SpaceTweepSociety.org and the STS-135 Kennedy Space Center NASATweetup is reported on by Charles Atkeison (@AbsolutSpaceGuy) on Canada’s News Talk Radio in Saskatchewan – 980 AM Regina and 650 AM Saskatoon, on July 7, 2011, including an update on L-1 activities for space shuttle Atlantis.
Human Spaceflight / Launches / NASA / NASATweetup / Space News / Space Shuttle / Space Tweeps / STS-135 / Twitter
Space Tweep Society, STS-135 NASA Tweetup receives mention on Canadian Radio
Maps for Space Road Trips!
Hey, fellow Space Tweeps! Is everyone having fun getting ready for the upcoming Tweetups in FL, ALand CA? I’ll be so happy to meet more of you all at the Jet Propulsion Lab in June, and at the final launch… whenever that turns out to be.
In the meantime, I wanted to share my space maps with any road-trippers out there. If you’re anything like me, the first hint of sunshine means I go seeking space agency branches, space museums, Apollo moon trees, space novelties and themed restaurants… well, pretty much anything I can find!
Click here to see this map of all world space agencies, along with a listing of all 220+ branches across all the continents! Except that one overrun by penguins 
My space maps have been developing over the past year as I added more sites to each; in addition to all the official government programs, I have also documented checklists of space crafts from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Shuttle Programs – including the intended homes of Atlantis, Endeavour and Discovery.
Another set of markers that might be helpful to travelers this summer is the map of Space Museums all over the world! Some have observatories or planetariums connected to them, so I hope to map all the additional planetariums next. This set of lists also includes Inns, Restaurants and other space novelties… plus a few Star Trek and Firely easter eggs for good measure.
Don’t be shy about contacting me in the comments section here, or on my Pillow Astronaut blog if you know of other sites I should add!
Insights from Hubble at the American Museum of Natural History
New York City area tweeps, ever wonder what astronomers study with the Hubble Space Telescope? In this program, Jackie Faherty will explore some of Hubble’s most exciting results through the 3D datasets available in the Hayden Planetarium’s Digital Universe, the world’s most complete atlas of the cosmos.
Insights from the Hubble Telescope with Jackie Faherty
Tuesday, February 22, 6:30 pm
Hayden Planetarium, Space Theater
$15 Adults, ($13.50 Members, students, senior citizens)
A mission patch for Meco
If you hadn’t heard already, our society mascot, Meco the birdonaut, will be making his first trip into space next month. He will be traveling (in the form of one of our Space Tweep Society patches) to the International Space Station with astronaut Ron Garan, @Astro_Ron, on Soyuz TMA-21.
A few months back, we asked members to draw their own mission patches for Meco. We only had a few submissions, but they were all great. You can see them here together in the collage above. They were designed by @zarquil’s son, Kelley (top left), @zarquil (top right), @zarquil’s daughter, Rebekkah (bottom right), @spasmunkey (bottom left), and @geekygirlau (center). You can download a large copy of the collage of designs here. Huge thanks to all of the artists for the great work!
One of the artists, @geekygirlau, has generously allowed us to use her design to promote this historic event. I am pleased to announce that her design has been added to our Lands’ End e-store and you can have it embroidered on shirts, jackets, bags and more (it is a little too large to fit on hats). Just select the item you would like, add it to your cart, and you will come to a screen with a drop-down menu to choose the logo you want. Select “Meco ISS Patch” and the location on the item that you want the logo.
Today only, there is a free logo promotion from Lands’ End. You can save over $11 on each item on the embroidery application fee by using the promotion code EMLOGO.
Note: If your shopping cart shows a higher amount for tax than expected, do not worry, the correct amount will be charged. They are working on fixing this issue.
Hail, Columbia: A Kickstarter Project
I recently launched a kickstarter project and I could really use your support.
Hail Columbia: Behind the Scenes with the Space Shuttle
I am writing a book about the Space Shuttle Columbia from the perspective of the people who worked with her on a day-to-day basis.
My intention is to interview people who work/ed in the OPF, VAB, on the launch Pads, in MCC and a few astronauts as well.
As a teaser, I have to tell you about a preliminary interview I conducted a few weeks ago with one of the Closeout Crewmembers (the folks in the White Room who strap the astronauts into the orbiter). This gentlemen told me a story that he had never told anyone in his 35 years at Kennedy Space Center. The story brought tears to my eyes.
His story is definitely going to be in the book.
Liz
Help keep the Space Tweep Society Operating
The Space Tweep Society has always been about sharing enthusiasm for space, and it operates on a very small budget. I never wanted it to be about fundraising, but we do have a few expenses to keep the website going. Tweeps, if you can donate a little it would really help out. It doesn’t have to be much; every contribution will be greatly appreciated!
Save the Dates: April 2011 is Global Astronomy Month
April 2011 will again be a busy month for
amateur and professional astronomers, educators and astronomy
enthusiasts as Global Astronomy Month (GAM) returns for its second
edition. The annual event, organized by Astronomers Without Borders,
celebrates the Universe in the spirit of the International Year of
Astronomy 2009 cornerstone project “100 Hours of Astronomy.”
Astronomy clubs, science centers, schools, educators, and other
astronomy enthusiasts worldwide are invited to reserve dates in April
2011 for public outreach, hands-on activities, observing sessions and
more while sharing the enthusiasm with others across the globe during
Global Astronomy Month. Everyone is invited either to join the global
programs or initiate their own activities during April 2011.
This is the second edition of GAM, after its launch last year, when
Astronomers Without Borders (AWB) coordinated seven global events
dedicated to remote observing, fighting light pollution, world peace,
observations of the sky and cultural manifestations, as well as
encouraging the organization of local events.
A growing list of global programs are scheduled for GAM 2011. The
month kicks off with the lord of the rings on April 2/3,
designated as Saturn Watch. With the planet at its
closest to Earth, it’s a perfect night to admire the unequaled beauty of
the ringed planet. On April 9 the Global Star
Party will unfold as darkness sweeps around the Earth. This is
the night to set up your telescopes and share the wonders of the sky
with others. From April 10 to 16 it’s Lunar
Week as our gaze turns toward Earth’s natural satellite. Just
as the Moon has captured our imagination for millennia, it never fails
to fascinate with close-up views of its craters and mare. Educational
and cultural events dedicated to the Moon are also planned. On April
17 we switch from night to day, dedicating ourselves to our
closest star on SunDay. The month closes on a high
point with a peak – of meteors. On April 21/22 get
comfortable in something warm and spend the night scanning the sky for
meteors caused by debris left behind by Comet Thatcher. An incredible
show awaits during Lyrids Watch.
More programs are to come as GAM grows with every group of people
that joins us in the celebration of the Universe. Among these are Remote
Observing Programs and a Cosmic Concert.
If you need another reason to join us during Global Astronomy Month,
try these:
- GAM lets your science center or astronomy club participate in an
internationally recognized project; - GAM provides several events to attract visitors to your institution
or astronomy club; - GAM allows you to connect with your local community, including
public authorities and the media; - GAM gives you the chance to inspire young people to look up and
wonder. Show your commitment to educating young people.
“There’s something for everyone”, says Mike Simmons, President of
Astronomers Without Borders. IYA2009 showed the way to involving more
people than ever,” and GAM is riding that wave of excitement in the
discovery of our Universe.”
Join the celebration in April 2011 as Global Astronomy Month brings
together thousands of passionate individuals and hundreds of
organizations worldwide to share their enthusiasm in innovative new
ways, connecting people through a great sense of sharing the Universe!
It’s a month of celebrating Astronomers Without Borders’ motto – One
People, One Sky!
Save the dates – April 2011 is Global Astronomy Month.
###
More information:
- Website: http://www.gam-awb.org
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/GAM_AWB
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Global-Astronomy-Month-2011/139709899412771
Astronomers Without Borders
Astronomers Without Borders is dedicated to fostering understanding
and goodwill across national and cultural boundaries by creating
relationships through the universal appeal of astronomy. Astronomers
Without Borders projects promote sharing, all through a common interest
in something basic and universal – sharing the sky.
For further information please contact:
Mike Simmons
President, Astronomers Without Borders
Chair, GAM2011 Working Group
mikes@gam-awb.org
+1 818 486 7633
Thilina Heenatigala
GAM2011 Coordinator
thilina@gam-awb.org
+94 716 245 545
Oana Sandu
GAM2011 Public Relations Coordinator
oana@gam-awb.org
+40 724 024 625
Space Tweep Gatherings for STS-133
We had really tried to plan a big gathering for this launch where tweeps involved in the NASA Tweetup and those just attending launch could all meet up. The schedule for the Tweetup made it very difficult to find a time when all could gather.
Due to the launch delays, there is now a much better opportunity for tweeps to get together, because the launch time is earlier in the day. So tweeps, if you are on the Space Coast for the launch, try to make it over to Grills in Port Canaveral at some point afterward. The food is good, and hopefully there will be a lot of us who can make it. Expect heavy traffic and large crowds. There will probably be tweeps there until pretty late, so don’t stress if you get stuck in traffic.
There are also other opportunities for small gatherings, so if you’d like to list any impromptu get togethers you’re having here, you can leave details in the comments on this post. Registered tweeps can click on a link at the bottom of this post to “watch” it so they will be emailed when new comments are posted. Look for a link that reads, “You are not watching this post, click to start watching.”
Don’t forget, you can also use tools like Foursquare to find out where tweeps you’ve friended are hanging out.
Welcome to the Space Coast; travel safely!
Expedition Patches for Meco – Updated!
Update: The deadline for creating an expedition patch for Meco has been extended until the end of October! So for those of you that forgot or didn’t think you could come up with one, here’s another chance just for you! To get those creative juices flowing, we have a few examples of designs already submitted below. A very special thanks to Mark (@zarquil) and his kids, Rebekkah and Kelley, for letting us show their patches! Once all the patch designs are submitted, there will be a document created containing all of them for everyone to see! Have fun everyone and let those creative juices start flowing!
Original Post: I have some exciting news! The Space Tweep Society’s birdonaut mascot, Meco, is scheduled to travel to the International Space Station this coming March- courtesy of @Astro_Ron! Meco (in the form of one of our Space Tweep Society patches) will be launching on Soyuz and will be on a very long duration expedition. Thanks, @Astro_Ron for taking him along! Thanks, @CAtkeison for arranging the trip!
Now Meco needs a patch design for his very long duration expedition. In fact, since he is so special, he needs a whole collection of different designs and it is up to you to make them. This isn’t a contest; it is just a fun activity for members who want to participate. Patch designs should be your original artwork, ideally produced in a digital format. A drawing that is scanned or photographed is acceptable as well. The designs submitted* will be posted on our website for everyone to enjoy. Kids are also encouraged to participate. Submissions for this activity will be accepted from now until the end of August; simply email them to spacetweepsociety at gmail dot com. Format is not important, as long as I can open and view the file- .jpg, .pdf, .bmp, .png, .psd, etc. Make sure to include your Twitter name, so I know who it came from. (For children or other non-tweeps, you can just give their first name and relationship to you, like: “Sarah, student of @janellewilson”) As an added incentive to join in the fun, if you include your mailing address when you email your design, I’ll send you something cool, no matter where in the world you live. You can submit multiple designs, but you still only get one cool thing in the mail per participant. Have fun; Meco is counting on you! *Fine print- Designs containing copyrighted images belonging to others, objectionable language or message, political statements, advertising, offensive imagery or that are off topic (i.e. not designed to be an expedition patch for Meco) will not be displayed on the site, nor receive a gift in the mail. This is at the discretion of the site’s administrators. Remember, this is supposed to be a positive thing!
Carnival of Space #167: The Space Tweeps Edition
Hello everyone and welcome to the Carnival of Space number 167, here at the warm and cozy home of the Space Tweep Society. We hope to use our uberl33t twitter skills to promote space exploration and to push STEM education. I can tell you from personal experience that every member loves space and all their tweets are highly encouraging, sort of like how a litter of puppies just loves life. Plus, having chats over twitter late at night with other sleep deprived members is hilarious. That’s why I’m proud to share some of the top articles about space in this week’s Carnival of Space.
Quick Version (Now with twitter):
Discovery News: Can Solar Storms Cause Wildfires?: Tweet This
Weirdwarp: Is Human Colonisation of Europa Possible?: Tweet This
Next Big Future: Spacex talks Falcon X Heavy for 125 tons of heavy lift and Falcon XX for 140 tons and Nuclear Thermal interplanetary Rockets : Tweet This
Next Big Future: Army Working on Nanomissiles for Launching 10-23 kilogram Nanosatellites: Tweet This
Next Big Future: Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) is Top Priority Space Telescope Project: Tweet This
IAG Planetary Geomorphology Working Group: Featured images for August 2010: Tweet This
Dr. Schenk’s 3D House of Satellites: Saturn Triple Play – Tethys, Rhea & Iapetus: Tweet This
Music of the Spheres: Space Models!: Tweet This
Brains Matter and Cheap Astronomy: Astronomy for non-human life forms: Tweet This
The Spacewriter’s Ramblings: We’re Losing Our Skies and our Inspiration: Tweet This
Astroblog: Unexpected Rainbows (Part 16) The Copenhagen Edition: Tweet This
Dynamics of Cats: Decadal Survey: 2010: Tweet This
We Are All in the Gutter: No Rings Round Rhea: Tweet This
Beyond Apollo: The LUT, the Orbiter, and the Saturn V S-IC stage (1969): Tweet This
Weird Sciences: Short Article: Hawking’s Weirdness Continued: Tweet This
Weird Sciences: Hyperluminal Travel Without Exotic Matter: Tweet This
Rocket Scientist: RS Classic: Manned vs. Unmanned: Tweet This
FlyingJenny: Kick Starter Kennedy Space Center Sunrises- a photo book: Tweet This
We first begin with an update on the never ending war with doomsday theories. Ian O’Neill posts an article on Discovery News which goes over why the sun won’t fry this planet into something crisper than KFC’s new “sandwich”. (Hint: we have seen the worst case already). But let’s move on from worrying and onto imagining about the future. Weirdwarp goes beyond dreaming about moon and Mars bases and instead thinks about Human Colonisation of Europa. While not a money earner, there are people actively planning this mission. As extreme as the environment is, Europa could be a great home away from home.
Speaking of big dreamers, no one beats Next Big Future in that department. Every article posted is about a ground breaking technology. This has be a particularly amazing week, so they have three submissions to the carnival and all are worth your time. First, they report on SpaceX’s crazy ideas for a 125 ton, 140 ton and nuclear powered, interplanetary rockets. (Crazy is a positive word in my book) Then, on the smaller end, they have an article about the Army’s nanomissles for launching nanosatellites. Finally, they offer an article about the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope’s (WFIRST) new (science) rockstar status. A close second is Weird Sciences, who brings two articles about the cool stuff in the future. First, they go over how Hyperluminal Travel might be possible by increasing the local speed of light then they move onto reasons why space habitation isn’t the best option for humanity at the moment.
Speaking about….um…ok I really don’t have a segway for this, but the Planetary Geomorphology Working Group has some cool pictures focusing on Hematite-rich regions on Mars. Who know nature could produce sphere like rocks? No, really, don’t let my awkwardness prevent you from looking at the shiny images. Equally mind blowing as the Planetary Geomorphology Working Group’s pictures, Dr. Schenk’s 3D House of Satellites brings us the Saturn Triple Play – Tethys, Rhea & Iapetus. Gaze in wonder at the craters on Rhea, stare in awe of the impact basin on Odysseus and drool over the Equatorial Mountains of Iapetus.
Now, wipe the drool from your face, you don’t want to get any of it on the extremely detailed Space Models discussed at Music of the Spheres. The work is worth drooling over, but I’m not sure if the paint on these beautiful reproductions will stand up to all your space nerds flooding them. (Aside: Ooo no, they are starting to drool, must save the models…what to do? What to do?!? I know, show them something shiny.) Next up, Astroblog shows us some Unexpected Rainbows at a train station in Kongens Nytorv. Quickly, go take a look at the shiny, I think it might even be a triple rainbow. (Aside: …that was close)
But we humans aren’t the only life forms who enjoy shiny things in the sky. The fine folks over at Brains Matter and Cheap Astronomy talk about how animals use astronomy for their daily life. After listening to this podcast, I’m convinced wildlife appreciates the sky most than us humans. What pushed me over the edge was The Spacewriter’s article titled We’re Losing Our Skies and our Inspiration. As if the light pollution isn’t bad enough, poor funding is killing any chance of inspiring our kids. Read more over at her blog.
But things might not be that bad. Dynamics of Cats live blogs Devadal’s eTownhall meeting, there is a ton an juicy and exciting content, this post might be a list of all the future astronomy projects. But there is progress today! We Are All in The Gutter reports on a paper which may disprove the rings around Rhea. After reading these two articles, I’m sure we can push through.
Over at Beyond Apollo, David Portree covers how the Launch Umbilical Tower and the Saturn V S-IC stage could have modified to support a version of the space shuttle and a space station. The Rocket Scientist swoops in with an article detailing why forcing a choice between manned spaceflight and unmanned spaceflight is something that can be avoided so we can have more of the cool stuff blogged about at Beyond Apollo.
Finally, I would like to remind the whole space community about FlyingJenny‘s project. She only needs $1005 more to publish her book of sunrises at the Kennedy Space Center. It epic the we raised about $5,500 dollars for her, but we owe her at least this last bit. She built what is a major hub for the space community and she brought together a raggy bunch of space tweeters into a group who has some of the most mind blowing tweetups ever. The sleepless nights chatting with other space cadets we meet through the Space Tweep Society can not be repaid, let’s atleast do this.
Well, that’s all folks. Do you want to join the amazing collection that is each week’s Carnival of Space, then check out the instructions on how to join us and I hope to see you at the next Carnival of Space.
Images by:
Expedition Patches for Meco
I have some exciting news! The Space Tweep Society’s birdonaut mascot, Meco, is scheduled to travel to the International Space Station this coming March- courtesy of @Astro_Ron! Meco (in the form of one of our Space Tweep Society patches) will be launching on Soyuz and will be on a very long duration expedition. Thanks, @Astro_Ron for taking him along! Thanks, @CAtkeison for arranging the trip!
Now Meco needs a patch design for his very long duration expedition. In fact, since he is so special, he needs a whole collection of different designs and it is up to you to make them. This isn’t a contest; it is just a fun activity for members who want to participate. Patch designs should be your original artwork, ideally produced in a digital format. A drawing that is scanned or photographed is acceptable as well. The designs submitted* will be posted on our website for everyone to enjoy. Kids are also encouraged to participate.
Submissions for this activity will be accepted from now until the end of August; simply email them to spacetweepsociety at gmail dot com. Format is not important, as long as I can open and view the file- .jpg, .pdf, .bmp, .png, .psd, etc. Make sure to include your Twitter name, so I know who it came from. (For children or other non-tweeps, you can just give their first name and relationship to you, like: “Sarah, student of @janellewilson”)
As an added incentive to join in the fun, if you include your mailing address when you email your design, I’ll send you something cool, no matter where in the world you live. You can submit multiple designs, but you still only get one cool thing in the mail per participant.
Have fun; Meco is counting on you!
*Fine print- Designs containing copyrighted images belonging to others, objectionable language or message, political statements, advertising, offensive imagery or that are off topic (i.e. not designed to be an expedition patch for Meco) will not be displayed on the site, nor receive a gift in the mail. This is at the discretion of the site’s administrators. Remember, this is supposed to be a positive thing!
The time has come…
You may have seen my tweets about it: this week I volunteered for the upcoming layoff from my job as a space shuttle technician. I will be leaving after 8.5 years of service on October 1st. Since many of you would give your right arm to work on the shuttle program, you probably think I’m crazy to volunteer for this. Leaving the shuttle program is a tough decision for sure, but it really isn’t a matter of if, only when. I am not choosing to leave, I am just choosing the time it will happen. Ultimately, the vast majority of shuttle workers will be let go. So why go before I am forced? Here’s an explanation so you can see it from my perspective.
One of the biggest reasons I am taking this layoff is that it will allow me to plan for my future. It is nearly impossible to make plans or look for a new job when you have no idea when your end date at work will be or what the future holds. We hear a different story every week about what is happening with the program, or with our benefits/severance. The uncertainty is exhausting. I’m not blaming my management for this- I think they are in the same boat. By volunteering for this layoff, I now know what is going to happen to me and when. Crazy as it seems, that feels good. Now I can start figuring out a good strategy to move forward.
Along the same lines, morale was a big push for me to self-nominate for this layoff. You can’t imagine what it is like to be at work surrounded by constant doom and gloom, now with a dash of panic. It is not pretty. Once the people who are to be laid off involuntarily are notified- which will be at the end of July- I expect that it will be even worse. As far as the work goes, we are finishing up with Discovery’s right OMS Pod now, and will deliver it for reinstallation this week. After that I have a few thrusters to bench test for Atlantis, which is being processed for launch on need (in case of emergency). Once that is complete, the bulk of the work we will have left in my area is decontamination of our facility for shutdown, or Transition & Retirement as NASA likes to call it. I started working on the shuttle program because I wanted to contribute to something incredible, human space exploration. I don’t find decontamination and shutdown very inspirational. In fact, it is downright depressing. For many workers, it is just a job and they don’t care what goal they’re working towards as long as they are paid. To me, it makes a difference, and I would much rather try to find work I can feel good about again.
Other reasons for taking this layoff are more practical than emotional. Leaving early gives me a better chance of finding a new job or pursuing other options because the market won’t be flooded with thousands of others doing the same. Also, it makes sense for my particular situation, because my husband Andy (@apacheman) works on the shuttle program as well. He will have work to do up until the last launch because he works at the launch pad. We figure that it will be best for us to take a phased approach rather than both being laid off at the same time. This way, hopefully I can get something figured out and can carry him once his job is complete, sometime next year.
So, that’s basically it. I hope this helps you understand why I am volunteering for this layoff, and I hope you can be supportive of my choice. I don’t want sympathy; I’m not feeling sorry for myself and you shouldn’t either! I am looking for my next great adventure, whatever it may be. I’m working on some things, and really hope to bring one of my ideas to life. If you haven’t seen my tweets about it already, Project Mercury Rising is something that I feel could be an amazing way to inspire and educate youth about space exploration. I’d really love to see it happen and I’m working on it. Also, I have created a personal website/portfolio to promote myself to anyone who may be looking for someone with my skills/talents. It can’t hurt, right?
