The International Space Station unfurled its remaining solar cell array for a total of 120 kW of renewable solar power. The space station is now 80 percent complete.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7956332.stm

Even though it has taken much longer to build, it is impressive when you think about the size and scope of ISS. An awesome accomplishment. I can't wait to see some glory shots with these new panels unfurled.

I only wish it was a wheel. :(

Yeah, I wish the same. Talk about awe (just as in scope) and comfort (just as in Hilton).

After just re-watching that portion of 2001, that 'wheel' looks like a small city in space now.

Maybe it should be 3001 instead...

Yeah, I wish the same. Talk about awe (just as in scope) and comfort (just as in Hilton).

After just re-watching that portion of 2001, that 'wheel' looks like a small city in space now.

Maybe it should be 3001 instead...In the early 1950s, when Wehrner von Braun first proposed a giant, rotating, wheel-shaped space station that would use centrifugal force to simulate gravity, nothing was known about the effects of weightlessness on the human body and mind. Some "experts" even believed that zero-g would cause such massive disorientation and vertigo that people wouldn't be able to function at all in space. Fortunately, they turned out to be wrong. The Skylab and Mir missions in the 1970s and '80s proved that astronauts could function in weightlessness for months at a time, though it took some time to re-adjust to gravity when they returned to earth.

The fact is (unfortunately for us sci-fi geeks) that huge, wheel-shaped, gravity-simulating space stations are a thing of the far future, if they'll ever be built at all. They're simply not necessary. Civilian space tourists of the future will find it easy to adapt to short-term weightlessness -- in fact, it'll be fun. For professional space station crews, the debilitating effects of long-term weightlessness -- cardiovascular degeneration, muscle atrophy, loss of bone mass -- can be counteracted with regular exercise. And the cost and complexity of engineering a huge rotating pressurized habitat, while not impossible, simply isn't economically feasible. Sorry, but there isn't a Space Wheel in your future.

Sorry, but there isn't a Space Wheel in your future.

Well, of course you are correct. I think about the impact of SF (like 2001 and Star Trek) and what it meant to me and a generation growing up - how it would influence my life dramatically. The path was simple - Strong Academics, sports and leadership to the Academy. The Academy to flight school. Flying to instructing/testing. Testing to NASA. Even if we didn't make it all the way through, the dream kept us going. Today, some classmates are flying those orbiters, just not me.

I doubt we will ever have a shortage of people who want to be in the astronaut program. I'm simply discouraged that some of the best inspiration (like the above examples) is almost half a century old now.

...
Besides, could you ever imagine 'Orion' flying so empty today? Ever since deregulation, you could probably bet the flight was overbooked, and you would have to fly standby. :)

...

And just think, after WE complete the I.S.S., we get to "GIVE IT AWAY" and IF ONE OF THE FOREIGN countrys we "give it to" gets mad at us, they may tell US " keep out, no trespassing"

And just think, after WE complete the I.S.S., we get to "GIVE IT AWAY" and IF ONE OF THE FOREIGN countrys we "give it to" gets mad at us, they may tell US " keep out, no trespassing"

Politics at it's finest. Of course, we've had to keep Russian Scientists and Engineers employed, because we wouldn't want them upset also (while they have sold seats). We don't sell seats, we just send congressmen and senators up for 'research'.

..........we just send congressmen and senators up for 'research'.

Who better to test the effects of cosmic rays on? Beats sending innocent dogs and monkeys. :p

As the topic is listed 'Totally OT', let's bring it On T.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6yuwdfdmC4&feature=PlayList&p=B6F2E2DCE2D0E3D0&index=1


This is Heller's ISS @ 1/125 from a few years ago. Apparently, they are out of business now, but the kits are still hanging around. I picked this one up the other year for $40 and my local still has piles of other Heller kits around.

After recording the vid, I did some quick image research and it looks like the kit is missing the main power trusses, the last of which was installed this week by STS119. Other than that it looks fairly accurate. Heller may have worked off preliminary designs or the mission may have changed or the extra trusses were too much for the kit cost/value.

I would bet on Design Changes.

Thanks model man! Way to bring it on topic!

Thanks model man! Way to bring it on topic!

That is a nice kit. I'd like to get one myself.

That is a nice kit. I'd like to get one myself.

They have been around for a long time. I'm sure there are plenty floating around (no pun intended).

Who the hell designs a system that if you insert a pin upside down, the thing jams? And if you have to have it go in a certain way, why the hell don't you have some sort of marking on it that screams "THIS END UP!" to the poor schlub that's doing the spacewalk and can't feel a damn thing in his gloves?

Oh, wait. This is NASA.

Gene

Who the hell designs a system that if you insert a pin upside down, the thing jams? And if you have to have it go in a certain way, why the hell don't you have some sort of marking on it that screams "THIS END UP!" to the poor schlub that's doing the spacewalk and can't feel a damn thing in his gloves?

Oh, wait. This is NASA.

Gene
After John Glenn's flight netted some great exposure, NASA considered (not kidding) sending up 'an all female' crew on a mission. Just for the PR...

It's not just us, though - I remember when France threatened to sue us for engineering Ethernet into ISS (stating it was an American 'only' standard).

After John Glenn's flight netted some great exposure, NASA considered (not kidding) sending up 'an all female' crew on a mission. Just for the PR...

It's not just us, though - I remember when France threatened to sue us for engineering Ethernet into ISS (stating it was an American 'only' standard).
whens the last time they sent a crew to work,build AND PAY for the station ? lol This is me, mid deck center seat, & suited up on your right.

DUDE!!! :eek:

John? JOHN???? Hey look, everybody! He's FAINTED!!!!! :rolleyes:
Hey, Mr. Payne, wake up! It's only Bert! He's one of US, remember?? You know, puts his pants on one leg at a time, gets head colds, applies putty, sanding, cements & paints, dremel salutes, etc.
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

awesome! On you next mission, try to assemble a model of the ISS,
with a miniature version of you modeling the ISS,
with ...

John? JOHN???? Hey look, everybody! He's FAINTED!!!!! :rolleyes:
Hey, Mr. Payne, wake up! It's only Bert! He's one of US, remember?? You know, puts his pants on one leg at a time, gets head colds, applies putty, sanding, cements & paints, dremel salutes, etc.
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

And is a frakkin astronaut!!! :eek:

Bert, was I not paying attention (as usual), or have you never mentioned this before?

Hi John, No I didn't I just got back home since posting here, I am not an astronaut, wish i were my best friend Steve Robinson is though and my NASA name tag wings and pins HAVE flown in space on the shuttles return to space and steve took them with him on his EVAs when the shuttle returned to flight after columbia was lost. The pics i posted are from photoshop, but they DO look authentic.
Bert

Those are some great pics Bert! I personaly would have let it run a little longer!:wave: You do know how to shock us!

Well in that case,

After John Glenn's flight netted some great exposure, NASA considered (not kidding) sending up 'an all female' crew on a mission. Just for the PR...

It's not just us, though - I remember when France threatened to sue us for engineering Ethernet into ISS (stating it was an American 'only' standard).

I thought this was funny...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/5079904/Trouble-in-space-Row-brews-on-space-station-over-food-and-toilets.html

Apparently, Russians are like Klingons - they've been known to fart in airlocks...

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/323116main_s119e010286_hires.jpg

Bert your getting to good with photoshop! So, when are we going to see you on board the J2? On the J2, in the background, tech crew from the pilot episode?

Bert your getting to good with photoshop! So, when are we going to see you on board the J2? On the J2, in the background, tech crew from the pilot episode?
I just took my second test flight in my PL jupiter 2 and shrunk my self down to do it, however, it took me an hour and a half to climb up to the computer desk to write this.