This morning’s sucky NASA LCROSS non-explosion had me thinking hard about how awesome all things associated with space travel are. Here is my running list of . . .

SPACE TRAVEL AWESOMENESS

1). BUY A SPACE SUIT – You can actually BUY equipment and suits used by Soviet cosmonauts on space missions: autographed underwear worn by cosmonaut Alexander Poleschu, autographed space suit gloves, some personal effects taken by cosmonauts into space, an actual Soyuz Rocket launch key, a hammer used on the MIR Space Station (and another), and even an unused space suit human waste receptacle bag.

2). LUNAR CRASH – The amazing final minute of video footage taken by Japan’s JAXA SELENE/Kaguya lunar probe as it crash-landed on the Moon. Also, beautiful low-orbit video footage from the probe.

3). PHOBOS 2 – Beautiful color images of Mars and its moon Phobos taken by the Soviet Phobos 2 probe – the final (successful) mission of the Soviet Union space program.

4). SPACE ODDITY – Ziggy Stardust’s song “Space Oddity” covered by Ween, Seu Jorge, or the Langley Schools Music Project (a personal favorite).

5). ASTRONAUT WRISTWATCH – The Omega Speedmaster Professional – the first wristwatch worn on the Moon and the only item of early astronaut equipment that could be purchased by the public. How to make your own NASA-style velcro strap (PDF) for your Speedmaster (or whathaveyou).

6). WATCH ASTRONAUTS – Live Space Station video on NASA TV.

7). COSMONAUT WRISTWATCHES – A gallery of wristwatches worn by Soviet cosmonauts through the ages (Yuri Gagarin wore a general issue Shturmanski watch). You can buy the modern Poljot Shturmanski “Gagarn” commemorative chronograph.

8). SPACE SHIP ONE – SpaceShipOne’s “X-Prize” first contest flight, and its second flight, and Virgin Galactic’s “SpaceShip 2″ concept video. And the U.S. patent of SpaceShipOne.

9). FIRST PHOTOS ON THE MOON – The first images taken on the Moon, by the Soviet Luna and Zond probes.

10). LAND ON THE MOON YOURSELF – Play the oldschool “Lunar Lander” game or play an impressive modern version of “Lunar Lander” that incorporates Google Moon and real sound effects from the Apollo 11 mission.

11). RUSSIAN SPACE MUSEUM – EnglishRussia’s wonderful gallery of the Russian Space Museum (including the taxidermied remains of cosmonaut dogs Belka and Strelka).

12). SPACE PROGRAM ART – Artist Tom Sachs’ exhibit “Space Program,” including a hilarious exhibit video by the Neistat Bros, and a NASA Astronaut Knife designed by Sachs.

13). LANDING ON VENUS – Amazing digitally enhanced images of the surface of the planet Venus taken by the Soviet Venera probes.

14). LANDING ON SATURN’S MOON TITAN – Composite video of the landing of the European Space Agency’s 2005 Huygens probe landing on Saturn’s moon Titan; fisheye composite video of the landing with probe system data, and a video reconstruction of the landing site.

15). LE VOYAGE DANS LA LUNE – Georges Méliès’ 1902 silent film Le Voyage Dans la Lune “The Voyage to the Moon” [part 1 and part 2], one of the first science fiction films ever made.

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And the resulting impact was totally AMAZING sucky. I’ve seen more spectacular car wrecks. And I’m glad I didn’t sit outside with a telescope at 4:30 in the morning looking for this.

HERE’S THE VIDEO:



NOT SUCKY BONUS ROUND:
NASA/JPL’s 2005 Deep Impact probe collision with Comet Tempel 1 (nice, big explosion).

The JAXA (Japan’s Space Agency) 2007 SELENE/Kaguya probe passing ~50km over the surface of the Moon; watch the Earth rise at 1:20.

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Last Monday morning (July 20th, sometime between 3:00-9:00AM Pacific Time), something very large smacked into the southern hemisphere of Jupiter, leaving a dark “scar” in its outer atmosphere larger than Earth’s Pacific Ocean. The unknown and unseen object that pummeled Jupiter was likely a comet or an asteroid.

NASA news/photo link and NY Times link

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Here is Col. Buzz Aldrin (2nd man on the Moon) delivering an astronaut style punchout to a loudmouth conspiracy theorist:

The Eagle Has Landed Bonus Round:
“A Film About the Space Program (part 1)” and “A Film About the Space Program (part 2)” by Tom Sachs and The Neistat Brothers.

Ground Control to Major Tom Bonus Round:
Don Mitchell’s amazing gallery of images from the Soviet Zond and Luna series lunar probes; the Soviet Luna-9 was the first man-made craft to land on the Moon, on February 3, 1966.

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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . .
472 teams will reshoot 15 second clips of the first Star Wars movie, “Star Wars (IV): A New Hope.” When all teams have submitted their footage, they will be stitched together to create the “uncut” version:

Star Wars Uncut

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(The above illustrations by me are copyrighted, bitches.)

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In simple terms, the Aurora Borealis (in the North) and the Aurora Australis (in the South) happen when charged particles (electrons, protons, and what-have-you) released by the Sun collide with the Earth’s upper atmosphere. The glowing green and red light comes from these particles exciting oxygen in the upper atmosphere (other colors = other gasses). These particles are guided by Earth’s magnetic field lines and pulled toward an area around 65º North or South latitude (Alaska, northern Canada, Siberia, Iceland, southern Greenland, northern Scandinavia and Finland, and the coast of Antarctica).

Two weeks ago, at the Bay Area Maker Faire, I bought an “Aurorarium” – although it doesn’t actually create an aurora, it makes aurora-looking light patterns on the walls and ceiling. It is a Japanese Gekkan science kit and comes with a cool glossy color magazine about Aurorae: available online at the Maker Shed for $29.95.
It’s pretty damn pretty.

BBC’s Chris Lintott shows us Aurora Borealis over Norway:



Snap, Crackle, and Glow Bonus Round:
Listening to the radio discharges of Aurora Borealis:

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Keanu Reeves comes
to Earth and gets all preachy.
With a big robot.

It lacked the key phrase;
no Klaatu Barada Nikto.
But had a cool orb.

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End of the World Bonus Round:
See the meteor falling from multiple camera angles.

(via Geekologie)

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