Category: Points of Information
Very brief descriptions, with appropriate links, of current or recent news items.
ISS next expedition main, backup crews to begin exam
This week the Russians will give “final exams” to the main and backup crews for the next expedition to ISS.
Though NASA constantly rates its astronauts, it does not give them “exams.” This whole procedure (as well as how this Russian article is written) gives a nice flavor of the cultural differences between the U.S. and Russia.
X-37B mission almost complete?
Is the mission of the X-37B space plane almost complete?
Nuclear engines for Russia’s space program
Is this real, or a call for funding? The Russian space company Energia says it will begin work next year on nuclear engines for Russia’s space program.
Saving NASA’s astrophysics budget and Webb
The struggle to find $1.5 billion to save NASA’s astrophysics budget as well as the overbudget James Webb Space Telescope. Note that this article once again allows a variety of NASA managers and scientists push the false story that Webb is a replacement for Hubble. It is not. Hubble looks at the universe mostly in optical wavelengths, as our eyes do. Webb will be an infrared telescope. It will do wonderful things, but different things than Hubble.
Gore admits that ethanol was bad policy
Gore admits that he knew that ethanol in cars was bad environmental policy, but voted for it anyway to win votes in the 2000 election. Key quote:
“One of the reasons I made that mistake is that I paid particular attention to the farmers in my home state of Tennessee, and I had a certain fondness for the farmers in the state of Iowa because I was about to run for president,” the former vice president said.
TSA apologizes to man whose pat down caused him to be drenched in urine
Progress! TSA apologizes to man whose pat down caused him to be drenched in urine.
NASA solar sail reaches orbit
A prototype solar sail was launched from Alaska on Friday. If it unfurls as planned, it will be the U.S.’s first solar sail success after several failures.
500th exoplanet found
The numbering ain’t really that precise, but today scientists announced the discovery of the 500th extrasolar planet.
FAA issues license to SpaceX to allow it to land its Dragon capsule
Better late than never: The FAA today issued a license to SpaceX, allowing it to bring its Dragon capsule back to Earth after launch.
On the road
Sorry about the late posting, as I spent the day on the road, driving halfway across the country (rather than fly and get treated like a criminal).
TSA Confiscates Camera of Woman filming man stripped to underwear
More airport insanity. The TSA confiscated the camera of a woman filming the arrest of a man who decided to strip down to his underwear rather than go through the pat down. Note that man got arrested, not for taking off his clothes, but for refusing to put them back on so the TSA security guards could then give him the pat down.
Update: link fixed. Sorry about that!