NASA is Seeking Ideas for use of the ISS and L.E.O. for commercial endevours

NASA is seriously trying to open low-Earth orbit to commercial space opportunities One of the things they are willing to put on the table is the International Space Station. NASA is looking for ideas, as this NASA article here reads

• on ways it can help create greater access to and use of the International Space Station for research and commercial activities. 

Yep, I read that as commercial use of the station....hummm

Of course further on, it becomes a bit clearer what the motivation are...

• NASA is soliciting ideas from companies interested in using the space station and the low-Earth orbit environment in innovative ways that will develop a strong commercial market and assist the agency in achieving its exploration goals.

I suspect the rent is going to be a bit pricey.

Check out the complete article HERE

Great Gravity Demonstration

I know that most of you have a good grip on gravity, but a very nice demonstration is always fun.
I found it fascinating even though trying to visualize this effect on all three dimensions...lol 

SpaceX's Falcon 9 Reusable Test Flight

 Here is a partial of the YouTube description.  For a complete text, go HERE
 The F9R is the follow on system to the SpaceX Grasshopper test system which performed extremely well.

• Video of Falcon 9 Reusable (F9R) taking its first test flight at our rocket development facility. F9R lifts off from a launch mount to a height of approximately 250m, hovers and then returns for landing just next to the launch stand. Early flights of F9R will take off with legs fixed in the down position. However, we will soon be transitioning to liftoff with legs stowed against the side of the rocket and then extending them just before landing. 

BMU # 404 now online

Hi and welcome to Beam Me Up.

This is number 404 and this week Steve Tuttle joins me once again to talk about what is new in the world of comics

But first I pay a bit of homage to Anime with the opening tune to Naruto: Shipuden

from the Beam Me Up Blog

Robonaut got legs….  So whats the chances of getting hit by a meteorite while skydiving?  Signals from Dark Matter? What’s up with Archie, or
comics in general?


And again - Steve Tuttle joins us this week  for an update in the comic universe.

And I close the evening with part two of Dean Geils’ Mad World.

And that wraps up another weekend. Hope you enjoy this week’s offering!

Earth 2?

Earth 2

Well maybe not a second Earth yet, but it sounds cool none the less. And the best part, we are back to Kepler 186f. Kepler seems to be popping up a lot lately. It has been referred to as an Earth cousin that could have liquid water and is in the habitable zone of its red dwarf star. It is possible conditions could be right for life of some type there.

            This is the first actual Earth sized planet found in the habitable zone of its star.

            This is a must read article, and just too much to put here. Plus it is 2:10 am and I am half asleep as it is. 

http://www.space.com/25530-earthsize-exoplanet-kepler-186f-habitable-discovery.html

I Want Off Of This Planet Again

            Okay, I get it. I know. This is a recurring theme with me. But I have good freaking reasons too. 26% of Americans think that Sol revolves around the Earth. Remember that? Anyway, now we move on to the Big Bang theory.

            “The poll found that 51 percent of respondents question the validity of the Big Bang theory.” That’s all I’m saying on the article. Link at the bottom; I’m off on a rant again.

            It isn’t a problem of questioning something with reason. This is simply another case of people not understanding the basic concepts of science or theory, or like someone once said. “I don’t understand science, so I don’t believe in it.” And most the place cheered him. You know people. That is like saying you don’t understand how the inner workings of telephone circuitry works, so you don’t use one.  

            How do I describe my disgust at what is happening lately. And do it in such a way as to keep it clean, and get my point across. Ahh, I have it. Imagine being the center of a three part human centipede, (Universe help me, I saw the first one), and the one in front is being fed laxative laced food.

            There, I think that about describes my feelings on this matter.

            I have a great idea. Let’s transform Maine into a technocratic society. Everyone that agrees with advancing science at something other than a controlled snail’s pace come with us, or stay there. Everyone else get out. Take NASA and all other tech, computer, bio, etc research with us, and we can handle all research and advancement in all areas of science. Including aquaponics and avoid having to buy from the outside. Then if they don’t want it, they don’t need to have it. But we can still use it then. Seriously, I think people have lost their freaking minds anymore. So I have the right to go bonkers in my direction if I want to.

So if anyone out there has a lot of money to blow, here’s the ad.

Mad scientist in training available for temporary position as Lunatic Leader. Pay negotiable; assorted fish and Basmati rice mandatory. Available immediately. Maybe sooner.

            Lunatic Leader is right. 2:48 am, and now I woke myself up in irritation. Time for a feckin tea and a round of poker. Now people I don’t even know are waking me up.  

http://www.space.com/25581-big-bang-theory-poll.html

Graphene is What? and it Can Do What?!!!

Graphene if not, soon will be the buzz word of the future. According to the "Bits" article forwarded to me by Xnewsman, Graphene, a form of carbon, is the strongest, thinnest material known to exist. It can conduct electricity and heat better than anything else. And get ready for this: It is also one of the most pliable and do it all in a single atom thickness.

So what does this mean to the average consumer? Well researchers say that we will soon be able to make electronics that are thinner, faster and cheaper, with the option of making them clear and flexible.

Check out the NY Times BITS link here for more.

Short Film Bulb

Here is the short flick Bulb where in a clockwork universe, one resident finds his home in jeopardy and he must take quick action.

Testing Orion's Parachutes

 

NASA's Orion crew module  is said to be "the safest spacecraft ever built to carry humans",

One of the most critical components on the Orion is the parachute system.  The team responsible for  Orion's parachute have demonstrated every type of failure they could imagine. But recently they began tests that center on failures that did not involve the parachutes but the launch system during the early stages of a mission - failure on the pad or sub-orbital, they tested how the parachutes would perform.

  Its called the Launch Abort System.  (from the article on Science Daily)

•  In an emergency on the launch pad or during the early stages of ascent, it can activate in milliseconds to pull the crew to safety. Once it has pulled the crew away from the emergency, it's up to the parachutes to bring them down for a safe landing..


• To simulate those conditions, a test version of Orion was dropped from a C-17 at 13,000 feet above the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground, with the main parachutes deploying soon after leaving the plane, before the capsule had a chance to straighten out. All the elements worked together and the parachutes reached a fully open state setting up a soft landing as expected. But the real value of the test will come with the data the engineers were able to gather from it. 

Orion's first mission will be four hours long and unmanned.   The capsule will be launched 3600 miles into space and make two orbits of Earth   and re-enter the atmosphere at 20,000 mph and temperatures nearing 4000 degrees Fahrenheit .

Again, from the Science Daily blog:

• (This first flight will be) to test several of its most critical systems, including its parachutes.

BMU #403 Now Online Mad World - Dean Giles + Happy Ending - Jim Kelly

Welcome to BMU episode 403.

After my opening comments I start by playing the opening music to the great anime series East of Eden.

Then from the Beam Me Up Blog:

Twins in Space! or what does a 16 year old genius do in his spare time...why he builds prosthetic devices that's what!  Marty McFly's board possible?

Next part one of Dean Giles "Mad World"

Outer Space smells like a barbecue?  And how about some Star Trek trivia?

Then the story "Happy Ending"  by James Kelly

That the show.  How you enjoy

Paul

Robonaut Got Legs...

Robonaut hasn't had any legs since he first joined the crews aboard the ISS. That is about to change however as a brand new pair of gams are aboard the next Dragon supply mission.

That doesn't mean that Rob will be cutting a rug with the addition of  the lower extremities which are better suited for a weightless environment.   The first thing you notice is the legs have an additional joint below the knee allowing the legs to bend in some decidedly non human positions.

Check out the complete article over on Popular Science  HERE

Help Name Cassini's Final Mission

Carol sent me a link to an interesting NASA site.

The Cassini probe at Saturn will be entering the final phase of its mission in 2016.  NASA is looking to the public to "name" this final phase which now goes by the moniker “the proximal orbits”.

For a more complete description of the final phase of the Cassini probe and how to get instructions on submitting a "name" check out this NASA site.....HERE 

BMU episode 402 now online....FINALLY!!!

Well here we are with Beam Me Up episode 402.

Lets get on to getting on! after my opening monologue I play the full version of Barenaked Ladies song "The Big Bang"

My first story is the conclusion of Cory Doctorows short story "By his things yea shall know him"

From the Beam Me Up blog,

A  precocious 16 year old builds a prosthetic hand on his home computer and 3D printer and gave it to a neighbor's child who had been born without a complete hand.  

NASA plans to work with a pair of twins in a year long study. 

And the second story is Becoming Martian by Doug Hilton

Enjoy, sorry for the delay.

April 8, see Mars easily.

Not much time and heading out the door, but wanted to get this up here immediately. 

Mars will be very bright tonight, and can be easily seen with the naked eye.

Also, on the 15th, the night of the lunar eclipse, mars will be in it's closest position to Earth. 

Here's the link tot he article, sorry about not getting more info up here. Had to leave 5 minutes ago, but saw this. So here's the link folks, enjoy, and go take a look tonight.

http://www.iflscience.com/space/mars-coming-opposition

skydiver Almost Hit by Meteorite

I can almost bet that one of the hazards that sky-divers don't consider every time they jump is the likely-hood of getting hit by solar system debris.

Dark Matter Signal?

Does dark matter have a signal?  One that can be identified and traced?  Most astrophysicists would say no.  However odd "signals" emanate from the galaxy's center every now and again. 

From the ARTICLE

• Scientists analyzing high-energy gamma rays emanating from the galaxy's center found an unexplained source of emission that they say is "consistent with some forms of dark matter."  

What makes the task difficult is that scientists do not even know what dark matter is made of.   But theoretically, if dark matter were made up of something called Weakly Interacting Massive Particles this material  could possibly produce gamma rays in ranges that Fermi could detect. 

These signals are far from convincing 

Bibo: A Short Animation

I think you will like this animated short as much as I did. What whould you do if all you were built to love disappears?

Bibo from Anton Chistiakov on Vimeo.

Cyberpunk Beer Commercial

From the makers of the Ghost in the Shell, here is a great craft brew commercial. http://io9.com/amazing-cyberpunk-beer-commercial-by-the-makers-of-ghos-1554510274

Alternate Gravity Scene

Here is a 1 minute alternate scene that completely solves Sandra Bullock's problem in the movie Gravity