, will especially appreciate the humor of this video.