T.D.I.H. - Jan 28

This is a pretty important day for manned space exploration. First of all, it is the anniversary of the Challenger disaster. I was watching the launch live that morning, and I vividly remember my rage when the TV commentator didn't immediately realize what had happened like I did. This explosion killed seven astronauts and grounded the shuttle fleet for several years.

In happier news, a couple of astronauts and a cosmonaut were born on this day. Leonid Kadeniuk from the Ukraine was born in 1951 went into space on the space shuttle Columbia in 1997. David Carl Hilmers from Iowa was born in 1950. He flew into space four times, twice each on the Atlantis and Discovery. John McCreary Fabian was born in Texas in 1939. He flew into space twice, once each on the Challenger and the Discovery.

T.D.I.H. - Jan 23

On this day in 2003, Pioneer 10 communicated with Earth for the last time. The spacecraft was 80 au away from Earth at the time..or about 12 billion kilometers, and almost thirty years after launch. One of the interesting things about the Pioneer craft was their inclusion of a plaque on them with representations of the male and female human body as well as symbols designed to tell anyone or anything that found them Earth's location. I wonder if we would leave clues as to our planet's location nowdays?

T.D.I.H. - Jan 5

On this day in 2005, Scientists discovered Eris, which almost became our solar system's 10th planet, and instead brought about the demotion of Pluto. Eris is bigger than Pluto, and orbits our sun three times father than Pluto, and is in fact the farthest known object that is orbiting the sun. It has a moon, named Dysnomia. Both Pluto and Eris are considered dwarf planets. (There is no truth to the rumor that they will be re-named Grumpy and Doc.)

Eris was named after the Greek goddess of strife and discord (I bet she was pleasant, how's you like to go through life as the personification of strife and discord?) Dysnomia was the daughter of Eris, and the goddess of lawlessness. (which sounds like much more fun)

T.D.A.T.M. Jan 3 1980

On this date in 1980 the number one movie in the United States was Star Trek: The Motion Picture. This movie actually holds up pretty well after 31 years.




I should have done this one yesterday, so I have to do two today.

"The Eagle Has Landed..."

Thirty-eight years ago today, Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. The dreams of countless generations had finally been realized. Unfortunately we failed to properly follow up on this triumph. We haven't been back to the Moon since December 1972. In fact we haven't left low Earth orbit since then. Many people thought we would have colonized the Moon by now, many of us think we should have. It is a hopeful sign that NASA's post shuttle plans do include a return to the Moon, and an eventual manned trip to Mars. We have the technology to colonize the Moon, we lack only the will.

Discovery Launch

I just watched the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Wow, night launches are spectacular.

I was too young to truly remember the lunar landings, although I was alive for them. I clearly remember the Skylab and Apollo-Soyez missions. One of the tragedies of space exploration IMO has been the destruction of the artifacts involved. How I wish some way of saving Skylab and some of the Soviet stations had been accomplished...perhaps by boosting them into a higher orbit. Even now there is already discussion of destroying the Hubble telescope instead of trying to save it for posterity.

I was a firm believer and supporter of the shuttle program in the beginning, although I now believe we probably should have stuck with solid fuel boosters. Its biggest failing was attempting to be a JOAT (Jack of all Trades), so it does a lot of things poorly, and nothing really well.

When you stop to consider the technology used in the shuttles it is stunning how antiquated they already are. Their primary technology is 20 years old. Would you like to be using a twenty year old computer? cellphone? TV? Walkman? Gameconsole?

The shuttles are to be replaced by a new system. Hopefully it will be more successful. However I firmly believe that there is already a functioning spaceplane (Aurora?) at Groom Lake, and if there isn't, there sure as hell should be. If Rutan can build a functional spaceplane, the Air Force damn well better have, or heads should roll.

Final Frontier Pt 2

I have written previously when NASA announced the approaching end of the shuttle program of my belief that the AF had a secret spaceplane program. Now comes word that the AF is shelving it's spaceplane from Aviation Weekly, a well-respected aviation magazine.

I repeat my earlier assertion, that we have an operational spaceplane. The only way the US government would discard this asset, is if there was a better one available.

This information, combined with the recent success of Spaceship One lend hope that the exploitation and exploration of space is finally just around the corner.

(h/t: Captain's Quarters)

Space Shuttle Challenger

Today is the 20th anniversary of the destruction of the Challenger. I remember that day quite vividly. I was in college at the time, and the shuttle was still new enough that I set my alarm clock to wake up in time to watch the launch. I remeber seeing the explosion, and knowing instantly what had happened. The TV reporter though didn't. (I believe it was Kent Shockneck) He kept up his routine of mindless chatter about what the mission was going to accomplish, while I was sitting there with tears of rage and grief running down my face screaming at him on the screen. I have always felt a deep and abiding love for the space program. I believe it is our destiny (and our best chance for ultimate survival) to settle the solar system and the stars. I was grieving not only the astronauts just killed, but the damage done to the exploration of space in general. I knew there would be a protracted delay, especially because of the presence of McAuliffe. (She was a civilian, a teacher, who was chosen to fly into space for essentially PR purposes.)

The shuttle program has proven to have been a major mistake. If we had simply maintained our manned rocket program we would have accomplished as much, and as probably more, as we have with the shuttles. In my opinion the shuttle program has set back our progress in space by at least a decade.

I believe that the Air Force has secretively developed a much more effective space plane program. Given both the facts that Rutan has developed an experimental space plane that works (and is currently developing a commercial version) and the retirement of the spy plane program, I think it must be assumed that the Air Force has developed a space plane.

That being said, I firmly believe that the future of space exploration and settlement is in private commercial enterprise. NASA has lead the way, now it is time for a modern Prince Henry to step forward.

The Final Frontier Pt. 4

Discovery is scheduled to land tomorrow. Here's hoping all goes well and everyone is safe.

Update: The landing has been postponed 24 hours at 2:04 A.M. my time.

The Final Frontier pt. 3

Who knew about America's shameful racial past when it came to our space program? Go to this site and watch the movie. I'm glad I did. Another window on America's past has been opened for the bright light of truth to shine in.


(This one is really funny guys!)

The Final Frontier pt. 2

I just watched the live launch of shuttle Discovery. Great Launch. The new camera mounted on the fuel tank gave some great shots. Good luck and may your God be with you.

The Final Frontier

An official from NASA has just come on TV and announced that the shuttles will be retired in 2010. Now there is nothing wrong with that in and of itself. The shuttles were an expensive and dangerous compromise, trying to be a jack of all trades, and not expert at anything. However, there has to be a follow on of some sort, and I haven't heard of any. There have been persistent rumors of an Air Force operated space plane called the Aurora. This plane supposedly flies into space and lands like a plane. Given the fact that the SR-71 technically flew into space, and the success of a private space plane this year, I find it entirely plausible that the military has a manned vehicle capable of flying into space. If not, they must develop one. The U.S. has no traditional rockets capable of flying men into space, and I don't believe the French Arianne is capable of manned flight either. This would leave manned flight capabilities in the hands of the Russians with their Proton rockets, and the Chinese who are currently developing a rocket based manned space flight capability. For reasons of national security, national presitige and economic reasons, we cannot allow this to happen. We must explore and exploit space, it is our future. If we can operate and maintain a scientific outpost in Antartic, we can do the same on the Moon. If our government does drop the ball, then it is vital that NASA and the government get out of the way, and allow private interests to begin to travel into space and begin to develop an infrastructure.