Hat Rick's Blog

The Shock of the New

2009-02-02T04:05:00.000-08:00

The perennial debate over whether the newest incarnation of Star Trek is worthy of the name rears its ugly head, and so here is my latest take on it:

I have fond memories of watching the original series, before anyone had ever imagined that there could be a sequel of any kind. However, I suppose I am peculiar in that I do not wish every kind of Trek to be exactly like the original, and — forgive me — while I think that the literalistic New Voyages series is wonderful, I do not believe it is the only legitimate approach to Trek.

When the first Trek movie was released, I remember how fantastic it looked, not how different it was from the classic series.

When the Star Trek: The Next Generation hit the airwaves, I was proud of Trek’s TV resurrection rather than irritated that Picard was nothing like Kirk.

When Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was aired, I was delighted that there were two new Trek series to watch for weeks on end.

And so on.

Maybe I’m not enough of a fan to some, but I prefer fresh new takes on classic ideas over exact imitations of that which cannot really be copied. I am enough of a rationalist to abstract out the essence of a thing, without demanding that it is the literal repetition of it.

The only way to preserve something so that it is exactly the same as it was is to imprison it under glass, hermetically sealed, in a museum, forever. And that is something that, fan or not, I do not wish for Trek.

Superbowl Advertisement for Star Trek Movie

2009-02-01T07:22:00.000-08:00

A new advertisement will air during the Superbowl today. Posted above is a scene which makes use of the Oviatt Library at California State University, Northridge. Digitally inserted modifications from the actual shoot are clear from a comparison with photographs taken during filming last year, available on this blog.

New Enterprise Revealed

2008-11-11T21:52:00.001-08:00

An image of the new starship Enterprise was revealed online for the first time today. The ship was designed for the upcoming Star Trek movie to be released in May of 2009.

Obama's New Stance on NASA

2008-08-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

Senator Obama recently stated, ""And we have to do more than provide short-term relief. We have to secure our long-term prosperity and strengthen America's competitiveness in the 21st century. One of the areas where we are in danger of losing our competitive edge is our space program. When I was growing up, NASA inspired the world with achievements we are still proud of. Today, we have an administration that has set ambitious goals for NASA without giving NASA the support it needs to reach them. As a result, they've had to cut back on research, and trim their programs, which means that after the Space Shuttle shuts down in 2010, we're going to have to rely on Russian spacecraft to keep us in orbit.

"We cannot cede our leadership in space. That's why I will help close the gap and ensure that our space program doesn't suffer when the Shuttle goes out of service by working with Senator Bill Nelson to add at least one additional Space Shuttle flight beyond 2010; by supporting continued funding for NASA; by speeding the development of the Shuttle's successor; and by making sure that all those who work in the space industry in Florida do not lose their jobs when the Shuttle is retired - because we cannot afford to lose their expertise.

"More broadly, we need a real vision for space exploration. To help formulate this vision, I'll reestablish the National Aeronautics and Space Council so that we can develop a plan to explore the solar system - a plan that involves both human and robotic missions, and enlists both international partners and the private sector. And as America leads the world to long-term exploration of the moon, Mars, and beyond, let's also tap NASA's ingenuity to build the airplanes of tomorrow and to study our own planet so we can combat global climate change. Under my watch, NASA will inspire the world, make America stronger, and help grow the economy here in Florida."

He's also reported to have said, "I know it's still being reported that we were talking about delaying some aspects of the Constellation program to pay for our early education program. I told my staff we're going to find an entirely different offset, because we've got to make sure that the money that's going into NASA for basic research and development continues to go there. That has been a top priority for us."

Source: http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1298

(Emphasis added. Hyperlinks in the original. Links are the sole responsibility of SpaceRef.)

If Obama's comments are genuine, then this reflects a reversal of his earlier position which appeared to be relatively hostile to NASA's Project Constellation. Nevertheless, note that Obama is still emphasizing "basic research and development," which is conceptually different from space applications of which Project Constellation may be one.

On SpaceX and Related Matters

2008-08-06T06:12:00.000-07:00

There is much talk about harnessing the power of private industry in reaching for the stars. And yet it wasn’t private industry that got us to the Moon.

It was, however, private industry and private greed that got us into the mortgage crisis we’re in now.

For all the talk about how government agencies are inherently socialistic, NASA is no more a victim of socialism than our armed forces, and yet I find it interesting that, except for libertarians, conservatives who disparage the government always draw the line at funding the armed forces. Perhaps we could avoid all the NASA-bashing by making NASA the fifth branch of the armed services.

But to be fair, it isn’t right to say that private industry has no role in space exploration, either. Both sides of this debate have their points. It’s just that it is quite disappointing that SpaceX has failed so many times so long after NASA had already pioneered the essential aspects of spacecraft launch and staging. Must we always reinvent the wheel, after all, and exactly how many times shall we do so?

Bigger, Stronger: To the Moon, Ares!

2008-07-06T15:33:00.000-07:00

NASA has recently announced that its Ares V heavy lift vehicle will be 20 feet taller than originally planned, putting it about that much taller than the Saturn V. The Ares will also sport an additional main engine, for a total of six; its main core fuselage will be extended; and its solid rocket boosters will be lengthened by half a segment.

The Ares V has improved its lift capability by approximately 10 percent. Its six first-stage engines and two solid rocket boosters will develop a thrust of almost 8.9 million pounds.

In this new configuration, the Ares V will be capable of lifting nearly 188 metric tonnes into Low Earth Orbit and, in coordination with the Ares I, nearly 71 metric tonnes to the Moon. This far exceeds the abilities of even the venerable Saturn V, currently by far the holder of the world's record for the most powerful rocket ever to achieve operational status.

Plans call for astronauts to return to the Moon by 2020. Ralph Kramden, presumably, need not apply.

Sources: NASA, Wikipedia.

Phoenix Discovers Ice

2008-06-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

Scientists are persuaded that they have unearthed ice on Mars. Investigators at the University of Arizona have found from an examination of the spacecraft's latest imagery that white spots in a trench unearthed by the Phoenix Mars lander disappeared over the course of time, indicating that they had undergone the process of sublimination, or the evaporation of ice directly into vapor.

For an animation, see: http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/253084main_dodo_020_024.gif

TEGA Sensor Fails to Detect Mars Sample

2008-06-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

For a reason currently under investigation, none of the sample of Martian soil delivered by the Phoenix arm to the opening of one of the ovens of the TEGA instrument appears to have successfully entered the device.

The Scoop on Mars

2008-06-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a close-up of the image of the first scoop of Martian soil destined for analysis using the scientific instrument known as TEGA. (Source: NASA. Enhancement: Hat Rick.)

Heroes with Feet of Duranium

2008-06-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

As various actors and actresses in the Star Trek series of TV shows and movies write their tell-all books and memoirs, there is a natural tendency toward disappointment at the criticism they may level against each other. But cast members are as human as you and me, and we should harbor no illusions but that their story-telling is simply an exponent of their innate humanity.

I am reminded of human foibles each and every time I drive on the freeway and some inconsiderate boor cuts me off after mistaking my lane-change signal for an invitation to participate in a bout of road war. The fact that it is fallible — oh so fallible — humans that have created a wondrous myth that we see in Star Trek is perhaps mute testimony to how rare an accomplishment Trek really is.

Canton Residents Face Jail Time for Letting Grass Grow

2008-06-03T06:55:00.001-07:00

The city council of Canton, Ohio unanimously approved a law that imposes penalties of up to $250.00 and 30 days in jail on homeowners who fail to mow their lawns.

I've heard of jail time for growing grass, but this is something else!

Obama Resigns Church Membership -- CNN

2008-05-31T14:49:00.000-07:00

CNN reports that according to its contributor, Roland Martin, Senator Barack Obama has resigned his membership in a controversial Chicago-based church.

A former pastor and more recently a guest preacher at the church made news with sermons given there that some considered racist.

Foam Loss

2008-05-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

Video taken aboard the Shuttle Discovery during its ascent into space half an hour ago showed foam shedding between three and four minutes into the flight. A piece of foam from the main fuel tank appeared to glance off the orbiter just forward of one of the wings. At that altitude, risk factors from foam loss are diminished but NASA is expected to closely inspect that area of the vehicle when it reaches the International Space Station. (NASA, CNN.)

Discovery Expected to Launch Today

2008-05-31T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Space Shuttle Discovery is expected to depart for the International Space Station in about 35 minutes, carrying with it the orbiting installation's single largest inhabitable module, the Japanese space laboratory Kibo.

The launch will be covered live on NASA TV.

Ice Cool

2008-05-31T13:02:00.000-07:00

What's a NASA mission without a few hitches here and there? First there was the bioshield that peeked over its intended rest area; then there was a short circuit in a spectroscopic oven. Phoenix's handlers dispatched the first issue with ease and are confident they can work around the second. But compared to the returns of the mission so far, the glitches melt away, for Phoenix may already have discovered what it was intended to find, and its excavation arm hasn't even been fully used.

A day or so ago, the camera at the end of the lander's arm peered underneath the Phoenix and found what could be patches of ice -- or stone. But the latest image -- above -- seems to confirm that they are indeed ice, uncovered by the spaceship's thrusters as it made landfall. The diagnosis is not yet certain, but the odds are high that the probe's quest frozen water has already succeeded.

Martian Weather Report Sol 4

2008-05-31T09:05:00.000-07:00

I did say I'd cover the weather, didn't I?

This is the latest information on Martian weather, originally posted yesterday at NASA.com.

Viral Marketing?

2008-05-31T05:41:00.001-07:00

On the original website, clicking through the top banner, primarily written in an unknown language, results in a number of similar webpages.

(From Trekmovie.com.)

Aptera to Appear in Star Trek XI?

2008-05-31T05:34:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, yours truly witnessed a futuristic alternatively powered vehicle known as the Aptera being driven along a route, identified above, on the campus of California State University, Northridge.

The next Star Trek movie was being filmed at the time, and the blocking of a number of shots was such that the Aptera had to have been in the background.

Phoenix's Unknown Object

2008-05-30T22:04:00.001-07:00

What, exactly, is this object? According to @MarsPhoenix posted at the social-networking website, Twitter.com, it could be a pin, presumably from the spacecraft itself.

Starfleet Cadets II

2008-05-30T21:06:00.001-07:00

Gamma Ray Telescope Launch Set for June 3

2008-05-29T06:01:00.000-07:00

NASA has scheduled the launch of a new space-based observatory for June 3, 2008 from Cape Canaveral aboard a Delta II rocket, contingent upon the successful liftoff of the Discovery Space Shuttle May 31.

The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, is designed to detect high-energy cosmic radiation bursts, or GRB's, whose origins are still poorly understood. Explanations for GRB's range from the results of sudden stellar collapses into black holes within the Milky Way to even more powerful points of origin completely outside our galaxy. The scale of GRB's is such that if one were to occur anywhere near our Solar System, scientists believe that it could mean the extinction of all life on Earth.

GLAST consists of two main scientific instruments, including a Large Area Telescope and a complementary GLAST Burst Monitor, supported by an array of auxiliary sensors. The satellite has a useful lifetime of up to ten years.

Led by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, the mission represents an international collaboration of scientific and exploratory agencies and universities in the United States, Europe, and Japan.

For more information, see: http://glast.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Phoenix Unstowed -- At Last

2008-05-28T22:17:00.001-07:00

The first image is the original posted by NASA within the last hour. The second is modified with outlines delineating each position of the arm.

Europe Wants Its Own Spaceship

2008-05-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

Long relegated to a supporting role, the European Space Agency has decided that it wants a more prominent position on the final frontier. Encouraged by ESA's intention to seek independence access to space, EADS Astrium, a European consortium, has proposed a new manned space vehicle based on the Autonomous Transfer Vehicle now used to resupply the International Space Station.

NASA no longer believes that the ISS is its top priority. As soon as it is able, America will wash its hands of the entire affair and leave much of the operation of the orbital facility in the hands of its international partners. The goal these days is the implementation of the Vision for Space Exploration, also known as Project Constellation, a task that demands a shift in focus from low Earth orbit to the development of a replacement vehicle for the Space Shuttle that will be capable of returning Americans to the Moon.

But, while NASA's increasingly Constellation-centric agenda has pleased those who have made no secret of their disappointment with the ISS, it is perceived as a slap in the face of international agencies that have spent considerable energy -- decades, in some cases -- planning their own efforts and budgets around the much-delayed station. Japan, for instance, has invested billions in its centerpiece Kibo space module to be lofted this weekend aboard the Shuttle. Kibo, an ISS component so massive that it requires three Shuttle flights to orbit, has a lifetime significantly longer than the remaining commitment NASA is willing to devote to the Station. NASA prefers to spend its hard-fought budget on its Orion and Ares space vehicles and as such will phase out the Shuttle by 2010.

The EADS proposal would eventually give the continent the means to independently send humans into outer space.

See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7419793.stm

Phoenix Unstowed?

2008-05-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

Space buffs like yours truly are hanging on every word of every press release NASA deigns to issue with regard to the unstowing of Phoenix's arm. This morning's presser was frustratingly laconic with respect to same, and irritatingly brief, to boot. It lasted all of about 22 minutes, as I recall, during which a number of images were showered upon us among the great unwashed, but none that cast much more light on what the chances were that the foresaid arm would be unstowed without further ado. Yesterday's assurances that the bioshield overhang was merely an inconvenience stood unappended, suspense on this matter still hanging heavily in the air.

We are thankful, as followers of Phoenix, that MRO's radio glitch is no longer an issue, although the glitch itself remains under investigation. MRO, for the time being, is no longer being used for regular data links until the issue is resolved.

Much was explained, in fact, this morning, and we were reassured that Phoenix is in fine health and that, in light of MRO's cop-out, Mars Odyssey was more than capable of taking up the slack. These things we knew.

The unfolding of the arm, however, remains an object of greater mystery, even as I write.

NASA promises more on the arm later this evening. We shall see.

Phoenix From Above

2008-05-27T11:27:00.001-07:00