SpaceX Mission Viewing Available Live

by Chris Owen on

The first SpaceX mission to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) happens October 7, 2012. The flight begins a series of missions to deliver and return cargo to the ISS under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract aboard the privately run Dragon spacecraft.

SpaceX’s Dragon will bring 1,000 pounds of supplies to the six person Expedition 33 crew aboard the ISS. Those astronauts will load us a robotic arm to grapple Dragon, attach it to the ISS then load an estimated 730 pounds of scientific materials and 504 pounds of space station hardware to be returned to Earth.

NASA’s goal with the Commercial Crew Development Program is “to accelerate the availability of U.S. commercial crew transportation capabilities and reduce the gap in American human spaceflight capability. Through this activity, NASA also may be able to spur economic growth as potential new space markets are created,” the space agency said in a press release.Florida’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is offering the public an opportunity to view this night launch from the NASA Causeway with a limited number of Special Access Passes that can be purchased for $20 plus tax, in addition to admission. Bus boarding will begin at 5:30 p.m. EDT for transportation to the NASA Causeway.

Launch viewing is also available from Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, including live mission control commentary, and is included with regular admission. The night launch is scheduled for 8:34 p.m. EDT from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

In other SpaceX news, earlier this month SpaceX’s Grasshopper vertical takeoff and landing test vehicle (VTVL) took its first test flight hop from the company’s rocket testing facility in McGregor, Texas, shown in this video:




The short hop of approximately 6 feet is a major milestone for Grasshopper, part of a reusable first stage for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. As seen in the video, “Grasshopper” is a Falcon 9 first stage, a Merlin-1D engine, and four steel landing legs along with a a steel support structure.

SpaceX is developing vehicles that are fully and rapidly reusable in line with a NASA goal of reducing cost and increasing the efficiency of spaceflight.

Grasshopper is expected to test out hovering at about 100 feet in the next several months.

[Flickr photo by FlyingSinger]

Video: Grand Central To Stamford Time-Lapse

by Chris Owen on

Trains running from Grand Central Station in Manhattan to Stamford, Connecticut, can take a ride on the New Haven line, which sometimes stop at smaller stations in Westchester County before reaching Stamford. Other trains are express, with Stamford being the first stop but probably not quite as quick as we see in this time-lapse video on Metro-North from Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan to Stamford on a winter’s day in February 2011.



Grand Central Terminal (often inaccurately called Grand Central Station) is a Beaux-arts building in midtown Manhattan that first opened in 1913. Undergoing a massive restoration to restore it to its former glory, Grand Central Terminal is now a transportation hub and a destination in itself for visitors to New York City.

Paris Auto Show Just One Automotive Exhibition

by Chris Owen on

Since 1898, the Paris Motor Show has been one of the most important car shows around. Even as European carmakers prepare for problems with labor, sales and a dismal financial future, the latest models are on display right now with each manufacturer putting their best on display for the world to see. But we don’t have to fly across the pond for much of the latest and greatest that the auto industry has to offer. Auto shows scattered around the United States offer a first look at a complete range of domestic and imported passenger cars and trucks, sport utility vehicles and experimental or concept cars.

The Sacramento International Auto Show is coming up October 19-21 at the Cal Expo featuring hundreds of the brand new 2012 and 2013 cars, mixed in with vehicles spanning over a hundred years of the automotive industry. Four on-site Ride and Drives and two kid zones and the Sac Auto Show has something for everyone.

The South Florida International Auto Show runs November 9-18 at the Miami Convention Center. This one too has Ride & Drive events and this year includes Camp Jeep, offering auto show visitors off-road driving courses to demonstrate the legendary 4×4 capabilities of Jeep vehicles. Trained instructors will drive participants over a variety of surfaces such as steep grades, rocky trails and log crossings. Traditionally, 665,000 people visit the auto show each year, which has an estimated financial impact on the local economy of over $50 million.

The Connecticut International Auto Show open Friday through Sunday the weekend of November 2, will have factory and dealer representatives from the car lines on hand to answer questions in a no pressure environment. More of a buyer-focused show, cars to suit every budget and life style will be there, all under one roof to make comparing prices and features easy.

The Los Angeles Auto Show is one of the longest shows, this year open from November 28 through December 9, and for good reason. Packed with unique events, displays, areas just for children and a yearly “challenge” to the auto manufacturers, the LA Auto show draws a lot of attention. This year, for example, their challenge asks automotive design studios to create a highway patrol vehicle that meets the requirements of a specific region’s transportation and societal conditions in 2025.

The Chicago Auto Show is the largest auto show in America, held more times than any other auto exposition on the continent. This year marks the 105th edition of the Chicago Auto Show that first started in 1901. Showcasing nearly 1,000 different vehicles, attendees will also have the opportunity to see the latest accessories and auto-related exhibits, competition vehicles and project, antique and collector cars. The event runs Saturday, February 9 through Monday, February 18.

Car shows are not all about new cars and technology either. Antique car shows feature the classic designs and bring back memories of yesteryear, like this recent show in Boston.


[Flickr photos by Jason Pier in DC]

New York Ferris Wheel To Be Tallest In The World

by Chris Owen on

New York is going after more tourist business in a big way, building the world’s tallest Ferris wheel along the waterfront in Staten Island. To be called the New York Wheel, at 625 feet it will be 5 feet taller than the planned High Roller wheel for the Las Vegas Strip, 84 feet taller than the Singapore Flyer and carry over 1400 passengers at a time.

“The New York Wheel and the retail outlet mall will attract millions of visitors from around the five boroughs and around the world, bringing jobs and private investment to Staten Island,” Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel said in a statement. “The New York Wheel will be the newest member of New York’s global tourist attractions.”

The New York Wheel will have 36 capsules, each able to carry up to 40 passengers. Expected to draw 30,000 riders a day during peak season, adding up to 4.5 million visitors per year. At the wheel’s base will be a 100,000-square-foot terminal building, which will house retail, restaurant and theater space, along with exhibitions about New York City history, alternative energy and environmental sustainability.Not far will be Harbor Commons, a 350,000-square-foot retail complex with outlet stores, restaurants and a 200-room hotel with views of the Manhattan skyline.

To be designed by some of the same people that worked on the London Eye, construction is expected to begin in early 2014, with the goal of opening by the end of 2015.

The New York Wheel may not be the tallest wheel in the world; the Singapore Flyer can whisk 1,260 passengers around hourly to see a panorama of three different countries below as we see in this video:




Flickr photo by pchgorman

Brittany Ferries Strike Affects Travel, Business In Three Countries

by Sean McLachlan on


A strike by the employees of Brittany Ferries is disrupting the movement of travelers and goods between England, France and Spain.

The BBC reports the French union that staffs the ferry service is striking in protest of cuts by the company, which is deeply in the red. Brittany Ferries operates several lines from England to various ports in northern France and Spain. In addition to travelers using the service to bring their cars across the water, about 3,000 commercial trucks use the service.

In a press release, the company stated that because of repeated wildcat strikes, they’ve made the decision to suspend almost all service: “The only route which will be unaffected is the Poole-Cherbourg passenger service which is operated on our behalf by Condor Ferries … Because of this indefinite stoppage we are recommending customers to travel to Dover where we currently have special arrangements in place with P&O Ferries and MyFerryLink to accept Brittany Ferries tickets [see website for details]. Unused Brittany Ferries crossings will be refunded.”

One of Brittany Ferries’ destinations is Santander in Spain, where I live part time. Port fees, customers using local businesses, and the shipment of goods all bring an injection of much-needed money into an economy in recession. Local paper El Diario Montañes reports that the ship Cap Finistère has been stuck here since September 20, with 500 passengers and 100 vehicles. Most have made their way to other ferries in France.

[Photo of the Cap Finistère courtesy George Hutchinson]