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The Space Gazette
Space for Everyone -
October 17, 2001 -
Vol. 1 No.8
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Movies
* Music
2001: A Space Odyssey
Returns to the Theater
The newly restored classic
from Stanley Kubrick will get limited release this month
in four cities: Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco,
and Washington D.C. Next year it will get released nationwide.
The wide screen 70 mm prints
were re-mastered from the original negative and the
beautiful
soundtrack digitally re-mastered, as well.
Some will no doubt note
the irony that in the real 2001 we did not encounter
super advanced beings from a multi-million year old
civilization but instead we were attacked by beings
from a medieval state of mind.
But the movie nevertheless
gives a striking vision of what humans can accomplish
someday. The dream is still alive.
2001:
A Re-Release Odyssey -Wired - Oct.13.01
Warner
Bros. Plans Re-Release of Kubrick's '2001' - Space.com
- Sept.21.01
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Activism
* Space
Science * Living
in Space
Space
Activists to
Take a Satellite for a Spin
Mice to test artificial gravity
Translife
capsule
Mars Society
While cosmonauts and astronauts long ago proved
that micro-gravity does not prevent humans from living
and working in space, the body responds to long term weightlessness
with reduced bone mass, weakened muscles and a number of other
negative effects.
Intense daily exercise and other preventive
measures greatly diminish these effects and cosmonauts have
lived for more than a year in space and, after returning to
earth, eventually returned to normal physical status.
Nevertheless, there are worries that explorers
on a long voyage to Mars will suffer serious maladies.
In particular, when they reach Mars they must
have the strength to withstand possible high accelerations
during aerobraking and landing on Mars. Then they also must
have the strength to get to work quickly assembling a base
and exploring the surface.
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It has long been proposed that centrifugal force
in a rotating structure in space could provide artificial gravity.
The famous wheel shaped space station in 2001:
A Space Odyssey, for example, provided a near earth-like
gravity at the outer rim.
NASA has not investigated artificial gravity
because it decided to concentrate on research into applications
of micro-gravity.
So since no one else was doing it, the Mars
Society decided to work on a project to develop a satellite
to test the effects of living in a spinning environment. The
Translife
project will build a 1 m diameter capsule, shaped roughly
like a small Apollo capsule, that spins at rate of about 25
rpm.
This will produce artificial gravity of 38%
of earth's gravity, which is what is equivalent to that at
the surface of Mars.
A colony of mice will live on the inner rim
of the capsule for the two month mission in orbit. The health
and behavior of the initial group will be monitored for any
change from what would be expected if they were on earth.
Also, important is whether they can reproduce normally and
if the offspring are healthy.
The project will be the first serious study
of artificial gravity to determine whether it really is an
effective way to reduce the deleterious effects of micro-gravity.
The multi-millionaire Elon
Musk is apparently helping to fund the project, although
there is some indication that he may fund a separate project.
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GPS
GPS Art
Yet another offbeat recreation
involving GPS has appeared on the scene. GeoCaching
and GeoDashing
were mentioned earlier
and now Jeremy Wood and Hugh Pryor are offering GPS
Drawing. In this game, a person plans out and then travels
to a sequence of waypoints, or landmarks, such that when the
trek is plotted, a word or a figure becomes visible. Since
the GPS provides coordinates in both the horizontal and vertical
directions, 3-D works can be created as well. Check out their
gallery
of waypoint artworks.
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See also
Space
Headlines
RLV News
News Links
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Activism
Space Frontier
Conference 10
In Search of: '2001' Los
Angeles, Ca
18-21 October 2001
One of the most "public friendly"
space conferences opens this week in LA. The Space
Fontier Foundation, a very active space activist organizations,
is hosting the 10th
Space Frontier Conference.
This year the theme focuses on how
to make a reality of the vision displayed in Kubrick's 2001:A
Space Odyssey movie.
The sessions
and speakers
will discuss a wide range of new and exciting ideas for making space
exploration and development a reality.
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Activism
* Life
on Mars * Space
Science
Mars Week 2001
October 26-28
The students of the MIT
Mars Society chapter will once again host the Mars
Week conference this month.
The meeting will focus on "the
engineering, scientific, political and social aspects of Mars exploration.
Topics will include present and future missions, including the prospects
for the human exploration and settlement of the Red Planet."
Registration is free for students but
seating is limited so register soon.
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