You must have seen the articles or posts on every web publication on the Internet this week, talking about Hawking’s space quest. Hawking spoke on why the human race must go to space to survive. If we stay here given our current course it will be the end of the race. He talked about the ways in which it can and will end. It is a great read, easy small, click the link!

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

It looks as though we might actually have someone running NASA who is not a complete moron? It seems he and others at the agency have admitted the Shuttle program and Space Station might not have been the best idea. This comes as no surprise to me, as this is what I have been saying since 1973 when first words of a Shuttle program began to emerge. I am not going to be as harsh as others in saying it was a complete waste of 100 billion dollars; we got some pretty cool shit out the last twenty years. But I will say I hope we use our money wiser this next twenty and maybe go to the moon? Better yet maybe we could do something productive like relocate some key congressional figures to the sun!

NASA Rockets away.

Well after some ten days of NASA scratching their collective heads, the Shuttle launched. It seems the little sensor in the main tank was just being a little bastard. After a replacement and much analysis, NASA said “Fuck it, let’s do this thing”.

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

Two Russian airliners went down over that country today at just about the same time. The President, V. Putin says he will investigate. There is very little news coming in at this time. More on this later I am sure.

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!

So you want 10 million dollars. All you have to do is build a space plane and fly some 60 miles above earth three times in two weeks. Sounds easy I know, but I think you will have to spend more than 10 to make it to the top!

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

Come Fly with me?
X-Prize