Taking adventure capitalism to a whole new level are we? James Cameron, Larry Page and other big-wigs are getting into the asteroid mining game… via nationalpost

A cryptic press release issued last week suggested a blockbuster team of investors — including Google Inc. co-founder Larry Page and Canadian film maker James Cameron — is set to back a space exploration venture that could have plans to mine asteroids.

The release contained few details of the team’s plans but suggested more would be revealed Tuesday morning during a news conference at Seattle’s Museum of Flight.

“The company will overlay two critical sectors — space exploration and natural resources — to add trillions of dollars to the global GDP,” the release said, adding that the startup would “create a new industry and new definition of ‘natural resources.’” (Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Reuters) 

R

oundup of my favorite things this week….
A party for summers sake, the final lift-off and a Peruvian hideout
….follow it, don’t judge it
 

Party. Jetset Farryn & Friends.
You heard me rattle and rave about CO-OP Food & Drink, the newly opened modern American brasserie & sushi bar at the Hotel on Rivington…. now they’re kicking off a series of summer’s eve events and yours truly will be taking part in the festivities. Join me, Grungy Gentleman, The Velveteen and Austyntatious for some food, drinks and serious flirting. Tuesday July 12th. 

Hotel. Titilaka Lodge.
On a small, remote peninsula on the shores of the earth’s highest navigable lake, Hotel Titilaka brings the sophisticated boutique hotel experience to one of the world’s most physically and culturally stunning places. The 18-suite retreat immerses you in the cuisine, landscape, mystery and brilliance of the ancient Andes, and includes all meals, plus a choice of local excursions from mountain biking and bird watching to rowing and sightseeing.

Lift-Off. Goodbye Nasa.
The Atlantis blazed a path into history today as it rocketed off the launch pad for a final time, marking the last-ever liftoff of the 30-year-old American space shuttle program. The storied spacecraft is carrying a crew of four US astronauts toward the International Space Station on a 12-day mission to re-stock the orbiting lab. The mission marks the end of an era in human spaceflight, leaving the United States with no spacecraft capable of taking astronauts to orbit and leaving Russia’s three-seat Soyuz capsule as the sole taxi to the ISS (via nationalpost)

The Last Space Shuttle Project was created to document every stage of NASA’s final shuttle preparations, and to follow the process - launch, mission, and the eventual retirement of each of the NASA shuttles.

The best thus far? This 360º panorama of Space Shuttle Discovery’s flight deck during decommissioning in the Orbiter Processing Facility by Jook Leung. Let’s give those little boys a big ol’ BRILL.DOT.COM.

Click on the link, it’s worth it, scouts honor. 

(Source: jstn)

@ Endeavour Shuttle Lunch

Kennedy Space Center, 8:56 am

#space #spectacular #Nasa

(Source: whereisthecoool)

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In late 2010, @NASA awarded contracts to three teams — Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, The Boeing Company — to study advanced concept designs for aircraft that could take to the skies in the year 2025. At the time of the award, the team gave NASA a sneak peek of the particular design they plan to pursue. 

Each design looks very different, but all final designs have to meet NASA’s goals for less noise, cleaner exhaust and lower fuel consumption. Facts: each design has to fly up to 85 percent of the speed of sound; cover a range of approximately 7,000 miles; and carry between 50,000 and 100,000 pounds of payload, either passengers or cargo. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G (Source: Nasa - tipoff via Conde Nast Traveler).

Homemade Insurance for the Apollo Astronauts via crookedindifference:

No life insurance company would touch the first astronauts. But the Apollo crews knew that they needed to do something that would leave their families in good shape were the mission to go badly.

The answer: NASA provided insurance in the form of ‘Insurance Covers’, a number of which were given to every crew member and subsequently signed by every astronaut involved, as close to launch as possible. Its value would instantly be high, but would no doubt sky-rocket (no pun intended) should the astronauts never return; the deceased’s surviving family then at least safe in the knowledge that in future they could cash-in their makeshift insurance policy if required.

The real dirt: rumor has it that the Apollo 15 crew sold off a whole lot of unauthorized insurance covers. Cool dude.