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So where are the extraterrestrial beings?
Not so very long ago, astronomers were theorising about life on practically every planet in the solar system whereas today the Earth is sometimes envisaged as the only haven for living beings... have the extraterrestrial beings disappeared in-between times?
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The rapid growth of New Space
For several years, entrepreneurs have been aspiring to develop a new approach to the space industry and targeting a reduction in launch costs. Is the private sector going to revolutionise human space flight?
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Avatar’s Venture Star
The spaceship from James Cameron’s film is far less fanciful than it appears and even plausibly deals with several problems posed by interstellar travel.
Sing for the shuttle
NASA’s Space Rock website offers two ways to take part: choose a tune for the “wake-up calls” (left) or submit an original song that you have written and performed (right).
Credit: NASA
We have already mentioned the wave of nostalgia taking over the American agency and space fans with the imminent cancellation of the space shuttle program several times on Enjoy Space. If you want, your picture could be sent to the shuttle during flights STS-133 and 134 (see this article). However, NASA has now had a new idea! This time, you could even sing aboard Endeavour during the mission STS-134 in February 2011. Understand that the recording of your musical work would be broadcast to the crew (you, unfortunately will remain on the ground…). Indeed, as part of this competition entitled Space Rock, internet users all over the world are invited to upload an original song, written, composed and performed for the occasion before 10 January 2011 (MP3 file of less than 1.5 Mb for a duration of 1 to 2 minutes). A jury will select the best works depending on their musical quality, but also their references to manned space flights. Then, the public will vote online starting 8 February 2011. The songs with the most votes will be played during radio communications between Earth and the shuttle. Are you a singer at heart and inspired by manned space flight? Try your luck, but don’t count on getting rich since the rules stipulate that winners will receive no payment from NASA although it will own the worldwide rights to use your work. So, this will be for the beauty of the gesture and art!
Neither a composer nor singer? Fortunately the American agency is offering you another way to take part. During the mission STS-133 in November 2010, two “wake-up calls” (see this Enjoy Space feature for more information) will have been chosen from a list of 40 songs by an internet vote. At the time of writing, the two leading songs are the theme to Star Trek by Alexander Courage (this was rather inevitable) and Magic Carpet Ride by the rock group Steppenwolf (a hit from 1968).
NASA’s Space Rock website
Published 2 September 2010
NASA helps the Chilean miners
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The Aquarius living environment off the coast of Florida, where NASA astronauts come to prepare for isolation before long-duration flights. |
Since 3 June 2010, six volunteers have been enclosed in this environment simulating a Martian spacecraft at the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow. They have no direct contact with the outside world in order to complete their isolation, it also simulates the delay in communications related to their simulated distance from Earth. They will reach Mars in February 2001 and return the following November.
On 5 August, an accident in the copper mine in San José, close to Copiapo at the gateway to the Atacama desert, trapped a team of miners. The miners were able to retreat to a refuge where provisions were stored and communicate with the surface via a shaft 4cm in diameter. A new shaft will need to be drilled in order to free them. This operation could take three to four months, during which the 33 men, aged 19 to 63, must survive in an area of barely 50m2.
At the request of the Chilean health minister, NASA will dispatch a team comprised of two doctors, a psychologist and an engineer to assist the efforts of the Chilean rescue workers. The team must be ready to get down to work next week, but how can the expertise of NASA or the space industry in general help these men who are stuck 700 metres underground to survive?
Since the 1960s, NASA has explored the problems related to the long-term confinement of a team in an enclosed space. Isolation experiments ranging from a few weeks to over two months were carried out in preparation for the Skylab program. The Russian’s were doing the same and in 1967 they attempted a flight simulation lasting one year. These experiments, supported by operational missions aboard the space stations, from Skylab to the ISS, including Salyut and Mir, still continue today, whether in simulators here on Earth, such as the Mars500 experiment which started on 3 June in Moscow with Russian, European and Chinese volunteers and must last until November 2011, or in underwater environments, such as Aquarius, situated off Key Largo in southern Florida. Since 2001, Aquarius has regularly been used by NASA as part of its NEEMO program (NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations) for expeditions lasting between one and two weeks and used by the astronauts in their preparations for six-month missions aboard the ISS. In addition, NASA astronauts train for emergencies, the procedures for which have been developed and validated over the years. This experience may be vital in helping the trapped miners to manage the stress generated by their imprisonment and the lack of privacy.
“The environments may be different but the physiological and psychological response of a human being to isolation, a lack of privacy and emergency situations remain quite similar,” explains Dr Michael Duncan, deputy chief medial officer at Johnson Space Center in Houston and a member of the support mission. “What we’ve learnt during our research and during operational missions may be applicable to the situation. This is a good opportunity to take advantage of our experiences in space to help people here on Earth."
Credit: ESA
Canadian astronaut Bob Thirsk, who completed a six month stay in the ISS and today teaches the basics of long-duration space flights at Johnson Space Center, recently explained to the Canadian press his own recipe for surviving in a good condition, and most importantly preventing boredom, which can lead to depression, irritability, anxiety and sleeplessness. They need good teamwork, a variety of music, games, reading, the opportunity to communicate with family and friends, physical exercise and useful tasks such as measuring the air temperature and pressure in their refuge and neighbouring tunnels to keep rescuers informed.
Furthermore, the surface teams must keep the miners constantly informed of the situation and the progress of rescue operations, without misleading them, even when there are difficulties, in order to create a feeling of consistency and trust and not one of opposition and suspicion.
“To maintain a good mental state, you need to remember to look after yourself in terms of hygiene, mood and personal space, so you’re not a burden on the other members of the team and on the leader” says Bob Thirsk.
The European astronaut is optimistic about the Chilean miners' ability to survive the ordeal, but nevertheless he remarks on one major difference between the underground causalities and the astronauts who experience confinement on earth, underwater or in space: “astronauts are volunteers”.
STS-133: the other draw
As for NASA’s Tweetup sessions, the Visitor Complex is organising a draw to determine who can attend a space shuttle launch.
Crédit : KSC Visitor Complex
To date, the official schedule for space shuttle missions consists of only two flights! This means that there are only two more chances to see a NASA space shuttle leave for space, STS-133 on 1 November this year and STS-134 on 26 February 2011. An additional flight, STS-135, may be added in summer 2011, but the American congress has yet to approve the necessary budget.
Whether STS-135 becomes a reality or not, the end of the shuttle program is causing a real surge of nostalgia and people are literally rushing to the right places to see a launch. An exaggeration? No and one unmistakable sign is the new system set up by the Visitor Complex at Kennedy Space Center. This tourist attraction is the Space Center’s showcase and its policy has always been to sell entry tickets on launch days for the same price as other days. However, a specific ticket is required for this day. Previously, when these tickets became available for a shuttle launch, people had several days to buy their precious entry. However, since 2009, tickets for the most recent launches have gone in a few seconds on the Internet! The Visitor Complex (managed by a private company under contract to NASA) has therefore decided to keep the normal price but to use a random draw to give everyone a fair chance. This is the same process as is used for the American agency's Tweetup sessions, where internet users who have subscribed to the @NASA Twitter account may be invited to a launch. Previously, the process was that the first 100 or 150 people to register were selected. Now, there is a draw (see this article). This is now the same process used by the Visitor Complex where those taking part in the random draw will be able to buy an admission ticket to the park for 41 dollars (normal, adult price) or 59 dollars to take a bus to the NASA Causeway. From the Causeway, visitors are slightly closer and can see the launch pad, while from the Visitor Complex, the shuttle emerges from the tree canopy as it rises into the sky. To take part in the random draw, visit this page and complete the form before 23 August. You will notice that this other Visitor Complex web page lists alternate sites where you can attend a launch in good conditions. Obviously, a lot of people are expected... For those who have difficulties with English, we would advise them to consult the French Forum de la Conquête Spatiale where this subject is regularly covered.
Visitor Complex Form for STS-133
Other sites to see a shuttle launch (Visitor Complex)
Published 17 August 2010
The Ariane guitar
A little more than 30 years ago (in December 1979, see this Enjoy Space feature), the first Ariane soared up into the Guiana sky. Today, Arianespace, the company tasked with selling launches aboard European rockets has become the market leader. And quite logically, the company is celebrating its 30th anniversary... with style and originality! For instance, on 30 July 2010 in California (Arianespace has many American customers), the legendary guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter was given a guitar made from a part of an Ariane 5.
Jean-Yves Le Gall, CEO of the company Arianespace, presents a very special space guitar to Jeff Baxter, a musician turned consultant in missiles and defence systems!
Credit : Arianespace
By so doing, the rocket became linked with music. But the allusion actually made more sense than one might have thought as Jeff Baxter has switched from music to rocket technology, or to be more exact, that of missiles! Guitarist for groups such as Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers, this brilliant musician even knew Jimi Hendrix when he started out. During his career, he has played for Bryan Adams, Eric Clapton, Donna Summer, Elton John and many others. In the middle of the 1980’s, Jeff Baxter became interested in compression algorithms and in equipment capable of storing large amounts of data; at the time this type of equipment often had military origins. This was when his neighbour, a retired engineer who worked on the programme for Sidewinder missiles (carried on combat aircraft), offered him a subscription to an aviation magazine. The publication kindled the guitarist’s interest in everything connected with missile technology. Self-taught in this field, he wrote a 5 page article in which he explained how to transform the anti-aircraft Aegis missile on board ships into a rudimentary anti-missile defence system. This unconventional analysis was the beginning of a new activity for Jeff Baxter, that of a top level consultant in the fields of missiles, defence and anti-terrorism. For this reason, he is a member of various official committees and has more than once been granted authorisation to access classified information. Obviously, by presenting a guitar made from a part of Ariane 5, Jean-Yves Le Gall has sort of come full circle and is paying tribute to an artist whose career has been unusual to say the least!
Press release from Arianespace
Published on 5 August 2010
Europlanet awards prize to Jean Lilensten
Jean Lilensten, first winner of the prize given by Europlanet tasked with awarding prizes to those who work to increase awareness of planetology amongst the general public in Europe.
Credit: Europlanet
Europlanet, tasked with co-ordinating European research in planetology (the study of planets), is a structure financed by the European Union. It was created following the successful landing of the Huygens probe on Titan 5 years ago (see this portfolio). Europlanet therefore awards funds to help with scientific programmes and, this year, has inaugurated its prize for excellence in public engagement. The winner of this first prize is Jean Lilensten from the Planetology Laboratory in Grenoble. He has created an astonishing experiment dubbed Planeterrella which reconstitutes the phenomenon of polar lights. On Earth, said phenomenon is the result of the interaction of charged particles from the Sun with our planet’s magnetic field.
With its two metal spheres in a vacuum, Planeterrella can simulate numerous aurora configurations. In addition to its educational aspect, the aesthetics of the experiment when it is in operation are quite amazing.
Credit: Mathieu Senet
Jean Lilensten has even designed Planeterrella such that the entire device is mobile, which has enabled him to demonstrate this “polar light simulator” throughout Europe, reaching the general public and school children, and making them aware of a major astronomical phenomenon (auroras involve numerous planets as well as highly magnetised stars). This original, community approach has therefore earned its inventor Europlanet’s first prize for public engagement. The scientist will receive 4,000 euros during the European Planetary Science Congress organised by Europlanet which is to take place in Rome from 19 to 24 September 2010.
Press release from Europlanet
Official website for the Planeterrella experiment
Published on 23 July 2010
NITEBOX takes off
Writer/composer/performer NITEBOX explored the theme of aeronautics in "Top of the World", a track blending r’n’b, electro and hip hop music. Which is why the clip was filmed at the Cité de l'Espace in Toulouse (see below).
Director Jean-Louis Cruz explains how the clip came about what he thinks about space exploration.
Enjoy Space : Why did you choose to film the clip at the Cité de l'Espace?
Jean-Louis Cruz : It all started with the theme of the NITEBOX track "Top of the World". The song is about inviting someone to the "Top of the World". I explored different approaches, but they didn't seem strong or original enough to me. Then I was chatting with a friend who mentioned the Cité de l'Espace and gave me the contact details of Florence Seroussi, who's in charge of press relations. After an initial meeting and checking out a few locations, I realised that the Cité de l'Espace was the perfect place to film the clip: space, after all, is the roof of the world… It became blindingly obvious. There are plenty of original spots on the premises and the reconstitutions are excellent. After that first visit, we selected 5 areas, each with its own characteristic colours and staging possibilities. The idea for the clip was mainly to stage the dancers and the extras in a futuristic and space-like context with syncopated, jerky, graphic dance routines based on movements made when there is no gravity. The quality and the originality of the facilities at the Cité de l'Espace had a direct impact on the staging and fashion choices.
Enjoy Space : What does space represent to you?
Jean-Louis Cruz : When I think of "Space", I mainly think back to my childhood and the programmes by Igor and Grichka Bogdanoff, programmes that broached space science in an original, thrilling and amazing way.
The following video, the "making of" the clip, takes us behind the scenes during filming of "Top of the World" at the Cité de l'Espace.
Official NITEBOX Facebook page
Published 2 July 2010
Expedition 24 and STS-133: the posters
On top of the usual crew photo, it is traditional for a mission's astronauts to make a poster, distributed to NASA centes and industrialists. The graphics often give a humorous nod in the direction of a film or TV series (see this portfolio). The International Space Station's Expedition 24 (the team is up there right now) has opted for a classical approach, posing in front of a photo of the ISS orbiting around the Earth.
The penultimate space shuttle flight, mission STS-133, inspired a superb design with obvious futuristic, almost SF, connotations. It is to be noted that the mission's emblem was designed by talented space painter Robert McCall just before his death (see this article and this portfolio).
See also NASA's Spaceflight Awareness website.
Published 2 July 2010
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