Elizabeth of St. Peters, MO says: My 5-year-old and I watched the ISS tour. Lately she's been saying she wants to go up in space and be an astronaut. We searched YouTube for other videos. It's hard to explain, but she enjoys it. Any ideas on ways to explain space to her?
Glad you had fun, and thanks for the feedback! If you're already taking your 5-year-old to space museums and she says she wants to be an astronaut, you don’t need my advice, LOL... the new space race is in good hands. Pretty soon, she'll be begging you to send her to Space Camp!
I'll offer a suggestion though: take her to a planetarium to view star fields and “animated” celestial events projected onto a dome. The International Planetarium Society publishes an annual list, showing nearly 1500 planetariums all over the world. Your closest is Zeiss Planetarium in St. Louis. Lucky you!
Austin is collecting funds to build one, based on studies that show planetariums improve understanding of astronomy and space concepts. I believe it, since my earliest memory of being truly awed by stars and planets was on a school field trip to Morrison Planetarium in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Seems odd in retrospect, since that was after my first trip to Kennedy Space Center! However, while I’m sure the rockets impressed me, I was too young to comprehend all the artifacts I saw there.
IMAX films – heck, even Star Wars movies – were still years away, so planetariums were the only places where the universe was spacious, multi-colored, spinning, alive, explosive! It doesn’t hurt that the shows are accompanied by loud, stirring symphonies – so it was definitely a powerful experience where I felt “fascinated.”
I later joined the California Academy of Sciences – where discounted planetarium tickets were perks when you paid dues. I attended laser shows, films of eclipses, meteor showers, planet documentaries, and most memorably, giant projections of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 Comet impacting Jupiter.
In this respect, I'm sure everyone could tell their own story. There are probably as many ways to become interested in space as there are people interested in space! Some swear by telescopes, others had an influential science teacher, or were deeply affected by watching Apollo coverage. (My mother was pregnant with me at the time, so I just missed it!) Maybe some saw Shuttle launches as kids, though I didn’t see one until I was nearly 30. Whatever powerful image you saw first was likely the one that stayed with you.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
ISS Guided Tour
NASA Television “sprung” a request on Expedition 18 astronaut Mike Fincke, who presented a fantastic tour of the International Space Station, recently released to YouTube. Also guest starring Sandy Magnus exercising on the bicycle in the Destiny Laboratory, and cosmonaut Yuri Lonchakov on the floating treadmill.
Like any good host, Mike begins by apologizing for the clutter as they "re-model," then narrates his surroundings, beginning with the 15 flags of all the participating nations. He floats through the Unity & Harmony nodes, the Japanese KibÅ module, the European Space Agency's Columbus module and finally the Russian module, including the Soyuz lifeboat/vehicle.
Highlights include the resistive exercise devices, food containers, lab freezers, hatches, crew quarters, oxygen and water recovery systems, robotics, space suits, experiment stations, functional cargo block (FGB) and storage spaces, where he emphasizes that you can easily use three-dimensions in space... and indeed, the "floor" or "ceiling" become relative, as every inch seems covered!
My favorite part is where he points the camera out the window to see the robot arm and the solar arrays, as the ISS serenely passes ice bergs over the Indian Ocean. A couple times, he lets go of the camera to use both hands for a task, and you can feel it floating freely until he grasps it again. Micro-gravity! Wild! Later, Mike points out the window again to view land masses and the curvature of the planet as they orbit…
Running time is about 35 minutes. Watch with the kids!
Like any good host, Mike begins by apologizing for the clutter as they "re-model," then narrates his surroundings, beginning with the 15 flags of all the participating nations. He floats through the Unity & Harmony nodes, the Japanese KibÅ module, the European Space Agency's Columbus module and finally the Russian module, including the Soyuz lifeboat/vehicle.
Highlights include the resistive exercise devices, food containers, lab freezers, hatches, crew quarters, oxygen and water recovery systems, robotics, space suits, experiment stations, functional cargo block (FGB) and storage spaces, where he emphasizes that you can easily use three-dimensions in space... and indeed, the "floor" or "ceiling" become relative, as every inch seems covered!
My favorite part is where he points the camera out the window to see the robot arm and the solar arrays, as the ISS serenely passes ice bergs over the Indian Ocean. A couple times, he lets go of the camera to use both hands for a task, and you can feel it floating freely until he grasps it again. Micro-gravity! Wild! Later, Mike points out the window again to view land masses and the curvature of the planet as they orbit…
Running time is about 35 minutes. Watch with the kids!
Friday, January 23, 2009
New Year Q & A
Mrs. L of San Jose says: Only one president has gone to a launch? Hmmm... methinks more should do this. Maybe you should send a letter to the new president inviting him and his family?
LOL, I’ll get right on that now that he’s been sworn in. I saw on the news that a group [of people with too much time on their hands] created an OBAMETER to track 510 campaign promises made by our new commander-in-chief. No less than 18 may affect NASA:
#150: Code of Conduct for space-faring nations
#331: Re-establish National Aeronautics & Space Council
#332: Additional Space Shuttle flight
#333: Speed development of next-generation space vehicle
#334: Use private sector to improve space flight
#335: Work with international allies on ISS
#336: Partner to enhance potential of ISS
#337: Use ISS for biological + physical research
#338: Explore whether ISS can operate after 2016
#339: Support human mission to moon by 2020
#340: Robust R&D on future human/robotic missions
#341: Increase spending for longer missions [Mars, asteroids, etc]
#342: Deploy global climate change monitoring system
#343: Improve climate change data records
#345: Enhance earth mapping
#349: Support commercial access to space
#350: Revise regulations for export of aerospace technology
#351: School programs to highlight space & science achievements
I don’t see "Attend Launch" on there... so I intend to call the White House... as soon as all those rotary-dial phones get fixed ;)
Qazser says: I passed bloodwork testing (studied real hard for it) and got my ticket to Houston for a February visit. Thanks for your info. They say rooms are semi-private... is that your own room under camera surveillance or two people together?
Glad to hear you are in process, that’s wonderful! Each room is under camera surveillance, and there are two beds per room, so it is always possible to have a roommate. I never had one, being one of only two women at UTMB for most of 2008... Candace and I each had our own rooms. The men are more apt to be roomed together since there are always more of them at any given time.
Orange of East Timor says: I like your blog! Thanks for sharing =) Are you a scientist?
Thank you! I am degreed but I am not a scientist -- merely a space-exploration enthusiast. For the past decade I’ve been in the IT and database fields, and one might say trying to escape… but then what would I do with all these screwdrivers?!
Thursday's Child of Kuwait says: I'm glad you're still posting about NASA. It's neat to read. I so wish you'd been able to finish your study. Do you plan to volunteer for another any time soon?
Hi again TC! I’ll definitely volunteer again in March, if my bone density scan shows favorable results. Hy hopes are set reasonably. I’m exercising back toward peak fitness, and feeling better about increasing the intensity week-by-week. When I first resumed weights and intense cardio exercise, I was too scared to push myself, ever-mindful that I was more susceptible to injuries or muscle tears. However, my body feels like it’s “my own” again now, and I’ve got a strong routine.
I’ve had people tell me that I’m crazy to get back in shape just to return to the program; my own mother asked me on the phone: "After everything you’ve gone through in the past few months, you’d still do this again?"
Very simply, yes. This project, and I am not exaggerating, was the most unique episode of my life, made all the more remarkable because I did not plan to stumble over it. I didn’t expect to go from bland, negative office surroundings to realizing that I was working with the most dedicated scientists I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing... (even if some were poking me with needles!), and I also didn’t expect to make such incredible friends. Participation in this program made 2008 one of my best years, both for the activity itself and the distinctive environment.
Don’t get me wrong, I won’t pretty up the disadvantages for blog reporting – never have. Some of my most descriptive posts have been about painful medical tests or the effects of weightlessness on the body that made me sick or uncomfortable. What kept me going was thinking, "This is what astronauts go through and I want to see if I can do it too."
Even facing downsides, almost everyone there had a positive attitude, and found a rewarding sense of satisfaction that we could contribute to science. Screening is tough, baseline testing is even tougher, and the projects themselves will test your limits in ways you couldn’t possibly have forseen. You go through all that just for the "honor" of knowing you are healthy enough to withstand a certain amount of deterioration.
Fighting back from that to regain strength and energy is a test of seeing what we can handle, what we can juggle, even what we can endure. We feel most alive when we are testing ourselves, journeying to our boundaries. That’s ultimately why I did it, and why I would do it again.
LOL, I’ll get right on that now that he’s been sworn in. I saw on the news that a group [of people with too much time on their hands] created an OBAMETER to track 510 campaign promises made by our new commander-in-chief. No less than 18 may affect NASA:
#150: Code of Conduct for space-faring nations
#331: Re-establish National Aeronautics & Space Council
#332: Additional Space Shuttle flight
#333: Speed development of next-generation space vehicle
#334: Use private sector to improve space flight
#335: Work with international allies on ISS
#336: Partner to enhance potential of ISS
#337: Use ISS for biological + physical research
#338: Explore whether ISS can operate after 2016
#339: Support human mission to moon by 2020
#340: Robust R&D on future human/robotic missions
#341: Increase spending for longer missions [Mars, asteroids, etc]
#342: Deploy global climate change monitoring system
#343: Improve climate change data records
#345: Enhance earth mapping
#349: Support commercial access to space
#350: Revise regulations for export of aerospace technology
#351: School programs to highlight space & science achievements
I don’t see "Attend Launch" on there... so I intend to call the White House... as soon as all those rotary-dial phones get fixed ;)
Qazser says: I passed bloodwork testing (studied real hard for it) and got my ticket to Houston for a February visit. Thanks for your info. They say rooms are semi-private... is that your own room under camera surveillance or two people together?
Glad to hear you are in process, that’s wonderful! Each room is under camera surveillance, and there are two beds per room, so it is always possible to have a roommate. I never had one, being one of only two women at UTMB for most of 2008... Candace and I each had our own rooms. The men are more apt to be roomed together since there are always more of them at any given time.
Orange of East Timor says: I like your blog! Thanks for sharing =) Are you a scientist?
Thank you! I am degreed but I am not a scientist -- merely a space-exploration enthusiast. For the past decade I’ve been in the IT and database fields, and one might say trying to escape… but then what would I do with all these screwdrivers?!
Thursday's Child of Kuwait says: I'm glad you're still posting about NASA. It's neat to read. I so wish you'd been able to finish your study. Do you plan to volunteer for another any time soon?
Hi again TC! I’ll definitely volunteer again in March, if my bone density scan shows favorable results. Hy hopes are set reasonably. I’m exercising back toward peak fitness, and feeling better about increasing the intensity week-by-week. When I first resumed weights and intense cardio exercise, I was too scared to push myself, ever-mindful that I was more susceptible to injuries or muscle tears. However, my body feels like it’s “my own” again now, and I’ve got a strong routine.
I’ve had people tell me that I’m crazy to get back in shape just to return to the program; my own mother asked me on the phone: "After everything you’ve gone through in the past few months, you’d still do this again?"
Very simply, yes. This project, and I am not exaggerating, was the most unique episode of my life, made all the more remarkable because I did not plan to stumble over it. I didn’t expect to go from bland, negative office surroundings to realizing that I was working with the most dedicated scientists I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing... (even if some were poking me with needles!), and I also didn’t expect to make such incredible friends. Participation in this program made 2008 one of my best years, both for the activity itself and the distinctive environment.
Don’t get me wrong, I won’t pretty up the disadvantages for blog reporting – never have. Some of my most descriptive posts have been about painful medical tests or the effects of weightlessness on the body that made me sick or uncomfortable. What kept me going was thinking, "This is what astronauts go through and I want to see if I can do it too."
Even facing downsides, almost everyone there had a positive attitude, and found a rewarding sense of satisfaction that we could contribute to science. Screening is tough, baseline testing is even tougher, and the projects themselves will test your limits in ways you couldn’t possibly have forseen. You go through all that just for the "honor" of knowing you are healthy enough to withstand a certain amount of deterioration.
Fighting back from that to regain strength and energy is a test of seeing what we can handle, what we can juggle, even what we can endure. We feel most alive when we are testing ourselves, journeying to our boundaries. That’s ultimately why I did it, and why I would do it again.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
NASA Rover in Inaugural Parade
The final spectacle in yesterday's Inaugural Parade was none other than NASA's Lunar Electric Rover. STS-126 crew and Expedition 17/18 engineer Greg Chamitoff all strode by, waving to the crowds, followed by the LER concept vehicle.
The driver, four-time Shuttle vet Michael Gernhardt, completed a "crab crawl" in front of the new presidential couple, who were grinning like all get out as space-walker Rex Walheim demonstrated how astronauts will undock from “spacesuit ports” on the moon. His port-mate, young Barbara Janoiko-Romig, waved cheerily to screaming onlookers as Rex saluted, then marched ahead of the vehicle, finishing the route carrying the stars & stripes.
The compact 12-wheeler can shelter two astronauts for two weeks, and is designed for both longevity and low-maintenance. In addition to moving sideways, it can also climb (slopes up to 40 degrees) and “kneel” forward so inhabitants of the glass cockpit may examine lunar objects without leaving the pressurized environment.
Remember the post about how regolith gets into everything? Those aft ports are designed to hold the suits outside, keeping moon dust out of the cabin. They are also much easier to get into and out of, cutting space-walk preparation time to a mere 10 minutes.
Again for the hardcore among us, here is a longer video of the rover assembly process by the JSC designers & robotic engineers.
Ain’t that a piece of hardware!
The driver, four-time Shuttle vet Michael Gernhardt, completed a "crab crawl" in front of the new presidential couple, who were grinning like all get out as space-walker Rex Walheim demonstrated how astronauts will undock from “spacesuit ports” on the moon. His port-mate, young Barbara Janoiko-Romig, waved cheerily to screaming onlookers as Rex saluted, then marched ahead of the vehicle, finishing the route carrying the stars & stripes.
The compact 12-wheeler can shelter two astronauts for two weeks, and is designed for both longevity and low-maintenance. In addition to moving sideways, it can also climb (slopes up to 40 degrees) and “kneel” forward so inhabitants of the glass cockpit may examine lunar objects without leaving the pressurized environment.
Remember the post about how regolith gets into everything? Those aft ports are designed to hold the suits outside, keeping moon dust out of the cabin. They are also much easier to get into and out of, cutting space-walk preparation time to a mere 10 minutes.
Again for the hardcore among us, here is a longer video of the rover assembly process by the JSC designers & robotic engineers.
Ain’t that a piece of hardware!
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