Showing posts with label Nasa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nasa. Show all posts

Friday, April 27, 2012

Enterprise Yen

The spaceage marriage of convenience is coming to an end. Heres an early video of the Space Shuttle Enterprise in 'free flight' which landed a little shakily later on at Edwards Air Force Base. The Enterprise never actually lifted off up into space, instead here she is flying on her first and last voyages. Sniff, I feel so emotional.




NASA officials were stumped by all the fan mail pouring through their gates in 1977 but the message was clear. The needs of the many outweighs the needs of NASA. Officials cleverly employed vulcan logic to counteract the trekkie storm which flooded in and engulfing its people. NASA updates about a space shuttle soon to be named after a world war II carrier called ENTERPRISE in honor of the original USS Enterprise NCC 1701 from Star Trek TOS succeeded in calling a ceasefire. It actually WORKED! Star Trek fans reached for the stars and their dream became a reality! The write in TREK CAMPAIGN WON igniting the human adventure with the Space Shuttle "Enterprise."



I'm going to miss the Enterprise but then who said 'all good things must come to an end!'

Thursday, March 08, 2012

One Giant Leap for Hamkind.

Girls are Geeks too and heres the proof! Its sound hilarious but in 1961 NASA launched a successful astronaut 150 miles into the heavens and he was a monkey! Apparently Ham was smart enough to test out the original Mecury craft launched into earth's sub orbital atmosphere helping us humans discover whether living creatures could survive the rigours of interstellar flight. LOL, okay so I'm exaggerating a little bit but Ham was congratulated by NASA after his successful flight on January 31st 1961.



Two years later thirteen female pilots sign up for Astronaut training with high hopes of entering NASA's Mecury Program. The female geeks are put through NASA's hoops and pass the same demanding physical, intellectual and psychological tests as Mecury's seven male astronauts and trailblazer Ham. The kicker for the Mecury 13 is the year, 1963. Gender discrimination probably prevented female acceptance into NASA's space flight program but who knows why America just wasn't really ready?

How times have changed! On 18th June 1983 Sally Ride became the first American woman to enter space except Russia's was way ahead of us at warp factor 9. Isn't it interesting Mother Russia had enough faith in their girl geeks to become the first country launching the first woman into space with Valentina Tereshkova in 1963!

Live Long and Prosper, Trekkies and Trekkers.

Friday, August 26, 2011

R2 says Hello from Outerspace

Earth's International Space Station has awoken their first humanoid Robonaut from his deep space sleep. Isn't that cool? But who or what is R2? I guess Robonaut 2 could be a distant relative of Star Trek's Mr Data who's definitely more than just a machine. While neither of these droids eat, sleep, drink or feel pain, their human-like features and capabilities are a source of great inspiration to us mere mortals.

R2's full name is Robonaut 2 Unit B to be precise but like Data he's got tons of personality despite having no emotions! Strange but true. NASA's white tinman doesn't even talk but since February, R2's already got an enthusiastic 47,000 followers just by tweeting on Twitter! "Those electrons feel GOOD! One small step for man, one giant leap for tinman kind," was Robonauts first tweet.

Our technological friend will prove really useful when his space legs get him walking. Robonaut 2 was born on May 7th 2010 in his hometown Houston, Texas. Nasa plans to get Tinman souped up for spacewalks assisting his human colleagues during tedious and dangerous missions. Some of R2's extraordinary abilities include tweeting, multi-tasking with the ISS computer consoles, conducting mental and physical tasks using human dexterity to adjust things, performing precise repairs on satellites with the technological toughness to survive the vacuum of space.

Will R2 exceed the sum of his programming?


Monday, August 02, 2010

Star Trek

During the reign of U.S. President Gerald Ford, Star Trek fans sent in a flood of letters to protest against NASA's original plans to name their space shuttle "Constitution". Isn't that fascinating? Trekkers weren't simply going to roll over and let NASA get away with this little stunt. It was their ship too! Remember the "Doomsday Device"? Captain Kirk is in the hot seat but at least he had a ship to tackle the planet killer! But what exactly was NASA doing?


















Playing with Trek's Final Frontier sent trekkies flying off the deep end, who reacted with phasers set to kill. The year was 1976 and NASA officials were stumped by all the fan mail pouring in but the message was clear. The needs of the many outweighs the needs of NASA. Officials cleverly employed vulcan logic to counteract the trekkie storm now flooding in engulfing their people. NASA released news about a space shuttle soon to be named after a world war II carrier called Enterprise in honor of the Starship USS Enterprise NCC 1701 from the Original Series which brought a ceasefire. Star Trek fans were delighted. It was their wishes expressed during the write in campaign which "won the war" and designated the shuttle "Enterprise" of course!.

Gene Roddenberry is the creator of Star Trek. During Sept 1966, Roddenberry showed the pilot "where no man" at the Sci-fi convention in Cleveland. The audience loved the pilot and gave a standing ovation. Star Trek made its debut on Thursday, Sept., 8th 1966 at 8.30pm. Gene made a lot of people happy with Star Trek's special brand of humanism despite its concept portraying a future where explorers and scientists from peaceful Earth of the Future roaming the galaxy in a starship, meeting beautiful women, fighting ugly monsters and asserting Western values had already been broadcast on television before.

Gene campaigned and shared his vision of Star Trek's philosophy with the fans, writers, actors and families granting him the opportunity to "mind meld" with sci-fi communities. Star Trek's future is a place where man has ceased squabbling, where the Earth has been transformed into a garden, where androids are ten times stronger and smarter than us and strive to be human. It's an optimistic future, an Utopian one, and its not to much of a stretch to imagine that people like watching Star Trek, because at some level we'd like to live in a place like that.

"Star Trek speaks to some basic human needs that there is a tomorrow. It's not all going to be over with a big flash and a bomb. The human race is improving, we have things to be proud of as humans. No astronauts, ancient astronauts did not build the pyramids, human beings did, because we are clever and work hard and Star Trek is about those things" -Gene Roddenberry.





"It's the Human condition to improve and to improve" - Gene Roddenberry.
Thanks to Genes and Majel's hard work, the committee, the Science Fiction writers, The Fans, Film Crew, Production Staff, The Actors, Paramount/Viacom/CBS and everyone who works on the lot. Star Trek wouldn't be what it is today.

The Enterprise was a true feat of technological engineering. Gene consulted experts and the ship was designed and blueprinted down to the last detail. The spaceship layout was exact. NASA examined Gene's plans to gleam ideas on spaceship design. They even took a look at the orange bed sheets in Dr Mc Coy's Sickbay.

The ship was completely real for Gene. So too was the Star Trek universe, the phasers, the communicators, the transporters, the shuttlecraft, the chain of command, The Prime Directive which Kirk effectively ignored when necessary. Star Trek is beamed into peoples homes and has become part of every trekkers, normal daily life.


Long Live Star Trek, Trekkies and Trekkers.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Across The Universe, Aliens and Trekkers!



Nina tagged me with this worthwhile cosmic cause which I couldn't resist. Its about an interplanetary call to aliens beings spanning 2.5 quadrillion miles away across the universe. I've been neglectful, this epic event took place on February 4th 2008 using Nasa technology which transmitted John Lennon's Beatles track "Across The Universe from our little planet. It still gives me great pleasure to tell you about this my trek readers.

We all have a soft spot for our alien friends but heres the scoop NASA's 45th anniversary of its Deep Space Network is in itself a truly momentous occasion.

The 40th aniversary of the song and the 50th anniversary of NASA. Trekkies fear not, John Lennon's song "Across The Universe" will have to transmit 431 light years away to reach the shining star Polaris. The songs journey involves 2.5 quadrillion miles across the galactic expanse spanning 431 lightspeed years. So you see a strong beam of light from the Polaris star will take 431 years to reach earth.



So if there are any bad guys out there in the Polaris Quadrant, hey listen up. Earths ready, we've got Captain Picard of the starship USS Enterprise within calling range, Captain Kirk, Spock and his Vulcan Logic, Five of starfleet's best engineers Scotty, Geordi, Bellana, Trip and Miles O'Brien. Lock and load phasers, quantum photon torpedoes ready.. The Federation fleet is armed and ready to send in the droids, omnipotent entities and its hungry tribble detectives.

Intergalactic travel for humans is probably hundreds of years away, but theres always the chance that earth will be discovered. ...by Aliens! Despite our failings "Nothings going to change my world" at least we have made the effort in these enlightened days, to reach out in friendship to our interstellar alien neighbours. I hope our green friends enjoy the music.

Live Long and Prosper, Aliens and Trekkers!

Friday, December 22, 2006

Rocky Star System

In the constellation of Puppis beams the star called HD 69830 forty one light years away from earth. The stars faint lifesigns lights up the surrounding rocky asteroid belt of failed planet material which never joined to make a world.

Four and a half billion years later the clever eyes of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has detected the heat sources created by smashing asteroids, warm dust and the glow of the star. Mr T. Pyles artistic creation of the Rocky Puppis find is thrilling. I can almost picture being there. It looks like the stars beam is calling the rocks home.


"Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech."

The smokeball on the middle-right depicts where two asteroids met and had an explosive disagreement. The U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701 crew have encountered asteroids before. Miramanee's Planet had a powerful Obelisk structure to deflect stray asteroids from a dangerous rocky belt surrounding the planet. The starship Enterprise failed to stop the approach of a large doomsday asteroid which Mr Spock tried to stop with the ships warp drive at maximum. The obelisk was malfunctioning, Kirk had amnesia and time was running out...

Regula - A Big Rock In Space

Earth's largest group of asteroids is situated between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Astronomers call it the "Asteroid Belt." You could nearly say that Jupiter and Mars are the natural deflector defence for earth's happy ball of beings...Its always a good idea to have a safety net. The dense mass of our moon has taken quite a few impacts too but I reckon asteroids are most likely attracted by the sun's gravitational pull. So you can sleep soundly in your bed tonight, LOL. You'll have to read my post on Asteroids from the Deep Dark. Watch those skies now!

Live Long and Prosper Trekkers! Enjoy Your Star Trekking.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Voyager I and II's Interstellar Journey

Mans thirst for knowledge of the outer planets, interstellar space bodies and our galaxy led to the approval of Voyager Mission in 1972.

The Voyagers probes I and II are nearly identical and were overseen by the engineers at the Jet Propulsion Labratory (JPL). Launched using Titan/Centaur rockets in August and September of 1977 these satelites are really big with 65,000 individual parts.

The satelites are able to generate their own electrical powered energy from the natural radioactive decay of plutonium into electricty to power the satelites instruments, computers, radio and other craft systems.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

How Satelites Work from Satelite to Ground


The Voyager spacecraft will discontinue around 2020 because its Radioisotopes will cease. Sad really because these machines are Earth's first spectacular interstellar explorers.

Voyagers Grand Tour Of Space

Above is Voyager 1's actual farewell view of the earth and its moon. This was relayed to earths ball of beings in a single frame on september 1977 as it continued on its journey into the vast expanse of space.


Image credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech.

Voyager Specifications

Voyager Mission Satelites.

High Gain Antenna.
Wide Angle Camera.
Narrow Angle Camera.
Plasma Detector.
Cosmic Ray Detector.
Housing Electronics Bus.
Ultraviolet Spectrometer.
Infrared Spectrometer and Radiometer.
Low Energy Charged Particle Detector.
Photopolarimeter.
High Field Magnetometer.
Low Field Magnetometer.
Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator.
Planetary Radio Astronomy and Plasma Ware Antenna



Image Copyright belongs to Paramount Pictures.

Voyager Finds Three Surprises

Spock goes on an adventure of his own. Spacesuited he leaves the Enterprise NCC 1701-A and investigates the unknown chambers of Vger. Inside the Vger vessel he finds to his amazement a world of the mechanical and organic beings. Llia is one of the organics stored as a perfect 3D electrical energy pattern.


" Jim, Vgers programming is incomplete. Vger is cold, barren. This simple feeling - not possible."
"Vger's asking questions, is this all that I am, is there nothing more?" - Spock

The poor machine was longing for human company all along.

Live Long and Prosper Trekkers!

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Asteroids from the Deep Dark.

Duncan Steel, Vice President of Spaceguard has acknowledged that based on recent evidence the chances of an asteroid doing catastrophic damage in the next century are 1 in 5000 but theres no need to panic. Do earthlings live in a happy state of asteroid oblivion? Find out with Mr Steel.
BBC Asteroid Experts This website will get you amped! Its full of games and quizzes also. Check it out!


Image Credit: NASA/JPL-CALTECH
(Read my Post on the Vega Star System)

Seemingly, Earth has no international plan yet and governments are sadly lacking in this area. Asteroids are rocks and metal and comets are dirty snowballs which evaporate once they enter the earths atmosphere. Diverting an asteroid on a possible collision course would involve nuclear weapons to nudge it away from the planet gently. A global asteroid space search programme is required like yesterday.. Its possible to see asteroids from the day side of earth using telescopes in space

Funding doesn't exist to carry out ground based, telescope research, which is cheaper than space based telescopes. Spaced based are better because your can search with high technology, 24/7.

NASA's space "Spitzer Telescope" has an infrared multi-band imaging photometer, excellent for locating even the faintest sources of heat at long distances. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory(JPL), Pasadena, California manages Spitzer for NASA's - Science Directorate in Washington. This kind of telescope is ideal for discovering and identifying celestial bodies. The Hubble Space Telescope is another which has found 600 stars adrift in space between the Virgo Cluster galaxies. The vast majority of asteroid discoveries are made using telescopes which belong to the US Air Force.



Livescience.com's author Tariq Malik mentions a high ranking Federal Space Agency Official as having told reporters that Russia would step up to save the planet, but that the effort had to be an international endeavor. Theres an interesting link within Tariq Malik's article that leads to Space.com

The International Community involving Prague Astronomers, The International Astronomical Union, Nasa'a Space Guard, New IAU Task Force, U.S. Congress, and the National institute of Astrophysics are striving towards monitoring asteroids more closely and ultimately creating an early warning system. Warned in advance, the Earth can send up a rocket and deflect any intruder. Thats the theory. The demand for astronomers now is going to be greater than ever!



The largest Earth approaching asteroid is the EROS. It's 20 miles across. Nasa landed a spacecraft on it. It cannot hit Earth. Asteroids crossing the path of the Earths orbit do occur, the largest of which was 5 miles across. Asteroids orbit the sun, sometimes falling out of orbit and coming close to one of the planets. It takes time to plot the trajectory of an asteroid.

The largest group of asteroids is located between Mars and Jupiter numbering in their thousands. Astronomers call it the Asteroid Belt. Another group called the Apollos, orbits between Earth and Mars. One asteroid, Ida, has a satellite. The best place to look for asteroids is directly overhead at night, opposite the sun. We need more larger telescopes to scan the night skies, especially if we are to spot the smaller asteroids.

Its a small world in a big universe with the moon and the sun shielding earth. We've been lucky so far.... The flagship of the Federation won't be coming to our rescue when the big one hits our harmless little world. Instead, earthlings will be eating cookies and watching Star Trek on tv.

Live Long and Prosper Trekkers!

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Pulsar Star Movie

Following up on my last Pulsar post I felt compelled to share this discovery. Here is an image of an artists creation which shows the interstellar remains of space debris, orbiting around the pulsar called 4u 0142+61. Over 100,000 years ago a massive star blew up giving birth to a baby pulsar. The explosion spewed forth a fallback disk of rocks and space dust captured in the orbit of the reborn pulsar. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope discovered this space marvel 13,000 light years away in the Northern Constellation Cassiopeia.


Image Credit: NASA/JPL-CALTECH.

In Pulsar Rubble you will find fascinating details about the physics of this enticing space phenomenon, star composition, death and re-birth of planets plus a thrilling little space movie! Why didn't the supernova blast disperse all the planets debris and space dust? find out.

Its an awesome inspirational short movie giving an uptake on the unfolding of a giant star in our universe, beyond imagination. It can take 5 minutes to download in Quicktime player, but it is well worth the wait believe me.

How it works. You can see the short movie animation by clicking on the four thumbprint images within the above link, marked the birth of the "Phoenix Planets." Watch for yourself an electrifying rotating radiant super giant star..... well you didn't expect me to tell you the rest of it, did you?

Enjoy the movie, Live Long and Prosper!

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Pulsar Star System


Shining brightly, this pulsar PSR B1257+12 greets its neighbouring three planets every day. Alexksander Wolszczan discovered this extreme planetary system and pulsar in 1992 using a Arecibo Radio Telescope. The pulsar, once an impressive massive star is now a collapsed core of a rapidly rotating neutron star. This shadow of its former self is constantly rotating and pulsing radiation.

Pulsar Solar System

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech


Supergiants have a mass 10 - 100 times that of our own sun. The larger the star the faster the fuel burns. The nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium makes a star shine. When the fuel runs out and the star expands into a red supergiant, it has reached the latter stage of stellar evolution. The core cools and contracts suddenly causing an explosion, called a supernova which blasts away the star's outer layers.

This is one place you don't wan't to be when that happens.

"Mr Crusher, Warp 9 , Engage, Engage! Make it so! Comon Wesley, get us out of here!" Panics Picard.

"I Know, I know, captain, don't pressure me. It's that button is'nt it? " cries Wesley horrified.


If the core survives , which it did here just after the Enterprise made her lucky escape, the explosion cools and contracts further into a small, dense neutron star or pulsar. The pulsars three planets are most likely hatchling planets.

Pulsars

Its logical to assume the shockwave from the once mighty star, blew everything to smithereens in its path, leaving behind planet debris and space dust to form new worlds.

Live long and Prosper Trekkers! Star Trekking is fun.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Amazing Andromeda Galaxy

The Andromeda is the largest galaxy neighbouring our Milky Way System. The Milky Way which encompasses our solar system made up of stars, space dust, gases and all that other wonderful stuff, is where our harmless little world is. The width of the Milky Way disk is 100,000 light years accross.

When I started out reading about the universe, the word disk, sort of stuck out. Disk includes everything in a galaxies system, right down to the space dust. Some Stars also have disks with floating debris and space dust orbiting around them, which were once planets.

The Andromeda disk is 260,000 lightyears accross, which means that not only would it take 260,000 earth years for a light beam to travel from one end to another, but it is about three times bigger than our own milky way galaxy. Theres very definitely intelligent life out there! Imagine what they could be getting up to. For the full article click on the link below.


"Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech"

Amazing Andromeda Galaxy


Live Long and Prosper!

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