Comment Bigelow Genesis modules (Score 1) 102
What about Bigelow's Genesis 1 and 2 inflatable modules. They have been on orbit for many years. http://bigelowaerospace.com/bi...
Comment Re:Citizen eco-drive atomic watches (Score 1) 291
I have had one of these for about 15 years. WWV, Solar and tough as nails. The newer ones even look better, I bought one for my dad that looks like a normal watch. Batteries last about 10 years if you wear short sleeves enough to charge them occasionally. Without a solar charge the battery lasts about 6 months. I have replaced the battery twice, they are about $20 and fairly easy to replace if you are handy and careful. Just watch out for the tiny springs.
Submission + - The BBC is Bringing Back Robot Wars, the Original Robot Fighting Show (gizmodo.com)
mknewman writes: Sure, BattleBots was cool, but let’s not forget the real father of Robot TV deathmatches broadcast for our pleasure: the classic BBC series Robot Wars. Fans of violent robotic combat rejoice then, because the BBC are bringing back the series with more robots, and some mandatory science bits to distract you from the FIGHTING ROBOTS.
Comment The best and worst parts (Score 1) 242
Worst line: "I'm going to science the shit out of this!" (Not in the book).
Best line: "You've got smoke coming off of you" (That line wasn't in the book but it was mentioned that he stunk).
Unfortunate that Ridley changed the ending. The lame Ironman routine sucked big ones. Watch his hands after he cuts his suit, he would have been dead by the time he got to the airlock.
On a positive, I liked the book and the movie as moderately scientific sci-fi. Mars' radiation would still kill you if you had been on it for 2 years in a tent though.
Comment Moon and Mars are both silly (Score 1) 684
Go to the Asteroid Belt and find nice valuable rocks and volatiles floating around. No need to expend Delta-V to land and take off. Even the big asteroids have minimal gravity.
Really though, what we need to concentrate on is finding habitable extra-solar planets and send some probes there. Earth may be a burnt cinder by the time we hear back, but the longer we wait the longer it will be.
Inhabit the Solar System and then move out, even if we get there and the planet is a dud we can live in space indefinitely.
Comment Re:TurboTax (Score 1) 889
+1 for TurboTax
Comment Past mission history (Score 2) 99
Seeing that the past tether attempts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... haven't been so successful I think this type of mission is a bit premature.
Comment Tag line (Score 1) 60
I'm gonna have to science the shit out of this!
Looks like the worst sci-fi movie since The Astronaut Farmer.
Quit taking liberties, Hollywood. We are SMART.
Comment Rick Perry (Score 1) 686
Rick Perry is not in office. He's currently fighting corruption charges in Texas.
Comment Like this? (Score 2) 80
Submission + - Amazon Announces New Car Show Featuring the Old Top Gear Presenters (gizmodo.com)
mknewman writes: Amazon has announced that Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May will be reuniting to create “an all-new car show” that will be exclusively on Amazon Prime.
The new show will be produced by the old-time Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman and is scheduled to go into production “shortly.” It will apparently appear on screens in 2016. For what it’s worth, Jeremy Clarkson has said that the move makes him “feel like I’ve climbed out of a bi-plane and into a spaceship.”
The new show will be produced by the old-time Top Gear executive producer Andy Wilman and is scheduled to go into production “shortly.” It will apparently appear on screens in 2016. For what it’s worth, Jeremy Clarkson has said that the move makes him “feel like I’ve climbed out of a bi-plane and into a spaceship.”
NASA Announces the 3D Printed Habitat Challenge For Moon and Mars Bases 46
An anonymous reader writes: Space policy experts are still arguing where American astronauts should go once they venture into deep space. However, there is widespread agreement that once they get there they should be prepared to stay for longer than just a few hours or days, as was the case during the Apollo missions to the moon. Taking all the material to set up habitats, the astronauts' homes away from home, would tend to be expensive. Toward the end of lowering the cost of long duration space travel, NASA has announced the 3D Printed Habitat Challenge, in partnership with America Makes, as part of the ongoing Centennial Challenge program.
Submission + - Rocket Lab Unveils "Electric" Rocket Engine 1
Adrian Harvey writes: The New Zealand based commercial space company Rocket Lab has unveiled their new rocket engine which the media is describing as battery-powered. It still uses rocket fuel, of course, but has an entirely new propulsion cycle which uses electric motors to drive its turbopumps.
To add to the interest over the design, it uses 3D printing for all its primary components. First launch is expected this year, with commercial operations commencing in 2016.
To add to the interest over the design, it uses 3D printing for all its primary components. First launch is expected this year, with commercial operations commencing in 2016.
Submission + - The origin of the first light in the Universe
StartsWithABang writes: Before there were planets, galaxies, or even stars in the Universe, there really was light. We see that light, left over today, in the form of the Cosmic Microwave Background, or the remnant glow from the Big Bang. But these photons outnumber the matter in our Universe by more than a-billion-to-one, and are the most numerous thing around. So where did they first come from? Science has the answer.
