Monthly Archives: January 2018

Activism, Education, Space participation

Applications for Space Camp student scholarships from Mars Generation due by Jan.15, 2018

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The Mars Generation is offering students a chance to win a free 1 week scholarship for Space Camp located in Huntsville, Alabama for summer of 2018: Space Camp Scholarship Application | The Mars Generation

TMG Space Camp Scholarship Applications are now open through January 15, 2018.

This scholarship is for 100% of the tuition to 1 week of space camp (July 7-14, 2018) and includes a flight suit, transportation and a small spending stipend. The total value is approximately $3,000.

Welcome students! We are happy you are here. Please review the application requirements below to make sure you qualify before applying. If you choose to apply, please make sure you complete all 3 parts of the application by January 15, 2018 to be considered for selection.

Applications are due no later than 11:59 pm CST on January 15, 2018

Application requirements include:

  • Must join the TMG Student Space Ambassador Leadership Program (see themarsgeneration.org for information and to signup)
  • Family must qualify for the USDA free and reduced lunch program. We do require verification of your family qualification of the USDA free and reduced lunch program if you are awarded a scholarship.
  • Must live in the continental U.S. (Lower 48 states)
  • Must be able to attend Space Camp the week of July 7-14, 2018
  • Have never attended Space Camp USA in Huntsville, Alabama
  • Must be between the age of 15-17 as of July 1, 2018.
  • Application must be submitted by 11:59pm January 15, 2018

Application for the scholarship consists of 3 parts:

  1. Fill out the application form which includes an outreach project proposal. Students who are awarded a TMG Space Camp Scholarship will be required to complete an outreach presentation where they share their Space Camp experience with their community.
  2. Student will need to create and submit a short video (under 3 minutes) introducing themselves and explaining why STEM education and/or space exploration are important to the future of humankind. Students should also talk about why they think they would benefit from attending Space Camp. Videos will need to be emailed to scholarships@themarsgeneration.org with the student’s full name and words “Space Camp Scholarship Application 2018” in Subject line of the email as well as in the title of the video file.
  3. Students will need to have a mentor or teacher fill out out a recommendation form.

*** If student is chosen to receive a scholarship their family will need to pay a $150 deposit at the time of accepting the scholarship. The deposit will be returned after the student attends Space Camp and upon submitting a video of the presentation.

Science and Technology, Solar Sci-Fi, Space books

Space book: “Treknology” by Ethan Siegel

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In astrophysicist Ethan Siegel’s new book Treknology: The Science of Star Trek from Tricorders to Warp Drive, he looks at the impact of Star Trek and science fiction in general on technological innovation and development : Star Treknology: Imagining The Future Into Being : 13.7: Cosmos And Culture : NPR

And how about that most Star Trek of Star Trek transport modalities — the transporter? Siegel manages to be both concise and complete in his discussion of the various ways a transporter might work. Do you actually move all the atoms of your body from one place to another? Or do you just transport the information about those atoms and then rebuild the body? These questions allow Siegel to unpack some basics of quantum physics, like the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. From there, he opens discussions of information and quantum computing with questions like: How can you map the atoms in your body for transport when you can’t know exactly where they are leading? All of these ideas are laid out at just the right level for a light-hearted science book about science fiction.

Treknology is pretty complete. It has a section on weapons and defense (deflector shields, phasers), a section on computing (the holodeck, androids) and a section on medicine and biology (recorders, cybernetics). There is a lot more, too, and each chapter in each section is richly illustrated with images from the shows and well-composed scientific diagrams. That means a lot of eye-candy here for both Trek and science fans.

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Activism, Space Policy, SpaceCasts

The Space Show this week – Jan.8.2018

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The guests and topics of discussion on The Space Show this week:

  1. Monday, Jan. 8 2018: 2-3:30 pm PDT (4-5:30 pm CDT, 5-6:30 pm EDT) : We welcome back Barry Levin to the show to continue our discussion about advanced space mfg and related topics.
  2. Tuesday, Jan. 9 , 2018; 7-8:30 pm PDT (9-10:30 pm CDT, 10-11:30 pm EDT) : We welcome back Bob Zimmerman to discuss his launch industry report 2017-2018.
  3. Wednesday, Jan. 10 , 2018 Hotel Mars with John Batchelor, Dr. David Livingston. See upcoming show menu on the website for details. Note that this is a pre-recorded session.
  4. Special Time: Friday, Jan. 12, 2018: Note the program starts at 12 pm PST (3 pm EST). We welcome back Davide Sivolella re his new book, The Space Shuttle Program: Technologies and Accomplishments.
  5. Sunday, Jan. 14, 2018: 12-1:30 PM PDT (3-4:30 pm EDT, 2-3:30 pm CDT): We welcome back Chris Carberry of Explore Mars, Inc.

See also:
* The Space Show on Vimeo – webinar videos
* The Space Show’s Blog – summaries of interviews.
* The Space Show Classroom Blog – tutorial programs

The Space Show is a project of the One Giant Leap Foundation.

The Space Show - David Livingston
David Livingston
Rockets

SpaceX Falcon Heavy prepared for test firing and launch

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SpaceX hopes to launch the Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time this month. The three core launch system was developed completely with internal funding. It can put up 63,800 kg (140,660 lb) to into low earth orbit, making it currently the most powerful rocket in the world and one of the most powerful since the start of the Space Age. The FH appeared in public for the first time when it rolled up to Pad 39A between Christmas and New Year. According to Elon Musk, SpaceX plans to do an on-pad engine firing test in the next week and a launch by the end of January.

If all goes as planned, the two side boosters will land back at the Cape and the center core will land on an ocean droneship platform.

A post shared by Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on

For this first test flight, they did not want to risk an expensive satellite so they decided to send Elon’s Tesla Roadster on a deep space orbit that will pass near Mars:

Falcon Heavy Demo Mission - Payload

Falcon Heavy Demo - Payload

More at

Here is a good tutorial from the Everyday Astronaut on the FH:

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General, History, Spaceflight & Parabolic Flight

Astronaut John Young dies at age of 87

John W. Young, one of the most accomplished astronauts in US history, passed away today at the age of 87. He flew two Gemini missions, two Apollo missions including a landing on the Moon as commander of Apollo 16, and two Shuttle missions, including as commander of the program’s first flight on Shuttle Columbia.

From Lightfoot’s statement:

“Between his service in the U.S. Navy, where he retired at the rank of captain, and his later work as a civilian at NASA, John spent his entire life in service to our country.  His career included the test pilot’s dream of two ‘first flights’ in a new spacecraft — with Gus Grissom on Gemini 3, and as Commander of STS-1, the first space shuttle mission, which some have called ‘the boldest test flight in history.’ He flew as Commander on Gemini 10, the first mission to rendezvous with two separate spacecraft the course of a single flight. He orbited the Moon in Apollo 10, and landed there as Commander of the Apollo 16 mission. On STS-9, his final spaceflight, and in an iconic display of test pilot ‘cool,’ he landed the space shuttle with a fire in the back end. 

John Young during the Gemini 3 mission, March 23, 1965. Credits: NASA

A NASA documentary on Apollo 16:

And a documentary about STS-1, the first Space Shuttle mission: