The Phoenix Has Landed

Earthlings, we have successfully landed another probe on the red planet. Congratulations to the team at JPL, University of Arizona, and everyone else who made this one happen!

Man, I just love space exploration...

Drunk In Space

Apparently, the altitude in orbit is not high enough for more than one of NASA's finest. According to an independent panel, on at least two occasions astronauts were allowed to fly after flight surgeons or other astronauts warned that they were drunk, so drunk that they posed a flight safety risk.

You cannot have a machinist fabricating spacecraft parts who is unable to urinate in a little cup, but a DUI is space is not a problem that NASA is concerned with? I guess the sky IS no longer the limit...

An alternate view is as follows: the astronauts know how poorly designed the shuttle is, and need to throw back a few stiff ones to get back in the saddle. These are likely the more experienced ones who have actually been up a few times, and know the risks. Perhaps they were colleagues with the crews of the Challenger or Columbia. We shouldn't judge too quickly what it takes to do that job, as much as many of us many have fantasized about a journey into space. But they should still need to pass a breathalyser before they fly a 1.7 billion dollar spacecraft.

Without Air, No One Can Hear You Scream

I was shocked to read about the ongoing problems with the life support computers onboard the International Space Station. Every time I hear of problems up there, I feel a serious rant coming on.

I grew up on science fiction books. In fact, I would have to say that the vast majority of my childhood was spent far away from this planet. Suffice to say, I am a serious supporter of space exploration.

But this madness with the ISS is about more than I can take. Between the noise, the need to keep reboosting its orbit, and the lack of any real scientific value, we really SHOULD abandon ship at this point!