Category: Science

Orbiter – A free space flight simulator

Orbiter I like a game that tells you to crack open the books so you can understand enough to play.

ORBITER is a free flight simulator that goes beyond the confines of Earth’s atmosphere. Launch the Space Shuttle from Kennedy Space Center to deploy a satellite, rendezvous with the International Space Station or take the futuristic Delta-glider for a tour through the solar system – the choice is yours. But make no mistake – ORBITER is not a space shooter. The emphasis is firmly on realism, and the learning curve can be steep. Be prepared to invest some time and effort to brush up on your orbital mechanics background.

Orbiter – A free space flight simulator

Voyager 1 – 100 AU Out and Still Going

Voyager The guys could build them pretty good back they couldn’t they? 30 years and it can still send back science data.

Voyager 1, already the most distant human-made object in the cosmos, reaches 100 astronomical units from the sun on Tuesday, August 15 at 5:13 p.m. Eastern time (2:13 p.m. Pacific time). That means the spacecraft, which launched nearly three decades ago, will be 100 times more distant from the sun than Earth is.

JPL.NASA.GOV: Feature Stories

The Perpetual Clock

Atmos clock

 

 

 

 

When I fist read the description on how this worked I was totally amazed. The clocks never need winding by hand because the mechanism is powered by a difference in temperature. A variance of a degree between 15-30 C is enough to cause a liquid (ethyl chloride) in a sealed container to expand or contract and in turn wind a spring with a ratchet. The clocks are exquisitely made and are fairly rare. If you find on, even a non working one you can expect to pay over $2,000 US for it. I find the concept of a temperature driven clock fascinating. I can’t help but wonder if the dynamic properties of ethyl chloride could be used in other projects.

THE ATMOS CLOCK PAGE

Wikipedia – The Atmos Clock 

DIY – Breakfast Styrofoam Glider

Styrofoam glider project

After you’ve gorged yourself on a fast food breakfast grab a hobby knife and get cutting! Go build this glider and run off your breakfast in the park. It’s easy, fun, and it recycles something that would normally be chucked in the trash.

DIY – Build a Glider from a Fastfood Container