Space, The Final Frontier

[quicksilver-wsr]

Info and comment here on the Virgin Galactic calamity that claimed the life of Mike Alsbury last October. The full report will be out in a few weeks, apparently.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33002052

I hope Richard Branson sticks to his guns and makes a go of this project, even if - as with Concorde - it fails to turn a commercial profit when developmental costs are taken into account. It will spawn new ideas and pioneer the way for others, and he has deep pockets. He can afford to take the hit and benefit in other ways.

Nigel

[Jordangbr]

Some interesting photographs of what became of the USSR Buran shuttles
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... l-facebook

[quicksilver-wsr]

Very interesting piece there, Jordan - thanks for posting.

I don't follow this stuff like I used to when I earned my living from it, so I hadn't realised the Burans were still lying there after all these years. The rot really set in with the hangar collapse that destroyed the only Buran that actually went into space. Since then it's been a case of steady decay. Such a pity, when one considers all the work that went in to create these machines.

Most of the Soviet-era mini-shuttles (and GEVs/WIGs for that matter) lie in similar states of disrepair these days. All extraordinary machines that deserved a better fate

Nigel

[quicksilver-wsr]

Something of a miracle that the European Space Agency Philae comet-lander has come back to life after seven months lying dormant.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33126885

Nigel

[quicksilver-wsr]

Pluto fly-by getting near ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33502944

I liked the BBC's helpful remark: "The spacecraft is moving so quickly it cannot stop and will simply barrel past the little world on Tuesday."

Fact is, everything in space is moving so quickly it cannot stop!

People often think of things "floating" in space. The media generally perpetuates this way of thinking.

Nigel

P.S - Another nice, and much more detailed, piece here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33500681

[quicksilver-wsr]

Neil Armstrong's career prior to Apollo 11 is seldom bothered with by the mass media. Nice to see this exception ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-34170799

Nigel

[quicksilver-wsr]

And now Gene Cernan's gone, too. Passed today.

The last of the astronauts to walk on the Moon and a super-articulate guy who was very proud of his roots as a Naval aviator.

Putting jetplanes down on the heaving decks of carriers by night was great training for a lunar landing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38641121

Nigel

[quicksilver-wsr]

Reminder of a tragic accident that claimed three lives 50 years ago today. Gus Grissom, Ed White, Roger Chaffee ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-38763152

Lessons were learned that made the Apollo system a whole lot better afterwards, but what a shame it took a disaster of this magnitude to shake people up.

Nigel

[quicksilver-wsr]

The early-mission Shuttle astronauts continue to disappear along with those from previous programmes.

Paul Weitz, who had a long and distinguished career culminating in flying Challenger as Commander in 1983, has sadly passed:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41740076

Nigel

[quicksilver-wsr]

Nice piece here on Britain's Skylark launcher of 1950s vintage, which continued in use right up to 2005 ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41945654

Nigel