Next Generation Space Toilet
Leave it to Japan to fiddle with the adult diaper technology and develop the next-generation space toilet. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has teamed up with engineers from the private sector to complete the project in the next five year:
Clean and easy to use, the envisioned space toilet is designed to be worn like a diaper around the astronaut’s waist at all times. Sensors detect when the user relieves him or herself, automatically activating a rear-mounted suction unit that draws the waste away from the body through tubes into a separate container. In addition to washing and drying the wearer after each use, the next-generation space toilet will incorporate features that eliminate unwanted sound and odor.
Comment (11)
Permalink
Please share:  email
this 
|
Christmas Eve Greetings From Space
Back on December 24, 1968 the crew of the Apollo 8 space mission were to make history for two things. They were the first human beings to circle another celestial body in space and they were also to take one of the most iconic pictures of the Earth rising behind the Moon on Christmas Eve which can be seen here on the post Alex had put up: The First Earthrise. Here you’ll hear them wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Peace to everyone.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and any other holidays out there! Have a Happy New Year! 
via - Wired
|
Comment (6)
Permalink
Please share: email
this
|
Top Ten Astronomy Pictures of 2008
Phil Plait of Bad Astronomy blog has selected his ten favorite astronomy pictures from the year 2008. His descriptions are as entertaining as the pictures! This one shows spiral galaxy NGC 7331, which is about 50 million light years away. Link -Thanks, Amos Kenigsberg!
|
Comment (8)
Permalink
Please share: email
this
|
Replica Apollo 11 Spacesuit
Space tourism is still horribly expensive (a flight to the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz spacecraft goes for about $20 million). But if you want, you can now step into the boots of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin by donning the replica of the iconic Apollo 11 spacesuits. It’ll set you back $9.5K (Tang not included): Link
|
Comment (5)
Permalink
Please share: email
this
|
Teddy Bears in Space
Students at Parkside and Coleridge schools in Cambridgeshire, England sent two teddy bears into space! 21-year-old Henry Hallam led the project to send a helium balloon up to monitor weather conditions in the stratosphere, and enlisted the help of the Space Flight science club, a club for schoolchildren sponsored by Cambridge University.
The soft toys MAT and KMS were named after the first initials of the pupils who helped make their space suits.
Along with their two intrepid colleagues, they were strapped to a beam attached to a foam-padded box containing instrumentation and cameras on Monday.
After rising to an altitude of around 100,000ft, a webcam caught their ’space-walk’ for posterity before the helium balloon burst.
They then fell to Earth before a parachute opened automatically to provide a soft landing.
Link -Thank, Charles Hog!
(image credit: Cambridge University)
|
Comment (7)
Permalink
Please share: email
this
|
Drinking Coffee In Space
Who knew how scientific just drinking coffee is when it takes place in space? You learn something new every day.
|
Comment (12)
Permalink
Please share: email
this
|
Viewing Hurricanes from Space
The Boston.com website has compiled a set of 25 impressive photos of hurricanes, as seen from orbit.
The crew aboard the International Space Station was able to take a photo of Ike from 220 miles overhead last Thursday - one in a long series of great NASA photographs of hurricanes from space.
Link - via kottke.org
|
Comment (1)
Permalink
Please share: email
this
|
Happy Birthday, Sputnik!
Today it’s exactly 50 years since the Soviet Union launched their Sputnik 1 - the world’s first artificial satellite to be put into geocentric orbit.
Link [Wikipedia] - via Prylfeber
|
Comment (5)
Permalink
Please share: email
this
|
-
Your purchase helps support the blog - Thank you!
