America Septentron

In looking for ye oldey maps (see previous post) I saw a lot of ... interesting things. Like, at one point, North America was called America Septentron. That's totally a Transformer, capital 'T' space robot Transformer, sort of name. I also found this, in which a Columbia University professor gives you a bunch of info about ancient history. I also found this, which is a really cool clock, and this, which can function as a clock but mostly makes me go 'Ooh, pretty!'

America Septentron

America Sive In Dea Nova

Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine:

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A lot can happen, given enough time. But sometimes it is truly remarkable how quickly things can progress. It has been over four hundred years since Galileo first turned his telescope to the heavens and found that Jupiter was orbited by satellites of it's own. Let us consider the world of Galileo: Ships navigated by sextant, maps were ... interesting. The Dutch East India Company had just been founded and the New World was reached in boats that were little more that tar, timber, and nails.

But it is Galileo's new worlds that are of interest today. As Phil Plait mentions, when Io was first discovered we didn't even have accurate maps of the Earth. And now we have a photomosaic map of the Galilean moon Io at an accuracy that was not rivaled on Earth until the 20th century. In addition we have electricity, powered flight, instant pocket communicators, microwave ovens, rollercoasters, vaccines, plastic, life support helicopters, and really fast cars. We have put people on the Moon. Imagine what our world will be like four hundred years from now. I wonder what new worlds we will be exploring then.

Earth had a fat Antarctica back in the day. But then it took a stairmaster class at the local gym  and now it's buns and thighs look spectacular. Also, go to Ancient World Maps on Blogspot. They're pretty cool.

America Sive In Dea Nova

CASIS

In 2005, along with then President Bush's 'Vision for Space Exploration', was a section (507) in the NASA authorization act of 2005 [Pdf] that made the ISS a National Laboratory. This makes sense, since it is the worlds highest laboratory (Sorry, High Times. They got you beat. Unless you wanna sponsor a study of the effects of Tetrahydrocannibinol on the human brain while in microgravity, they will always be higher than you. Sorry. But I'm sure that there will be lots of volunteers for that mission if you can talk CASIS into it). Included in that section was the authorization for NASA to contract with outside vendors for the management of the ISS-NL, which goes on to stipulate in 507(c)(3) that there should be a detailed plan for "the management structure for the laboratory, including the rationale for contracting or not contracting with a nongovernmental entity to operate the ISS national laboratory;"

I made this!

In 2011 NASA chose to use the nonprofit firm CASIS for the management structure, but I have yet to hear about the rationale behind that decision. I don't know why it took more than five years to decide to get an outside vendor. I would hazard that it may have something to do with the completion of the ISS, since the NASA Authorization act of 2010 [Pdf] says so in sec. 502. That wouldn't explain why they wanted a third party in the first place. Wouldn't NASA be best placed to decide how to use the laboratory it helped to design and build? Maybe there is a good reason for it, but I haven't been able to find any. Note, this isn't an accusation, more pointing out that it's hard to come by information regarding CASIS and why it was chosen.

Of course, it doesn't seem like CASIS has done much in the six months or so since it assumed responsibility. But that may well be due to an inefficient bureaucracy. Actually, that's not exactly true. I'm sure it's done a lot of stuff. But it's hard to figure out what they may have been doing. You see, as NASAWatch has been covering, there doesn't seem to be a lot of coordination between CASIS and anyone else. You almost never hear them mentioned when there is some new research on the ISS, or if there's a big conference about the ISS, or any other time really. But apparently it's a very stressful job (for not appearing to do much) since the executive director has recently resigned due to "...undue and onerous political pressures..."

I HAZ STARGATE

So what's up with CASIS? Why does it exist? What's the rationale behind it? What does it do, and what has it done? How did it get started? I know a little bit about that. CASIS was supported by Space Florida, an Independent Special District that is dedicated to the growth of the Florida space industry. Fair enough. These special districts are a little weird, but apparently commonplace. I hadn't heard of them before, but it seems a lot of states have them. They are usually created for one specific purpose, such as waste management or going into space. Anyway, CASIS is a big deal with them.

The more I dig into this the more confused I get. I can't seem to find any sort of narrative or explanatory themes to tie all of this together. There's holes all over the place, about why CASIS, why a third party at all, what has CASIS done, why aren't they more prominent in NASA press releases, why did Becker quit, why, why, why ... I don't know. I have a headache now. I'm just gonna post this with a bunch of links and have a lie down in a cool, dark room until my head stops exploding.

Links! Stuff that I read until my eyes got blurry, so now you get to read it too!
http://nasawatch.com/archives/2011/12/the-long-confus.html

http://www.space.com/12269-nasa-casis-nonprofit-space-station-research.html

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/sep/HQ_11-294_ISS_NPO.html

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2392758,00.asp

http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/viewrepositorydocument/cmdocumentid=256842/solicitationId=%7BBFE2288E-88A6-1FE1-DCFB-F94B9102C646%7D/viewSolicitationDocument=1/ISS%20National%20Lab%20Not-for-Profit%20CAN%202_14_2011%20Final.pdf

Yeah, that last one is the entire address. It comes from Nspires, the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System. I hadn't heard of this before either.

You know, I just bet that Space Law is one of the most complex and intricate legal arenas a person could dive into. Oh sure, international trading regulations are complex, probably even more so. But space law has got to be tough. So kudos to Michael Dodge and anyone else that majors in Space Law.

P.S. I almost never post pictures because, well, I don't know for sure. I just can't be all cool and stuff with graphics. Also, I never can find any that I like that are relevant. So the pictures contained in this post have, at best, a tangential relationship with the topic discussed.

Oh my god! UFO! Wait, no, it's just the Moon. Oh my god! What's that point of light to the right! It's a UFO! Oh wait, no, I had my ISO cranked up and it's just noise.

CASIS

Stats! Depressing stats, but they are easily accesible!

Nasa budgets: US spending on space travel since 1958 | Society | guardian.co.uk:

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This article is really cool. Not only is it about space, it's about NASA's declining budget! Wait, that's not cool. That's the exact opposite of cool. It is uncool, if you will. Or rather, the fact that NASA has a declining budget is uncool. What's cool about this article is that the good people over at The Guardian have nicely compiled NASA's budget data since 1958. And they have made it freely available for download in a variety of formats. I just downloaded the Excel file and made this!

This took me all of about ten minutes. It would have been less, except I have only the foggiest notion of how Excel works. Which is absolute proof that any idiot can use this data that The Guardian has so kindly supplied about NASA's budget.

Wait, you mean that British newspaper? That's cool. I wish we had cool newspapers like that, who would compile data about the government and then make it freely and easily available to any one who wants it. Is it apparent yet that I think Hans Rosling is cool?I mean jeez, I've used excel like what, once? And that was to create a 'budget' that was an awesome idea for about an hour and then I saved the document and promptly forgot about it. But lookit pretty graph! Hooray!

So you know what, hats off to The Guardian for supplying such excellent information for me!

"Can you do anything with this data?"

Stats! Depressing stats, but they are easily accesible!

Living Longer Than 40 - Thanks Science!

Living Longer Than 40 - Thanks Science!

In the movie Jurassic Park, Jeff Goldblum's character Ian Malcolm is explaining to Laura Dern's  character Ellie Satller a bit about chaos theory, and how similar events can lead to vastly different outcomes. In his example, that would be the placing a drop of water onto Dr. Sattler's hand and seeing where it rolled off too. In my case the similar events are a rather silly question.

I see this type of sentiment sometimes here and there. People express it differently to be sure, but it happens a lot. The question comes in many different flavors, each with their own nuance and character, but they all essentially boil down to one simple question "What has science done for me?/done for me lately?" What's different about this time? Nothing! Nothing that I can tell, anyway. What got me going was a comment online (yeah, you'd think I'd learn, but no) Someone said that the space program is a waste of money. I've heard it before and I'll hear it again.  So why did this one get under my skin? I blame Jeff Goldblum. 

So in response to that mentality, here's a list of stuff!

• Flying - Thanks Science!
• Not contracting polio - Thanks Science!
• Cell Phones - Thanks Science!
• The Internet - Thanks Science!
• Connecting to the internet on my cell phone while flying and not dying of polio - Thanks Science!
• Dr. Pepper and the containers thereof - Thanks Science!
• Distillation - Thanks Science!
• Plastic - Thanks Science!
• For the numerous contributions to construction, architecture, chemical adhesive, latex paint and everything else that went into making the chair your sitting in, the house your living in, and the bridge you drive on - Thanks Science!

• Lasik Eye Surgery - Thanks Science!

• Surviving Surgery - Thanks Science!

• Germ Theory and Sanitation - Thanks Science!
• Penicillin - Thanks Science!
• Living with diabetes - Thanks Science!
• Surviving a heart attack - Thanks Science!
• Pacemakers - Thanks Science!
• Chemotherapy and those who live - Thanks Science!
• Knowing our origins - Thanks Science!
• R/C Cars on other planets - Thanks Science!
• Hubble Deep Field - Thanks Science!
• The Pale Blue Dot - Thanks Carl!

• Comprehending the vastness of the universe, and our place within it - Thanks Science!

The next time someone asks you a question like, "What has science done for me lately?", you look them straight in the eye and ask them, "What have you done for science … ever!?"

Living Longer Than 40 - Thanks Science!

Cleaning Day

Today is unusual. Not that I was cleaning, you see, but what I was cleaning*. I was cleaning my junk drawer. Which is doubly bad because that's in the kitchen. You see, it's easier for me to work up the fortitude for cleaning if what is going to be cleaned is in my line of sight as a general thing. My living room stays cleaner than my bedroom. I don't use my kitchen much. Sure, the area in front of the microwave is generally clear of stuff that would prevent me from opening the door, but other than that, not much happens in the kitchen by way of cleaning.

I'm sure that you can imagine then how rare it is for me to clean out the junk drawer. I did find some cool stuff, like peel and stick hooks and a relatively fresh pack of gum, unopened. I also now realize that I'm set for awhile for AAA batteries. They are tiny, so they can come in tiny packs, and I only ever needed them in pairs, and so I bought them in small packs, and the packs would get buried in the junk in my drawer so each time I needed a new pair I would buy a whole new pack and now I have 33 batteries. Oh, 35 if you count the two AA ones I found.**

On the other hand I did find amusement in reading some of the old sets of instructions for replaced, broken or simply missing electronics and other gadgets. I especially enjoyed certain warnings and general tips, like

"Non-rechargeable batteries are not to be recharged" Really! How'd you deduce that then?

If you have rechargeable batteries then "[They] are to be removed from the product before being charged (if removable)" Golly!

In case you're wondering, "Battery insertion must be done by an adult."

"Exhausted batteries are to be removed from the product." Yes boss! (Makes sense, too. I know my work performance degrades when I'm exhausted)

This one does have a certain safety aspect to it. "The supply terminals are not to be short circuited." But really? If they mean the terminals on the battery, well, that's actually kind of hard to do by accident. Unless you habitually leave your batteries in the random bag of screws found in all junk drawers everywhere. In which case the cost of the new kitchen drawer should serve as a good lesson against such a habit.* If they mean the terminals in the battery compartment, then that's silly. It would take someone modifying the product in such a way as to void any legal responsibility by the manufacturer of the product. Like, the guy who puts new shocks on his car, but screws it up, and then sues the car company because the car only and constantly turns left. The car company is under no obligation to idiots who break their personal belongings. And any one capable enough to modify the product without screwing it up already knows not to create a short circuit anyway. So this one is totally useless.

You know, I would expect such a hefty list of warning concerning batteries to be on a pack of batteries. I only listed the funniest ones, and they didn't even make up half the list. But no. This list doesn't occur on a pack of batteries. Maybe because all the ones I could find were small. No, these warnings were in the instructions for a clock! The thing didn't even come with batteries! So why all the warning? I guess it's for protection, but I reserve the right to get amusement from it!

Plus, given my profundity of batteries and my storage method (haphazardly thrown into a drawer) it's probably a good thing I have such an extensive battery safety resource at my fingertips.

*Cleaning in general is unusual in that it's rare, but it goes in patterns and cycles, so its not unusual in that it's a strange occurrence.

**Did I mention that my remote dies today? It takes four AA batteries.

***Or the cost of a new kitchen, if you stored the batteries and screws near any flammable materials. Like may happen in a junk drawer.

Cleaning Day

Reuse

Spaceflight Now | Breaking News | NASA, Caltech mull over unique satellite donation:

'via Blog this'

I understand that we can't keep every mission going for as long as they retain at least some function. Not everything is a Voyager or Opportunity. Some missions have simply lost so much functionality that the cost of maintaining the mission with a full up NASA staff has become economically unviable. This is bound to occur, even at the best of times.

But a loss of some functions is not a complete loss, at least not always. It would be nice to have some way of continuing what scientific or observational functions a satellite may have after being decommissioned by NASA. I think it would be awesome if there was a way, some system, that allows companies and universities to buy or use defunct satellites. Hopefully, what's going on with the GALEX* satellite will set a precedent for creating such a system.

Now, there is one sorta downside to this. In good times, when the socio-politco-economic climate is such that we can engage in science with wanton abandon (or at least in carefully reasoned fits of wanton abandon), there won't be a lot of semi-functional satellites available. But they probably wouldn't be needed anyway, so that's fine. On the other hand, in bad times there will be more, and better functioning, satellites available simply because more satellites would get the official axe.

This has possibilities...

*Totally a name from Dr. Who, or oughta be.

Reuse

Gingritch and the Moon

So it appears that someone has the idea that a space station at Lagrange point 2, on the far side of the Moon, would be a great idea. Oh yeah, sure, like having another big station, this time even further away, would in any way be different than the ISS. I mean yeah, it would make it easier to do research on the Moon. I mean, I've had tons of RC cars in my time, I'm sure NASA can knock together some stuff. But that doesn't mean it would be any easier to have people go to the surface. Of course, I guess that wouldn't be as necessary. And if anyone did need to go down there I guess it wouldn't be any more difficult than before. All we'd really need to do is build another LM. Hey, we brought the VW Bug back, why not the lem? So I mean, we'd have to build a station sure, and I guess a couple of satellites for communication, but those are cheap. If most of the exploration is robotic that would save on gas. Launching from orbit is easy. Er. Easier. Anyway. And any crewed mission to the surface wouldn't require nearly as much in the way of infrastructure, so that's not bad. And now that I think about it, the station itself wouldn't need to be as large as a surface base. Floating is awesome.

I guess I'll just let you read about it, rather than my wall of text about it.

NASA Eyes Plan for Deep-Space Outpost Near the Moon | Earth-Moon Lagrange Points & Lunar Farside | NASA & Human Spaceflight | Space.com: "Jack Burns"

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Oh and also this!

Of course, that's the Moon. Awesome as this idea is, I think it'd be even awesomer if this happened at Mars. But it's not like that would happen anytime soon. I mean, you gotta develop the technology, and then you gotta test it out. And I don't think a dry run in Earth orbit is really going to be adequate for a multi-month mission to Mars. So having a way to test out the idea first, make sure we got the whole shebang running properly before we try it at Mars may be a good thing. But where could we appropriately test such a thing? I know, the Moon!

Gingritch and the Moon

The Overview

One of the most amazing things to come out of the space race (aside from the obvious) are the two treaties from 1967 and 1968, most especially the idea that
"the exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind;

http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/SpaceLaw/outerspt.html

And that
"astronauts are the envoys of mankind" and should be treated as such. As such, I support similar expressions and intents found in this recent state department release concerning national security in space.

State Department: "Space Security - An American Perspective" | SpaceRef - Your Space Reference: "- It is in the shared interest of all nations to help prevent mishaps, misperceptions, and mistrust.

- All nations have the right, in accordance with international law, to explore and use space for peaceful purposes, and for the benefit of all humanity. Consistent with this principle, "peaceful purposes" allows for space to be used for national and homeland security activities.


- The United States considers the space systems of all nations to have the rights of passage through, and conduct of operations in, space without interference. Purposeful interference with space systems, including supporting infrastructure, will be considered, in the U.S. view, an infringement of a nation's rights."

I strongly believe that space is the province of all humanity. I also strongly believe that the only way we, as a species, are going to have a long lasting presence in these cosmos is by working together, as one planet. I want to see, within my lifetime, not American boots on Mars, not Russian or Chinese or European boots on Mars. I want to see Human boots on Mars, I want us, as one species, to become more than we ever hoped for.

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The Overview