NASA to abandon trapped rover Spirit
NASA has decided to abandon efforts to contact the rover Spirit, incommunicado for more than a year.
NASA has decided to abandon efforts to contact the rover Spirit, incommunicado for more than a year.
Author: Robert Zimmerman
NASA to abandon trapped rover Spirit
Kennedy’s Moon speech, May 25, 1961
An evening pause: Fifty years ago tomorrow, on May 25, 1961, John Kennedy spoke to Congress about the world situation and the war between freedom and tyranny. “We stand for freedom,” he began, and finished by committing the United States to sending a man to the Moon and bringing him back safely by the end of the decade.
The clip below shows the first five minutes of that speech. It makes it clear that Kennedy’s main point was not to send the United States to the stars, but to stake out our ground in the battle for freedom and democracy. I will write more about this tomorrow.
To see the whole speech, go to the following link at the Miller Center for Public Affairs.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress
Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, both video and transcript.
If you want to watch or read a clear description of the real problems in the Middle East, you must watch or read this speech. It is all too rare in these sad days for political leaders to be so blunt.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, both video and transcript.
If you want to watch or read a clear description of the real problems in the Middle East, you must watch or read this speech. It is all too rare in these sad days for political leaders to be so blunt.
NASA announces Orion program will continue
NASA announces that the Orion program will continue, though under a different name.
This is a non-announcement, made to appease those in Congress who are requiring NASA to build the program-formerly-called-Constellation. NASA will do as Congress demands, and in the process will build nothing while spending a lot of money for a rocket and space capsule that can’t be built for the amount budgeted.
NASA announces that the Orion program will continue, though under a different name.
This is a non-announcement, made to appease those in Congress who are requiring NASA to build the program-formerly-called-Constellation. NASA will do as Congress demands, and in the process will build nothing while spending a lot of money for a rocket and space capsule that can’t be built for the amount budgeted.
Evidence mounts for liquid water on Enceladus
Evidence mounts for liquid water on Enceladus.
Evidence mounts for liquid water on Enceladus.
Mars Science Lab Hardware Damaged
Facing a launch window that ends December 18, the next rover mission to Mars was damaged last week upon arriving at the Kennedy Space Center.
Facing a launch window that ends December 18, the next rover mission to Mars was damaged last week upon arriving at the Kennedy Space Center.
Obama signed the guestbook at Westminister Abbey with the wrong year.
What the hell? In signing the guestbook at Westminster Abbey today, Obama dated his comments 24 May, 2008.
What the hell? In signing the guestbook at Westminster Abbey today, Obama dated his comments 24 May, 2008.
Republicans propose cutting 12 percent of FDA’s budget
The next budget negotiations have started, and so has the squealing: Republicans propose cutting 12 percent of FDA’s budget.
Note that this would give the FDA a budget of $2.2 billion in 2012, about the same as its 2008 budget. Hardly painful if you ask me.
The next budget negotiations have started, and so has the squealing: Republicans propose cutting 12 percent of FDA’s budget.
Note that this would give the FDA a budget of $2.2 billion in 2012, about the same as its 2008 budget. Hardly painful if you ask me.
“[Until] you see the whole thing, you don’t realize how cumbersome it is.”
Is it a blimp? Is it a plane? It’s both!
Video: Is it a blimp? Is it a plane? It’s both!
Video: Is it a blimp? Is it a plane? It’s both!
Gasoline Prices by County
There is a pattern here: Gasoline prices by county.
There is a pattern here: Gasoline prices by county.
Another Soyuz upgrade in the works
Another Soyuz upgrade in the works.
Another Soyuz upgrade in the works.
Soyuz TMA-20 lands safely in Kazakhstan
Soyuz TMA-20 lands safely in Kazakhstan.
Soyuz TMA-20 lands safely in Kazakhstan.
UK Skylon spaceplane passes key review
The United Kingdom’s Skylon spaceplane has passed a key European Space Agency review.
I’ve seen hundreds of these kinds of stories over the years. Skylon looks cool, and would be revolutionary if built. We shall see if it actually happens.
The United Kingdom’s Skylon spaceplane has passed a key European Space Agency review.
I’ve seen hundreds of these kinds of stories over the years. Skylon looks cool, and would be revolutionary if built. We shall see if it actually happens.
A hint at what the Soyuz images of the station and shuttle
A hint at what today’s images of the station and shuttle, taken from the Soyuz capsule, will look like.
A hint at what today’s images of the station and shuttle, taken from the Soyuz capsule, will look like.
Satellite monitoring of new Iceland volcano eruption
Satellite monitoring of the new Iceland volcano eruption.
Satellite monitoring of the new Iceland volcano eruption.
More on the new Kepler results: Lots of multiple planet systems
More on the new Kepler results: Lots of multiple planet systems.
More on the new Kepler results: Lots of multiple planet systems.
Peter, Paul, and Mary — I have a song to sing o
An evening pause: Peter, Paul, & Mary singing Arthur Sullivan’s “I have a song to sing o” in Australia.
Pawlenty calls for phasing out ethanol subsidies — in Iowa
Republican Presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty today called for phasing out ethanol subsidies — in Iowa.
We need more candidates like this, willing to say these kinds of things face-to-face with the very people who benefit from the funding.
Republican Presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty today called for phasing out ethanol subsidies — in Iowa.
We need more candidates like this, willing to say these kinds of things face-to-face with the very people who benefit from the funding.
New results from Kepler
New results from Kepler.
New results from Kepler.
Want to go to an asteroid?
A paper published today on the Los Alamos astro-ph preprint website has taken a close look at identifying the best nearby asteroids ideal for mounting a manned mission. The conclusion: our survey of such asteroids is very incomplete (only 65 known), and due to their location in Earthlike orbits they are very difficult to study.
Ultra-low delta-v NEOs are not readily found. Their closely Earth-like orbits mean that most of the time they are in the daytime sky, as seen from the Earth, and so are effectively undetectable. As they approach within <1AU of the Earth they start to lie near quadrature, and so come into the dawn or dusk sky on Earth. The strong scattered sunlight background makes optical surveys toward the dawn or dusk much less sensitive and, in practice, surveys do not look in these directions, preferring to observe where the sky is dark, within 45 degrees, and at most 60 degrees, of the anti-Sun, opposition, direction. As a consequence the lowest delta-v NEOs are undercounted by current surveys, and the factor by which they are undercounted is not yet known.
The paper proposes building a dedicated unmanned infrared mission and placing it in a Venus-like orbit where it would be better placed to see these difficult but important objects.
No decline in polar bear population
Though the data is sketchy in places, it appears there has been no decline in the polar bear population for the past four years.
Though the data is sketchy in places, it appears there has been no decline in the polar bear population for the past four years.
Repent! The End of Keynesian Economics Is At Hand!
“It seems like politics, and the federal government is picking winners and losers out of all of this.”
An excellent analysis of Obama’s Middle East speech
An excellent analysis of Obama’s Middle East speech, and why the reaction to it has been so hostile.
The crisis, then, was caused by three factors: The ignorance of the Obama Administration over the issues involved; Obama’s chronic lack of friendliness toward Israel; and his refusal to recognize the threat from revolutionary Islamism.
An excellent analysis of Obama’s Middle East speech, and why the reaction to it has been so hostile.
The crisis, then, was caused by three factors: The ignorance of the Obama Administration over the issues involved; Obama’s chronic lack of friendliness toward Israel; and his refusal to recognize the threat from revolutionary Islamism.
No restrooms at 9/11 Memorial and Museum
Our government in action: No restrooms were included in the soon-to-open 9/11 memorial at ground zero.
The nonprofit foundation running the $508 million project is expecting millions of visitors from across the globe to flock to lower Manhattan when it opens this year on the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks. But there won’t be a single toilet available on the eight-acre green plaza — a planning oversight now raising concerns in closed-door meetings.
Our government in action: No restrooms were included in the soon-to-open 9/11 memorial at ground zero.
The nonprofit foundation running the $508 million project is expecting millions of visitors from across the globe to flock to lower Manhattan when it opens this year on the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks. But there won’t be a single toilet available on the eight-acre green plaza — a planning oversight now raising concerns in closed-door meetings.
Analysis shows damaged tile no threat to re-entry
Analysis has shown that the damaged shuttle tile on Endeavour is not a problem for re-entry.
Analysis has shown that the damaged shuttle tile on Endeavour is not a problem for re-entry.
“I cannot imagine someone hanging out their underwear and having it immortalized.”
Iceland’s most active volcano erupts
Grimsvotn, Iceland’s most active volcano, has started a new eruption, the first since 2004.
Grimsvotn, Iceland’s most active volcano, has started a new eruption, the first since 2004.
Images of Robert Bigelow’s ambitious private space station plans
Images of Robert Bigelow’s ambitious private space station plans.
Images of Robert Bigelow’s ambitious private space station plans.