High-res, bird's eye view of space shuttle on launch pad

Click here to see the high-res version. Via.

Funniest thing I read all week

Glenn Reynolds:

BANNING HUMANS ON MARS: And how to get around it. Thanks, Congress! It reminds me of when Chinese court politics led to a ban on overseas exploration in the 15th Century, just as the Europeans were starting. That worked out well for the Chinese. The difference is that in China, the eunuchs were in favor of exploration . . . .

Desktop Wallpaper: "Z is for zoom"

Desktop wallpaper sized image here.

Etsy finds 11/27/07

Facts about Uranus t-shirt.



Bunny (?) plush.



Happy dragon plush.



You can see more of my Etsy finds here.

Lego: Atomic Moon Rocket

Atomic Moon Rocket
Originally uploaded by [Soren]

Via.

Photoshop gallery: The next addition to the International Space Station

Man, there hasn't been nearly enough news about the diaper-wearing astronaut lately. Gallery.

Want to see the three-barreled space pistol cosmonauts used to use?

"The unique pistol has three barrels which fire hunting rounds as well as rifle bullets and signal flares. Its butt serves as a machete and a spade." Unsatisfactory photo here. Here's a short Wikipedia entry.

Video: Demonstration of catapult designed to propel humans into space

Via Gizmodo.

Should we fund an effort to go to Mars with a lottery?

John Tierney asks whether you would pay $5 for a chance to go to Mars? My guess is very few people are interested in going to Mars. (It's awfully cold and dusty there.)

Home observatories becoming increasingly popular

At a time when amateur astronomy is becoming increasingly popular — thanks in part to the availability of high-tech equipment like digital cameras that filter out light pollution — Dr. Motta and his wife, Joyce, are among a growing number of Americans incorporating observatories into new or existing homes. Manufacturers of observatory domes report increasing sales to homeowners, and new residential communities are being developed with observatories as options in house plans.

Link. Via Gawker.

Moon and Venus desktop wallpaper

Moon and Venus 5-19-07
Originally uploaded by csnyder103

Create your Own Battlestar Galactica Viper With Toilet Paper Rolls

Here's instructions at ToysREvil. Viper Comparison chart found here.

Plans for a U.S. Spaceport are Unveiled

Story and concept art gallery here. Via Instapundit.

The moon of Saturn that looks exactly like the Death Star

Photo link. More information on Mimas here.

Occasional NASA Consultants Draft Primer On How Humanity Can Defend Itself From Aliens

An Introduction to Planetary Defense: A Study of Modern Warfare Applied to Extra-Terrestrial Invasion is written by Travis Taylor and Bob Boan. In a nutshell, "You'd have to create an insurgency, a mujahideen-type resistance."

Why Is There A Hexagon Above Saturn's North Pole?

No one knows. But come up with the best theory and it could be named after you.