Remember that frankly bonkers video I showed about how they hope to land the next scientific probe on Mars this coming August? Well, here are some of the lunatics who designed it, explaining their thinking:
What could possibly go wrong?
Pardon my French, but that's what I shouted (three times) when I saw this computer simulation of the landing of the Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity Rover), planned for 6th August, 2012:
Sometimes, we should try the impossible.
Eat that, Transformers! We are a totally awesome species for even thinking this might work.
Postscript: See also Curiosity Rover update.
My mate Karen from the Beagle Project attended the last ever space shuttle launch last week. I am not at all jealous. Oh no. Not in the slightest.
Karen and 'Atlantis' last week.
She even managed to wangle herself a press pass (for which, read a ringside seat), courtesy of the Guardian, and has posted her account of Atlantis's final lift-off on the Guardian science blog.
It's stirring stuff. You should go and read it.
Go, Atlantis! (cc photo: Flickr user 'wicho'
Here is a Karen's hand-shot video, raw and unprocessed:
Aren't we a bloody amazing species?
The International Space Station and the docked space shuttle
For a species of former tree-dwellers, we certainly have our moments.
We did that!
Taken very hurriedly outside my house this evening. The black line is a telegraph wire. The white line is the International Space Station.
True story: Last year, my mate Karen received a phone call from the International Space Station. She was out. So the astronaut left a message that he'd call back later. Which he did.
…we really are a sodding awesome species at times:
[Update, 10-Dec-2011: The video I originally posted here was ridiculously complicated to embed in a post once I migrated Gruts to WordPress, so I have removed it. Follow the link below to see the video in question.]
(Best watched whilst humming the Thunderbirds theme.)
[Hat-tip to GrrlScientist]
Guardian: Scotty's ashes fail to reach final frontier
The ashes of actor James Doohan, who played Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in Star Trek, were lost on the way to space on Sunday morning, when the rocket carrying them malfunctioned minutes after take-off.
