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China Wants to Join International Space Station Club

October 17th, 2007 by iDunzo

In interviews with reporters this week, Chinese officials have said they want to begin cooperating with the U.S. in space, including becoming a contributing member of the International Space Station project.

From the Associated Press:

“We hope to take part in activities related to the International Space Station,” Li Xueyong, a vice minister of science and technology. “If I am not mistaken, this program has 16 countries currently involved and we hope to be the 17th partner.”

Given all the recent talk about war in space, not to mention the real thing on the ground, this seems like a no-brainer. The old cold war days are gone.

U.S. concerns about working with a communist dictatorship, as the AP puts it here, are laughable. Particularly given the severely tarnished democratic credentials of Russia, a primary partner in the International Space Station.

China is growing as a power in space, with the capability to launch manned missions, blast satellites out of orbit, and plans to launch a lunar mission soon.

Officials there are now saying that first lunar probe will launch later this month, putting it hard on the heels of Japan’s Kaguya orbiter.

It would be foolish to try to keep China isolated in space. Cooperation there may not be a perfect recipe for eternal peace, but it’s a whole lot better than the kind of saber (or laser?) rattling that’s led to space-war planning on both sides.

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Today in History: Thrust Beats Sound – Twice

October 13th, 2007 by iDunzo

October 13, 1997: Ten years ago today, less than three weeks after topping 700 MPH in the jet-powered Thrust SuperSonic vehicle, British fighter pilot Andy Green smashed the sound barrier along a one-mile course in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.

Under the guidance of former land-speed record-holder and Thrust team leader Richard Noble, Green hit 764.168 MPH, or 1.007 percent above the speed of the sound.

Sixty-one minutes later, Green swept across Black Rock at a speed 1.003 percent faster than sound.

Unfortunately, however, because the second run came one minute late, the Thrust team wouldn’t own the official record until two days later.

On October 15, 1997, the Thrust hit 759.333 MPH on its first run and a stunning 766.109 MPH on its second pass, about thirty minutes later.

It’s worth nothing that October 14 is the date in 1947 when Chuck Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier, in the rocket-powered Bell X-1 aircraft.

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Google Pays Tribute To Luciano Pavarotti

October 12th, 2007 by iDunzo

Google pays tribute to Luciano Pavarotti (October 12, 1935 – September 6, 2007), Cavaliere di Gran Croce was a celebrated Italian tenor in operatic music, who successfully crossed into popular music becoming one of the most beloved vocal performers.

While undertaking an international “farewell tour,” Pavarotti was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July 2006.

The tenor fought back against the implications of this diagnosis, undergoing major abdominal surgery and making plans for the resumption and conclusion of his singing commitments.

On September 6 2007, however, in an e-mail statement, his manager, Terri Robson, wrote: “The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life. In fitting with the approach that characterized his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness.”

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Google Celebrates 9th Birthday

September 26th, 2007 by iDunzo

Happy 9th Birthday Google!

May all your non-evil birthday wishes come true!

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Google Halloween

October 30th, 2006 by iDunzo

As with most festive times of the year, Google has put up a spooktacular logo just in time for Halloween:

Have a safe and happy Halloween. Watch out for all the zombies and ghosts… muhahahahaha!

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Google Celebrates 8th Birthday

September 26th, 2006 by iDunzo

Google is a little late with the birthday logo because technically it should have been up on September 8th, 2006 but because of all the major releases and other events around the Googleplex, someone must have forgot.

Happy 8th Birthday Google! May all your non-evil birthday wishes come true!

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