I spend all my time staring at a computer screen, seems like; hoping to do less of that in the future and more making real things with my own hands. Proud citizen of the Aurora Republic.
If you feel the need for a closer look at the most recent and magnificent test, here’s a compilation of multiple cameras, audio feeds, and even high-def slow motion. Sounds like it’s just a couple of camera guys there, but they sure give a holler at the clean landing.
Time to revisit the Nimitz, this time walking step-by-step through the various systems involved in getting the planes off the deck. Every time I watch one of these I’m astounded by just how many people are needed to keep all the systems running correctly. Also, that’s one dedicated camera crew. (Colorado is well-represented in this […]
Stashing this here for easy access to share with the small nieces at some point during tonight’s festivities: Ah, the good old days of children’s edutainment….
Patriotism swells in the heart of the American bear … er, woman. It’s easy to get discouraged sometimes, but the flag is still there, and many of us love it yet, even among the rising generations. Long may it wave! Every night of the All State Choir conference at about 11pm, everyone comes out to […]
Not sure about the new mustache, but here’s another example of a vital but less-than-obvious process for keeping the ship running efficiently and cleanly. Note again the full-body protection–the Navy takes personal safety very seriously. Also, I can’t imagine what a morale boost it must be if you’re the guy stuck sorting trash every day […]
Food logistics! Very important when you have a large crew of people out in the middle of the ocean for extended periods of time. Check out the full-body rigs they use when dishwashing–crazy.
You may have already seen this story over at Instapundit, but I think it’s worth highlighting over here, as it’s a story of civilian aviation bravery and fortitude–men who were given an impossible job and did it anyway because it needed to be done. In WW2 Captain Ford and the crew of the Pan Am […]
In this episode we learn that the XO is an Eagles fan, so he’s okay in my book. 😉 Weapons elevator is one of those things that is obviously necessary when you stop and think about it, but nothing I would’ve come up with if you asked me to list vital systems for an aircraft […]
About a dozen blog posts this past week have brought to mind this poem by Rudyard Kipling, so I figured I might as well post it for those who haven’t yet read it. He was a fairly astute fellow, was Kipling. The Gods of the Copybook Headings AS I PASS through my incarnations in every […]
I’ve been meaning to share these for a little while, but Bill’s recent Firewall on The Human Landscape seemed like an excellent lead-in, so here we go: I present to you episode one of the USS Nimitz’s “XO’s 5 Star Jobs”, which checks out some of the less glamorous departments and tasks required to keep […]
Since Steve Walton mentioned them in his recent post The Dark Horse, I thought I’d post the video that is the only reason I have any idea what they actually are and how they function: Here’s the written version if you find that easier to digest: Why Have SpaceX, Boeing & Blue Origin Ditched Abort […]
In case anyone forgot to look up the video Bill mentioned at the beginning of Stratosphere Lounge Episode 215, here ’tis, in all its glory: ETA: With further discussion in BACKSTAGE 4-30-2019
I’m going to try very hard to post more than just all SpaceX all the time, but it’s very tempting at the moment. While slo-mo can be overused and turned into just a cheap gimmick, here’s an example of why it’s so appealing in the first place–it allows you to catch details that would otherwise […]
Steve Walton’s recent post reminded me of just how awe-inspiring that first Falcon Heavy launch was–and how consequential it felt at the time, like we’d just crossed some kind of marker on the timeline of space exploration. True, we didn’t go anywhere new, didn’t do anything out of the ordinary aside from throwing a car […]
As part of my Lenten disciplines, I’ve begun practicing the KonMari method on my small corner of the house. A little over a week in and I’ve emptied my bedside table, replaced it with the small set of shelves from under my window (to create a prayer nook), emptied and removed a larger bookcase, and […]