Curiosity Rover Sings Happy Birthday to Itself

Two days late (the rover Curiosity landed on Mars on August 5, 2012), but just as awesome:


http://youtu.be/uxVVgBAosqg

I am reminded of WALL-E. (I trust I'm not the only one?)

BBC: A One-Way Trip to Mars

I've been reading Asimov lately, and consequently thinking about space colonization. One of the most often-cited barriers to human colonization of extraterrestrial worlds is the presumed lack of volunteers willing to make a one-way journey to another planet; it seems too conclusive, a course of action only the deeply desperate or truly dissatisfied would be willing to undertake. (Fortunately for human rights, but unfortunately for space colonization, penal colonies -- the interplanetary version of 19th century Australia -- don't seem to be a viable option.)

It seems, however, that not everyone shares said pessimism about human civilization beyond Earth:
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120206-space-tourists-one-way-mars-trip

There are a number of examples of migration and settlement in human history that may be considered analogues of space colonization. The Thirteen Colonies, for example, were populated by settlers who never expected to return to their lands of origin, and who were largely unable to communicate with family and friends from their precolonial lives (a product of distance, the unreliability of mail delivery, and illiteracy). And yet, there was no shortage of people willing to make the trip -- there were convicts and bondsmen, to be sure, but also religious minorities, merchants, speculators, explorers, and all manner of people who believed that they could build a better life in the uncharted wilderness than in the known, civilized world. I don't believe that this strain of optimism and curiosity will have disappeared between then and whenever we are capable of sending colonists beyond our orbit.

Would I go? I must admit: probably not. I have too many Earthly attachments -- people, places, moments, experiences (especially people). I would have been reluctant, I think, even in the later eras of immigration by ship; see the song "Kilkelly." It's no coincidence that so many of the early colonists in North America were particularly fervent Protestants who believed that one's mortal existence was ultimately inconsequential (predestination, and the complete rejection of Catholic belief in deed as well as faith), or people with few ties to their original communities, for varying definitions of community. But in an age of faster interplanetary travel, I'd sure love to visit!

Also, I think the idea of sending a few intrepid journalists to document the development of the Martian colony is brilliant. It's not often that we get to study the development of a nascent civilization, and it would prove instructive to have such a chronicle on hand once the colonization of space really begins.

The article mentions a hypothetical poll; I would be very interested to see the results of that particular study. I'm especially curious as to the demographics of an all-volunteer Martian colony, and whether they would reflect a population roughly comparable to the New World colonists.

io9: Race Relations in the Space Age

An adorable, moving video about breaking all sorts of glass ceilings in pursuit of one's dreams (also, Star Trek pioneering integration FTW):

http://io9.com/5981089/a-sweet-animated-tale-of-challenger-astronaut-ronald-mcnairs-early-experience-standing-up-to-racism

Ronald McNair. I didn't know who he was until I saw this, but I'm glad I found it. I'll admit to tearing up a little at the end. (Challenger, why?) He's one of the many unsung heroes of science -- much as the Catholic Church has a body of saints, I propose that science establish its own roster of martyrs for the cause. McNair would be up there with Galileo and Marie Curie.

NASA's Take on Gangnam Style

I found this on io9, and it's too good not to share:



One of the more amusing things in this video (there are many) is the varying levels of enthusiasm and embarrassment among the NASA employees. Some people are extremely excited to be part of it, some are rather embarrassed to be dancing on YouTube for the world to see (and having fun while they're at it), some are Not Amused, some are gritting their teeth and dancing in the name of science, and some (mostly the ones at the end) are probably secretly shaking their heads and thinking, "kids these days." I can only imagine what it must have taken to persuade a bunch of scientists to put this thing together -- which is probably not all that much, come to think of it. This is a pretty geeky idea of a good time! (Also, a fun form of science outreach, which we need more of these days.)

The Economist: Customs and Immigration... from the Moon

Those astronauts had a great sense of humor (and so, too, does The Economist):

http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2011/10/space-travel

I think my favorite part is the declaration of health.

NYTimes: Atlantis, or, the End of an Era

The last mission of the NASA space shuttle program departed today:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/09/science/space/09shuttle.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

I realize I'm unusually nostalgic when it comes to space exploration, and the shuttle in particular (I discuss it in a previous post, which, ironically, is about what was projected to be Atlantis's last flight.), but I still can't quite believe that the last shuttle is being decommissioned.

NASA is exploring alternatives in human spaceflight, but it will be a long while before the United States achieves anything close to its shuttle-based capabilities with other technologies. In the interim, I would be concerned for the space program, especially its ability to make an impression on potential recruits. Nothing inspires starstruck kids as much as human spaceflight -- I would know (as a child, I harbored dreams of becoming an astronaut).

While private ventures, like SpaceX, are doing an admirable job of innovating for the next generation of human spaceflight, much like the European explorers setting sail in the 1600s who were often funded by merchants and investors, they ultimately still need the backing of a government that can chart the course of not one mission, but an entire exploration program. Since human spaceflight does not produce immediate profits, require a longer view than most private ventures can tolerate, and involves more intricate international (political) interaction than most other industries, the government's role is still critical.

Let's see what takes the place of the space shuttle. In the hearts and minds of many space enthusiasts, it will continue to represent an era of great accomplishments and greater dreams.

Or, this Abstruse Goose, anyone?

MSNBC: Endeavour Crew Recreates Star Trek Movie Poster

The space shuttle Endeavour embarked on its last mission four days ago (after its decommissioning, the only remaining operational shuttle of the original NASA fleet will be the Atlantis). Traditionally, every mission has a themed poster. This mission, STS-134, modeled its poster on the recent Star Trek film poster, which I think is quite fitting, and quite clever. (The inner geek (or maybe not-so-inner geek) in me just had a field day.)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43038704/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/endeavour-crew-recreates-star-trek-movie-poster/

What would have been even better would be if it were the shuttle Enterprise, but that was mostly a test shuttle and was decommissioned early in the shuttle program. Still, a girl can dream.

Time-Lapse Auroras over Norway

NASA's picture of the day a few days ago, not actually a picture this time, but a really cool, really pretty video of atmospheric and cosmic (to an extent) phenomena:

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110328.html

Courtesy of Wendy.

MSNBC: Space Food

Interesting, whimsical, fun. Here you go:

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/08/04/1753.aspx

NYTimes: Atlantis's Last Flight

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/15/science/space/15shuttle.html?hp

It's a bittersweet moment for me, because I had cherished a childhood dream of becoming an astronaut (humor me here; I was five, and unaware that there's a height restriction). I've always been fascinated by the heavens and the Great Beyond, so to speak (had I lived in the 1600s, and been of the convenient gender, I would probably have gone exploring, scurvy and gangrene not withstanding). In high school, during my years on the newspaper staff, I wrote several articles on NASA's various exploits, even though in retrospect, nobody cared very much, and the editors likely ran the articles to humor me, because I was their layout editor.