Space beer, yes you read the title right.  Some barley that was in space back in 2006 has found its way into some beer over at Sapporo.  Only 250 six packs were produced coming in at a whopping $110.  There is lottery for purchase and anyone can enter.   My only concern much like the grown pork meat is after drinking will I crave brains?

‘Space Barley’ six-packs for sale .

4 Million dollars.  That is how much  it is going to cost to stay in the first space hotel.  A company based in Barcelona says that by 2012 they will have an orbiting hotel fully operational.  So you and your very wealthy friends can jet off to stars to see the sun rise and set 15 times in one day.

Of course it is not for the faint of heart, the ball busting ride aboard a rocket to the station is sure to send many searching for the sick bag.  What awaits you once on board other than than the spectacular views is something they call the spa room.  Which I invisioned as having hot alien girls rubbing exotic oils all over my body.   Not the case however, the spa is really just a room filled with water and bubbles that keep you clean during your stay.  Boring.  I guess there is always the 60k club?

16 million for a family of four and no free breakfast. 

Last month on the way to the movie theater, that is what I have been doing with my free time, I heard a great piece on NPR about the teacher they shot into space yesterday. It brought back memories of that morning back in 1986 when the Challenger exploded and everything that followed. I have always been interested in space exploration. It saddens me that most of the people I interact with each day have little to no interest in whats out there. I think I am going to add “love of space” to the very long list of things my future mate must have.  Do you love space?

Listen to the NPR story from last month

Teacher in Space

Cnet published some great photos of the Orion space craft.   The Orion is the vehicle NASA plans to use to return to the Moon.  Flight testing starts next year with an expected return to the Moon by 2020.  Which seems like a long way off, but really it is just around the corner.

To the Moon
Orion Space Craft 

Last week while installing some new solar panels on the International Space Station one of the key computers on board failed. Now when I say key, I mean the computer that heats, cools and steers the station in space. Thankfully the US Space Shuttle was docked to the station and fired its thrusters to keep the station in orbit. The computer failure has been sorted by the Russians, they built the thing, but all involved say there is a chance it could happen again.

The European Space Agency has real concern as they are deploying two components of the station this year that run off the same computer system. The Russians are working with the ESA to rectify this problem for the future. The fact of the matter is, according to the article linked below, that no matter what, as the station continues to grow these kind of problems will crop up.

Lost in Space

Yet another reason to go to Florida. NASA has just opened the Shuttle Launch Experience. If you cant figure it out by the name, you experience what it would be like to launch into space on the Shuttle. With full surround sound, wide screen high definition TV and a moving room, this sounds awesome. Nothing like screaming and shitting your pants with a room full of tourists. Cant wait!

NASA Amusement
NASA Kennedy Space Center

New Star Wars Clone Wars animated series coming soon.  I was a big fan of the last set as they were very well produced and written.  Lets hope this set stands up as well.

New Clone Wars

Every week I read something new about how we will all be living in outer space, soon! This week it is the moon and how in the near future, 20 years, we will be setup on the moon drinking lunar cocktails with friends.

Both fingers crossed, but 20 years? We are having a hard time putting the shuttle into space; condos on the moon?

El Lunar Retreat

I have been talking about this for the last 15 years. Space is the final frontier. Only I took all the doom and gloom out. I classed up my argument on space so that my capitalist friends could understand. Simply put, there is money in space. Shit piles of it. The upside, we are off this rock and out there Star Trekking it across the galaxy. Plus I want to go to space, for under 2 million.

Hawking

NASA Rockets away.

If you did not have the pleasure of watching the shuttle take off yesterday, I have provided a link. It was awesome! I have always enjoyed watching the Shuttle blast off! Who doesn’t enjoy watching a big toaster being thrown skyward towards space. It is always been my hope to take the trip down south to see one race into the air. I am sure, I will get my chance. At the rate in which NASA is going, we will be using the Shuttle when I am 70!

The next 11 days will be telling as to whether NASA will be able to make a good show for the American viewing public. If you have not noticed “we the people” have lost our lust for space. To quote someone I use to know after the Columbia exploded, “oh really, there was a Shuttle launch today?” I like many Americans want space to be what it was in its hay day. The glory days of NASA seem behind us, but I am not sure that is altogether true. It is going to take more than one Shuttle launch to see if NASA can spark the hearts and “little” minds of the American people.

Watch the shuttle blast off if you didn’t get the chance and keep your eyes on the news the next couple of days. The landing will be watched and scrutinized the world over. I will do some follow up then.

3…2….1.. Ignition!

If you are a man of god, pray. If you are not down with god, think good thoughts. Today the Shuttle program gets back to business with the launch of STS 114. With any luck, this launch will put NASA back on target with the remaining Space Shuttle launches. Showing the world no matter how many of these ageing space vehicles we lose, we will try again. At least until we lose all of them, how many are left?

Personally, I feel the Shuttles time has long past. NASA should have made room for a new space delivery vehicle ten or more years ago. The Shuttle with its 8086 computers and typewriter style systems is a joke. I understand they do the job, but why? Wait, I know this answer. NASA, that’s why. When founded in 1958 to oversee all space/aerospace responsibilities in the USA. Its mission was clear and its budget small. Now NASA is a major agency with a sizeable budget, an unclear mission and a bloated bureaucracy. NASA, much like the rest of the federal government, needs help. I am not saying it is too big, or that it spends too much money. NASA funds and researches things I am sure would never be done. Without this agency, many new discoveries such as the pen that writes upside down would have never been. Seriously, NASA has done great things for this country and our way of life. NASA will always be around, but its role needs to change, the private sector needs to be more involved. If we are ever to get off this rock, for real, we need to relieve NASA and let the private sector kill some people and make some money.

I am a strong supporter of space exploration. Let’s face it; the final frontier is where we are headed. For us capitalists, it is where the next trillion dollar industry is waiting to be exploited. NASA is never going to get us to the space we read about as kids. If they keep the leash on space we will go to Mars, Pluto and the Outer Rim about the time your great-great grandkids are old. I want to go to space now; I want to see the planet from the stars before I check out. I don’t want to spend $500,000 dollars doing so either. I know private sector space flight is going to be dodgy at first. I also know turning it over to the private sector is going to change everything. But let’s face it; you and I know how the government works. If you and I worked like that, this country would be like Mexico. (no offence to my friends from the south) Without the opportunity to make dollars and exploit people, we will not move this space industry forward.

I might have strayed a bit. I hope the Shuttle fly’s high today. I hope it makes it back and that NASA can have its day in the sun for returning to space. But in the end, my real hope is too see man in space, without the government holding his hand. I know this day is getting closer. I just hope it happens soon, so an old man like me can see this blue planet from 60,000 feet.

Shuttle NYT
Wikki Nasa
NASA

NASA will test a new space vehicle that will be able to dock, talk, and repair other things in space. The need for an Astronaut and his clumsy human ways is over.

The project called Dart will blast into space tomorrow. It will give a little test run of things it is capable of doing on its own. This is a project that NASA has needed for the last 30 years and has finally realized. The ability for us small brained humans to get a robot to do our work is here! Well almost here. No more sending over qualified humans to do a lube job on a space craft. We can keep them here on earth to fight wars and serve coffee. Well ok and go to the moon and mars or what not.

I started writing with a point in mind. That was a couple of hours ago and I have lost the point. Maybe I never had one to begin with?

NASA

It looks as though the Space Shuttle will not be flying anytime soon. The rash of hurricanes that rattled Florida’s cost has set the load at NASA back months. This in turn will push the anticipated launch of the Shuttle in March back to May and maybe even July.

This program just can not catch a break. Damn the hurricanes! Damn you GOD! Damn you Federal Government! Damn you!

Damn me?

Shuttle
NASA

AP
NYTIMES

Cassini is the space craft the environmentalists said could end life on this planet. Ok maybe they were not that harsh but this space craft had a nuclear engine aboard. They said if it were to explode it would rain nuclear debris on Florida. This might have changed the 2000 election?

The past is the past and Cassini has reached Saturn safely and is sending us some great pictures! Times like these make me proud we still are funding NASA. Space is so rad!

Check out these sites for more pictures!

RINGS!!
ET Phone Home

Today June 21, 2004 marks the first flight into space by a privately funded company. This morning the craft Spaceship one reached the stratosphere of earth and returned to safely. The altitude has still not been confirmed but I think it is fair to say they did it and are on there way to winning the x-prize!

To the Moon!

Check out the X-prize site along with this snipet from the Times.

Come Fly with me?
X-Prize