Space Culture

Awesome Photo: Space Shuttle Atlantis "Looks" Homeward

2007-06-12T13:11:00.001-07:00

There is something so beautiful (and totally cool) about this photo of the Space Shuttle Atlantis "looking" back at planet Earth. Don't you agree?

Photo from: NASA's Human Space Flight Gallery

NASA in the News: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!

2007-06-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

The title says it all. Eight interesting articles on NASA have popped up lately. In no particular order ...

1. AMAZING MARS IMAGES FROM NASA'S MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER (MRO) VIA U OF AZ INSTRUMENT
2. “NASA HEAD REGRETS GLOBAL WARMING REMARKS”
3. "AMERICA'S RETREAT FROM EARTH MONITORING?"
4. “SECURITY ISSUES AT JPL”
5. “PETTY POLITICS AND UNCOORDINATED OUTREACH AT NASA”
6. “THE NEW SPACE RACE” (opinion, USA TODAY)
7. Wired: Commentary: THE UNCOMFORTABLE REALITY OF SEX IN SPACE"
8. Wired: "LISA NOWAK AWARDED NASA SPACE FLIGHT MEDAL"

NASA asks students for space decor

2007-03-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

Hot on the heels of the competition that renamed Node2 to "Harmony", NASA has released another request: Design a space pennant to fly up to the station with Educator Astronaut Barbara Morgan on STS-118 this summer.

This special banner would join numerous other military, sports, and college pennants that have flown into space. The student that designs the banner will get a trip to see the launch, a Space Day for their school, and a lot of other special opportunities.

The competition is co-sponsored by Mad Science and KAOL (AOL for Kids). Contest ends April 10.

Read more at KAOL Expeditons or see the release on collectSPACE.com.

Special thanks to Xeni Jardin at BoingBoing.net for covering the story.

Students give "Harmony" to ISS

2007-03-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

"Harmony" will be the new name of the Node 2 connections module for the space station. International laboratory modules will be attached to this piece of the station. The name was chosen by US students as a part of the NASA Exploring Space Challenges and announced on March 15 at Kennedy Space Center.

Students from across the United States put together proposals and models of module as a part of the program. Six schools submitted the name "Harmony" and were each recognized at the ceremony.

This is cute, uplifting, and heart-warming, but it is also a MAJOR departure from previous NASA naming standards. Renaming STS-1 the Enterprise took 100,000 letters from devoted fans! The new Constellation program, Orion capsule, and Ares rockets were all chosen in-house by NASA management. Perhaps this is a sign of a new, more open and inclusive NASA culture? Let's celebrate this milestone and push to have the public name the first Orion capsule as well!

NASA Exploring Space Challenges
NASA Node 2 information
Press Release on SpaceRef.com

Space Comic features Ham the Chimp!

2007-03-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

Ham is coming back into the spotlight! Oni Presswill release FIRST IN SPACE as a 96-page graphic novel in April of 2007. Set in the early 1960s and extensively researched by author/illustratorJames Vining, FIRST IN SPACE tells the "true adventures" of Ham America’s first chimpanzee launched into space by NASA.

In the comic, Ham is paired with his human handler to undergo his training for the space flight. Smart and quick, Ham quickly outpaces his fellow chimpanzees, but nearly misses his flight because his fondness for banana pellets gets in the way of weight restrictions.

“FIRST IN SPACE is not only a fun and heartwarming adventure, but it also takes a serious look at the use of animals in government safety tests, an examination that’s important to our history and particularly to our future,” said Oni Press managing editor Randal Jarrell. “But it’s also about monkeys in space! What could be better than that?”

The FIRST IN SPACE original graphic novel ships April 25, 2007 and retails for $9.95. It’s a 96 page 6x9 trade paperback, with black and white interiors and a full color cover. The ISBN is 978-1-932664-64-5, and the Diamond order code is FEB07 3672.

Check out some sample pages here.

Wacky Cosmonaut Marketing Mashup

2007-03-10T00:10:00.000-08:00

What do a cell phone company, new PC operating system, an 80's band, and dancing cosmonauts all have in common? They are all part of a viral campaign unleashed by T-Mobile and Microsoft to promote Windows Vista and T-Mobile Hot Spots. How Jefferson Startship got in the mix is still under investigation.

Until we figure it out, check out the site and have fun with the games and downloads. One warning: the Cosmonaut ring tones are addictive.

Check it out on the Seattle Times or Adrants.

Meteorite hits house in Illinois!

2007-03-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

No, this isn't a 1950's headline, it's a recent story about a woman in Bloomington, IL. The report recounts Dee Riddle's discovery that had something crash through her bedroom window and hit her computer table around 9:30am on Monday morning.

Was it really a meteorite? Could it have been some neighborhood kids playing? What about a piece of man-made space debris? What is it, really? According to Illinois State University professor Robert Nelson, the U.S. Geological Survey's meteorite center in Arizona is working on the answer to those questions.

See the full AP story on CNN.

Students take a turn at space outreach

2007-02-21T16:25:00.000-08:00

The Coalition for Space Exploration , an aerospace industry lobbying group, has partnered with the Texas Space Grant Consortium to sponsor the 2007 NASA Means Business Competition. The competition seeks innovative public outreach plans including three finished promotional pieces to illustrate the concepts. Teams of university students compete for $1000, behind-the-scenes tours of NASA facilities, and the opportunity to present their work to top NASA officials.

The competition has run for eight years and produced some results that have made it into NASA promotions. The 2004 Special Creativity Prize was awarded to the Art Center College of Design for their "Reach" video. After receiving praise from the space community, it was eventually integrated into the tour video at Kennedy Space Center. [full disclosure: Karen Lau was Creative Director for the video and co-manages this site]

Check out the competition and see the future of PR for space exploration!

Virgin Galactic + NASA

2007-02-21T15:57:00.000-08:00

NASA Ames Research Center signed a memorandum of understanding today with well-known suborbital space tourism company Virgin Galactic. This is not the first high-profile partnership for Ames: Google signed a somewhat similar MOU in 2005 and solidified their relationship with a formal Space Act Agreement in late 2006.

This new arrangement allows Ames and Virgin Galactic to explore areas that could be good for research collaboration including space suits, heat shields for spaceships, hybrid rocket motors and hypersonic vehicles. The two-year agreement was was negotiated through NASA’s Space Portal, a newly formed organization in the NASA Research Park at Ames. The agreement does not require NASA nor Virgin Galactic to pay any fees or provide funds to support the areas of possible collaboration.

Solid Rocket Booster Video

2007-02-17T07:09:00.000-08:00

If you've ever wanted to ride a solid rocket booster all the way down Slim Pickens style, here's your chance. Sort of. Be sure to watch all the way to the end to see the other nose cone splashdown in frame.

First Couple to Honeymoon in Space on Virgin Galactic

2007-02-14T20:20:00.000-08:00

Washington, D.C.- February 14, 2007- Loretta and George Whitesides, the first couple to honeymoon in space, launched a new website on Valentine's Day to share the excitement of their upcoming adventure with the public.

"Growing up, we both had the dream to go to space," said George Whitesides, newlywed and Executive Director of the National Space Society. "We feel incredibly lucky to be able to achieve that dream together."

Loretta and George are two of 100 Virgin Galactic 'Founders'- the people who have paid in full to be the first to fly on Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic Spaceline.

"We hope that with our flight, we can help bring love and peace to a place that is very important to us – space," said Loretta, who is the Executive Director of Yuri's Night, a worldwide celebration of spaceflight.

The sub-orbital spaceflight will launch the couple over 100 km high, past the boundary of space. The flight will include several minutes of weightlessness, a view of the blackness of space and the curvature of the Earth.

The Space Love website will document the preparation and lead-up to the flight, and include suggestions for others who wish to celebrate their own honeymoons, anniversaries or even weddings in space.

George and Loretta are no strangers to weightlessness, with both having flown as crew for Zero G Corporation's weightless flights. "We have even had our first Zero G kiss," commented Loretta, adding, "weightlessness just has a magic to it."

For more information on their space honeymoon and pictures, please visit www.spacelove.org.

For more information on Virgin Galactic please visit www.virgingalactic.com .

181 Lunary Things to Do

2007-02-09T21:45:00.000-08:00

Most would say space geeks are a bit loony, but NASA has taken the moon craze to the next level. NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate has "consulted more than 1,000 people from businesses, academia and 13 international space agencies to come up with a master list of 181 potential lunar objectives." From a radio telescope on the far side of the moon, a regolith laboratory to remotely-controlled rovers, the complete list is here. From this master list, NASA will select a few high priority goals for the initial return to the moon.

Over 1,000 minds and a survey and only 181 ideas?

NASA's Plans to Woo Youth, Congress, to Space Culture

2007-02-08T18:00:00.000-08:00

The executive summary of NASA’s new Strategic Communications Framework is a very telling document. If you’re interested in working to inspire the next generation of space explorers - and Congress - check it out!

Thanks to Keith Cowing at NASAwatch.com for posting these documents.

--L.W.

Popular Science Magazine is 'Calling All Inventors!'

2007-02-06T16:20:00.000-08:00

(And you thought I was going to blog about that astronaut love triangle in the news?)

Anyone got a cool space-related invention to pitch to Popular Science Magazine? Details from the Popular Science web site are pasted in below:

Calling All Inventors
Think you've created the next big thing? Submit your work for PopSci's Invention Awards issue by February 15th!

Think you’ve created the next amazing, breakthrough invention or know someone who has? We want to hear about it! PopSci is searching for the most original and clever inventions of the past year for an upcoming issue. Here’s what we’re looking for:

- Must be an item (not a service, concept or idea) that’s aimed toward commercialization; not a one-off build.

- Must be truly inventive—something original that solves a real problem in an elegant and clear way, not just an improvement on another existing product.

- Should be mainly the work of one person or a small group—industry- or university-affiliated inventors are fine (as are garage-based inventors), as long as the invention reflects the passionate vision of one inventor or a small team.

- Must have a working prototype.

How to submit: Send no more than 300 words describing your invention and the story behind it, as well as a photo (or links to photos) to h20@time4.com by Feb 15, 2007. Please include the best way to reach you in case we need more information.

Superbowl Space Ad

2007-02-05T12:53:00.000-08:00

Shipping company FedEx paid for this spot during the Superbowl on Sunday, February 4. Humor is definitely the biggest focus of the piece, but they highlight some of the everyday office tasks that would be difficult to perform in a reduced-gravity environment.

Cool science show debuts on PBS

2007-02-02T15:04:00.000-08:00

"Wired Science", an hour long science news show co-produced by Wired and KCLA for PBS, is extending the high-gloss styling of Wired Magazine onto the airwaves. Their first foray into the series was Jan 3.

The pilot episode includes an interview with Elon Musk where he talks about transportation technologies: specifically, Tesla Motors and Space Exploration Technologies. You can view the interview online and see how Elon moves seamlessly between 'backing up' the biosphere and saving the planet from oil over-indulgence.

Apollo documentary wins Sundance award

2007-02-01T14:22:00.000-08:00

In the Shadow of the Moon

The story of the men who went to the Moon, told in their own words.

Between 1968 and 1972 twenty-four Americans journeyed to the Moon. They remain the only human beings to have visited another world. In this film the Apollo astronauts tell their own story, and share their reflections on what these great voyages of exploration meant to them and to humanity. The film-makers have shot intimate and revealing interviews with prime crew members from every Apollo mission from Apollo 8, the first voyage around the Moon, to Apollo 17, the last lunar landing, during which two men lived on the surface for more than three days and nights. The interviews are interwoven with re-mastered NASA film footage, much of it never used before.
- from the director's website

The film was screened at this year's Sundance Film Festival. where it won the Audience Award in the category of World Cinema - Documentary.

Rocket Science is still Dangerous

2007-01-31T10:09:00.000-08:00

With commonplace rocket launches, sometimes we take rocket science for granted. On Tuesday January 30, a Zenit 3SL rocket exploded atop the Odyssey Sea Launch platform in the Pacific Ocean. Aboard the rocket, was a sophisticated telecommunications satellite payload (NSS 8). The condition of the Odyssey, a converted Norwegian oil-drilling platform is unknown as of present.

The disaster reminded the aerospace industry that there's still much to learn and even more for quality control. A committee is being created to review the launch and the conditions of the rocket.

Read more at SpaceFlight Now.

Powerpoints are the C.O.D. for Columbia

2007-01-31T09:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, at a lecture on the "Presentation of Data and Information", by Yale analytical designer Edward Tufte, an hour was spent talking about how Microsoft Powerpoint killed the presentation of the truth and the truthful display of evidence in regards to space shuttle Columbia's disaster. A group of Boeing engineers were asked to analyze the risk potential of the piece of foam insulation that impacted the Columbia's wing upon takeoff (this was while the crew was up in space carrying out their mission). The slides expressed "significant" danger, but in the way the information laid out in a Powerpoint's hierarchal bullets format, the magnitude of risk was not communicated effectively.

In an essay: "Powerpoint Does Rocket Science–and Better Techniques for Technical Reports", Tufte goes into detail why "significant" information should be presented significantly.

Tufte is a NASA advisor on the presentation of analytical information. The design and presentation of information should reflect our cognitive processes and not be limited by the templates and macros of applications.

[C.O.D. = cause of death]

Funk's up on Threadless

2007-01-31T09:20:00.000-08:00

A new way of doing business based on ecommerce and user-generated t-shirt and a democratic voting system, brings great T-shirt designs to life. Threadless has been the quintissential DIY cultural vessel for what the masses like and think are good enough designs that warrant a popular vote of the week. And so of course, there are funky astronauts involved.

Design by Christopher Golebiowski

Banana Art to hang over Texas

2007-01-29T14:01:00.000-08:00

No, this isn't a joke: there is an art project to put a high-altitude helium balloon in the shape of a banana into the sky over Texas.

Artist César Saëz and his team are pis already into the engineering design phase to determine exactly how this 300m-long airship will be constructed. They plans to fly it up to 30-50Km around Baja or Sorona, TX, in late 2008.

Is it legal? Is it safe? Does it belong in Texas? These questions remained to be answered, but we can definitely say it is "art".

More at Wired News and at GeostationaryBananaOverTexas.com

Marketing--for the masses?

2007-01-29T08:05:00.000-08:00

Bart Leahy discusses the history of promoting space and offers recommendations for engaging the public in his report published online in The Space Review. Women, minorities, and environmentalists join the often-cited youth demographic in his list of target audiences. Proposing messages "addressing the needs of specific audiences", Leahy cites almost every major demographic group as a niche. Should we focus on dividing the message of space's benefits into repackaged versions better suited to one market segment?

With a recent survey showing 27% of the 18-25 year-olds doubting that NASA went to the Moon (and one in ten thinking it was "highly unlikely” that a Moon landing had ever taken place), we most surely need to speak with the youth. But how? We have educated guesses as to why there is disbelief but no plan to address it directly.

So, what can we do to promote space in a way that hits everyone in a new and powerful way? And how do we carry out the plan without relying on NASA to do all the work for us?

Humor on a sphere

2007-01-27T12:57:00.000-08:00

Here is a funny little space factoid Craig Damlo made for Yuri's Night. It is a great illustration of how a little humor, and a bit of pop culture, can make a complicated concept and make it understandable--and even fun!

Falling into Orbit

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has this to say about flying: "There is an art to flying, or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. Clearly, it is this second part—the missing—that provides the difficulties." Although mankind may never fully learn to fly, we have become very proficient at falling. And on April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first man to miss the ground.

That is all there is to space travel—falling, continuously falling. In the simplest of terms, a space launch works like this: take an object—in this case a space capsule—and throw it toward the horizon; if you throw it far enough, it simply will miss the ground as it falls back to Earth, and will enter an orbit around the planet. This may be, in fact, the greatest benefit of living on a round planet—well, that and the stability and strength of a sphere.

Space Cuisine

2007-01-26T12:10:00.000-08:00

Martha Stewart isn't the only one spicing up life onboard the space station. In August of 2006 Chef Emeril Lagasse also did an episode of his television show based around meals he created for delivery to the Expedition 13 crew.

The latest celebrity to cook for the final frontier is French master chef Alain Ducasse. His meals developed in collaboration with ESA and sent up with supplies late in 2006 and enjoyed by the Expedition 14 crew. According to ESA, German astronaut Thomas Reiter was delighted with the meal. "It was absolutely delicious," said Reiter. "But we have no doubt that it would taste much better if we had some wine with it as well!"

Read more from Wired, NASA, and ESA--including Ducasse's space menu!

Sci-Fi Fashion List

2007-01-26T11:01:00.000-08:00

Wired Magazine has compiled a list of the Top 10 Sci-Fi Flick Fashions. Among the winners are Queen Amidala’s gowns from Star Wars I-III and the suede vest worn by Khan in Start Trek II.

The list is surprisingly gender-neutral with garments worn by 4 women, 3 men, 1 alien, a replicant, and a cyborg. The clothing is all meant to be worn in standard 1-G environment (Barbarella's spent some time in weightlessness, but her clothing was still intended to function in the presence of gravity.)

Want to see what else made the list? Go to Wired.com

ISS gets tips from Martha

2007-01-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

Martha Stewart talked with ISS commander Michael Lopez-Alegria and flight engineer Sunita Williams for about 20 minutes this week. The footage will be used on her television show later this year. The 'domestic diva' asked about life on board the space station from laundry to meals to interior decorating.

Why this sudden interest in how people live in space and how to improve the accommodations? Martha's close friend Charles Simonyi is scheduled to head up to the station in April as the fifth private spaceflight participant. "Please take care of Charles while he's there," she requested of the ISS Expedition 14 crew.

Martha got a good taste of space herself during a 2006 ZERO-G flight (part of Charles' spaceflight training). She used her experience in microgravity to discuss weightless curtains with some degree of expertise. Does this mean the station may be getting a house call from the decorating expert? Is a hot glue gun approved for use in space for handmade crafts?!

More coverage at USA Today and New Scientist Space Blog.

Metric Moon

2007-01-16T07:51:00.000-08:00

portions reprinted from NASA.gov

If you think in pounds and miles instead of kilograms and kilometers, you're in the minority. Only the United States, Liberia, and Burma still primarily use English units -- the rest of the world is metric. And now the Moon will be metric too.

NASA has decided to use metric units for all operations on the lunar surface when it returns to the Moon. The decision is a victory not only for the metric system itself, but also for the spirit of international cooperation in exploring the Moon.

NASA is considering adopting other standards for its lunar operations as well. For example, another idea that has been discussed informally by the space agencies is using the same type of internet protocols that we all use here on Earth today for communications systems developed for the Moon.

In all, this push toward standards and cooperation gives the return to the Moon a very different feel than the Cold War space race of the 1950s and '60s. This time around, competition may help motivate nations to reach for the Moon, but cooperation will help to get them there.

original article at science.nasa.gov

more discussion at NewScientist.com

Life Imitates Space Art: Sexy Apple iPhone

2007-01-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

Just take a look at the iPhone, a product that Apple Inc. will roll out in June of this year in the USA. It’s sleek, it’s sexy, it’s futuristic, and gosh darn it, spacey! I don’t know about you, but to me it looks like it a “PADD” from the old TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994), but has the characteristics of both a Trek “tri-corder” and a real life smart phone like the very popular Palm Treo line. What makes Apple’s iPhone look so space-age sexy is the slick black glass (plastic actually) touch screen and solo belly button on the front. I’d love to ask the designers of this spacey little gadget just what they were influenced by. I’ll bet that old space TV show is to blame. Maybe, it’s a little 20th birthday present to the TNG’s set designers. Who knows? In any case, I wish they’d named it “the Communicator!”

Finally R2D2 is Alive!

2007-01-09T13:58:00.001-08:00

Reporting live from the 40th CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, Nikko, the RC company is making all our childhood Star Wars dreams alive. In prototype phase is an R2D2 capable of projecting holographic movies, well on a screen. But how cool is that! You can play DVD's through your personal bot, and the projection quality is not bad. It rolls around controlled by a remote control that the customer service rep had attached to a Millenium Falcon desk model. Complete with the signature bleeping lights, you can also mount an Ipod to R2 and have him play your favorite track while you dance around the coolest companion droid ever! With an overwehlming amount of electronics stuff to check out at CES, this one was defintely a breathe of fresh air! They will retail at $1200 in the summer of 2007. Luke, you can eat your heart out! Thank you Nikko!

Space Tourist #5 + 6 (+backup)

2007-01-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

Space tourists are paying their way to lower Earth orbit left and right. #5 on the list is Charles Si monyi, a retired Microsoft developer of Word and Excel, CEO of a private sftware development company, and current beau of American cooking/lifestyle diva, Martha Stewart. Simonyi will accompany NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Daniel Tani, Clayton Anderson, and cosmonauts Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and fellow flight engineer Oleg Kotov on a 10-day mission to the International Space Station. ISS Expedition 15 is set for launch on April 9, just three days before Yuri Gagarin's celebrated flight in 1961.Being the tech guy, he will document his adventures on his website, where he will also encourage his colleagues to blog. (Blogging is new to the cosmonauts.)

Three private citizens are training at Star City, including Dr. Simonyi. Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Al Masrie bin Sheikh Mustapha is an orthopedic doctor, a medical lecturer, and also a part time model from Malaysia who has been selected for his ISS tour in October 2007, on a Soyuz TMA-11. If Shukor flies, he will be the first angkasawan (Malaysin astronaut). His backup is Dr. Faiz Bin Khaleed, an Army dental surgeon. The angkasawans hope their spaceflight will inspire Muslims all over the planet and revive the glory days of when Islamic scholars lead the world in science and discovery. Malaysia is a small Islamic nation that has a unique blend of Indian, Chinese and Malay ethinicities in which a space program could be a unifier for the country. Making teh tarik, Malaysia's signature hot tea drink is banned by the Russian space agency. Instead the angkasawan has to perform 10 research experiments designed by 10 universities. The program is sponsored by Angkasa, the Malaysian space agency.

Previous space tourists include Dennis Tito, Mark Shutleworth, Gregory Olsen and Anousheh Ansari, all with a technology background.

Qu'est-ce que gravite autour de la Terre?

2007-01-06T09:18:00.001-08:00


Ca s'est vraiment passé le 13 juillet 2006 sur la première chaîne de télévision française, regardée par des millions de personnes, et c'est effrayant...

Earth Can Rotate on Your Wrist!

2007-01-05T17:41:00.000-08:00

Shocking yes, but true! It's the Earthwatch, literally! Officially the Wn-1, this is a Seiko watch designed in Japan, by Think The Earth (TTE) and exhibited in BaselWorld, in the spring of 2006. This is TTE's first project to have the world, well more conscious of Earth. Having the mothership rotate on your wrist precisely with that of the planet's actual rotation is not a small feat. Time will never be the same. The concept behind Wn-1 is a very unique and thoughtful process. Wn-1 indicates time with an earth-dial (a dome-shaped 24-hour hand), a position indicator, and a minute hand. The hours are read counterclockwise one revolution per 24 hours, and the minutes clockwise. There is no second hand. One of Wn-1's most unique characteristic is the Earth-dial (the hour hand) that rotates counterclockwise. The point is that is that the counterclock rotation is actually the precise direction of planetary motion, viewed from outer space. It's an insightful timeteller, physically showing planetary time relative to the user. The Wn-1 is packaged with a playful set of modular cards that can convert the watch into a desktop clock with 20 "skin" changes. All cards relate to space, Earth and of course time. This is truly a stellar piece of art and innovation.

TTE's projects creates a high awareness of the global perspective, to have us collectively conscious at a daily level about the state of the Earth, the very place that we inhabit. Other projects include the earthrium, an interactive GUI to document and predict various earthly patterns through time. Live Earth is a mobile application to track cloud cover, rotation position, weather patterns and position to the sun. It is a bilingual paid application that allows the user to be more aware of the state of the planet.

TTE's projects are great reminders of the same planet that we live on. Just by visiting their website, I'm more humble already.

Hyper Space Couture Design Contest

2007-01-04T22:37:00.000-08:00

Move over big clunky spacesuits, haute attire is coming through. JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Agency) has sponsored a Hyper Space Couture Design Contest. It is a multi-staged contest in which over 800+ designs were submitted for use inside suborbital flights. After the initial "dreams" stage of the contest, the top 10 designs have been selected to be manufactured and exhibited at a space couture fashion show in the spring of 2007, in both Tokyo and Paris. The effort is headed up by leading Japanese fashion designer Eri Matsui, who has designed a wedding dress for Zero-G. She is also a judge for the contest. With Rocketplane Kistler as a major sponsor, and exhibitor of the winning fashions for its virgin suborbital flights, space fashion is not only haute, but HOT!

Koreans head to space with fanfare and food

2007-01-03T23:54:00.000-08:00

After months of screening over 36,000 candidates, South Korea unveiled the two finalists live on TV in December. The event looks like an award show with two "winners"--very different from the NASA press conferences announcing new astronaut candidates. JoongAng Daily compared it to "a hybrid season of American Idol and Survivor." Ko San, 30, a researcher at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, and Yi So-yeon, 28, who is working on a Ph.D. at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), will both train at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

After 14 months of training, one will blast off into space on a taxi trip to the ISS--the same kind taken by private space flight participant Anousheh Ansari in 2006.

Along with their multitudes of science experiments, the cultural pioneers will take along samples of traditional Korean food including the country's world-famous fermented cabbage dish -- kimchi. A scientist at the Korea Food Research Institute says kimchi is a much-needed morale booster for any South Korean space traveler.

I look forward to the increase in the variety and flavor of the food available on orbit! After 6 months in space, a bit of Korean take-out or some Indian food would be out of this world...

Sputnik is a Lifestyle

2006-12-27T23:02:00.000-08:00

In Tsujido, Sputnik is space-age furniture and housewares. The Russian orb-named industrial and interior design shop is a pad situated on a Japanese beach, embodying the notions of space travel in their designs, products and process. Yukari Iki, spokeswoman for Sputnik, says the concept is threefold: affordable, moveable and adorable. Of these, mobility seems often to be the key, with the Sputnik pod chair the ultimate in mobile, earthy and practical seating.

"Sputnik was the first satellite to orbit the earth. If things are seen from Sputnik's point of view, all might seem so different from its usual circumstance. What if such a point of view is applied to designing?" asks founder, and inspiration, Teruo Kurosaki. It's a theme that captures the bold designs, and the global mix of design talent. Far-out, funky and avowedly postmodern, Sputnik's labyrinth of furniture invention is a monument to the spirit of adventure, says Kurosaki. Sputnik is looking to open another store in Venice Beach, CA, similar to its beach landscape for the mothership pad.

Get your Space Travel Supplies now!

2006-12-22T14:53:00.000-08:00

826 Seattle in the Pacific Northwest is a part of a larger non-profit network dedicated to helping students, ages 6-18, with expository and creative writing at six locations across the country. By the back of day, it is a vibrant tutoring center, and by the front of day, it's the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Store. In the essence of the space travel culture, there are creative sessions involved around space themes, though not exclusive to interplanetary travel. The storefront gives tools the imagination needs to take off to other dreamscapes via stories and magazines. According to their motto: "Space travel is all we do!"

The Society of Rockets

2006-12-22T13:25:00.000-08:00

It's not unusual to find indie labels in the heart of San Francisco, but the Society of Rockets definitely sound a bit different. Listed as alternative genre, aside from the name of the collective related to space and its website taxonomy, their songs deal with rather mundane topics like "Tangerines and Cigarettes", or "The Longest Mile You'll Ever Walk". Nevertheless the "society" sounds cool.

Hamming it UP

2006-12-21T10:26:00.000-08:00

According to a recent survey by Crave, CNet UK , Ham,the NASA chimpanzee from Mercury fame tops the list as the geekiest animal in the Top 10. Go Ham!

Even long after the glorious '50's and '60's for space exploration, Ham is still making a splash as a celebrity geek. And don't we all know that space nerds definitely rank as one of the geekiest indeed.

Cosmic Citizen Carl Sagan

2006-12-21T09:29:00.000-08:00

An era ended on December 20, 1996 when the brilliant space popularizer Dr. Carl Sagan died. As a space journalist, I look back fondly to memories of reading his books and watching Sagan’s Cosmos TV show. Cue the spacey title music …

Sagan did an enormous amount to popularize science, especially Space, and no one has yet come close to what he did, although many have tried.

So, I wonder today just what Sagan would say and/or write about the up-and-coming Space Tourism industry and the amazing Space discoveries that have been made in the past decade. Sadly, we can only imagine what he would say of the Space Culture that is emerging. For example, I’m sure he’d be quite amused if I gave him a copy of my Sex in Space book :)

I came across a reference to Sagan’s 1973 book, the Cosmic Connection, and I’ve got to say this stuff still feels somewhat cutting edge. Sagan had a way of making the “general public” feel connected to the Universe. That’s just what we need right now; a way for everyone to feel connected to our beautiful Universe.

Excuse my mushiness, but I’m a life-long space geek :)

Check out the Carl Sagan Memorial Blog-a-thon .

Happy Holidays!

New Scientist: How to think like a rocket scientist

2006-12-18T09:02:00.001-08:00

Reposted from NewScientist.com

When you make important life decisions, do you ever ask yourself “What would a rocket scientist do?”

Me neither. But maybe we should reconsider, because a new book called The Seven Secrets of How to Think Like a Rocket Scientist, offers to help us in our everyday lives by teaching us the mental tricks of the trade used by actual rocket scientists.

The book is written by James Longuski, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics at Purdue University in Indiana, US, who used to design missions and spacecraft manoeuvres at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

If advice from a rocket scientists frightens you with visions of obscure mathematical arguments, fear not. "There is not one single equation" in the book, Longuski says in a Purdue University press release.

One piece of advice offered up to readers in the book is to ask dumb questions. Longuski illustrates the need to do so by citing the failure of the Mars Climate Orbiter. It accidentally plunged into the Martian atmosphere and burned up because some mission engineers assumed their fellow team members were working in English units when they were really in metric.

That episode would seem to cast doubt on the utility of thinking like a rocket scientist. But presumably we are being encouraged to think like rocket scientists at their best, rather than when they are forgetting to convert their units.

I haven't read the book yet, let alone tried to put its advice into practice, so I can't say how useful it is. But it sounds like a nice detour from the standard self help book fare.

Reposted from NewScientist.com, David Shiga (Image: Springer Science + Business Media)

The Astronaut Farmer

2006-12-16T20:11:00.000-08:00

Warner Brothers has sneaked one by us! This new movie, the Astronaut Farmer, looks to be released some time next year (Hollywood.com slates it for late February release). The film stars Billy Bob Thornton (remember Armageddon?) and Virginia Madsen doing what several new private space ventures have been working to do: build their own rocket and launch into space.

Synopsis:

An astronaut is forced to leave NASA to save his family farm, but he continues to dream of space travel and sets out to build a rocket inside his barn. Though his neighbors consider him an oddity, the media considers him a story, and the government considers him a threat, nothing can deter him from his dream to break through the atmosphere and orbit the earth.

Cosmic Comics

2006-12-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

For a long time, comics have captured our imaginations and have taken us to a wonderland in which we live vicariously through each character. And so why should that model not be taken into account for science education? Well, it has!

In Japan, where manga and anime is a main part of the culture, science comics are the way to go. For all my Japanese friends who are space geeks, many of them describe their initial interest comes from anime and manga, like Robotech, Astroboy, and Gundam. Growing up with images of robots, spacefaring societies and interplanetary travel, the Japanese are cultivated with these futuristic dreams. Their culture and society supports a space future, unlike the US.

Hayanon, a Japanese artist illustrated a series of space science comic books to teach students about auroras, global warming, and cosmic rays. This is a great way to reach out to students in a form that is easily accessible and engaging to them.

Knowing the power that comics have in communicating with younger people, there have been several initiatives on this front. For example: Cindi in Space. This is the story of the android spacegirl Cindi and her two dogs who explain the purpose of the CINDI instrument as part of the C/NOFS mission and the science involved. It is aimed specifically at students in grades 6 to 9, but hope that readers of all ages will find it fun and informative. It is a 24-page booklet that can be downloaded as a pdf.

NPR has documented the joining of scientists and artists via comics. Spiderman has inspired the nerdy superhero to join the arts and sciences. Jay Hosler is a biologist and a comic book artist who creates and illustrates stories via comics to communicate the wonders of science. Here he makes an inmate out of an asteroid. Space can use a sci+art collaboration like a Jay Hosler Astroboy.

Web 2.0 hits Space

2006-12-13T12:28:00.000-08:00

Version 3 of SpaceAlumni.org just relaunched! After a small hiatus offline due to an internal restructure, they are back and bigger and more potent with social networking tools. Getting people together and creating community, via easier communication tools is the crux of Web 2.0.

The insular space community needs to start talking in a way that can be heard. Always the hearsay is "We need more public support, and get people excited about space." Well so how does that happen when internal NASA communications is a pile of decentralized hubs? If SpaceAlumni can get NASA folks to use these open source social networking tools, perhaps we'll see a friendlier face from the elusive space dinosaur.

Both social and network (not the hardware, but the humanware) is missing for NASA. It's pretty evident that they recognize this problem, when they hired a Communications Architect ( a few years ago) to restructure internal communications from the top down. Three weeks on the job, and he packed his bags due to no progress. Maybe SpaceAlumni can offer some online refresher courses on "Communications 101".

Space Now...Virtual

2006-12-11T23:58:00.000-08:00

Second Life now has almost 2M registered residents in its virtual world with more corporations and institutions and universities on board. And of course the International Spaceflight Museum (ISM), located in Spaceport Alpha has been a very populous area with all the cool rocket, consistent presentations and meetings, rocket rides to the ISS and a docking space shuttle, planetary and scientific information, etc.

And everybody wants to put their presence in Second Life. Cnet, Wired, PopSci, IBM, Harvard, Manhattan are all ready there.

And in April 2007, the Space Tourism Society is holding a International Space Experience Symposium in Second Life. Yuri's Night, the World Space Party is talking about having its various parties from all around the world stream and broadcast their movies on multiple screens within a Yuri's Night area. Those who can not physically experience the party can watch vicariously through the screens and chat it up with other avatars as well.

So with museums, space parties and conferences in a virtual journey, one can vicariously experience being in a rocket blasting off into orbit and experience partyers around the world and be open to the multi-cultural impact this virtual tool can access. Who needs to go into space in real life, when you have an alternative life where you can have it all? Standing on planets, flying in between all these international rockets, and taking a ride to the ISS are all things that are definitely attainable at this point or perhaps the next decade. But virtually, all is possible.

Find out more about the ISM here:
http://slispaceflightmuseum.org/drupal/

Sex in space hits Outside magazine

2006-12-05T06:38:00.000-08:00

Author, musician, and space enthusiast Vanna Bonta is featured in a story in Outside magazine about sex in zero gravity. Yes, it is another sex in space article, and this one is in an interesting place (an outdoor activity magazine). What has captured so much attention about this one topic that a magazine featuring Lance Armstrong wants to have it on the cover? Are we really that focussed on sex in our culture?

Although there are already honeymoon plans on Virgin Galactic's suborbital flights, the 5 minutes of weightlessness may not be enough to have that kind of fun in space. Until they complete a commercial space station we need to find some other way to enjoy ourselves during those first suborbital jaunts. Other than watching the Earth or playing golf on the ISS, what else will private space enthusiasts do up in space? What activities can we create that are unique and fun in the weightless environment?

Towards an All-Inclusive Space Culture

2006-12-03T22:34:00.000-08:00

To me, space has always symbolized the future of humankind. What exactly that future looks like, I’m not sure. But I sure like dreaming about it!

I believe that space is a place for all people, no matter what. And that given the resources, people will do whatever they want in space. Whether that’s making love in zero-gravity (a shameless plug for my new book, Sex in Space), or creating cool new space products and structures, is one’s personal choice.

So, when I read an article late last Thursday afternoon about Stephen Hawking – the great space thinker – dropping a big hint to the folks over at Virgin Galactic – I cheered. And then to learn that the company is actually talking with Hawking about getting him into space – another cheer! The fact that the space culture that exists now is being forced to consider all aspects of traveling into space – from food, to fashion, to sex, to persons with disabilities, is very telling. It appears that we’re at a turning point. (Yeah, I know, yet another “turning point.”) Space is for all people – not just those prime specimens who become government-paid space travelers.

Now if we can just get the cost of space travel down to Earth, space will soon be a place where everyone can be themselves and pursue their own personal passions.

Student Space Networking Event to be held in Houston on Tuesday December 5

2006-12-03T22:07:00.000-08:00

[Many thanks to NASAwatch.com for this info!]

Northrop Grumman, Booz Allen Hamilton, SpaceX to Host Networking Event for Current, Future Space Exploration Leaders
"University students, young professionals and first-level managers from NASA and the aerospace industry will be able to meet and share their views on the nation's space exploration program with space leaders from NASA and the aerospace industry at a reception being planned by Northrop Grumman Corporation in partnership with Booz Allen Hamilton and Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX).

The Future Exploration Leaders Networking Reception is scheduled to occur on Tuesday, Dec. 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Exhibit Hall E of the George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston. Registration for the event begins at 4:30 p.m. The reception is being held in conjunction with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' (AIAA) 2nd Space Exploration Conference, which runs Dec 4-6 …

The Future Exploration Leaders Networking Reception is one of many educational events that Northrop Grumman supports to help ensure that NASA and the nation have the technically trained workforce required to successfully undertake and fulfill the goals of Vision for Space Exploration."

"Space on Earth" Launch

2006-11-28T17:10:00.000-08:00

Dr. Charles Cockell, an extreme environment astro-biologist, argues that the role of environmentalists and space scientists/engineers are the same: to ensure humanity has a home. Those who are out to preserve the state of our planet or save it should work hand-in-hand with space scientists. Without space technology, we wouldn't even know the state of our planet from a 'bigger picture' perspective.

As we move into a more conscious green collective, we as individuals should practice the preservation of our planet on a more accountable and active level. With the launch of the BFI's Worldchanging book, and Al Gore's eco-documentary and book: An Inconvenient Truth, we are seeing a change and active awareness insemination of self-destruction along with increasingly creative green practices.

I believe space and environment/planet goes hand-in-hand. And so does "grill" and "cheese". Those who think otherwise should take a look at how we got to be environmentalists in the first place. Our environment is our planet and part of a larger but varied, and often ephemeral eco-universystem.

Get a copy of Space on Earth: Saving Our World By Seeking Others

Cosmonaut Careers are Plummeting

2006-11-27T12:10:00.000-08:00

A career as a cosmonaut is losing its appeal for young Russians. Jobs in finance are more attractive to college grads, showing a shift in the younger generation's need for economic progress rather than pursuing star-chasing dreams. In the 1950's to the Cold War, Russia has always been a leader with space technologies. However, there are only 37 cosmonauts existent in all of the motherland. And there have been campaigns to increase that number via recruitment efforts in the colleges. So far, results have been dismal. On the other hand, every cosmonaut has a higher chance of getting into space compared to all the waiting-in-line astronauts or astronaut want-to-be's. And that's not including all the other non-American and non-Russian space-naut want-to-be's.

Russian cosmonauts are paid a monthly wage of less than $767 (20,448 Russian rubles) a month and also receive bonuses for flights.

Lack of mass interest in manned space exploration is pretty much across the board and across all cultures. The journey to becoming any type of space-naut is an arduous one and in these days, it's not as rewarding and receptive as it once was. We don't think of these guys as heroes anymore, but as just another scientist/engineer dude.

Perhaps, if we opened up the arena to everyday people to fly to space without the very requirement of all that official academic education, perhaps that might be an interesting draw. Of course there would be loads of training.

Diminishing Cosmonauts

Pay peanuts, get cosmonauts?

Space Fashion

2006-11-26T22:25:00.000-08:00

The December 2006 issue of Harper's Bazaar will feature a multi-page section showcasing the Future of Fashion. The interesting part is that they chose to do the fashion shoot at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL.

What does this say about the persistent connection between spaceflight and generalized concepts of "the future"? And why do they have a Mercury-era astronaut running around in silver? Think about it as you look at the online photos at Flckr. The magazine should hit stands soon if it hasn't already.

Thanks to Jessica for finding this great cultural tidbit.

ISS "Golf and Leisure Club"

2006-11-25T12:16:00.000-08:00

This is the name given to the platform where cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin hit a golf ball into space on Thanksgiving day. The cozy moniker was coined by Nataliya Hearn, president and CEO of Element 21, the Canadian golf club manufacturer that paid for the golf shot as a publicity stunt.

Now that we've had golf shots on the moon [video] and from the ISS, private spaceflight participants may be next up on the tee. Space Adventures is offering spacewalks as a new option for space flights to the ISS , though the company has not yet defined what sporting goods will be included in the package.

Now that golf industry has taken a shot, how long until the rest of the sports industry catches on? I want to see the first low-gravity Jai-alai tournament.

Space tops the list

2006-11-24T20:39:00.000-08:00

Xeni Jardin is a tech culture journalist and co-editor of the award-winning collaborative weblog BoingBoing.net. She was recently interviewed by Adario Strange for the cover story of New York Press newspaper. One of her answers hits home for anyone that has ever tasted the joy of microgravity:

--------
Strange: You’ve covered a lot of fascinating tech/science stories, which one changed forever how you look at/live in this world? Why?

Jardin: Every single one of them. I guess the one that sticks out most as something that effected personal change was flying in zero gravity [article + podcast]. My molecules changed. I had lucid dreams about flying in space for months after that. You know, when you fly in zero gravity for the first time—assuming your mom or dad hasn’t done it, you’re the first person in your entire genetic lineage who has ever had that experience! All the way back to your great-great-great-great-grandfather amoebas and the dinosaurs! Assuming you believe in science, of course.
--------

Well spoken, Xeni. I agree.

CNN's Future Summit

2006-11-23T13:16:00.000-08:00

On Thursday 11/23 and Friday 11/24, CNN International will air "Future Summit." One of the topics to be covered is Space Tourism! Space Exploration is another! Anousheh Ansari and Buzz Aldrin are among the interviewees. And …they're asking for viewer comments to be included in the show and the web site. You can add a comment about what you think technology will be like in 50 years via the CNN web link below:

CNN's Future Summit

Laura’s Prediction: Fifty years from now we’ll be taking vacations on the Moon and will probably see the very first true space yachts in Earth orbit. We’ll be living (and loving) the orbital lifestyle! At the same time, nano-technology will help us to “heal” the Earth from Global Change.

What do you think space culture will be like 50 years from today???

Happy Thanksgiving!

Most Popular Spaceship

2006-11-22T16:46:00.000-08:00

For every scifi fan, spaceships are a must. A vessel that carries you into the deepest parts of the universe, and usually armed with super-warped drives and turkey-basting lasers, captures a unique blend of uber and coolness. And for the very serious geek, it's gotta have all the gadgets necessary for speed, damage, and telekinetic communication. My personal preferences have always been those that are closer to the side of outstanding creativity rather than the macho-tech oriented deathstrikers. Heart of Gold, from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has a special place in my corazon.

FilmCritic.com has released their take on the top 10 most popular spaceships. Which is your fav?

Filmcritic.com's Top 10 SpaceShips

MOON TREES!

2006-11-22T09:27:00.000-08:00

I was looking for who to talk to at the Sierra Club about our Yuri's Night Space Trees when I found this...

http://www.sierraclub.org/e-files/moon_trees.asp
(Sierra Club article with link to: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/moon_tree.html)

It is a story about how Command Module pilot Stuart Roosa of Apollo XIV brought 400 seeds with him around the moon! They were planted all over the world when he got back. But no one knows where all of them are? Can we help find them?

The Moon Trees are a great way to show another connection between space and the environment and that Cosmonauts are not the only ones to plant trees when they return from space. Let's make sure we help preserve and celebrate the space trees (and all trees) and see if we can find more to add to the list!

Sierra Club comments that soon the Moon Trees may be the only living things that have been to the moon and back (Stuart Roose himself passed away in 1994)- let's make sure we do not let that happen either!

If you know of a Moon Tree location not on the list email dwilliam@nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov.

China's First Ever Space Textbook

2006-11-21T10:40:00.000-08:00

The formerly classified manuscript written by the father of China's space and missile industry has been published. Qian Xuesen's manuscript entitled "A General Introduction to the Missile" hit the shelves in Beijing on Friday, 50 years after Qian first used it to teach 156 university students,China's first generation of space scientists.

This is another indication of Chinese patriotism where they want to claim their own strength and dexterity in getting into space. They are not going to look west for support, but as usual China wants to do things their way and on their own specs. Of course, this would be the way to unite a country of over 1 billion people.

My recent visit to Qian's hometown in Hangzhou revealed many developments to claim space as their own. With bottled water endorsements, to huge billboards with astronaut references, China is making a statement about its pursuit of the cosmos. The planets are aligning for this. The next milestone lands in 2010.

$330 Million SpaceEdutainment Theme Park Investor Road Show Blasts Off

2006-11-21T10:26:00.000-08:00

(Source: eMediaWire)

KPMG has just completed a Market and Financial Feasibility Study and a Business Plan for SpacePort Shenyang (China) and has found it to be viable. SpacePortEdutainment, a South African company, is the visionary and developer of the SpacePort "Destination" concept. The vision is to build world-class "next generation" space, science and technology theme parks and edutainment centers, which will provide a "space tourism experience" on Planet Earth for those unable to travel into space.

SpacePortEdutainment plans to build SpacePort Shenyang, a $330 million, 20 hectare, space theme park in Shenyang, North East China, due to open in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. "The City of Shenyang is whole heartedly supporting the SpacePort Shenyang project, which is regarded as an important asset for the 2008 Olympic Games. SpacePort Shenyang, will become a sought after destination creating many jobs and will become a welcome boost for the local economy" says Shenyang's Deputy Mayor Song Qi.

SpacePort Shenyang is the first of several SpacePorts that are in the pipeline. The next planned site is SpacePortAfrica, a $75 million project that will form part of "Africa Theme Park Resort", a $550 million theme park resort development in Johannesburg. SpacePortAfrica is due to open in October 2009 in time for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. In total, SpacePortEdutainment has more than five SpacePort "Destination" projects on its radar screen at this time. This includes a well positioned SpacePortMoscow. Visit http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2006/11/emw477881.htm to view the article.

Death Star II ( again)

2006-11-19T12:48:00.000-08:00

With the holiday shpping season around the corner, our child-rearing Legos are building on one of there most successful line: Star Wars. With countless models of the Tie Fighter, wing fighters, land fighters, our favorite lightsabre-battling figs,a gigantuan Imperial Star Destroyer, and more...Lego is once again pushing there Star Wars products to build on that sci-fi fan culture. It's always really impressive to walk into someone's office or lab and find a 2ft Lego Yoda, or the Star Destoyer. Though of yesteryear glory, Legos still touch a sweet spot from our imaginations.

http://www.lego.com/starwars

Royalty in Space

2006-11-16T11:09:00.000-08:00

All the girls that want to be a "space princess" will have to get in line: The UK is abuzz with the news that 18-year-old Princess Bea will be flying on Virgin Galactic.

Since the Sultan Salman Abdul Aziz Al-Saud from Saudi Arabia flew on the Space Shuttle in 1985, will this still be a milestone in space celebrities? Does it matter that a person of royal descent is going to space? Will such distinctions matter on the moon or Mars?

Yo! Space-PUNK!

2006-11-14T23:28:00.000-08:00

Right. So what is that? Bratty astronauts kickin' it out on an EVA? Much lower tech than that, it's an underground music movement taking on 8-bit (or less) sound chips and composing music via these basic components. Given all the restraints a GameBoy has, interesting sounds do come out of it...like a mix of Asteroids, Ms Pac-Man as Flash, colliding/breakbeating on a supersonic highway to the Kuiper belt. It takes me back to the 80's of Atari and Nintendo with Super Mario Brothers, Space Invaders and Duck Hunt.

It's a geeky cultural remix brewed from the video game generation. Much like the sounds of Kraftwerk and Brian Eno, this new genre of space-punk falls into 8-bit music. Imagine the possibilities it can open up for the space community. This is the digital heritage of Generation X.

Dive in for an experience:
http://www.receptorsmusic.com/

A really cool festival is coming up at the end of the month in NYC: The International Blip Festival:
http://www.blipfestival.org/

Check it out!

Another Space Art Contest

2006-11-13T00:36:00.000-08:00

http://www.iafastro.org/index.php?id=527

The IAF is looking for a few good logos from 4-16 years old and also art undergrad students. The IAF is solely targeting an academic approach for this competition. Past logos have been inconsistent and some even shy from the main mission of the IAF. My favorite is Vancouver from the recent years. Bremen, Valencia, Fukuoka, etc were a bit lost IMHO. Hence, this is a great opportunity for them to get new blood into their airstreams and a clearer breath of life. The deadline is February 28, 2007, so start braining!

Space Art Contest

2006-11-07T22:08:00.000-08:00

The National Space Society is sponsoring an art contest in which artists are to create visions of a spacefaring future - a future of space settlement, be they on the Moon, on Mars, on asteroids, or orbiting independently in space. Twelve winning entries will be chosen to illustrate the NSS 2008 Space Settlement Calendar. Judges include world-renowned space artists David Hardy and Pat Rawlings. Artists may submit multiple works and submissions will be accepted until January 31, 2007.

The Grand Prize winner will have their artwork featured on the calendar cover and as one of the monthly images. This winner will receive a Beyond-Earth Enterprises 8 ounce Flight Container for sub-orbital rocket launch and return along with various other products and cash.

There will be four First Prize winners in the categories of Best Lunar Settlement, Best Mars Settlement, Best Asteroid Settlement, and Best Orbiting Settlement. All winning entries are published in the calendar and the artists will receive various prizes .

For all the contest details go to http://www.nss.org/settlement/calendar/

Reactions to "Sex in Space"

2006-11-03T13:52:00.000-08:00

Laura Woodmansee's newest book, Sex in Space, has made quite a splash at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory! After inviting the author to do a book signing (due to the immense popularity of the book at the center) , JPL promptly retracted the invitation and removed the book from the store shelves. The store is reported to have sent an email to all JPL staff citing "ethical reasons" for canceling the book signing, though it is unclear what or whose ethics were in question.

Now no NASA centers are reported carrying the book, which details issues and events related to human reproduction in reduced-gravity environments. Ironically, the book also includes accounts of criticism inside the space industry for "bringing up the topic of 'sex' in the context of long-duration space missions. It’s an important topic that certain people and organizations are not willing to face. This reaction is childish and shortsighted." Woodmansee cites her dismissal from an upcoming space tourism panel discussion as ongoing evidence of this discouragement.

Was JPL too shy to talk about sex? Was it just a clerical error? Read author Laura Woodmansee's own account in the Space Review and decide for yourself.

Any long-term space missions will certainly have birth control as a part of the plan. No pregnancies or children are allowed in Antarctica, and none will be allowed on the space research stations of the future. "Colonization" efforts, however, will face exactly the harsh realities of radiation exposure and reduced gravity when the population attempts to expand. We may be decades away from needing this information--but it may take decades to learn. Are we ready to get started?

Russian Space Watch

2006-11-01T16:26:00.000-08:00

I'm in Hong Kong on a mad shopping and eating spree. During one Mongkok shopping blitz, I discovered Soyuz wrist watches! How cool is that?! The brand has a very strong identity and I was drawn into the little black rocket with a red pentagon star. It's very propoganda and very Russian. However there's a disconnect with that image and their actual product line. Their strong clean identity gets lost with all the gears and the nitnacky dials. My image of a strong, reliable, durable Russian engineering foundation doesn't comply with the Soyuz's line of complicated, very busy, clunky watch designs. However, I think it's great that they are taking action to bring us back to space time.

Alternative media magazine tackles space issues

2006-10-30T22:32:00.000-08:00

Hip alternative magazine "Utne Reader" hit the stands with space-themed "Earth Attacks!" cover art and several interesting space culture articles. One great reprint from an ISDC speech was about space law and property rights. Pick up a copy or suggest it to a friend!

Actual space postcards!

2006-10-30T22:12:00.000-08:00

Postcards to Space is a project to put an inflatable art sculpture into space, funded by postcards that will be displayed onboard the sculpture. Aero-News Network reported on the space artist's booth at the X PRIZE Cup in New Mexico.

It sounds a bit far-fetched, but in the new age of private space travel and astropreneurs, is anything really impossible?

Postcards from the Future

2006-10-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

What will it be like to live and work in space? Postcards from the Future is a new "large format" epic mini from director Alan Chan that will chronicle the life of an ordinary guy who's job is to build out the power grid for a lunar settlement. Here's Alan's synopsis of the film:

Sometime in the near future, humankind will set foot again on the Moon. As part of President Bush's new Vision for Space Exploration, they will build a permanent base on the moon, to test, research and invent new technologies for manned missions to Mars and beyond. The task will not be easy - there will be danger and hardships and broken lives, but these modern-day pioneers would have it no other way. Because for all the hardships that they must endure, they know that the Grand Vision extends beyond them - that they are but a small part of what makes man's future in the stars possible.
Postcards From The Future attempts to share this epic undertaking with today's audience. We see the Grand Vision unfold over the course of two decades by following the life of one man - civilian electrical engineer Sean Everman. Entrusted with the task of helping to build out the power grid on the Moonbase, Sean occasionally sends "Video Postcards" and personal messages to his wife back on Earth, sharing with her the details, trials and tribulations of his jobs. Over the epic course of the story, these postcards from our possible future reveal in exquisite detail the grand adventure that we are about to embark on...

Postcards is written and directed by Alan Chan, an industry visual effects veteran, whose feature film credits include Academy Award winning films such as Jim Cameron's "Titanic", "Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers" and "Polar Express".

2006-10-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

A Cultural Policy for the International Space Station

The Arts Catalyst's Report to the European Space Agency

In 2005, the European Space Agency (ESA) awarded the The Arts Catalyst in London a contract to carry out a study into possible future cultural utilization of the International Space Station.The study set out to investigate and focus the interest of the cultural world in the International Space Station, to generate a policy for involving cultural users in the International Space Station program in the longer term and to develop a representative set of ready-to-implement demonstrator projects in arts, culture and media.

The Arts Catalyst submitted its report to the European Space Agency in early 2006. It is still to be approved by ESA, however permission has been given to makes its contents public.

DOWNLOAD Arts Catalyst's Executive Summary to ESA on Cultural Utilisation of the International Space Station

2006-10-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

Animated Space Virgins' Flight

Virgin Galactic forges ahead in creating virgin experiences in pincushion-designed atmospheres. SpaceshipTwo is on its way to delivering the $200,000 dreams to registered Virgin tourists. And while they are waiting, they can only imagine what their trip would be like. But Virgin has created a simulation of the experience to better prepare the passengers and potential clients. The animation gives a pretty good depiction of the launch, ride, Zero-G activity, along with of course the AWEsome view of our planet. It's tres cool, but one thing I noticed is that the Virgin spacesuits are all white and with spots of red. Literally, we are all space virgins.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBlifr6EQNU

2006-10-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

Other Cultural Uses for the ISS

When space agencies talk about eventually shutting down the International Space Station, there are a few people on the inside who are sad and seeking ways to utilize our orbiting laboratory for other non-scientific collaborations. The Arts Catalyst is an arts agency dedicated to connecting art and science via special projects. They were commissioned by the European Space Agency to explore various cultural channels and applications with the ISS. You can download their report here:

http://www.artscatalyst.org/projects/space/ISS.html

2006-10-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

ESA gets high-tech with "Vodcast"

ESA created a video podcast for the International Astronautical Congress that took place in Valencia, Spain.

ESA and NASA have both been using video podcasts since 2005. Surprised? While both agencies are using the latest technology to promote themselves and their missions, most people never see or hear anything they produce. The NASAcast website has several dozen podcasts and vodcasts, and the ESA site has many more. Although there are many other podcasts available (exs: the Space Show, Science Friday, Seed Magazine) these are a great additon to the cast. Check them out and spread the word!

2006-10-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

Indexing Space Future

www.spacefuture.com

So we have a documentor for all things happening in this booming industry of crazy alien-life seekers and black hole spelunkers. It isn't totally up-to-date, because XP Cup is not on there! Though it is a good start and can use a interface-lift.

2006-09-27T22:35:00.000-07:00

X-MAN

The daily world--or at least the cultural world--is catching on to Peter Diamandis. Of X PRIZE, International Space University, ZERO-G, and the most recent Rocket Racing League fame, Peter is becoming a household name in stirring our latent imagination, while questioning the way we've been thinking advancement. Go Greek and go Geek!

http://www.goodmagazine.com/issue001/X_Man

2006-09-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

Adaptation is a two-way street

News over the past two days has seen two stories of humans adapting to spaceflight: private spaceflight participant Anousheh Ansari was sick on her way to the ISS while returning astronaut Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper fainted twice during a speech in Houston. Both women are doing fine and are considered to be experiencing normal effects of space flight adaptation. Ansari and SarStefanyshyn-Piper are approximately the same age (40 and 43, respectively) and are both expereincing the effects from their first trip in space. I cannot find any other time when stories were published simultaneously about women adapting to life in space and on Earth. Another milestone in space history!

Anousheh's blog is giving the world an unprecedented insight into the mind of a regular person up in space. She shows no reservations in detailing her sickness or the multiple injections she requested to help her ease through the adaption. (Thanks to Mike and Misha for all the help!) Typically, the level of detail Anousheh is giving can only be found in astronaut memoirs published long after active duty. While it is interesting to read about trips in Mercury or Apollo, these stories don't give a sense of what space travel is like today. The stories don't connect me to what is happening above my head on a daily basis.

I fully expect to see a NASA press statement assuring us Heide is fine, but I get a much warmer feeling in my heart hearing from Anousheh herself that she was sick and is feeling better. I am also learning from Anousheh's blog. (My wife has already remarked that I will move too much in my first few days on orbit and get sick too.) This level of insight is fascinating and useful. NASA has downplayed the effects of motion sickness for many years, fearing a negative public reaction. As a future space flight participant, this one story has given me a better sense of what to expect from space motion sickness and how to deal with it than I ever had before (even after 30+ flights on ZERO-G!). Thanks again, Anousheh!

2006-09-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

NASA Engages Students with iPods + Competition

A Creative Opportunity for Students to Voice Their Perspectives About Space Exploration...

Please foward this TIME SENSITIVE message to educators and students within your network...

NASA's 21st Century Explorer Podcast Competition
It's an exciting time for educators and students. Before the end of the next decade, NASA astronauts will return to the moon. This time, we're planning to stay, building outposts and paving the way for eventual journeys to Mars and beyond. Today's students will be tomorrow's explorers. How will space exploration benefit their lives in the future?

That's the question this competition asks of students ages 11-18. The first NASA 21st Century Explorer Podcast Competition challenges students to create unique audio and video podcasts. The topic: How will space exploration benefit your life in the future?

Running from September 1 through October 10, 2006, this competition is open to United States citizens ages 11-18. Students are grouped into two age divisions: 11-14 and 15-18. Each division will have two separate categories: audio podcast and video podcast. First, second, and third place prizes will be awarded in each category and age group. An additional "People's Choice Award" will honor one podcast for each age division.

Students may choose to create several podcasts, but only one entry may be submitted for each person. More details and the entry form can be found at the 21st Century Explorer Podcast Competition website at http://www.explorationpodcast.com.
Students under 18 need written consent from a parent or guardian.

All work needs to be original. Any use of copyrighted material will disqualify the entry.

Time is short. The competition begins September 1 and ends after the first 1,000 entries are submitted in each category OR at midnight on October 10, whichever comes first.

Winners will be announced at the 2nd Space Exploration Conference in Houston, TX on December 6, 2006.

Encourage students to grab their iPods and thinking caps and peer into their futures. This is a wonderful opportunity to take a close look at where space exploration may take 21st Century explorers!

Feel free to pass this email on to your education and public outreach contacts. We want to get as many entries as possible (a maximum of 1000 per category). If you have any questions, please contact Chris Giersch at c.giersch@larc.nasa.gov.

2006-09-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

Anousheh's Song

You can hear it at AnoushehAnsari.com.

Grammy winners, Deep Dish, an Iranian-American DJ duo composed "Be the Change" to commemorate and honor Anousheh's historic spaceflight.

How cool is that! I'd like to have my own theme song for every living moment! Kudos to Deep Dish for marking this moment with your uber cool craft!

For more on the duo: www.DeepDish.com

2006-09-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

Sex in Space

Speaking of which...that is Laura Woodmansee's new book. Just released a month or 2 ago, Laura is busy with her book tour and her next stop is at JPL, September 28. The topic has floated around since sex was created, and people have snickered at it and NASA has a faux pas reaction to it. www.woodmansee.com

Several months ago, Laura interviewed me for her book and asked 7 questions, of which some of them are posted here:

1. What do you think the culture and sexual habits of a future
permanent space society may be like?

2. Do you think that anyone has made love / had sex in space? What
rumors and/or "evidence" have you heard/read?

3. How might people make love in weightlessness? (positions, gear to
assist, etc)

4. What are some ways to make sex in zero-g romantic?

Hey, it's about time someone just put it out there! Congratulations Laura! You go girl!

2006-09-20T04:40:00.000-07:00

What's Next for Space Tourists?

Yesterday, Lore Sjöberg with Wired News predicted the future of the space tourism market and offers some suggestions for what the tourists may do in space. ("Kids, don't make me do a return-to-launch-site-abort!")

Eric Anderson of Space Adventures, the firm that brokered the four deals to get private citizens into space, co-authored "The Space Tourist's Handbook" in 2005. The book was quirky and funny, with how-to's and escape ideas reminiscent of co-author Joshua Piven's Worst Case Scenario series.

While these are funny and both a good read, they also bring up a serious question: what will the first real space tourists do up there? Current private spaceflight participants undergo months of pre-flight training and are typically trained in science or engineering. All four of the private space explorers have done some kind of science during their time in orbit. But is that enough?

We are about to get the first blog from space written by Anousheh, but when will we have the first dance in space? The first postcard from the ISS? The first child to see the Earth from orbit?

I know one day clothing with the pop-culture "My friend went to space and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" line emblazoned on it will be standard issue along with other pre-fab merchandise. But what about in the next 5 years? 10 years? What will people do aboard a space hotel?

Ideas, anyone? Let's begin to create the experience, instead of the destination. As second-time ZERO-G flyers will tell you, weightlessness is only cool for so long; then you want to do something with it.

[And for those of you that are interested, here is the sex in space link. Because when you ask what there is to do in space, it always comes up as an answer...]

2006-09-18T22:08:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Anousheh!

Congrats Anousheh Ansari for being the first unofficial woman astronaut ever! Congratulations on completing 6 months of strenuous training to pursue your beliefs and dreams. "Space tourist" just doesn't describe the work involved to go hang out at the ISS for a week, perform experiments, and being in top physical health to fulfill the requirements. Though, yes, the bill of approximately $20M is quite hefty.

In other words, look out for the Anousheh Ansari commemorative First Flight t-shirt at XP Cup!