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Now what do you do?  Well, look no further.  \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/blogs\/pictureshow\/2011\/07\/12\/137714086\/the-astronauts-guide-to-life-in-space\"\u003ENPR\u003C\/a\u003E assembled some 1980's NASA footage of Space Shuttle astronauts and made this lighthearted \u003Ca href=\"ttp:\/\/www.npr.org\/blogs\/pictureshow\/2011\/07\/12\/137714086\/the-astronauts-guide-to-life-in-space\"\u003Evideo guide\u003C\/a\u003E to surviving life in space. The playful, retro-styled film shows them eating, playing, exercising, and horsing around.\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" height=\"316\" src=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/player\/embeddable\/video\/player.html?i=137714086\u0026amp;m=137736066\" width=\"560\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.wired.com\/rawfile\/2011\/08\/astronaut-suicide-photos-inspired-by-shuttle-programs-end\/\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"149\" src=\"http:\/\/www.wired.com\/rawfile\/wp-content\/gallery\/astronauts-suicide\/Astronaut_Suicides_Neil_Dacosta_01.jpg\" width=\"180\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\nTake a lesson from these darkly humorous \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.wired.com\/rawfile\/2011\/08\/astronaut-suicide-photos-inspired-by-shuttle-programs-end\/\"\u003Eastronaut suicide photos\u003C\/a\u003E courtesy of Wired.com and don't let your nostalgia for the now bygone Space Shuttle era get you down.  Let's hope no astronauts are so depressed by the Shuttle's retirement to consider such drastic measures, especially in light of the recent \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.space.com\/12730-nasa-russia-rocket-failures-united-states-worry.html\"\u003ERussian Progress launch failure\u003C\/a\u003E and the possibility that the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.time.com\/time\/health\/article\/0,8599,2091318,00.html\"\u003EISS may have to be abandoned\u003C\/a\u003E in November.  With the upcoming \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/articles.latimes.com\/2011\/aug\/18\/business\/la-fi-spacex-station-20110818\"\u003ESpaceX Dragon test docking to the ISS\u003C\/a\u003E in early December, maybe NASA won't have to rely on Russia as its sole ride into space for too much longer.\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EThe crew of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/station\/expeditions\/expedition28\/index.html\"\u003EExpedition 28\u003C\/a\u003E currently onboard the ISS aren't letting their spirits drop.  Check out this \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/youtu.be\/Uk9ptueTDwY\"\u003Evideo\u003C\/a\u003E they made to convey how Astronaut \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.jsc.nasa.gov\/Bios\/htmlbios\/garan-rj.html\"\u003ERon Garin\u003C\/a\u003E handled the news of the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/station\/exp28\/110901landing\/\"\u003E2-month mission extension\u003C\/a\u003E.\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"345\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Uk9ptueTDwY\" width=\"560\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nTo everyone on Earth and in space, have a great weekend!\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/feeds\/7194424390777326\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=6152535984695656521\u0026postID=7194424390777326\u0026isPopup=true","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/7194424390777326"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/7194424390777326"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2011\/09\/astronauts-guide-to-life-in-space.html","title":"The Astronaut's Guide to Life in Space"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"BrianShiro"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00387138537627037829"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-GJCxDTbxD_I\/Vm6RmCeN3mI\/AAAAAAAAC5U\/foTuQWN5Egs\/s1600-r\/Brian_headshot_twitter.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/Uk9ptueTDwY\/default.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-8551151943325934499"},"published":{"$t":"2011-06-26T18:00:00.001-10:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-06-26T18:01:08.884-10:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"astronaut"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fun"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Astronaut Career Flow Chart"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A few weeks ago, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.good.is\/\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EGOOD Magazine\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E published a very entertaining infographic titled \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.good.is\/post\/flowchart-should-you-give-up-your-dream-of-being-an-astronaut\/\"\u003EShould You Give Up Your Dream of Being an Astronaut?\u003C\/a\u003E\" in response to a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/tech\/science\/space\/2011-05-05-astronaut-corps-evolves_n.htm\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EUSA Today\u003C\/i\u003E article\u003C\/a\u003E interviewing \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2008\/11\/interview-with-duane-ross.html\"\u003EDuane Ross\u003C\/a\u003E on the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2011\/04\/future-of-nasa-astronauts.html\"\u003Echanging prospects for NASA astronauts\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp; I really like how well they were able to lightheartedly boil down some rather complex career decision factors into such simple binary choices.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.good.is\/post\/flowchart-should-you-give-up-your-dream-of-being-an-astronaut\/\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-mJOKF49n-xE\/Tgf7J6cptGI\/AAAAAAAABW8\/lApoDjMpwS0\/s1600\/full_1304722830space_flowchart_006.png\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe main criticism I have for the flowchart is that it assumes the only way to be an astronaut is through NASA.\u0026nbsp; It ignores the commercial pathways to space.\u0026nbsp; For example, one can go into space and technically be an astronaut without having a science or engineering degree as long as one can afford the ticket as a private \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spaceflight_participant\"\u003Espaceflight participant\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp; Assuming the chart is targeted towards prospective professional astronauts only rather than tourists, perhaps after the \"Do you speak Russian?\" question's \"No\" choice, there should have been another question like \"Are you a trained commercial astronaut?\"\u0026nbsp; In other words, can you fly on commercial space vehicles?\u0026nbsp; That gives you another pathway towards becoming an astronaut that is not reliant upon Russia or NASA.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nOnly two weeks from now, I will undergo the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nastarcenter.com\/space\/suborbital_scientist\"\u003ENASTAR Suborbital Scientist Training Program\u003C\/a\u003E to help prepare me for upcoming commercial spaceflight opportunities.\u0026nbsp; Please consider \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/brianshiro.chipin.com\/astronaut-training-2011\"\u003Echipping in\u003C\/a\u003E to help offset my expenses, and stay tuned to this blog for updates on the experience.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/feeds\/8551151943325934499\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=6152535984695656521\u0026postID=8551151943325934499\u0026isPopup=true","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/8551151943325934499"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/8551151943325934499"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2011\/06\/astronaut-career-flow-chart.html","title":"Astronaut Career Flow Chart"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"BrianShiro"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00387138537627037829"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-GJCxDTbxD_I\/Vm6RmCeN3mI\/AAAAAAAAC5U\/foTuQWN5Egs\/s1600-r\/Brian_headshot_twitter.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-mJOKF49n-xE\/Tgf7J6cptGI\/AAAAAAAABW8\/lApoDjMpwS0\/s72-c\/full_1304722830space_flowchart_006.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-8208768621175416971"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-16T19:04:00.008-10:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-16T19:49:31.643-10:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fun"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mars"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Moon"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"space"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Space Simulators"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Let's face it.  Until the cost of spaceflight significantly decreases, only a few highly qualified and lucky people will be selected as astronauts to fly in space.  But that doesn't mean they have to have all of the fun.  Here are some free space simulators you can download to hone your skills.  Some are targeted at students for educational purposes, some are just for fun, and others are real research tools used by NASA.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003EORBITER\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk\/orbit.html\"\u003EORBITER\u003C\/a\u003E is a free flight simulator that goes beyond the confines of Earth's atmosphere. Launch the Space Shuttle from Kennedy Space Center to deploy a satellite, rendezvous with the International Space Station or take the futuristic Delta-glider for a tour through the solar system.  Many \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk\/sites.html\"\u003Eaddons\u003C\/a\u003E that expand the simulator's capabilities are available. (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk\/download.html\"\u003EWindows\u003C\/a\u003E only)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk\/images\/gallery45.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"210\" src=\"http:\/\/orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk\/images\/gallery45.jpg\" width=\"280\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk\/images\/gallery60.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"210\" src=\"http:\/\/orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk\/images\/gallery60.jpg\" width=\"280\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003EStation Spacewalk Game\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/multimedia\/3d_resources\/station_spacewalk_game.html\"\u003EStation Spacewalk Game\u003C\/a\u003E allows you to experience the thrill of conducting repair work on the International Space Station. After negotiating your way through the airlock, you, the astronaut, will be tasked with four jobs critical to help power up the space station so it can continue to operate at full capacity. But you have to move quickly and carefully, with a limited quantity of oxygen you must complete your extravehicular activities (EVAs) and get back into the airlock before your air supply runs out.  This game features simulations of actual EVAs conducted by NASA astronauts on missions to provide power to the space station. (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/zip\/386303main_ssg-mac.zip\"\u003EMac\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/zip\/386289main_ssg-win.zip\"\u003EWindows\u003C\/a\u003E versions)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/386197main_ssg4-430x323.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"300\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/386197main_ssg4-430x323.png\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003ELunar Rover Simulator\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.frassanito.com\/RoverSIM\/\"\u003ELunar Rover SIM\u003C\/a\u003E is based on NASA's Constellation Program architecture.  It lets you drive the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/exploration\/home\/LER.html\"\u003ELunar Electric Rover (LER)\u003C\/a\u003E around on the moon, test multiple cameras\/views, and dock with the lunar habitat base. It also features \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Liquid_oxygen\"\u003ELOX\u003C\/a\u003E refueling stations, the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www-robotics.jpl.nasa.gov\/systems\/system.cfm?System=11\"\u003EATHLETE rover\u003C\/a\u003E, and the lunar EVA suit. It is based upon specifications of the actual \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/constellation\/\"\u003EConstellation\u003C\/a\u003E architecture and approximates lighting conditions at one of the possible lunar base sites.  This software was written by the same guys who made the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.frassanito.com\/work\/animations\/animations\/ARES1X\/Ares1X.html\"\u003EAres I-X video\u003C\/a\u003E. (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.frassanito.com\/RoverSIM\/LunarRover_Mac.app.zip\"\u003EMac\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.frassanito.com\/RoverSIM\/LunarRoverPC.zip\"\u003EWindows\u003C\/a\u003E versions)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.frassanito.com\/RoverSIM\/LR_Splash.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"225\" src=\"http:\/\/www.frassanito.com\/RoverSIM\/LR_Splash.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003EMaestro\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/mars.telascience.org\/\"\u003EMaestro\u003C\/a\u003E is the actual software the JPL science team uses to plan the daily driving sequences for the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/marsrovers.nasa.gov\/\"\u003ESpirit and Opportunity rovers\u003C\/a\u003E on the surface of Mars.  They look at imagery and build up a list of activities they want to accomplish each day, taking into account constraints like time and power.  Maestro is publicly available, with many actual MER rover data sets. NASA is working toward extending its capabilities for future missions such as the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov\/msl\/\"\u003EMars Science Laboratory\u003C\/a\u003E. (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/anon.nasa-global.speedera.net\/anon.nasa-global\/mars\/Maestro-Linux.tar.gz\"\u003ELinux\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/anon.nasa-global.speedera.net\/anon.nasa-global\/mars\/Maestro-Mac.dmg\"\u003EMac\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/anon.nasa-global.speedera.net\/anon.nasa-global\/mars\/Maestro-Win.exe\"\u003EWindows\u003C\/a\u003E versions, check for \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/mars.telascience.org\/update\"\u003Eupdates\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www-robotics.jpl.nasa.gov\/images\/userInterfaces2-800.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"271\" src=\"http:\/\/www-robotics.jpl.nasa.gov\/images\/userInterfaces2-800.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003EMars Flight\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/education.grc.nasa.gov\/MarsFlight\/index.htm\"\u003EMars Flight\u003C\/a\u003E is an immersive and interactive Mars airplane simulation.  This exciting application allows you to control the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/marsairplane.larc.nasa.gov\/\"\u003EARES Mars Airplane\u003C\/a\u003E from an Earth-bound control center.  Many enhancements are planned for the future, including a comprehensive set of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/wingsovermars.arc.nasa.gov\/learnMore.html\"\u003Ecurriculum enhancement activities\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.geofusion.com\/MarsDemo\/MarsDemo.html\"\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/education.grc.nasa.gov\/MarsFlight\/MACDownload.htm\"\u003EMac\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/education.grc.nasa.gov\/MarsFlight\/PCDownload.htm\"\u003EWindows\u003C\/a\u003E versions)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIf you like flying around on Mars, you might also like the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.geofusion.com\/MarsDemo\/MarsDemo.html\"\u003EGeoplayer Mars Demo\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/wingsovermars.arc.nasa.gov\/images\/simShot.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"310\" src=\"http:\/\/wingsovermars.arc.nasa.gov\/images\/simShot.jpg\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003EMars Simulation Project\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/mars-sim.sourceforge.net\/\"\u003EMars Simulation Project\u003C\/a\u003E simulates future human settlements on Mars.  It models the human behavior of scientists, engineers, doctors, technicians, etc. as they go about their day-to-day lives in the virtual Martian environment. There are many different settlements spread out across the planet, ranging from simple 4-person initial landing habitats to more mature bases hosting dozens of people and advanced buildings. The settlers spend much of their time maintaining their settlements, growing crops in their greenhouses, and manufacturing needed parts and equipment from collected local resources. They also go out on rover missions to explore and study the surrounding area, prospect and mine mineral concentrations, and trade with their neighboring settlements. The settlers have to contend with accidents, equipment malfunctions, illnesses, injuries, and even death. Survival depends on the settlers working together, building relationships, improving skills and balancing the needs of their settlements. (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/mars-sim.sourceforge.net\/downloads.html\"\u003ELinux\u003C\/a\u003E and other *NIX operating systems)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/mars-sim.sourceforge.net\/images\/ScreenShot3.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"235\" src=\"http:\/\/mars-sim.sourceforge.net\/images\/ScreenShot3.png\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cb\u003EMars Colony Simulator and Mars Colony Online\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.hyperkat.com\/mcad.html\"\u003EMars Colony Simulator\u003C\/a\u003E is a concept demo of a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mars_Direct\"\u003EMars Direct\u003C\/a\u003E-based Mars colony.  It allows the user to freely walk or drive around the 3D landscape and inside buildings that include a crew habitat and a farm greenhouse.  The habitat is based on the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/desert.marssociety.org\/\"\u003EMDRS\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/arctic.marssociety.org\/\"\u003EFMARS\u003C\/a\u003E stations that are operated by \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.marssociety.org\/portal\/MarsSimulatorHelp\/\"\u003EThe Mars Society\u003C\/a\u003E.  There is also a separate demo of an unmanned \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.hyperkat.com\/virtualbots.html\"\u003ERover Simulator\u003C\/a\u003E.  More information is available on the developer's \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.hyperkat.com\/colonyets.html\"\u003Ewebsite\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/hyperkat.com\/blog\/\"\u003Eblog\u003C\/a\u003E. (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.hyperkat.com\/MarsColonyDemoII.exe\"\u003EWindows\u003C\/a\u003E only)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/hyperkat.com\/Images\/mc05.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"210\" src=\"http:\/\/hyperkat.com\/Images\/mc05.jpg\" width=\"280\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/hyperkat.com\/Images\/mco3.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"210\" src=\"http:\/\/hyperkat.com\/Images\/mco3.jpg\" width=\"280\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.hyperkat.com\/MarsOnline.html\"\u003EMars Colony Online\u003C\/a\u003E is the online version of Mars Colony Simulator for multiplayer roleplaying.  It allows groups of players to live and work together to ensure their colony's survival.  So far, it's limited to 64 players.  You can even do some geophysics \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2009\/07\/water-and-electricity-do-mix-on-mars.html\"\u003Elike I did as FMARS\u003C\/a\u003E by using \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ground-penetrating_radar\"\u003Eground penetrating radar\u003C\/a\u003E to look for subsurface water, as the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xjq4ASkHkcU\u0026amp;feature=player_embedded\"\u003Evideo\u003C\/a\u003E below shows.  More videos are on the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/hyperkat.com\/blog\/2009\/10\/props-to-thedubman\/\"\u003Ehypercat blog\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cobject height=\"405\" width=\"500\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/xjq4ASkHkcU\u0026color1=0xb1b1b1\u0026color2=0xcfcfcf\u0026feature=player_embedded\u0026fs=1\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/xjq4ASkHkcU\u0026color1=0xb1b1b1\u0026color2=0xcfcfcf\u0026feature=player_embedded\u0026fs=1\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" allowScriptAccess=\"always\" width=\"500\" height=\"405\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Chr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nMany more simulators for a variety of operating systems are available at \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/astrotips.com\/Downloads.phtml\"\u003EAstroTips.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/feeds\/8208768621175416971\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=6152535984695656521\u0026postID=8208768621175416971\u0026isPopup=true","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/8208768621175416971"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/8208768621175416971"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2009\/11\/space-simulators.html","title":"Space Simulators"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"BrianShiro"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00387138537627037829"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-GJCxDTbxD_I\/Vm6RmCeN3mI\/AAAAAAAAC5U\/foTuQWN5Egs\/s1600-r\/Brian_headshot_twitter.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-2114034117052435647"},"published":{"$t":"2009-08-21T14:37:00.005-10:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-09-10T20:23:48.319-10:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fun"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"space"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"No, I'm not talking about drag racing monster trucks. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nUsually, when I have free time on Sunday nights, I try to watch \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thesimpsons.com\/\"\u003EThe Simpsons\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E and \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.fox.com\/familyguy\/\"\u003EFamily Guy\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E on Fox, but I might just have to change that routine.  A blog reader who works for the National Geographic Channel tipped me to a couple of upcoming space-related programs. \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/channel.nationalgeographic.com\/episode\/alien-earths-3637\/Overview\"\u003EAlien Earths\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E and \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/channel.nationalgeographic.com\/series\/naked-science\/3898\/Overview\"\u003EHawking's Universe\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E will air back-to-back on Sunday, August 23.  In addition, the struggling space-based relationship drama \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/abc.go.com\/primetime\/defyinggravity\"\u003EDefying Gravity\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E continues with its fifth episode on ABC (see previous episodes on \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.hulu.com\/defying-gravity\"\u003EHulu\u003C\/a\u003E).  With all of these shows to watch, I guess my TiVo will get a workout this Sunday.\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E  Below are the media blurbs and teaser videos about the shows: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cb\u003EALIEN EARTHS\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nJoin leading astronomers on a visual journey beyond our solar system in search of planets like Earth. Using CGI animation, we’ll explore bizarre worlds that stretch our imagination: planets with iron rain and hot ice, with diamonds everywhere, and endless oceans of gas. Planets with abnormal orbital patterns and planets with no pattern at all that drift alone in the Milky Way. Planets so strange we never could have predicted them before. Could life exist there? \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/channel.nationalgeographic.com\/channel\/videos\/satellite\/satelliteEmbedPlayer.swf\" bgcolor=\"#000000\" flashVars=\"videoRef=07059_00\u0026autoStart=false\u0026shareURL=http%3A%2F%2Fchannel%2Enationalgeographic%2Ecom%2Fepisode%2Falien%2Dearths%2D3637%2FVideos%2F07059%5F00\"  allowFullScreen=\"true\" name=\"flashObj\" width=\"496\" height=\"279\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" swLiveConnect=\"true\" pluginspage=\"http:\/\/www.macromedia.com\/shockwave\/download\/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENAKED SCIENCE: HAWKING’S UNIVERSE\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nStephen Hawking is one of the world’s most famous scientists. But ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, has left him almost totally paralyzed and it is progressing. Unable to walk, talk, or write, his only way of communicating is through a computer program that turns a small movement of a finger or the blink of an eye, into words from a vocal synthesizer. But Hawking remains determined to discover a theory of everything, a complete set of rules for the Universe. Where did the Universe come from and where is it going? What is the nature of time? Will it ever come to an end? This program will explore Hawking’s major contributions to the understanding of our Universe - from his revolutionary proof that our Universe originated in a Big Bang; to his ground breaking discovery that Black Holes are not completely black, but rather emit radiation and eventually evaporate and disappear, to his insights on string theory. Will he unlock the secret of creation before his time runs out? \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/channel.nationalgeographic.com\/channel\/videos\/satellite\/satelliteEmbedPlayer.swf\" bgcolor=\"#000000\" flashVars=\"videoRef=07078_00\u0026autoStart=false\u0026shareURL=http%3A%2F%2Fchannel%2Enationalgeographic%2Ecom%2Fseries%2Fnaked%2Dscience%2F3898%2FVideos%2F07078%5F00\"  allowFullScreen=\"true\" name=\"flashObj\" width=\"496\" height=\"279\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" swLiveConnect=\"true\" pluginspage=\"http:\/\/www.macromedia.com\/shockwave\/download\/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDEFYING GRAVITY\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSet in the year 2052 (with flashbacks to five years earlier in the story's continuity), the series follows eight astronauts—four women and four men—from five countries on a six-year space mission on board the international spacecraft Antares as it tours through the Solar System.  In spite of a libido-suppressing device worn by each crew member, romantic entanglement will occur.  Further complicating their lives is a mysterious storage pod with a secret impact on their mission, referred to as Beta.  The series was pitched to networks as \"Grey's Anatomy in space.\" \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cobject type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" data=\"http:\/\/widgets.abc.go.com\/o\/48bda4baaf82f1d1\/4a8d1a4ef23bf4e4\/48bda4baaf82f1d1\/bf9092be\/-cpid\/1196e246af37f773\" id=\"W48bda4baaf82f1d14a8d1a4ef23bf4e4\" width=\"496\" height=\"378\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/widgets.abc.go.com\/o\/48bda4baaf82f1d1\/4a8d1a4ef23bf4e4\/48bda4baaf82f1d1\/bf9092be\/-cpid\/1196e246af37f773\" \/\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\" \/\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowNetworking\" value=\"all\" \/\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" \/\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" \/\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/feeds\/2114034117052435647\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=6152535984695656521\u0026postID=2114034117052435647\u0026isPopup=true","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/2114034117052435647"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/2114034117052435647"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2009\/08\/sunday-sunday-sunday.html","title":"Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"BrianShiro"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00387138537627037829"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-GJCxDTbxD_I\/Vm6RmCeN3mI\/AAAAAAAAC5U\/foTuQWN5Egs\/s1600-r\/Brian_headshot_twitter.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-6680718401388408636"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-10T16:05:00.002-10:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-09-10T20:53:38.924-10:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fun"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"space"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Space Music Videos"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Living in the isolated environment of FMARS with a small group of people, one needs some comic relief.  Luckily, this group of space cadets seems to know about all the best space YouTube music videos.  A few days ago, I shared with you Aldrin's \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2009\/07\/buzz-aldrins-rocket-experience.html\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003ERocket Experience\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.  Below are three more entertaining (bad) space rap videos: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe first is \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mgSCH6q9gY8\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EI.S.S. Baby\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.  As a fan of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Vp-is6S_b_g\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EIce Ice Baby\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E myself, I have to say this is my favorite.  The lyrics are included in the description on the video's YouTube page.  It was made by a group of NASA co-op students.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E  From their YouTube description: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003EAlthough they may work on trajectories, structures, hypersonic fluid flow, rocket engines, robots, or space suits during the day, the co-ops at NASA are more than just engineers. They are more than mere nerds. They are ambassadors to their generation for NASA. They can sing. They can dance. They can even rap (OK, not really).\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cobject height=\"385\" width=\"480\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/mgSCH6q9gY8\u0026hl=en\u0026fs=1\u0026\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/mgSCH6q9gY8\u0026hl=en\u0026fs=1\u0026\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"480\" height=\"385\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Q_xVXQCrPxQ\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EDo the Cosmonauty\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E will wow you with its mesmerizing dancing cosmonauts and not-so-subliminal attempt to make you want \"borsch\" (misspelling of borscht): \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cobject height=\"385\" width=\"480\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/Q_xVXQCrPxQ\u0026hl=en\u0026fs=1\u0026\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/Q_xVXQCrPxQ\u0026hl=en\u0026fs=1\u0026\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"480\" height=\"385\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nNext is \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NL3lhm6oy5I\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EAstrobiology Rap\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.  It's all about the origin of life and search for life in the universe, but it's kind of long and monotonous. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nFor something more serious, check out \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sItKDSf0xl8\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EApollo Guys\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.  The ballad tribute honors the engineers who made Apollo such a success.  It was made by \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/ReelNASA\"\u003EReelNASA\u003C\/a\u003E, the same group of NASA co-op students who made \u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003EI.S.S. Baby\u003C\/span\u003E above."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/feeds\/6680718401388408636\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=6152535984695656521\u0026postID=6680718401388408636\u0026isPopup=true","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/6680718401388408636"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/6680718401388408636"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2009\/07\/space-music-videos.html","title":"Space Music Videos"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"BrianShiro"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00387138537627037829"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-GJCxDTbxD_I\/Vm6RmCeN3mI\/AAAAAAAAC5U\/foTuQWN5Egs\/s1600-r\/Brian_headshot_twitter.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-7723292196524106218"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-08T08:55:00.006-10:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-09-12T00:42:31.598-10:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fun"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Moon"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"space"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Buzz Aldrin's Rocket Experience"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first Apollo Moon landing, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/buzzaldrin.com\/\"\u003EBuzz Aldrin\u003C\/a\u003E teamed up with Snoop Dogg and Talib Kweli to make a rap video called \"Rocket Experience\", which you can watch below.  There's also a really funny video on the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.funnyordie.com\/videos\/f7a26d7505\/making-of-buzz-aldrin-s-rocket-experience-w-snoop-dogg-and-talib-kweli\"\u003EMaking of the Rocket Experience\u003C\/a\u003E.  These videos are on \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xgIYZcHZh3U\"\u003EYouTube\u003C\/a\u003E too in case you want to watch them there. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAccording to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/funnyordie.com\/\"\u003EFunny or Die\u003C\/a\u003E, who produced the video, a portion of the proceeds from the song sales will go to \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/secure.groundspring.org\/dn\/index.php?aid=18991\"\u003EShareSpace Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E, to further benefit and support the work of the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/draft.blogger.com\/post-edit.g?blogID=6152535984695656521\u0026amp;postID=7723292196524106218\" http:=\"\" nss.org=\"\"\u003ENational Space Society\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/planetary.org\/\"\u003EThe Planetary Society\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.astronautscholarship.org\/\"\u003EAstronaut Scholarship Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cobject classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" height=\"384\" id=\"ordie_player_0be5c681fc\" width=\"600\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/player.ordienetworks.com\/flash\/fodplayer.swf\" \/\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"flashvars\" value=\"key=0be5c681fc\" \/\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" \/\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cembed width=\"600\" height=\"384\" flashvars=\"key=0be5c681fc\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" quality=\"high\" src=\"http:\/\/player.ordienetworks.com\/flash\/fodplayer.swf\" name=\"ordie_player_0be5c681fc\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"font-size: x-small; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left; width: 512px;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.funnyordie.com\/videos\/0be5c681fc\/buzz-aldrin-s-rocket-experience\" title=\"from Buzz Aldrin and FOD Team\"\u003EBuzz Aldrin's Rocket Experience\u003C\/a\u003E from \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.funnyordie.com\/buzz_aldrin\"\u003EBuzz Aldrin\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAldrin also has a new book commemorating the 40th anniversary titled \u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Magnificent-Desolation-Long-Journey-Home\/dp\/0307463451\"\u003EMagnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet.  (Thanks for catching the error, spacekiwi!)"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/feeds\/7723292196524106218\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=6152535984695656521\u0026postID=7723292196524106218\u0026isPopup=true","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/7723292196524106218"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/7723292196524106218"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2009\/07\/buzz-aldrins-rocket-experience.html","title":"Buzz Aldrin's Rocket Experience"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"BrianShiro"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00387138537627037829"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-GJCxDTbxD_I\/Vm6RmCeN3mI\/AAAAAAAAC5U\/foTuQWN5Egs\/s1600-r\/Brian_headshot_twitter.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-2514749496333811365"},"published":{"$t":"2009-03-11T10:52:00.008-10:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-09-12T00:42:31.599-10:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fun"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Moon"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Moon: the movie"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ca onblur=\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/_CvV5s5E4M_Q\/Sbgs2tNZhFI\/AAAAAAAAAZU\/CmrifQ40An4\/s1600-h\/moon.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg style=\"float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 215px; height: 320px;\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/_CvV5s5E4M_Q\/Sbgs2tNZhFI\/AAAAAAAAAZU\/CmrifQ40An4\/s320\/moon.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\"id=\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312045078843851858\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EBlog reader \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.plasmaben.com\/\"\u003EBen\u003C\/a\u003E tipped me off to a really interesting movie called \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt1182345\/\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EMoon\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.  It stars \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sam_Rockwell\"\u003ESam Rockwell\u003C\/a\u003E as an astronaut spending a three year solo mission on the Moon mining Helium-3, which could be an important source of fuel for clean \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.wired.com\/science\/space\/news\/2006\/12\/72276\"\u003Enuclear fusion\u003C\/a\u003E.  His only companion at the lonely outpost is his robot, voiced by \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kevin_Spacey\"\u003EKevin Spacey\u003C\/a\u003E.  The suspense heats up in this scifi thriller as, just before he's set to go home, Rockwell realizes he's not alone.  You can watch a clip below.  There are more clips and images \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/moon-trailer.blogspot.com\/2009\/01\/moon-preview-clips.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.shocktillyoudrop.com\/films.php?id=5173\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIf Rockwell's performance in \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Confessions_of_a_Dangerous_Mind\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EConfessions of a Dangerous Mind\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is any indication, this should be a real treat.\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E  \u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EMoon\u003C\/span\u003E is an independent film that premiered at the 2009 \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.sundance.org\/festival\/\"\u003ESundance Film Festival\u003C\/a\u003E.  You can read a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ukfilm.tv\/magazine\/read\/moon_22.html\"\u003Ebrief review here\u003C\/a\u003E or excerpts from other reviews on the film's \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Moon_(film)#Critical_reception\"\u003Ewikipedia page\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cobject width=\"600\" height=\"486\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/dn_XpaOu9iA\u0026color1=0x3a3a3a\u0026color2=0x999999\u0026hl=en\u0026feature=player_embedded\u0026fs=1\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/dn_XpaOu9iA\u0026color1=0x3a3a3a\u0026color2=0x999999\u0026hl=en\u0026feature=player_embedded\u0026fs=1\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"425\" height=\"344\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAnyone in the Houston area on Monday, March 16 might consider attending a free pre-release screening of the film at JSC as part of the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.spacecenterlectureseries.com\/\"\u003ESpace Center Lecture Series\u003C\/a\u003E.  The event starts at 7:00pm with doorprizes before the movie, and afterwards the film's director \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Duncan_Jones\"\u003EDuncan Jones\u003C\/a\u003E (David Bowie's son) will host a Q\u0026A session. Although the event is free and open to the public, the organizers do ask that you \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.aiaa-houston.org\/rsvp16mar09\"\u003ERSVP\u003C\/a\u003E since space is limited.  (You can also watch full videos of previous lectures in the series, including Harrison Schmitt and Tom Jones, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.spacecenterlectureseries.com\/past.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.) \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EUpdate: April 12, 2009 \u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThere is a new high-definition 2-minute trailer for this movie.  Check it out: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cembed src='http:\/\/videomedia.ign.com\/ev\/ev.swf' flashvars='object_ID=14313551\u0026downloadURL=http:\/\/moviesmovies.ign.com\/movies\/video\/article\/970\/970549\/moon_trl_040909_flvlowwide.flv\u0026allownetworking=\"all%\"' type='application\/x-shockwave-flash' width='433' height='360'\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003Cdiv style='width:433;'\u003E\u003Ca href='http:\/\/movies.ign.com\/objects\/143\/14313551.html'\u003EMore Moon News \u0026 Previews\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/feeds\/2514749496333811365\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=6152535984695656521\u0026postID=2514749496333811365\u0026isPopup=true","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/2514749496333811365"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/2514749496333811365"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2009\/03\/moon-movie.html","title":"Moon: the movie"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"BrianShiro"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00387138537627037829"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-GJCxDTbxD_I\/Vm6RmCeN3mI\/AAAAAAAAC5U\/foTuQWN5Egs\/s1600-r\/Brian_headshot_twitter.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/_CvV5s5E4M_Q\/Sbgs2tNZhFI\/AAAAAAAAAZU\/CmrifQ40An4\/s72-c\/moon.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-8828252714453966252"},"published":{"$t":"2009-02-05T21:29:00.003-10:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-02-01T12:28:45.954-10:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Earth"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fun"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mars"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"ocean"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"New Google Ocean and Google Mars"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"A couple of weeks ago, Google released a major update to it's popular \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/earth.google.com\/\"\u003EGoogle Earth\u003C\/a\u003E software.  The upgrade to version 5.0 is a must for Google Earth fans because it boasts some exciting new features that allow you to explore the Earth's oceans or Mars in 3D.  In addition to regular Earth mode and the alternative \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.google.com\/sky\/\"\u003ESky mode\u003C\/a\u003E, there is now a new Mars mode, which goes way beyond Google's \u003Ca href=\"www.google.com\/mars\"\u003Eprevious foray into displaying Mars imagery\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/earth.google.com\/ocean\"\u003EGoogle Ocean\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nPreviously, Google Earth imagery was very crude for the 2\/3 of the Earth's surface that is covered by water.  Now Google Earth includes global bathymetric data and labels for underwater features like seamounts, ridges, trenches, reefs, and geographic boundaries of marine areas.  The underwater relief is clearly visible from a far off view of the planet's surface, but the really cool features start when you zoom in.  Now the program allows users to dive beneath the ocean surface and explore the aquatic world below. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nTo get the full effect, I recommend first tilting your view at a near-horizontal angle so you can see the horizon before making the watery plunge.  There are many layers available with ocean-related content such as dive\/surf spots, ship wrecks, ocean expeditions, marine life tracking, and much more.  If you're saavy enough to generate your own KML files, you'll also be happy to note that now the KML schema allows negative elevations, meaning objects can show up correctly underwater (good for me in my line of work dealing with underwater earthquakes).  For more information, check out this \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.gearthblog.com\/blog\/archives\/2009\/02\/post_3.html\"\u003EGoogle Earth Blog post\u003C\/a\u003E or the videos below. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cobject width=\"425\" height=\"344\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/KOG-iAiDiko\u0026color1=0xb1b1b1\u0026color2=0xcfcfcf\u0026feature=player_embedded\u0026fs=1\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/KOG-iAiDiko\u0026color1=0xb1b1b1\u0026color2=0xcfcfcf\u0026feature=player_embedded\u0026fs=1\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"425\" height=\"344\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cobject width=\"425\" height=\"344\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/6ATw1f_qcEg\u0026color1=0xb1b1b1\u0026color2=0xcfcfcf\u0026hl=en\u0026feature=player_embedded\u0026fs=1\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/6ATw1f_qcEg\u0026color1=0xb1b1b1\u0026color2=0xcfcfcf\u0026hl=en\u0026feature=player_embedded\u0026fs=1\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"425\" height=\"344\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.google.com\/mars\"\u003EGoogle Mars\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI've \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/brianshiro.blogspot.com\/2008\/10\/fun-with-astronaut-mode-in-google-earth.html\"\u003Eblogged previously\u003C\/a\u003E about using layers to turn the Earth into other planets in Google Earth.  For the past couple of years, Google Mars has consisted of a Google Maps webpage showing Mars \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=U\u0026start=1\u0026q=http:\/\/mola.gsfc.nasa.gov\/\u0026ei=9fyPSZfZCt-BtwfZi9mYCw\u0026usg=AFQjCNFhdspVEeaLq8ebfr0K0RMXPC4LCg\"\u003EMOLA altimetry\u003C\/a\u003E.  As cool as that was, it didn't give you the full 3D Google Earth experience.  Resourceful Google Earth geeks dutifully produced various Mars overlays and layers that can be used within Google Earth to make it seems like Mars.  However, there are limitations to that approach, particularly with performance and with the lack of any 3D relief. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nNow, in Google Earth 5.0 there is a full-fledged Mars mode.  After launching the application, just click on the icon at the top of the screen with a ringed planet on it.  If you leave your mouse hovering over the spot, it'll tell you that you can \"Switch between Earth, Sky, and other planets.\"  This implies that in the future, Google may add other planets such as the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.google.com\/moon\/\"\u003EMoon\u003C\/a\u003E too.  Not only does Mars mode in Google Earth show actual imagery of Mars draped over 3D terrain, it displays more detail as you zoom in just like in Earth mode.  The highest resolution imagery available comes from the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/hirise.lpl.arizona.edu\/\"\u003EHiRise\u003C\/a\u003E camera, which is about 0.5 meters per pixel.  That's about the same as the best images in Earth mode.  Of course, there are labels and layers showing feature names, lander sites, rover tracks, etc. too.  You can even interact with panoramic \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/marswatch.astro.cornell.edu\/pancam_instrument\/\"\u003EPanCam\u003C\/a\u003E images taken by the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/marsrover.nasa.gov\/\"\u003EMars Exploration Rovers\u003C\/a\u003E.  For more information, check out this \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.gearthblog.com\/blog\/archives\/2009\/02\/google_earth_5_the_new_google_mars.html\"\u003EGoogle Earth Blog post\u003C\/a\u003E or the video below. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cobject width=\"425\" height=\"344\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/8QtXFLL7Y2g\u0026color1=0xb1b1b1\u0026color2=0xcfcfcf\u0026feature=player_embedded\u0026fs=1\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/8QtXFLL7Y2g\u0026color1=0xb1b1b1\u0026color2=0xcfcfcf\u0026feature=player_embedded\u0026fs=1\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"425\" height=\"344\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe video below provides a general overview of Google Earth 5.0, including its other really useful new feature that allows you to go back in time and see decades of historical imagery. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cobject width=\"425\" height=\"344\"\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/GSuJq4UzkIA\u0026color1=0xb1b1b1\u0026color2=0xcfcfcf\u0026feature=player_embedded\u0026fs=1\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cparam name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\"\u003E\u003C\/param\u003E\u003Cembed src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/GSuJq4UzkIA\u0026color1=0xb1b1b1\u0026color2=0xcfcfcf\u0026feature=player_embedded\u0026fs=1\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" width=\"425\" height=\"344\"\u003E\u003C\/embed\u003E\u003C\/object\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/feeds\/8828252714453966252\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=6152535984695656521\u0026postID=8828252714453966252\u0026isPopup=true","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/8828252714453966252"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/8828252714453966252"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2009\/02\/new-google-ocean-and-google-mars.html","title":"New Google Ocean and Google Mars"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"BrianShiro"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00387138537627037829"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-GJCxDTbxD_I\/Vm6RmCeN3mI\/AAAAAAAAC5U\/foTuQWN5Egs\/s1600-r\/Brian_headshot_twitter.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-2486613037422121054"},"published":{"$t":"2008-10-24T21:19:00.011-10:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-09-12T00:44:59.191-10:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"astronaut"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Earth"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fun"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mars"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Moon"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"space"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Fun with astronaut mode in Google Earth"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"If you've ever dreamed of going on a spacewalk, now's your chance to at least pretend thanks to the really cool \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/bbs.keyhole.com\/ubb\/download.php?Number=984013\"\u003EAstronaut Mode for Google Earth\u003C\/a\u003E.  The overlay makes it look like you're an astronaut floating above the planet.  It also works in \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.google.com\/intl\/en\/press\/pressrel\/earthsky_20070822.html\"\u003Esky mode\u003C\/a\u003E, so you can look away from the earth too. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIf you feel lonely floating in space all by yourself, you can make the experience a little more interesting by also showing \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/adn.agi.com\/SatelliteDatabase\/SatelliteDatabase.kmz\"\u003Eall known orbiting satellites and spacecraft\u003C\/a\u003E.  The network link from \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.agi.com\"\u003EAGI\u003C\/a\u003E shows in real time all 12,000+ earth-orbiting objects tracked by the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.stratcom.mil\/\"\u003EUnited States Strategic Command\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHere are screenshots looking both towards earth (with the satellite database turned on) and away from earth at \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Three_Kings\"\u003EOrion's belt\u003C\/a\u003E: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca onblur=\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/_CvV5s5E4M_Q\/SQLHpS7z9cI\/AAAAAAAAAU4\/Go93Jr_WbGI\/s1600-h\/GE_astronaut_satellites.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg style=\"display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 275px;\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/_CvV5s5E4M_Q\/SQLHpS7z9cI\/AAAAAAAAAU4\/Go93Jr_WbGI\/s400\/GE_astronaut_satellites.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\"id=\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260986826993432002\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca onblur=\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_CvV5s5E4M_Q\/SQLHtSQefjI\/AAAAAAAAAVA\/4HxPvS7oIKU\/s1600-h\/GE_astronaut_skymode.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg style=\"display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_CvV5s5E4M_Q\/SQLHtSQefjI\/AAAAAAAAAVA\/4HxPvS7oIKU\/s400\/GE_astronaut_skymode.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\"id=\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260986895531146802\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nMaybe you prefer to float over another planet.  Here are examples of spacewalks above the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tharsis\"\u003ETharsis Rise\u003C\/a\u003E on Mars using the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.modifiedmars.com\/modifiedmars.kmz\"\u003EModified Mars overlay\u003C\/a\u003E and over the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/South_Pole-Aitken_basin\"\u003ESouth Pole-Aitken basin\u003C\/a\u003E on the Moon using \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/bbs.keyhole.com\/ubb\/download.php?Number=681832\"\u003Ethis moon overlay\u003C\/a\u003E.  (Note that the Mars map shows \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/mola.gsfc.nasa.gov\/\"\u003EMOLA topography\u003C\/a\u003E; if you prefer something more photorealistic, try \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/bbs.keyhole.com\/ubb\/download.php?Number=73974\"\u003Ethis one\u003C\/a\u003E.) \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca onblur=\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/_CvV5s5E4M_Q\/SQMf2nq3QMI\/AAAAAAAAAVo\/aG6fY_ILMJU\/s1600-h\/GE_astronaut_mars.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg style=\"display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 275px;\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/_CvV5s5E4M_Q\/SQMf2nq3QMI\/AAAAAAAAAVo\/aG6fY_ILMJU\/s400\/GE_astronaut_mars.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\"id=\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261083812921032898\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca onblur=\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/_CvV5s5E4M_Q\/SQMf6qRFxvI\/AAAAAAAAAVw\/sK6FU27iM7s\/s1600-h\/GE_astronaut_moon.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg style=\"display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 275px;\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/_CvV5s5E4M_Q\/SQMf6qRFxvI\/AAAAAAAAAVw\/sK6FU27iM7s\/s400\/GE_astronaut_moon.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\"id=\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261083882337715954\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAccording to \u003Ca  href=\"http:\/\/www.gearthblog.com\/blog\/archives\/2007\/12\/astronaut_mode_for_google_earth.html\"\u003Ea post on the Google Earth Blog\u003C\/a\u003E, you can also use the astronaut overlay with the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/gearthblog.com\/blog\/archives\/2007\/09\/google_earth_flight.html\"\u003EGoogle Earth Flight Simulator\u003C\/a\u003E to simulate flying through the 3D world of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/earth.google.com\"\u003EGoogle Earth\u003C\/a\u003E.  Enjoy!"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/feeds\/2486613037422121054\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=6152535984695656521\u0026postID=2486613037422121054\u0026isPopup=true","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/2486613037422121054"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/2486613037422121054"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2008\/10\/fun-with-astronaut-mode-in-google-earth.html","title":"Fun with astronaut mode in Google Earth"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"BrianShiro"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00387138537627037829"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-GJCxDTbxD_I\/Vm6RmCeN3mI\/AAAAAAAAC5U\/foTuQWN5Egs\/s1600-r\/Brian_headshot_twitter.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/_CvV5s5E4M_Q\/SQLHpS7z9cI\/AAAAAAAAAU4\/Go93Jr_WbGI\/s72-c\/GE_astronaut_satellites.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-3885642165990423990"},"published":{"$t":"2008-09-21T00:13:00.005-10:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-09-22T04:34:42.927-10:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fun"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"NASA"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Snoopy and NASA"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/multimedia\/imagegallery\/iotd.html\"\u003ENASA Image of the Day\u003C\/a\u003E today is shown below.  I just wanted to share it because as a kid growing up I was a big Snoopy and Peanuts fan.  I never knew there was an official connection between Snoopy and NASA.  The picture caption reads:\n\n\u003Cblockquote\u003EIn 1968, Snoopy was chosen as an official symbol of merit for America's Space Program and to this day, the Silver Snoopy is award to NASA employees who demonstrate excellence in their work.  Through the decades, the connections between Peanuts and NASA have remained rich.  In fact, the Apollo 10 command and lunar modules were named after Charlie Brown and the lovable beagle.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\n\u003Ca onblur=\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/images\/content\/276079main_1178_full_full.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg style=\"display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/images\/content\/276079main_1178_full_full.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/feeds\/3885642165990423990\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=6152535984695656521\u0026postID=3885642165990423990\u0026isPopup=true","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/3885642165990423990"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/3885642165990423990"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2008\/09\/snoopy-and-nasa.html","title":"Snoopy and NASA"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"BrianShiro"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00387138537627037829"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-GJCxDTbxD_I\/Vm6RmCeN3mI\/AAAAAAAAC5U\/foTuQWN5Egs\/s1600-r\/Brian_headshot_twitter.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-4853117739922799661"},"published":{"$t":"2008-07-14T22:22:00.012-10:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-03-14T08:47:37.157-10:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fun"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Pi-Man!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"I was driving through Anchorage listening to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.diffusionradio.com\"\u003EDiffusion Science Radio\u003C\/a\u003E on a local educational talk \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.oneskyradio.com\"\u003Eradio station\u003C\/a\u003E when I heard a song that just blew me away.  The song's called \"Pi-Man!\" by the Australian indie rock band Unicron's Revenge.\u0026nbsp;   You can listen to or download the full song on \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.reverbnation.com\/unicronsrevenge\"\u003Ethe band's website\u003C\/a\u003E or listen to it right now!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"widget_iframe\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:380px;height:104px;margin:0;padding:0;border:0;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe class=\"widget_iframe\" src=\"http:\/\/www.reverbnation.com\/widget_code\/html_widget\/artist_88411?widget_id=50\u0026pwc[design]=default\u0026pwc[background_color]=%23333333\u0026pwc[included_songs]=0\u0026pwc[song_ids]=574587\u0026pwc[photo]=0%2C1\u0026pwc[size]=undefined\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"footer_branding\" style=\"margin-top:-5px;font-size:10px;font-family:Arial;\"\u003E\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.reverbnation.com\/band-promotion\/how-to-sell-music-on-itunes?utm_campaign=a_features_distribution\u0026utm_medium=widget\u0026utm_source=HTML5_Player\u0026utm_content=widgetfooter_Sell music on itunes at ReverbNation.com\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#444;\"\u003ESell music on itunes at ReverbNation.com\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EHere is an excerpt of the lyrics:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E....Who do you call when you need to know the circumference of a circle in relation to its diameter?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nWho do you call? Who you call? You call Pi-Man! Whoah.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nHe's irrational and insane.\u0026nbsp; Pi-Man! Whoah.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nCan he calculate a plane? Pi-Man! Whoah.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIncidental, Transcendental man. Pi-Man! Whoah. .....\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAnd he'll never be whole again. Pi-Man! Whoah. .....\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIncidental, Transcendental man.\u0026nbsp; Your power is never-ending .....\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nJust pick up the phone and dial 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105 .....\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca onblur=\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href=\"http:\/\/sci-fi-guys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/unicron-04.jpeg\"\u003E\u003Cimg style=\"float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;\" src=\"http:\/\/sci-fi-guys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/unicron-04.jpeg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E  If a song dedicated to the power to pi isn't enough to get your geek juices flowing, the fact that the band is called \"Unicron's Revenge\" should.\u0026nbsp; As any true Transformers fan would know, Unicron was the evil planet-eating antagonist from the 1986 \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Transformers:_The_Movie\"\u003ETransformers: The Movie\u003C\/a\u003E. Unicron was famously portrayed by Orson Welles in his final film role.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAn inspection of the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.myspace.com\/unicronsrevenge\"\u003Eband's myspace page\u003C\/a\u003E reveals that their top two influences include Transformers and Danger Mouse, which are also two major influences from my youth.\u0026nbsp; Oh crumbs!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nTheir myspace bio describes their Cybertronian roots and how they ended up singing in Sydney:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003EWe came from the Planet Cybertron many many eons ago in an attempt to save the human race from the Evil Decepticons. Sadly by the time we got here the Autobots were already here and already had plans to complete this task.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nDevastated, down and not bothered to go back to Cybertron, we decided our next course of action would be to write music as a form of release for our alpha cyber-whatsits, ...\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Ca onblur=\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_CvV5s5E4M_Q\/SNA_FUuY8YI\/AAAAAAAAALc\/iCzksVhFIso\/s1600-h\/image.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg style=\"cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;height: 200px;\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_CvV5s5E4M_Q\/SNA_FUuY8YI\/AAAAAAAAALc\/iCzksVhFIso\/s200\/image.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\"id=\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246762926581805442\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026nbsp; \u003Ca onblur=\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href=\"http:\/\/imagecache2.allposters.com\/images\/pic\/146\/PP0302~Danger-Mouse-Posters.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg style=\"cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;height: 200px;\" src=\"http:\/\/imagecache2.allposters.com\/images\/pic\/146\/PP0302~Danger-Mouse-Posters.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThis picture on the left shows the band's lead singer Tom holding up Pi-Man.  Notice the resemblance to Danger Mouse?.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI'm going to have to add Unicron's Revenge to my playlist along with one of my other favorite albums: the Transformers soundtrack.\u0026nbsp; This band deserves a spot in anyone's punk\/indie music with a flavor of math\/transformers\/secret agent mouse collection.\u0026nbsp; If you ask me, they belong on the soundtrack to the next Transformers movie.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nPi-Man! (not to be confused with \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.simpsoncrazy.com\/content\/wallpapers\/episodes\/PieMan_1024.gif\"\u003Ethis guy\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/feeds\/4853117739922799661\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=6152535984695656521\u0026postID=4853117739922799661\u0026isPopup=true","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/4853117739922799661"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/4853117739922799661"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2008\/07\/pi-man.html","title":"Pi-Man!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"BrianShiro"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00387138537627037829"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-GJCxDTbxD_I\/Vm6RmCeN3mI\/AAAAAAAAC5U\/foTuQWN5Egs\/s1600-r\/Brian_headshot_twitter.jpg"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_CvV5s5E4M_Q\/SNA_FUuY8YI\/AAAAAAAAALc\/iCzksVhFIso\/s72-c\/image.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-6794058691350374166"},"published":{"$t":"2008-05-26T05:36:00.003-10:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-09-10T23:56:59.061-10:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"astronaut"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fun"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Completed my PADI diver training"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/www.boracay-budgettravel-tips.com\/images\/scuba-diving_400x300.jpg\" style=\"margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;\" title=\"scuba diver\" alt=\"scuba diver photo\" \/\u003EAs the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/jpl.nasa.gov\/news\/phoenix\/main.php\"\u003EMars Phoenix Lander\u003C\/a\u003E was successfully touching down on Mars, I was completing the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.padi.com\/padi\/en\/kd\/openwater.aspx\"\u003EPADI Open Water Diver certification course\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp; During the week prior to the dives, I had to study the PADI Open Water Manual, watch the videos with the class, and take quizzes plus a final exam.\u0026nbsp; Then, the class spent Saturday and Sunday doing 5 closed water and 4 open water dives.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nDiving was a lot of fun.\u0026nbsp; I got to see a white-tipped reef shark, swim with a large sea turtle, watch a sea horse, as well as the usual reef wildlife (fish, urchins, starfish, etc.).\u0026nbsp; I logged nearly 2 hours during my 4 open water dives, and the deepest I went was 27 ft (8.2 m).\u0026nbsp; I was originally worried about equalizing the pressure in my ears, but it wasn't hard at all.\u0026nbsp; The thing that surprised me the most was how heavy the scuba equipment is out of the water.\u0026nbsp; In fact, just gearing up and walking between the staging area and beach really wore me out.\u0026nbsp; I feel like I've been on a strenuous backpacking trip.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI wanted to take my camera with me on the last dive, but I didn't since I wasn't 100% certain that my new waterproof case would work.\u0026nbsp; It's too bad because I could have photographed the shark.\u0026nbsp; Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of myself diving, so I'll have to go again and make sure to bring a camera next time. (I swiped the photo shown above from the internet.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe next level of diving certification is the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.padi.com\/padi\/en\/kd\/advancedopenwater.aspx\"\u003EPADA Advanced Open Water Diver\u003C\/a\u003E, which consists of five adventure dives that you choose from these options: altitude diving, AWARE-fish identification, boat diving, deep diving, diver propulsion vehicle use, drift diving, dry suit diving, multilevel and computer diving, night diving, peak performance buoyancy, search and recovery, underwater nature study, underwater navigation, underwater photography, underwater videography and wreck diving.\u0026nbsp; It costs only slightly more than the Open Water course and can be completed over one weekend.\u0026nbsp; I'm tempted to do it while I'm in Alaska later this summer since I can gain some experience with cold water diving, but it costs more there compared to Hawaii.\u0026nbsp; We'll see.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nI'll have to get at least 25 dives under my belt before I can become a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ndc.noaa.gov\/tc_cert.html#sci\"\u003ENOAA Scientific Diver\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp; The main limitation for me is the high cost of buying diving equipment (at least $1-2k).\u0026nbsp; If I get serious about this, I'll definitely need to buy my own equipment, but I don't think I can afford it yet.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nPS: This is the first time I've uploaded a blog post using the really nice \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flock.com\/\"\u003Eflock\u003C\/a\u003E browser.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"flockcredit\" style=\"text-align: right; color: #CCC; font-size: x-small;\"\u003EBlogged with the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.flock.com\/blogged-with-flock\" style=\"color: #999; font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_new\" title=\"Flock Browser\"\u003EFlock Browser\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/feeds\/6794058691350374166\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=6152535984695656521\u0026postID=6794058691350374166\u0026isPopup=true","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/6794058691350374166"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/6794058691350374166"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2008\/05\/brian-certified-padi-diver.html","title":"Completed my PADI diver training"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"BrianShiro"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00387138537627037829"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-GJCxDTbxD_I\/Vm6RmCeN3mI\/AAAAAAAAC5U\/foTuQWN5Egs\/s1600-r\/Brian_headshot_twitter.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-2134794077267766390"},"published":{"$t":"2008-04-27T15:42:00.000-10:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2008-09-16T10:39:47.341-10:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fun"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"space"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"NASA Intern hopes to fly in space (funny)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The Onion is on target once again with its witty humor.  Click the link below to read the article.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"onion_embed headline\"\u003E\u003Ca class=\"img\" target=\"theonion\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theonion.com\/content\/news\/nasa_intern_hoping_to_go_on_space?utm_source=Distributed\u0026utm_medium=Embedded%2BHTML\u0026utm_campaign=Widgets\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/www.theonion.com\/content\/files\/images\/NASA-Intern-R.frontpage_thumbnail_small.jpg\" alt=\"NASA Intern Hoping To Go On Space Walk Before He Leaves In June\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Ca target=\"theonion\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theonion.com\/content?utm_source=Distributed\u0026utm_medium=Embedded%2BHTML\u0026utm_campaign=Widgets\"\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/www.theonion.com\/content\/themes\/onion\/assets\/logos\/onion_super_tiny.png\" width=\"92\" height=\"12\" alt=\"The Onion\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Ch3 style=\"font-size:16px!important;line-height:15px!important;\"\u003E\u003Ca target=\"theonion\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theonion.com\/content\/news\/nasa_intern_hoping_to_go_on_space?utm_source=Distributed\u0026utm_medium=Embedded%2BHTML\u0026utm_campaign=Widgets\" \u003ENASA Intern Hoping To Go On Space Walk Before He Leaves In June\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cstyle type=\"text\/css\"\u003E.onion_embed {background: rgb(256, 256, 256) !important;border: 4px solid rgb(65, 160, 65);border-width: 4px 0 1px 0;margin: 10px 30px !important;padding: 5px;overflow: hidden !important;zoom: 1;}.onion_embed img {border: 0 !important;}.onion_embed a {display: inline;}.onion_embed a.img {float: left !important;margin: 0 5px 0 0 !important;width: 66px;display: block;overflow: hidden !important;}.onion_embed a.img img {border: 1px solid #222 !important;;width: 64px;;padding: 0 !important;;}.onion_embed h2 {line-height: 2px;;clear: none;;margin: 0 !important;padding: 0 !important;}.onion_embed h3 {line-height: 16px;font: bold 16px arial, sans-serif !important;margin: 3px 0 0 0 !important;padding: 0 !important;}.onion_embed h3 a {line-height: 16px !important;;color: rgb(0, 51, 102) !important;font: bold 16px arial, sans-serif !important;text-decoration: none !important;display: inline !important;;float: none !important;;text-transform: capitalize !important;}.onion_embed h3 a:hover {text-decoration: underline !important;color: rgb(204, 51, 51) !important;}.onion_embed p {color: #000 !important;;font: normal 11px\/ 11px arial, sans-serif !important;;margin: 2px 0 0 0 !important;;padding: 0 !important;}.onion_embed a {display: inline !important;;float: none !important;}\u003C\/style\u003E\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/statistics.theonion.com\/b\/ss\/theonionprod\/1\/H.6--NS\/1234567?pe=lnk_d\u0026pev2=NASA%20Intern%20Hoping%20To%20Go%20On%20Space%20Walk%20Before%20He%20Leaves%20In%20June\u0026pev1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theonion.com%2Fcontent%2Fnews%2Fnasa_intern_hoping_to_go_on_space%3Futm_source%3DDistributed%26utm_medium%3DEmbedded%252BHTML%26utm_campaign%3DWidgets\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\" style=\"display:none;\" \/\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/feeds\/2134794077267766390\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=6152535984695656521\u0026postID=2134794077267766390\u0026isPopup=true","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/2134794077267766390"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/2134794077267766390"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2008\/04\/nasa-intern-hopes-to-fly-in-space-funny.html","title":"NASA Intern hopes to fly in space (funny)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"BrianShiro"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00387138537627037829"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-GJCxDTbxD_I\/Vm6RmCeN3mI\/AAAAAAAAC5U\/foTuQWN5Egs\/s1600-r\/Brian_headshot_twitter.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6152535984695656521.post-3083115907526177448"},"published":{"$t":"2008-03-25T22:13:00.002-10:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-09-10T23:58:10.047-10:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"astronaut"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"fun"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Researching dive\/scuba options"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ca onblur=\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href=\"http:\/\/www.scubaworld.tv\/Image\/Scuba_lessons.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg style=\"float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;\" src=\"http:\/\/www.scubaworld.tv\/Image\/Scuba_lessons.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E One thing that been on my to-do list for a long time is earning my scuba divers certification.  I started taking a scuba class during my junior year of high school but couldn't commit to the dive portion because I couldn't afford the cost of buying my own equipment (and rental wasn't an option for some reason).  I started snorkeling in 2001 on my first Fiji trip during graduate school.  I almost decided to earn my scuba certification then, but I couldn't afford the approximately $400 cost.  Since then, I've also snorkeled in Tonga, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Hawaii.  Now that I'm applying to be an astronaut and have a decent income, it's high time I start diving.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nFirst, I investigated all \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.padi.com\/\"\u003EPADI\u003C\/a\u003E instructors on Oahu.  The costs generally range from $250-$500 for 3-7 day classes.  The best deals I found were $249 for a 4 day course and $275 for a 3 day course, both of which include all fees and gear rental in that price.  This is good because I don't have to invest in buying my own equipment just to learn the sport.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nSecond, I looked into options for diving through my employer, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.noaa.gov\/\"\u003ENOAA\u003C\/a\u003E.  As it turns out, the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ndc.noaa.gov\/\"\u003ENOAA Dive Center\u003C\/a\u003E in Seattle offers free training for NOAA employees.  The result is a \"Working Diver\" certification, which allows one to perform almost any underwater work for scientific, government, commercial, or military purposes.  The course is 3 weeks long and is offered during May and September.  I'm in the process of trying to convince my supervisor to let me go (and pay my travel and lodging).  I'll post an update when I have one.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EUpdate 4\/01\/08:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAs it turns out, the local NOAA dive unit in Hawaii doesn't need any more divers at this time, so we can't justify the expense of training me through the NOAA program.  Thus, I'll go back to my original plan of earning my PADI open water certification and will try to accumulate some dive experience on my own."},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/feeds\/3083115907526177448\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/comment.g?blogID=6152535984695656521\u0026postID=3083115907526177448\u0026isPopup=true","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/3083115907526177448"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6152535984695656521\/posts\/default\/3083115907526177448"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.astronautforhire.com\/2008\/03\/researching-divescuba-options.html","title":"Researching dive\/scuba options"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"BrianShiro"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/00387138537627037829"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-GJCxDTbxD_I\/Vm6RmCeN3mI\/AAAAAAAAC5U\/foTuQWN5Egs\/s1600-r\/Brian_headshot_twitter.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}}]}});