For Sale? For Real?

This morning a company based in the Los Angeles area made history: for the first time, a commercially developed launch vehicle had sent a commercially developed capsule to the space station. (There was global media coverage).

And this is the Los Angeles Times at my local newsrack this morning.

Photo: Reinhard Kargl. Click to enlarge.

I don’t claim to be an expert on the complex strategies and business of newspaper publishing. I am only a humble journalist writing about science and technology. But even I can see that this presentation is no remedy for stagnating sales.

 

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Joyriding In Beverly Hills, 1935

This film was studio background footage shot to be seen from the rear window of a stationary mock up car supposedly driving with actors in the front seat. The film records the road scenes on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills from Canon Drive past Robertson Boulevard.The last part of the film records the street scenes on the south side of Wilshire Boulevard, following the same route as previous. (Via ).

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Dragon En Route To ISS

This week has been very exciting for the entire aerospace community. Sleep patterns are being severely disrupted! It all began with the successful launch, after a dramatic abort two days earlier, of the SpaceX Dragon: the first commercially developed space capsule was sent on its way to the ISS, for the first time. You can watch a video of the launch here:

http://www.nasa.gov/mp4/652039main_ksc_052209_spacex_launch_pod.mp4

Of course, this is just a test flight, but a very complex undertaking in any case. We should anticipate that some things will not work as planned. The whole purpose of these test flights is to see how the system performs, and to find problems so they can be fixed. It is desirable for problems and weaknesses to be exposed during a test — not later with astronauts on board.

So far, everything is going very well. Dragon is currently flying on a trajectory close to the station. Here is a video from the perspective of the ISS:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=144472261

In its orbit, Dragon is performing various remotely controlled maneuvers intended to demonstrate that the capsule is fully under control. This is necessary before Dragon will be cleared to fly a close approach to the station, to be captured by the station’s robotic arm. The final decision for the go-ahead rests with Oleg Kononenko, the current commander of the ISS, who is responsible for the safety of the space station and its crew of six.

Here are the milestones for the coming days, from a SpaceX press release:

FRIDAY MORNING – Final Approach, Dragon Grapple

Around 2:00 AM Pacific/5:00 AM Eastern NASA will decide if Dragon is GO to move into the approach ellipsoid 1.4 kilometers around the space station. If Dragon is GO, after approximately one hour Dragon will move to a location 250 meters directly below the station. Dragon will then perform a series of maneuvers to show systems are operating as expected. If NASA is satisfied with the results of these many tests, Dragon will be allowed to perform the final approach to the space station.

Sometime around 6:00 AM Pacific/9:00 AM Eastern, astronauts on the space station will grapple Dragon with the space station’s robotic arm and the spacecraft will attach to the station.

SATURDAY MORNING – Hatch Opening

If all goes well, at approximately 2:00 AM Pacific/5:00 AM Eastern, the crew will start procedures to open Dragon’s hatch. It will take around 2 hours to complete all operations leading to the hatch opening. Once the hatch is opened, astronauts will enter Dragon for the first time in space.

All dates and times are approximate and could easily change.

NASA TV is covering many of these events. NASA and ESA both maintain web sites for the ISS:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

http://www.esa.int/esaHS/iss.html

To be informed about California-related aerospace and astronomy news, please follow my Twitter feed at:

http://www.twitter.com/CaliforniaSky

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Solar Eclipse

While hiking in the woods yesterday, I spontaneously decided to build an improvised pinhole camera to see the solar eclipse. Materials used: a roll of toilet paper, some aluminum foil I found in a trash can, a notepad from my backpack, and of course, my trusted Swiss army knife. Here is the resulting contraption and the image it produced:


If this does not impress you, here is a more professional image taken by the European Proba-2 microsatellite. (Hey, it cost a bit more). Credit: ESA/Pierre Carril.

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Carroll Shelby, 1923 – 2012

One of the titans of motor sports, race car driver and constructor Carroll Shelby passed away in Dallas today. He was 89 years old.

Perhaps his greatest stroke of genius: By the late 1950s, light and nimble British roadsters were sticking it to more powerful American race cars on many tracks. Shelby figured out a way to squeeze huge, powerful American V-8 engines made by Ford into comparably tiny British roadsters made by AC. The result was one of the most legendary sports car series in history: The AC Cobra (aka “Shelby Cobra”).

An early model AC Cobra. Click to enlarge. Picture: WikiStahlkocher.

Wish I had one. An original, of course.

Shelby’s web site: http://carrollshelby.com

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Where The Wild Things Are

Don’t we all secretly wish we could go where the Wild Things are? (And be back in time for dinner?)

In memoriam of Maurice Sendak, who died on the morning of May 8, 2012, in Danbury, Connecticut, from complications of a stroke.

“From their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions; fear and anxiety are an intrinsic part of their everyday lives, they continually cope with frustrations as best they can. And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming Wild Things.” (Maurice Sendak)

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$120 Million! I want to Scream!

One of my favorite paintings was auctioned off at Sotheby’s in New York today. Winning bid: $119,922,500.

Dang it! I was outbid again!

Most people don’t know that Skrik is actually a series of paintings created between 1893 and 1910. The version just sold (a pastel from 1895) is the last one in private hands. It was previously owned by Norwegian business heir Petter Olsen.

The 1893 version (and possibly my favorite) is now at the National Gallery in Oslo. My second favorite (the 1910 version) is located at the Munch Museum, also in Oslo. (It was stolen in 2004, and recovered in 2006). The same museum also holds another pastel.

Edvard Munch: Skrik (The Scream). This is the 1893 version. Click to enlarge.

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Blackbird Stories

While visiting Blackbird Air Park in Palmdale, California with a friend last week, we had the great pleasure of talking with Bill Flanagan (Major, Air Force Logistics Command, retired). Mr. Flanagan, Chairman of the Flight Test Historical Foundation, flew as crewman on the SR-71. He treated us to many fascinating facts, stories and a detailed hands-on demonstration of the SR-71’s cockpit.

It was quite extraordinary to see and touch this rare and wonderful aircraft, which once was so secret that even most US Congressmen and Senators had no idea of its existence.

Here is a picture of Mr. Flanagan (left) taken while he was on active duty.

Bill Flanagan, BC Thomas, JT Vida, Tom Tilden. Click to enlarge. Image source.

(Image source)

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