Starship Asterisk*

[quote="eltodesukane"]I see they are still spending good money on the ISS. Has it ever been useful? Has it ever contributed anything to science?[/quote]

At the least, I think of our endeavors at the ISS as an investment? Are they the best investments we could make? Time will tell. Assessing the decision not to make the investment, that’s easy; time will make you pay more (until you get good at it).

Come up with a better idea for learning to exist in space – I think most would be interested to hear it. This is a pretty good place to post an alternative. The thought will come in handy if we are still around to need it.

Confucius say,
Astronaut who fart in spacesuit while spacewalking is only one who knows

Art / Chris,
Don't litter the landscape with inconvenient facts. I am sure it feels much better to conclude that ISS has contributed nothing at all. Arguing the facts is like twerking in a space suit… :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

[quote="eltodesukane"]I see they are still spending good money on the ISS. Has it ever been useful? Has it ever contributed anything to science?[/quote]
The answer to both questions is certainly "yes". A better question to ask is whether the money has been well spent- if the investment was (and is) worth the scientific return.

[quote="eltodesukane"]

I see they are still spending good money on the ISS. Has it ever been useful?
Has it ever contributed anything to science?[/quote]
I doubt if science is the [u]primary[/u] reason even for unmanned space missions.

However, the primary science mission is to understand the biological effects
of extended human missions in space... but other science is taking place:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_research_on_the_ISS#Physical_Sciences
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Magnetic_Spectrometer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_%28ISS_module%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destiny_%28ISS_module%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Experiment_Module
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisk_%28ISS_module%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rassvet_%28ISS_module%29

I see they are still spending good money on the ISS. Has it ever been useful? Has it ever contributed anything to science?

If you gaze at her long enough, you'll see a young Michael Jackson. A reflection and a distortion !

OK, I literally LOL'd on that one, FloridaMike.

In a space suit no one can see you twerk...

[quote="Ron_in_Oz"]Does todays APOD qualify as a selfie ?[/quote]
Definitely - but I can see no twerking.

[quote="Ron_in_Oz"]BTW, what sort of camera would this be.[/quote]
[url=http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/metadata/camera.htm]Here's a list[/url] of cameras that have been used up there. I couldn't find data in the EXIF info for the APOD itself.

Rob

Always an interesting picture on APOD...

A reflected view of Eternity.....

:---[===] *

Does todays APOD qualify as a selfie ?

BTW, what sort of camera would this be.
Common little digital cameras wouldn't make it up there - or would they ?

Speaking of reflections... Here's a Supreme one.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvN1-ooQ0s8[/youtube]

[url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140102.html][img]http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_140102.jpg[/img] [size=150]Reflections on Planet Earth[/size][/url]

[b] Explanation: [/b] Catching sight of [url=http://mirrorproject.com/]your reflection[/url] in a store window or shiny hubcap can be entertaining and occasionally even inspire a thoughtful moment. So consider [url=http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-121/html/iss013e49644.html]this reflective view[/url] from 300 kilometers [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060713.html]above planet Earth[/url]. The picture is actually a [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060121.html]self-portrait[/url] taken by astronaut Michael Fossum on July 8 during a space walk or extravehicular activity while the [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120419.html]Discovery orbiter[/url] was docked with the [url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/multimedia/index.html]International Space Station[/url]. Turning his camera to snap a picture of his own helmet visor, he also recorded the reflection of his fellow [url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html]mission[/url] specialist, Piers Sellers, near picture center and one of the space station's gold-tinted solar power arrays arcing across the top. Of course, the horizon of [url=http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/]our fair planet[/url] lies in background.

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