Geek Habitat

Reposted from my geekgal.vox.com blog:

Seen on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Victoria_Crater%2C_Cape_Verde-Mars.jpg

Description of image:

This image taken by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the view of Victoria Crater from Cape Verde. Since reaching the crater on Sol 951 (September 27, 2006) Opportunity has been making its way around the rim in a clockwise direction. Victoria Crater is roughly 800 meters (one-half mile) wide - about five times wider than Endurance Crater, and 40 times as wide as Eagle crater. The south face of the 15 meter (50 foot) tall Cape St. Mary is visible in the left portion of this image. On the right is Duck Bay, and beyond that, the north face of the 15 meter (50 foot) tall stack of layered rocks called Cabo Frio can be seen on the inner crater wall.

I missed the past couple Shuttle launches due to various things, which irks me because I’ve been trying to follow them for Sara’s sake since the program will have ceased (2010) by the time she’s old enough to have an interest in it.

Sadly, the upcoming Shuttle launch (STS-123, Space Shuttle Endeavour) is a night launch, so at roughly 1:30 AM our time (Central time zone) the Shuttle will be lifting off…in case you happen to be up, check NASA TV online. www.nasa.gov

Still making it look too damned easy (a compliment) — Space Shuttle Atlantis, mission STS-122 — welcome home!

I hope the next generation space vehicle and the United States’ “Vision for Space Exploration,” provides something iconic, because it seems profoundly sad to me that Sara’s generation might be relegated to watching Apollo-era capsules splashdown instead of Heads Up Display fed live from the Space Shuttle orbiter on its landing approach, and dual sonic booms heralding (to steal the NASA commentators nice choice of words) her return from orbit.

We really don’t have that many more launches between now and 2010 when the Shuttle fleet is decommissioned.

Photo Credit: NASA

Hehehe… I just pulled up the live NASA TV feed and it took a moment to figure out why an astronaut (Clayton Anderson) was wearing a long black, flowing cape. HAPPY HALLOWEEN.

Here’s Sara’s “Happy Halloween” for y’all –

Shows how busy I am these days — I didn’t even realize the Shuttle was launching today! (STS-120) Oops.

Notable facts about this mission:

• George Lucas was present at the launch of STS-120. Why? The lightsaber used by character Luke Skywalker in 1983’s “Return of the Jedi” is flying aboard STS-120 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first “Star Wars” film.
• Astronaut Pamela Melroy is the mission’s commander — only the second woman ever to command a Shuttle flight. (Astronaut Eileen Collins of NASA’s first “Return to Flight” mission, was the first. Collins was also the first-ever female Shuttle pilot). Melroy, like Collins, piloted two previous Shuttle flights prior to assuming the role of Commander.