2013-01-22
post/41227433353
National Reconnaissance Office (page subtitle: “50 years of vigilance from above”).
You notice the part of the world they’re observing, I hope.
post/41227283977
I’d agree. The Air Force were definitely involved in the Shuttle’s design, as detailed in Maciej Ceglowski’s excellent post from around the time of the post-Columbia return to flight, and their demands significantly changed the project (despite the fact that, in the end, the lunar orbit that the Shuttle was pushed to be ready for was never flown).
There’s also the fact that American intelligence (specifically the National Reconnaissance Office) has long been flying spy satellite missions that required complicated airborne recovery of the photographic payloads. (By contrast, the Soviets used a modified Vostok spacecraft with a parachute landing to ground right through their observing history. Generally, their programme did have a knack of being a weird mix of lower-tech (ground landing) but also higher (pressurised camera housing allowing re-use).)
While the advent of improved electronics allowed the subsequent KH-11 to avoid film return issues, I’m sure it was useful for these to be both launched by and serviceable by the Shuttle; indeed, a 1990 Atlantis launch (STS-36) is believed to have placed an upgraded spy satellite into orbit.
None of this is conclusive, but it’d be hard to believe that the NRO (and probably Air Force) weren’t supporting the Shuttle programme behind the scenes, at least until they got their replacements ready. (Note the first flight date.)
2012-11-14
post/35714938874
Who was America’s greatest president? Our friends at Intelligent Life are trying to pick from a shortlist of six.
Here’s the current poll results:
I’d be more convinced in the write-in results for the 40th President if they could consistently spell his name correctly.
2012-11-06
post/35136598341
Our Two Democracies At Work. - 06 (posted by Michael Stoll)
This is a nice way to show block information on a map, better than block cartograms in most respects I think though that eastern seaboard is still problematic…
It is a nice diagram- naturally, since it’s from the Isotype Institute. I’d love to see a version of this with electoral college voters instead.
It’s well worth looking at the set this is part of, too.
2012-02-20
post/17946344092
Friendship 7 by NASA on The Commons on Flickr:
On Feb. 20, 1962 at 9:47 am EST, John Glenn launched from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 14 to become the first American to orbit the Earth. In this image, Glenn enters his Friendship 7 capsule with assistance from technicians to begin his historic flight.
Ten months after Gagarin; fifty years ago today.
(Source: nasaimages.org)
2010-10-19
post/1352227388
The Map Room: Darker Than You Think
the original Light Pollution Atlas was systematically biased by the fact that snow was on the ground when the underlying satellite measurements were taken. Lorenz recalculated the light pollution for the U.S. and southern Canada based on snow-free satellite observations, and the whole northern part of the area came out roughly one full zone darker. That means that the original atlas overestimate the skyglow in this area by a factor of three.
Even so, the Bay Area sticks out as a red spot. At least there are some good dark skies within a (relatively) easy drive. (via aemkai’s ffffound)
2010-08-12
post/941042507
Since the presidential coin programme began, the US government has spent an additional $30m to promote them but they still have not taken hold.
“We have tried every major idea that we can come up with, with limited success,” US Mint Director Edmund Moy told a congressional panel last month.
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