So I went to NASA Glenn yesterday for the first time since I was in grade school. Mind you, I've always been into space...but not like I am now after going.

See, there was this Space Memorabilia Show going on yesterday. Andrew Chaikin, author of the book 'Man on the Moon' (the basis for the miniseries From the Earth to the Moon) was there, as well as Sy Liebergot, an EECOM controller during the Apollo 13 mission, and was one of those who saved the Apollo 13 astronauts after a major explosion aboard their craft.

So, is there anyone here that's really into the space stuff? There's a big thing at the GRC next month to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Sputnik.

THE RUSSIANS AND MICHAEL VICK CAN SUCK A BIG FAT DICK.

PEACE, LAIKA.

I like space a lot. The physics side of it, and the ideas that come along with it. The human interest side and political side are still interesting and all, but not nearly as compelling as cosmology and such.

Also, meteors and comets are badass. One stupid rock just cruising around doing nothing could basically wipe out thousands of years of human civilization in the blink of an eye, without intent or purpose. Woah.

I would love to visit the JPL and NASA Plum Brook someday. They're doing stuff with jet engines and rockets that blow my mind.

re: laika, yeah that's the one part of the story they leave out. her bones, are they still up there?

EDIT: SPUTNIK 2 BURNED UP ON RE-ENTRY IN 1958.

re: vick, a knowledgeable person said that they think vick will never play another down in the NFL.

re: space, so apt a name. it is HUGE. Helps ground you, when you worry about stupid shit. NOTHING MATTERS. we are ants.

going to mars? cool idea, but a dumb decision. going to the moon is so fucking hard. shit just going up to a low orbit in the shuttle is super dangerous. granted part of the problem is the shuttle design itself, but space travel is not made for humans.

considering the vastness of space is difficult. it always shuts people's brains down, when you try to explain that if you had the millenium falcon, it would take 100,000 years just to travel across our little galaxy. It would take 4.2 years for Han Solo just to travel to the nearest star. Yet, if say a Supernova happened in our corner of the galaxy, say within 5,000 light years, we'd be wasted. WTF?

however, the farthest object you can see with your naked eye? the andromeda galaxy. it is 2.5 million light years away! awesome!

I am kinda addicted to the website www.spaceweather.com. they'll tell you when there are any kind of space phenomena happening in your area such as auroras, meteor showers, comets, eclipses, etc. has a real nice simple presentation for the amateur but also nerdy technical info too.

I don't know if this is of any interest but one of the links that Spiritualized have on their website is this one of Nasa's live feeds.

Anyone seen this yet?

http://www.intheshadowofthemoon.com/

Just saw pictures of the Helix Nebula, kinda creepy.

madlee wrote:re: space, so apt a name. it is HUGE. Helps ground you, when you worry about stupid shit. NOTHING MATTERS. we are ants.

this is how come i never get anything done.

i am nihilist.