Asteroid 24 Themis may have frost on it.

Asteroid 24 Themis, a 100 mile wide lone rock between Mars and Jupiter in the asteroid belt. But even more important, scientist found organic molecules in the scattered lightwaves bounching off the asteroid.

Hydrogen and oxygen and bits of water are locked in clay has been the theory up until 24 Themis appears to have proven right.

For more details, please the artilces from any of the links presented below.

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REf, BBC April 29, 2010 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10090128.stm).

Comcast, April 29, 2010. by Seth Borenstein (http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-science/20100428/US.SCI.Icy.Asteroid/).

Replicators might build moon bases?

Well, Star Trek-The Next Generation is getting closer to reality now. That show presented to us the concept of the Replicator. That that fictional device is a step closer to real world development.

A Replicator is a machine capable of creating (and recycling objects. Replicators were originally seen used to synthesize meals on demand, but later on in the tv series, they had other uses including industrial size replicator machines.

Use the link below to read the article entitled "3D printer could build moon bases" by Lin Edwards. Check out the other links also.

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Ref. (http://www.physorg.com/news190873132.html).

Wikipedia-Star Trek (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replicator_(Star_Trek)).

MSNBC. November 4, 2009 (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33626447).

(http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/3688270-star-treks-replicators-are-finally-available/image/35585956-desktopfactory).

Phobos is Ancient Spaceship in Orbit of Mars.

Phobos is an ancient spaceship in orbit around the planet Mars. Basically this is what some scientists and even former astronaut Buzz Aldrin appear to be say. In fact, Buzz takes any opening he can get to push the need for a trip to Phobos.

From Richard C. Hoagland's Enterprise Mission, the latest theory about Mars's moon Phobos being a hollow out asteroid due to two separate observations from two different government spacecraft.

Its impression that is why President Obama kinda reverse himself and says that the US will still go out into the solar system, but in baby steps.

Image of Phobos is from his website. And please read both parts of this story on the Enterprise Mission website.

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Ref. "For the World is Hollow.. And I have Touched the Sky" parts 1 & 2 (http://www.enterprisemission.com/Phobos.html) & (http://www.enterprisemission.com/Phobos2.html).

Armstrong: Obama hurting space - PATRICK GAVIN | POLITICO CLICK

Armstrong: Obama hurting space - PATRICK GAVIN | POLITICO CLICK.

I'm going to cross post this on my other blog, The Shanks Dimension. See link in ref section below.

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Ref. theshanksdimension.com (http://www.theshanksdimension.com/2010/04/you-tell-him-neil-atta-boy/).

EADS-Astrium Space Tourism Jet Proposal

This baby, with the clearview roof (going by the model pictured with the short article), is designed to carry 4 passengers 100 kilometers up into space and let them experience zero-g for about three minutes.

The EADS-Astrium jet takes off and lands like a normal business jet. But once it has reached 12 kilometers in altitude, it fires its rocket engines for the final push up out of the gravity well. Firing duration is only about 80 seconds.

Price for tickets was not included in the AW&ST article. But can you image riding in something like this? Its almost like flying in a convertible without the wind in your hair. I wonder if there will be a curtain that is pulled over the cabin interior while it is on the ground only to be pulled back for the view during the rocket firing.

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Ref. From a short article by Mike Vines, AW&ST. April 9, 2010 picture also off that website. (http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/photos/photopage.jsp?plckPhotoID=7c25944d-ea56-4b45-93bf-379308d5c213&plckGalleryID=23c19083-0daa-4d3c-bcec-b49e8ebecb6b&plckGalleryID=23c19083-0daa-4d3c-bcec-b49e8ebecb6b).

F-35 Cost Soar - America is SO Screwed!

Discovered this article by the Star-Telegram (and use the link in the Ref section below to read the entire article) that was posted on April 6, 2010.

What a surprise!? Costs for the F-35 program, when inflation is also counted in, have gone up. Once upon a time, it was tought that a F-35 would come out with a per unit cost of $62 million (with a purchase over time of 2, 457 airframes). That estimate was given in the year 2002. Now in 2010, that cost per airframe will no doubt rise to $133.6 million when inflation is included in the figures.

The average cost of the F-35 has risen 57% before the Pentagon included inflation. And it is STILL rising!

Builder of the F-35, Lockheed Martin spokesman Chris Geisel replied in a email (to the Star-Telegram I assume) the following quote: "We can foresee no scenario in which the F-35 unit costs are even close to the projections... cited in the Inside Defense article."

Foreign countries that were thinking about getting the F-35 are now re-thinking their decision. Boeing's F-18 E/F looks better and better to them all the time. Plus this blogger thinks the re-vamping of the F-15 would be a wiser decision to make. Or even buying Typhoons from the Europeans would be better than this F-35 headache. I mean, what is Great Britain going to put on the decks of her two new aircraft carriers if this cost turkey isn't put under a cost control plan?

Mr. Geisel also said, and I'm quoting from the article, ..the actual cost of building airplanes is now trending lower than expected. "We believe the final price per aircraft will be well below the independent estimates the government has adopted."

My opionion - By allowing our defense industry to consolidate itself like it did over the past 20-30 years; our nation is now at risk of being unable to AFFORD to purchase the weapon systems it needs to protect the country.

I might also add the following.

It makes great "copy" to say that the USA has the finest weapon systems in the world. But if they COST so damn much that you cannot use them (or I might also add here, train with them) - then they are really worthless investments. We're getting 270 something F-22s! Thats it!

Over the next 30 years, lets guess that there will be some training accidents. Lets say 5 per decade. Thats 15 airframes right there. Then, if they are ACTUALLY used in combat, that loss level will no doubt go up. So after 30 years and maybe one 'warm' war that we really get some usage out of those remaining airframes.. What are you going to guess our fleet level for the F-22 will be at. 250? 245? 240? 230 working airframes maybe?

I now write this with my tongue planted in cheek, but we should really give consideration to buying a few squadrons of Mig-29s or Su-27s from the Russians!

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Ref. Star-Telegram.com. April 6, 2010. "Cost estimate for F-35 to soar, Pentagon says" by Bob Cox. (http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/04/06/2094443/cost-estimate-for-f-35-to-soar.html).

image taken from a google search request.

F-15 Silent Eagle blog post (http://aerospacedreams.blogspot.com/2009/06/f-15-silent-eagle-movie-on-dew-line.html).

Half a Penny to Own the Universe...

Found this very powerful video about NASA's future. It is of Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson who was speaking at a recent University at Buffalo event when asked about his opinion about how much money is spent for space exploration...

You do need to watch it. I tried to re-size the video, but I just can't seem to get it right. Just click on it and watch it on YouTube.

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Ref. Okuda Log, April 6, 2010. (http://web.me.com/michaelokuda/michael_okuda/Blog/Entries/2010/4/6_HALF_A_PENNY_FOR_THE_FUTURE.html).

Four Women in Orbit at Same Time

Well, the old workhorse Discovery got off the pad on the first try today at 6:21am in a pre-dawn launch carrying seven astronauts and supplies up to the International Space Station (ISS).

Three on the launch of shuttlecraft Discovery and one up on the ISS already for a record of 4 females in outer space at the same time.

Here is a breakdown of the female crewmembers. Dorothy "Dottie" Metcalf-Lindenburger is 34 years old. Stephanie Wilson is the robot arm expert coming in at age 43. And Naoko Yamazaki who will be the second Japanese woman ever to fly into space. Yamazaki is 39 years old. On the station now is Tracy Caldwell Dyson and she is 40 years old.

Discovery will dock with the space station on Wednesday, April 7, 2010. There will be a total of 13 people (men and women) in orbit this time around.

And Discovery is expected to spend 13 days in orbit.

Now, while the shuttle is docked at the space station, President Barrack H. Obama is planning on holding some sort of summit to discuss the future of American manned spaceflight.

Richard C. Hoagland talked about what might happen in President Obama's speech on April 15, 2010. But no one really knows what is going to happen then. What will be talked about. Even WHERE on Kennedy Space Center complex the event will be held. On Coast to Coast Am radio program on April 4/5, 2010; Richard C. Hoagland stated that he will be posting some information on his website this date. As of 7am CST, I only see the white paper entitled "The New Frontier of Hope" with a picture of President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, that has been 'bumped' to the top behind a promo for a DVD Hoagland is selling. That is entitled "Secrets-The Startling New NASA... Kennedy.. Obama Connection to 2012."

It might be taking longer to finish up the paper to upload to his website. But Hoagland also told the C2Cam audience that China and India will be present at this special summit on the 15th.

So once again, I guess the best way to sum this posting up is that NASA is still acting 'odd.'

UPDATE: Like the title to a 3rd season episode of the original Star Trek series "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky," Enterprise Mission has finally posted its white paper. Please use the link in the ref section below to read that posting. Basically in a nutshell: Mars moon Phobos is an ancient spacecraft. Its one third hollow! It will eventually break up due to the gravational pull of Mars. Quote: For, a Martian moon that is demonstrably "1/3 hollow" ... as measured by two totally independent space programs, and separated by ~20 yars ... under ANY likely astrophysical formation scenario CANNOT EXIST ... as just a "natural" moon! And this pulled quote: Which, according to the verbal description coming from our ESA source, is divided into "three ... or four, major, quarter-to-half-mile-wide geometric chambers ... distributed tetrahedrally inside a denser, partially-hollow RF-translucent interior structure ...."

So that is pretty cool.

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Ref.

Space.com. April 5, 2010. By Tariq Malik.(http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/most-women-in-space-100405.html).

Enterprise Mission.com white paper April 5, 2010. by Richard C. Hoagland and David Wilcock. (http://www.enterprisemission.com/newfrontier.htm).

"For the World is Hollow" Enterprise Mission (http://www.enterprisemission.com/Phobos.html).