The comic called xkcd recently posted a strip referencing the ISS. For more information to get the punchline click here. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geolocation_software)
Spacefaring humor from xkcd
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Wikipedia as model for collaborative design
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I just finished reading Dan O’Sullivan’s Wikipedia: A New Community of Practice? and have a couple of observations I wanted to share.
First, O’Sullivan sites three sources for the exponential growth of Wikipedia (p. 91):
- the comparative lack of hierarchy of the organization
- the anonymity of the authors of articles on Wikipedia
- the absence of commercialization
Space Shutte landing update:
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NASA has published a tool to more accurately predict the sighting opportunities for the Shuttle Discovery along its landing path tomorrow morning (20 Apr 2010). The instructions are here: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts131/news/13…
and you can access the tool from this link: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/SSapplications/Post/JavaS…
Enjoy!
Mach 30 makes a friend
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Over the last few months I have been noticing that we are not the only group with the vision of open source based space development and exploration. Just as I was starting to wonder how Mach 30 could reach out to the other groups and make contact, I came across CSTART and their “Friends of CSTART” program. The program is brilliant in its simplicity and is a great way to encourage other “open source” space groups to make contact. (I also have to admit, I am a little embarrassed that I did not think of it.)
As I looked around CSTART’s website, I found their Social Contract, and was convinced that I had found a truly kindred group. I presented the information I had learned about CSTART to the Board at the last meeting, and proposed that we send an offer of friendship to CSTART. The Board was overwhelmingly in support of this, and so I sent a short note to CSTART last week. The result is that we are the fourth official friend of CSTART.
Inspired by the warm welcome by CSTART to be their friend, I have also brushed up the Mach 30 website to include several connections to CSTART and the other groups we are aware of (take a look at the right side “blocks” for the new material). Here’s to an open future in space!
ad astra per civitas
Space Shuttle Discovery landing planned on Monday morning 19 Apr
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My most favorite memory of the NASA shuttle program to date was sitting on the roof of my Dallas home watching the shuttle orbiter streak across the sky on it’s way to a landing in Florida. The florescent trail streamed across the sky as the vehicle pushed through the superheated plama. I was amazed as I watched the ground track on the televised coverage and knew that inside that fireball were 7 humans returning from their mission in space.
It has been a while since NASA has allowed the public to witness this spectacular sight due to the risk of debris that would fall to the ground in a catastrophic event like the Columbia accident. After implementing the risk reduction suggestions, it looks like NASA is again allowing the orbiter to reenter over the continental US. With a clean bill of health after the focus inspection of the heat shield tiles, Discovery was cleared for landing on Monday.