bkbirge

Recent Actions

• Commented on iPads in Space?

  They should put this on the iPad, just sayin'... http://open.nasa.gov/appschallenge/idea/astronaut-status-platform/...

• Commented on Amateur Rocketry is Not Very Amateur These Days

  This is beautiful, I'm curious why Carmack hasn't announced him winning the prize yet? Regardless it is very inspiring....

• Commented on An Amazing NASA Photo You Won't See on NASA.gov (Update)

  Incredible photo. I hear you Keith about the disconnect from NASA PAO but I also appreciate that someone is willing to put this stuff out there without waiting for the official blessing from the papal headquarters in DC who we...

• Commented on Video: China Uses "America The Beautiful" on Their Space Station Propaganda

  Seriously doubt this was an accident. China is playing the long game as always....

• Commented on NASA CTO Bobby Braun Is Leaving NASA

  I think the writing has been on the wall for awhile on that one. Funding is always a challenge and now that they want to have a single central clearing house of funds (not necessarily a bad idea) combined with...

• Commented on NASA Releases Vesta Images

  ASFalcon13 says... No matter our own internal fights, we will always have a much greater opposition: the apathetic, the willfully ignorant, and the "Why spend money in space when there are problems here on Earth to solve?" crowd. ...why is...

• Commented on Video: The Future of NASA with Neil deGrasse Tyson

  Exactly....

• Commented on What Name Would You Pick for Pluto's Newly-Discovered Moon?

  It should be up to the discoverer(s) to name what they discover. If a large team then they can have their own process. If there are competing claims then they can decide among themselves or refer to an accepted arbitrator,...

• Commented on How Congressional Budget Uncertainties Affect Science

  That's nice they are keeping the solicitors in the loop. I wish the selectors for the proposals I had in the queue were as forthright....

• Commented on Watching Atlantis' Return - From Orbit

  This photo is truly sublime. And yes, it's traveling away, the bright spot is farther away as it follows the curve of the orbit. I love the demarcation line of the atmosphere too, this picture should get some kind of...

• Commented on Rejoice Comrades! Glorious Era of Soyuz Begins (Update)

  Every single Russian space scientist/engineer I've met has been top notch to work with. The Russians get absolute respect from me as they should anyone in the worldwide space program. They can be forgiven for some bragging and chest thumping...

• Commented on TEA Party Releases Space Platform

  The last thing rational debate needs (as if it even exists at a national level) is the Tea Partiers to co-opt the NASA and space exploration discussion. The Tea Party has already been overrun by social conservatives, we seriously don't...

• Commented on NASA Mentioned in Republican Presidential Debate

  Two very disturbing quotes here. First Gingrich's assertion... "If you take all the money we've spent at NASA since we landed on the moon and you had applied that money for incentives to the private sector, we would today probably...

• Commented on How Lunar Orbiter Images Were Recorded 45 Years Ago

  This is so cool, thanks for sharing this. I love reading the history and seeing the pictures. I think I still have some of that furniture in my office, lol. Articles like this make me ponder what it will take...

• Commented on Frank Wolf Wants to Ban NASA and OSTP From China Cooperation

  I think I agree with a lot of the comments here, particularly Marcel's. However, though I hate the warmonger attitude in general, the congressman is not too far from the truth in sounding the alarm about China. Culturally, China considers...

• Commented on Why Houston Did Not Get A Shuttle

  As usual Wayne is spot on. A big lol to the part about the parks service taking over NASA JSC, probably not far from the realm of possibility....

• Commented on Morpheus Hot Fire A Success: JSC PAO Is Incompetent

  Looks like some here don't like the phrase 'under the radar'. That is an unfortunate turn of phrase I agree and I wish they wouldn't use as it's guaranteed to make any bureaucrat hyperventilate in a bad way. I have...

• Commented on 50 Years of Humans in Space

  I really wish it was 50 years of humans in space. Sadly, the larger-than-human heroes such as Yuri are the only ones that have gotten to go so far. Seconded on having Yuri's night at home, that's a real occasion...

• Commented on White House Logo Police Call NASA Watch to Complain

  Ruffled some high-price-per-hour folks' feathers apparently. Wish they'd put that kind of effort into scaring up public support for manned space colonization/exploration....

• Commented on Why Does JSC Hide Their Cool Stuff?

  JSC Special: Project Morpheus Hot Fire Test Tomorrow, Apr. 8 - Expect Loud Noises Near Test Site JSC's Engineering Directorate will begin a series of engine rocket firing tests for its prototype lander as part of Project Morpheus tomorrow, Friday,...

• Commented on SpaceX Announces Falcon 9 Heavy Launch Date

  I don't think they are claiming more lift capacity than Saturn, from the article... "Falcon Heavy will carry more payload to orbit or escape velocity than any vehicle in history, apart from the Saturn V moon rocket,..."...

• Commented on Airplanes Fueled With NASA Chicken Fat

  The technology is way cool but it's a very bad idea to tie food supply or even food byproducts to energy creation. It's bad when it's corn ethanol and it's just as bad for chicken fat fuel. It's fine now...

• Commented on Bolden and Hall Clearly Disagree on HLVs

  Bolden showing some stones, nice. Hopefully this is a sign of wresting space exploration mission design away from the politicians and back into the hands of the scientists and engineers. I'm probably being way too optimistic on this but I'll...

• Commented on Trailer Park Space Drama Back on Tee Vee

  I'm amazed she has been allowed to stay in military service at all. What a mess and a black mark for manned space in the public's eyes....

• Commented on Odd Spin on NASA/ISRO Lunar Collaboration

  I think this is just a nationalistic feel-good piece (or propaganda if you want a negative connotation) for India. I do find it annoying and wish they would change it but it points out exactly how little space means to...

• Commented on Spinoffs No One Ever Expected

  My cynical side agrees with you and will one-up by pointing out that NASA seems hell bent on squeezing every last drop of publicity out of this that they can. Not that it's a bad thing, I just wish they'd...

• Commented on ISS National Lab CAN Provides Old, Incomplete Documents

  My beef is less with what standard people use as it is with the lack of readability of anything that's put out. I think having a document made that's basically just a giant index into a distributed database is a...

• Commented on Bolden and Garver Talk To NASA Employees (Delayed Due To Fire Drill)

  Apparently sometimes where there's smoke, there is indeed a fire. Glad it was an annoyance and not worse....

• Commented on Stardust Images Are Arriving on Earth (In the wrong order)

  And even in the midst of all the current craziness, the feat of engineering and wonder of what's out there is still so dang cool......

• Commented on ISS National Lab CAN Provides Old, Incomplete Documents

  This is typical of lots of the tech docs you will read (as I'm sure you already know). I am always amazed at the complete lack of usefulness of any of these kinds of things when I need to bring...