Yuri's night 2008

Yesterday, April 12th, people around the world gathered to commemorate the heroics of Yuri Gagarin, the Russian cosmonaut who was the first human to enter space (on April 12, 1961). The party, called Yuri's night, was held in the San Francisco bay area at the NASA Ames research center.

Yuri Gagarin had this to say upon returning to earth: "Circling the Earth in my orbital spaceship I marveled at the beauty of our planet. People of the world, let us safeguard and enhance this beauty - not destroy it!" Appropriately, the NASA Yuri's night event featured themes of sustainability. Howtoons' own Saul Griffith spoke about energy consumption and the challenge of meeting the Earth's energy needs sustainably. Although of course, the main topic of the night was - SPACE!

Check out this awesome techno video of Yuri's famous flight into space!

Homemade high altitude balloons

Ever wonder what the view looks like from a balloon as it floats up into the sky...all the way to space?!

Amateur hobbyists around the world are attaching cameras, videocameras, GPS (global positioning system) and radio equipment to large helium balloons and launching them up to 35 kilometers above the Earth's surface! Take a look at this website for links to Amateur Radio High Altitude Ballooning (ARHAB) groups around the world.

Also, check out this video, from the Long Trail High School in Dorset, Vermont, of a balloon taking off, reaching the upper atmosphere, then returning to earth - it's a bumpy ride!

Space Cowboys and Cowgirls

I think that traveling into space is one of the coolest experiences I can imagine. In the old days, traveling to space meant first becoming an astronaut for NASA. To become an astronaut requires years of science and engineering training in school, becoming an airplane pilot, and demanding physical training and testing. All that sounds like fun - TONS of fun, but it takes time.

There is now another way to view the Earth from space. After winning the infamous Ansari "X prize", inventors and entrepreneurs Burt Rutan and Richard Branson founded Virgin Galactic - the first successful commercial space flight company. Virgin Galactic will allow civilian passengers to purchase a ticket for a flight into space. For a taste of this experience, check out this video:

A flight above Virgin's "SpaceShip Two" won't be cheap - tickets will originally sell for $200,000, though that cost is predicted to fall to $25,000 in fewer than 10 years.

So maybe becoming an astronaut is still the best way to explore outer space. Or maybe there's a third possibility...build your OWN space ship!

See a comet!

The article says that you'll need a small telescope to see "comet Holmes", but I think -- depending on the moon -- you should probably be able to see this with the naked eye.

Mars glider

Yesterday we looked at the total lunar eclipse, next stop - Mars! Learn about the ARES Mars scout mission and print out & fold your own ship!