It seems that NASA's next big mission is to send mankind to Mars by the 2030s, since a bill was approved in September to go in that direction. See the article on Space.com here.
At once considered a thing of science fiction, a trip to Mars is possible and welcomed. Let's hope the idea of Martians stays with science fiction.
For a video of space shuttle Atlantis' astronauts getting a wake-up call from band R.E.M.
's Michael Stipe, click here (the video is on the NASAtelevision channel on YouTube, but apparently, the audio doesn't work if shared to another website). The astronauts are taking a break today, but should return July 21 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, according to "Shuttle Astronauts Take Much-Needed Break from Busy Mission" by Denise Chow, Space.com staff writer.Here's a video of the last NASA space shuttle launch:
Ironic, that as I was reading this, "what's the frequency, Kenneth" was playing on the radio.
ReplyDeleteFarewell dear shuttle!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure we'll see all sorts of private ventures in the next ten years. (Not that I'm going up on any of their ships!)
Budd, that's some coincidence, indeed.
ReplyDeleteAlex, perhaps the private industry will start selling land on the moon like "The Man Who Sold the Moon" by Robert Heinlein.
I just hope that we see another regular space vehicle coming up soon - and hopefully something a bit less wasteful than one-use rockets.
ReplyDeleteIf you get a chance, check out a fellow writer's zombie story and help me make him wear an embarrassing shirt next year! Details are here:
http://kelworthfiles.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/prove-the-zombies-wrong-social-platforms-can-build-readership/
kelworthfiles, yes, space vehicles need better rockets.
ReplyDelete