Mark your calendars 05/30? If weather holds...
#1218246
05/24/20 01:41 PM
05/24/20 01:41 PM
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Trail_Mystic
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https://www.nasa.gov/specials/dm2/It's been far too long since we've launched astronauts from home soil here in the US. Reminds me of when I was a kid waiting to see the Apollo missions take off. That Dragon space craft is one neat piece of high tech. They'll be using the new space suits on this mission too. The whole thing reminds me of Star Trek TNG.
Last edited by Trail_Mystic; 05/27/20 03:36 PM.
I feel a lot more like I do now, then when I first got here
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Re: Mark your calendars 05/27
[Re: Trail_Mystic]
#1218261
05/24/20 03:39 PM
05/24/20 03:39 PM
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BrownEyedTigre
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I still remember all the excitement of the first space missions and they have always fascinated me. Thanks for the headsup! I will stay tuned!
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Re: Mark your calendars 05/27
[Re: oldbroad]
#1218272
05/24/20 05:59 PM
05/24/20 05:59 PM
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Trail_Mystic
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Personally, I've never really understood all the excitement about this stuff The vastness of space, the existence of objects that seemingly defy our understanding of physics, planets composed almost completely of diamond like carbon forms, stars that leave a pulsing force, almost like a beating heart behind after they collapse, the idea that the "emptiness of space" isn't really all that empty, but composed of a form of matter that we can't interact with, but has an influence on the workings and structure of the Universe we know. To me personally, It's all like a huge and wonderful gift box, with the most amazing wrapping paper ever. If I could, I'd definitely want to dive into it.
I feel a lot more like I do now, then when I first got here
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Re: Mark your calendars 03/27
[Re: Trail_Mystic]
#1218285
05/24/20 07:41 PM
05/24/20 07:41 PM
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LadyKestrel
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I have a passion for both space science and science fiction, so I'm excited about this launch too, Trail. Fingers crossed that all goes well with it.
“Rainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book.” -Bill Watterson
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Re: Mark your calendars 05/27
[Re: Trail_Mystic]
#1218287
05/24/20 07:59 PM
05/24/20 07:59 PM
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Marian
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The vastness of space, the existence of objects that seemingly defy our understanding of physics, planets composed almost completely of diamond like carbon forms, stars that leave a pulsing force, almost like a beating heart behind after they collapse, the idea that the "emptiness of space" isn't really all that empty, but composed of a form of matter that we can't interact with, but has an influence on the workings and structure of the Universe we know. To me personally, It's all like a huge and wonderful gift box, with the most amazing wrapping paper ever. If I could, I'd definitely want to dive into it. Very well expressed, TM!
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Re: Mark your calendars 05/27
[Re: Trail_Mystic]
#1218290
05/24/20 08:56 PM
05/24/20 08:56 PM
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Joined: Jun 2005
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Draclvr
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When I was in high school, I got up at the crack of dawn and NEVER missed a launch! Fascinated by this stuff! I would have gone to space in a flash if it was possible. Still would for that matter!
Once again, weeds are my life!
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Re: Mark your calendars 05/27
[Re: Trail_Mystic]
#1218341
05/25/20 11:33 AM
05/25/20 11:33 AM
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Trail_Mystic
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There's this great passage out of Arthur C. Clarke's book "Rendezvous with Rama" that combines factual events with a later fictional occurrence, which acts as a trigger for the plot: Sooner or later, it was bound to happen. On June 30, 1908, Moscow escaped destruction by three hours and four thousand kilometers—a margin invisibly small by the standards of the universe. On February 12, 1947, another Russian city had a still narrower escape, when the second great meteorite of the twentieth century detonated less than four hundred kilometers from Vladivostok, with an explosion rivaling that of the newly invented uranium bomb. In those days there was nothing that men could do to protect themselves against the last random shots in the cosmic bombardment that had once scarred the face of the Moon. The meteorites of 1908 and 1947 had struck uninhabited wilderness; but by the end of the twenty-first century there was no region left on Earth that could be safely used for celestial target practice. The human race had spread from pole to pole. And so, inevitably . . . At 0946 GMT on the morning of September 11 in the exceptionally beautiful summer of the year 2077, most of the inhabitants of Europe saw a dazzling fireball appear in the eastern sky. Within seconds it was brighter than the Sun, and as it moved across the heavens—at first in utter silence—it left behind it a churning column of dust and smoke. Somewhere above Austria it began to disintegrate, producing a series of concussions so violent that more than a million people had their hearing permanently damaged. They were the lucky ones. Moving at fifty kilometers a second, a thousand tons of rock and metal impacted on the plains of northern Italy, destroying in a few flaming moments the labor of centuries. The cities of Padua and Verona were wiped from the face of the Earth; and the last glories of Venice sank forever beneath the sea as the waters of the Adriatic came thundering landward after the hammer blow from space. Six hundred thousand people died, and the total damage was more than a trillion dollars. But the loss to art, to history, to science—to the whole human race, for the rest of time—was beyond all computation. It was as if a great war had been fought and lost in a single morning; and few could draw much pleasure from the fact that, as the dust of destruction slowly settled, for months the whole world witnessed the most splendid dawns and sunsets since Krakatoa. After the initial shock, mankind reacted with a determination and a unity that no earlier age could have shown. Such a disaster, it was realized, might not occur again for a thousand years—but it might occur tomorrow. And the next time, the consequences could be even worse. Very well; there would be no next time. A hundred years earlier, a much poorer world, with far feebler resources, had squandered its wealth attempting to destroy weapons launched, suicidally, by mankind against itself. The effort had never been successful, but the skills acquired then had not been forgotten. Now they could be used for a far nobler purpose, and on an infinitely vaster stage. No meteorite large enough to cause catastrophe would ever again be allowed to breach the defenses of Earth. So the moral of this story? Keep looking up!
Last edited by Trail_Mystic; 05/25/20 11:34 AM.
I feel a lot more like I do now, then when I first got here
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Re: Mark your calendars 05/27
[Re: Trail_Mystic]
#1218342
05/25/20 11:34 AM
05/25/20 11:34 AM
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butterflybabe
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While I appreciate it all and at times find it interesting, not sure if I was ever really fascinated by science, fact or fiction. I was definitely aware of what was going on, but not to the point of wishing I was involved or anything.
About 15 years ago, I was really bummed, almost horrified, when I learned that my teen aged nephew, was taught by his high school teacher that the first moon landing was a fake done by a television station using special effects. Don't mean to go off track here, but I asked him if the same was taught about the Holocaust. He said no.
Life's a puzzle; one piece at a time.
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Re: Mark your calendars 05/27
[Re: Trail_Mystic]
#1218451
05/26/20 01:06 PM
05/26/20 01:06 PM
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hagatha
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Trail, that quote has some prophetic dates. September 11. And 2077 (sorry: I'm still playing Fallout 4 so that one is stuck).
My dad was a voracious reader of science fiction and I was weaned on the stuff. I remember going to the cinema with my older sister to see 2001 and the news reel before it was the Apollo 11 moon landing, which had just happened a couple of days before. It was all my imaginings coming true.
I know our world has bigger problems to deal with right now, but I always felt space could be a beacon of hope for our future.
I think I'm quite ready for another adventure.
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Re: Mark your calendars 05/27
[Re: Trail_Mystic]
#1218454
05/26/20 02:01 PM
05/26/20 02:01 PM
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Joined: Jun 2005
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Draclvr
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Now they're saying it's only 40% chance of launch because of weather. I will be so bummed!
Once again, weeds are my life!
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Re: Mark your calendars 05/27
[Re: hagatha]
#1218470
05/26/20 07:34 PM
05/26/20 07:34 PM
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Trail_Mystic
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Trail, that quote has some prophetic dates. September 11. And 2077 (sorry: I'm still playing Fallout 4 so that one is stuck).
My dad was a voracious reader of science fiction and I was weaned on the stuff. I remember going to the cinema with my older sister to see 2001 and the news reel before it was the Apollo 11 moon landing, which had just happened a couple of days before. It was all my imaginings coming true.
I know our world has bigger problems to deal with right now, but I always felt space could be a beacon of hope for our future. Well, Clarke is consider by many to be a scientific prophet of sorts. While he didn't originate the ideas, his writings about communication satellites and their practical application was realized only about 20 years later. The book "Fountains of Paradise" about a Space Elevator located in Sri Lanka, fleshed out the idea put forward by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, and is still being seriously considered today.
I feel a lot more like I do now, then when I first got here
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Re: Mark your calendars 05/27
[Re: Trail_Mystic]
#1218481
05/26/20 11:04 PM
05/26/20 11:04 PM
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 8,160 B.C. Canada
hagatha
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Well, Clarke is consider by many to be a scientific prophet of sorts. While he didn't originate the ideas, his writings about communication satellites and their practical application was realized only about 20 years later. The book "Fountains of Paradise" about a Space Elevator located in Sri Lanka, fleshed out the idea put forward by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, and is still being seriously considered today. A lot of science fiction seems to do that. I guess if it can be imagined, it can be done. Eventually.
I think I'm quite ready for another adventure.
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Re: Mark your calendars 05/27
[Re: hagatha]
#1218518
05/27/20 01:08 PM
05/27/20 01:08 PM
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Trail_Mystic
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The control center of the Dragon spacecraft is soooo different from those of old. Check out this image: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/2_ksc-20200319-ph-spx01_0015_orig.jpgYou can see that a lot of the controls are done through touch screens, very much like the science fiction series' I've been watching for years. What's really cool, is that big handle in the center of the command console, is a release. If anything goes wrong with the touch screen system, they just unlock that and the whole assembly swings up over the top of them to reveal a whole console of critical manual controls and old school read-outs. Neat eh? Well, they scrubbed the launch today due to weather - Better safe than sorry. Next launch window is this Saturday 05/30. Fingers crossed the weather is good.
Last edited by Trail_Mystic; 05/27/20 03:38 PM.
I feel a lot more like I do now, then when I first got here
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Re: Mark your calendars 05/27
[Re: Trail_Mystic]
#1218558
05/27/20 07:34 PM
05/27/20 07:34 PM
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BrownEyedTigre
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I was disappointed to see the launch was cancelled today, Trail! I wish them success on Saturday! We saw the documentary on the flight. That console is awesome! They really did put thought behind the construction. Ana
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