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Space Cadet Clubhouse

Greatoldone
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It was a foggy ole day at Vandenberg yesterday, but didn't stop them launching another F9...


And a lovely touch down on Just Read the Instructions. 馃槑

Apparently this was the first flight of new, enlarged titanium grid fins.
 
Jones in LA
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I was driving our family yesterday (Sunday) from Los Angeles to the beach near Ventura Harbour and through the windscreen saw the Stage 1 cutoff and Stage 2 startup of the SpaceX/Iridium launch. I embarrassed myself in front of everyone by a full-on screaming, laughing, crying Geek-out (while still maintaining control of the car) 馃榾
 
ras47
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Jones in LA Jones in LA
I was driving our family yesterday (Sunday) from Los Angeles to the beach near Ventura Harbour and through the windscreen saw the Stage 1 cutoff and Stage 2 startup of the SpaceX/Iridium launch. I embarrassed myself in front of everyone by a full-on screaming, laughing, crying Geek-out (while still maintaining control of the car) 馃榾
I do that kind of thing all the time. 馃榾 Can't help myself. The wife and kids now just roll their eyes. "Dad's doing it again. Mom, can you make him stop?" Nope!

Me: "Quick, everybody come out on the deck!" It's 11:30 PM.

Son: "Dad, what is it? What's going on??"

Me: "Just come out here! Look up. See those lights that look like a small plane? That's the ISS!"

Wife: "You took me away from Housewives of OC to see THAT?!?!"

Me: "The ISS is 249 miles up, traveling at 17,136 miles per hour relative!"

Daughter: "Dad, you're relatively a HUGE GEEK."

More eye-rolling as the exodus from the deck takes place. I'm alone suddenly, reveling in the awesomeness I just witnessed. And I'm ok with that.
 
Jones in LA
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Happy Asteroid Day 馃榾

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_Day

These beasties are particularly near and dear to my heart, as I spent thousands of hours and snapped tens of thousands of images tracking their movement through the Solar System. In 2004 I made an incidental discovery of two main-belt asteroids from my backyard observatory. They have since been named for some famous humans. Here's where they are today:

Object 2004PX42/128523
JM1.jpg JM2.jpg



Object 2004PC27/232763
EW1.jpg EW2.jpg



Main Belt asteroid "Johnmuir" was last observed by the Kitt Peak (Arizona, USA) observatory on 2/24/2017, and Main Belt asteroid "Eliewiesel" was last observed by the [supposedly super secret] Space Surveillance Telescope at the White Sands Missile Range (New Mexico, USA) on 3/2/2017.

So hug an asteroid today!
 
TLIGuy
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The Soyuz MS-05 has cleared the tower and the Omega check to Roscosmos has cleared the bank!!

Just an interesting observation on the Speedmaster worn by cosmonaut Sergey Ryazanskiy (front) during the launch yesterday of Expedition 52/53. Typically the Speedmasters are worn on a black elastic strap connected to the watch with a custom made end piece. This is the first time I've ever observed the use of the modern day Speedmaster Velcro strap being used.

blog_NHQ201707280004.jpg
Edited:
 
TJH
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Yes, I noticed that too...perhaps it is time to change the case back to mention ROSCOSMOS!
 
Larry S
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So cool. This never gets old. Elon Musk rocks!
 
SpeedyPhill
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About 111 days to go and we'll know more about the two men crew to orbit the Moon to commemorate 50 years Apollo 8... and 100 years Arthur C Clarke !
馃嵖
 
TLIGuy
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Here is a great image for Eclipse day 2017....

CREDIT - NASA Photo - AS12-53-7927 - This is a photograph of the eclipse of the sun which was taken from the Apollo 12 spacecraft during its trans-Earth journey home from the moon. The view was created when Earth moved directly between the sun and the Apollo 12 spacecraft.

20799310_1582463168490418_4673290426356342595_n.jpg
 
TLIGuy
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From their humble beginning making latex bras to the Apollo suits worn on the moon ILC Dover has an amazing history.

I had the great opportunity to visit ILC Dover the company responsible for making the Apollo space suits and the current ISS EVA suits. The facility is rich in history and has a great private museum that houses some amazing Apollo artifacts. No photos were permitted in the museum or the production line so I only have these few to share.

The one highlight was seeing the Apollo suit that was recently used by sound engineers to record the sounds of the locking mechanisms for the gloves and helmet for the movie First Man.

IMG_3448.JPG IMG_3450.JPG


The suit on the display in the lobby worn in training by Buzz Aldrin and later by Bill Pouge.

IMG_3442.jpg IMG_3444.jpg IMG_3445.jpg IMG_3447.jpg IMG_3440.jpg IMG_3446.JPG


The Speedmaster on fire retardant Beta Cloth. Cool street address to be located at.

IMG_3458.JPG
 
Wryfox
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The genius of Elon Musk is still so underestimated.....think back 10 yrs, would you have believed the fastest sedan and roadster in the world is electric? Would you have believed that a private company would take command of transportation essential space programs? Heck, even that the possibility of a national solar company for individual power would really exist (even if it is being demolished by political means)?

Three companies, three breakthrough innovations. If he can somehow avoid going batsh*t crazy (and I worry about this), he'll accomplish much more. IMHO, the recent publicity is the result of boredom. Electric cars? meh. Solar energy systems? old news. Private Space? conquered. What's next......
 
rcs914
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Wryfox Wryfox
The genius of Elon Musk is still so underestimated.....think back 10 yrs, would you have believed the fastest sedan and roadster in the world is electric? Would you have believed that a private company would take command of transportation essential space programs? Heck, even that the possibility of a national solar company for individual power would really exist (even if it is being demolished by political means)?

Three companies, three breakthrough innovations. If he can somehow avoid going batsh*t crazy (and I worry about this), he'll accomplish much more. IMHO, the recent publicity is the result of boredom. Electric cars? meh. Solar energy systems? old news. Private Space? conquered. What's next......

While I agree to a large extent (and you didn't even touch on The Boring Company), Elon really should delete his Twitter account for his own good, and especially the good of the companies he's associated with. I realize that you don't get to being a multi-billionaire without having an ego, but his seems to have run unchecked lately. That coupled with his being rather thin skinned when it comes to anything critical of him (even when deserved) has had an incredibly negative effect. And for the good of Tesla, SpaceX, etc. I really don't want that.
 
Wryfox
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Jury's out on the Boring company. California project? GUARANTEED that politics will demolish that idea too. But a great idea nonetheless.

I don't recall who said it but "if your idea doesn't sound crazy, you're not thinking big enough"

With Musk, crazy dreams become reality....
 
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