tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-223657822024-02-03T10:38:14.040-08:00Mars Ho!En-route to Mars.Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-82996805054327983262009-09-06T20:05:00.000-07:002009-09-06T20:15:33.663-07:00<b>CSAddyshack</b><br /><br />Nothing brings you back to Earth quite like a groundhog. The view from the glass hallway outside my office:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUTsrgzgI39Mt-6MSzPXIwIDkpyDlTFaiyezwSh1PEWBGeBnvhN9hOeuVNW_lg_xg_9h3O_7n6897LDZtL5cPRRZ6hfr-DmDVDmwOE5N6Ov94xGoyYoMzfEzeKksscoKUj6q8qQ/s1600-h/Groundhog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUTsrgzgI39Mt-6MSzPXIwIDkpyDlTFaiyezwSh1PEWBGeBnvhN9hOeuVNW_lg_xg_9h3O_7n6897LDZtL5cPRRZ6hfr-DmDVDmwOE5N6Ov94xGoyYoMzfEzeKksscoKUj6q8qQ/s320/Groundhog.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378556944382578018" /></a><br /><br />This little guy and his relatives are undermining the Canadian space program, or at least its building, despite the best efforts (so far carrot-baited traps and other non-explosive means) of the maintenance staff. On the positive side, I now know the difference between a groundhog (furry tail) and a muskrat (rat tail), thanks to the opportunity for up-close inspection of non-road-kill.Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-50922816677296956952009-09-06T20:01:00.000-07:002009-09-06T20:04:18.410-07:00This is just a Cocoa Beach souvenir shop, not a commentary on the space program. I hope.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjvtiu1jvgSiFDy2ANu_P5iOqPG_0PN6mhktrwTM8Cmb7Lu8T97A9Uy2bnoFGgTmp197nz2a03IzLLcB8xe4jJ6HnRF4RE6Ojl36gzTl7TOE_4wae5h0lvYjxpgIDeteZqKyxzA/s1600-h/2009-08-12+17.18.47.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjvtiu1jvgSiFDy2ANu_P5iOqPG_0PN6mhktrwTM8Cmb7Lu8T97A9Uy2bnoFGgTmp197nz2a03IzLLcB8xe4jJ6HnRF4RE6Ojl36gzTl7TOE_4wae5h0lvYjxpgIDeteZqKyxzA/s320/2009-08-12+17.18.47.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378555924036496178" /></a>Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-79016883793221919522009-08-29T07:04:00.000-07:002009-08-29T07:56:29.911-07:00<b>Remarkable experiences</b><br /><br />Sorry for not posting more, folks. Although I am doing many cool space things, most don't really lend themselves to anecdotes. Plus, I'm not supposed to talk about CSA stuff without running it past the powers-that-be, and a few flippant remarks on a blog just aren't worth that kind of effort.<br /><br />That said, there <i>are</i> cool space things going on that have nothing to do with my work. For example, Guinness (as in the <a href="http://www.guinness.com">beer</a>, but not as in the <a href="http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/">book of world records</a>) is celebrating its 250th anniversary with <a href="http://www2.guinness.com/en-ca/Pages/250-experiences.aspx">a contest</a>. First prize is a trip to space on <a href="http://www.virgingalactic.com">Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo</a>. Woo hoo! You'd better believe I'm putting in an entry every single day. Second prize is also mighty cool: a night out (or under?) in the Guinness Underwater Bar, a submarine which is also a pub (spubmarine?). Third prize: a day in the studio with the <a href="http://www.blackeyedpeas.com">Black Eyed Peas</a>. <br /><br />So, third prize for me it is, then. <br /><br />Look, I'm sure the Black Eyed Peas are fun people and excellent musicians, and they're obviously very successful. It's just that one of these things is not like the others: <br /><ul><br /><li>A SPACESHIP!!! <br /><li>A SPUBMARINE!! <br /><li>A studio.<br /></ul><br />In the hope that I could choose which prizes I was entering for, I actually read the contest rules. No, all prize winners are drawn from the same pool, but there was some interesting stuff in the small print. For example:<br /><br /><i>"The Promotion is open to residents of Austria, Belgium, Cameroon, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Portugal, Singapore, Spain and the Canary Islands, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and all states of the United States of America except California and Utah (the "Participating Countries") of legal drinking age in their country, state or province of residence."</i><br /><br />A mighty list. And yet:<br /><br /><i>"Participants from the Ivory Coast will not be eligible to win the SPACE Prize."</i><br /><br />What, does the Ivory Coast have a law against microgravity? Did Richard Branson once have a bad prawn there, and is he still holding a grudge? Does anyone have any idea why Ivory Coasters can't be flung into space? <br /><br />I'm just hoping that there a lot of Black Eyed Peas fans in Cote d'Ivoire, and that Guinness allows swapsies.Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-10123886173400922052009-06-26T18:59:00.000-07:002009-06-26T19:39:10.568-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Newbie at the CSA</span><br /><br />I started work (finally!) at the Canadian Space Agency on Thursday. The work itself hasn't settled down enough yet for a potted summary, but a few early observations:<br /><br />The gorgeous building was designed by Starfleet (aka <a href="http://www.wzmh.com/">WZMH Architects</a>), and is ready to to take off <span style="font-style:italic;">the instant</span> we figure out what dilithium crystals are and how they work. In fact, that's my job for the next six months. Unfortunately, I'm neither a doctor nor a geologist, so that joke just isn't going to work.<br /><br /><a href="http://204.15.34.55/index.php/projects/institutional/canadian_space_agency/"><img width=400 src="http://www.wzmh.com/images/uploads/CanSpaceAgency_4.jpg"></a><br /><br />Security is taken very seriously and seems very effective, but has its... moments. We have these cards that allow us to get through doors (six between the main entrance and my office, three between my office and the nearest toilet). Some of said doors are circular, miniature versions of those you find at better department stores. The catch is that, for security reasons, only one person is allowed in at a time. So, if the next person holds their card up to the sensor a moment too early, the mechanism immediately locks, causing the previous person's face to slam into the glass. One of these contraptions is at the cafeteria entrance, allowing for some excellent people-watching over lunch. [CSA security people: you're doing a wonderful job, and I'm sure these doors are absolutely necessary. Please don't purge me from the system.]<br /><br />Here's the sweetest thing - my gym:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__U2XLCAa7x5RYd9bRJhwLgp6thKQRCX4VaoxnHvgVPlFNbKfpxpQFEojEFjsYMd6MddTmkQxYH4jSJB72k1oe_PpPsWDUl_qPqWJ0iEroJ0isRTvS9txhoey2dcaeVYbZiaFsg/s1600-h/P6120032.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__U2XLCAa7x5RYd9bRJhwLgp6thKQRCX4VaoxnHvgVPlFNbKfpxpQFEojEFjsYMd6MddTmkQxYH4jSJB72k1oe_PpPsWDUl_qPqWJ0iEroJ0isRTvS9txhoey2dcaeVYbZiaFsg/s320/P6120032.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351826028985412482" /></a><br /><br />Better believe I'm motivated!Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-80449913456412430612009-06-15T17:48:00.000-07:002009-06-15T19:20:49.713-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Thurs June 11</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Technical Tour of The Institute for Biomedical Problems</span><br /><br />On the last day of the conference, attendees were taken on one of three technical tours. I (with some regret, as all three sounded fantastic) chose the tour of the Institute for Biomedical Problems, Russia's main center for space exploration human factors research, and home of <a href="http://www.imbp.ru/Mars500/Mars500-e.html">MARS-500</a>. Our group was small -- better for conversation -- and included several top-notch HF researchers, such as the very charming <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiaki_Mukai">Chiaki Mukai</a>. <br /><br />There were fascinating tidbits in every corner, such as a display of Russian space food, with a familiar-looking bottle in the middle: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaJnNTQU4Rg4RNapPmS_Gy8XZGryCUs_T_ZeIIJ09KUWGib6khbICQpmBerZxXwnvL7cxFpxDo6n5XkUI-OEMPtiYApWDmuyOaWEd25F74PZxkRy7Xr1lV3caxaLKo6tX-NGelg/s1600-h/P5280060.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaJnNTQU4Rg4RNapPmS_Gy8XZGryCUs_T_ZeIIJ09KUWGib6khbICQpmBerZxXwnvL7cxFpxDo6n5XkUI-OEMPtiYApWDmuyOaWEd25F74PZxkRy7Xr1lV3caxaLKo6tX-NGelg/s320/P5280060.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347723727999951570" /></a><br /><br />and a doll kitted out with the Center's "Penguin" suit, which is threaded with bungees to force the body's posture muscles to work out in microgravity:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Jv8Ejd5EY9tcHLjMt5YJjSmRdXsVtDIY36eJisYCvIVcJx6jD2EwpAmsN-X9DTrpwCVcqtlCTHbCxnfUaoYiGAbfvCpQj0SvUVtKrh4T3dDSoAEDX4nEBm85yMlDGoV0sUBgNw/s1600-h/P5280070.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Jv8Ejd5EY9tcHLjMt5YJjSmRdXsVtDIY36eJisYCvIVcJx6jD2EwpAmsN-X9DTrpwCVcqtlCTHbCxnfUaoYiGAbfvCpQj0SvUVtKrh4T3dDSoAEDX4nEBm85yMlDGoV0sUBgNw/s320/P5280070.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347738056292149234" /></a><br /><br />This is the center that monitors the astronauts' physical and psychological states: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGORNbdIBtDM8cNHcW0g07H3tq0V9nOnkRSfLHiq-nUeXHWpcPTcJum53HqNLULmRIs6vngYkLSMAwloM6G1nx8hRwbDHyq_iDqVVFtrUqzhJzeAavzDYrZ86kfOAew3ovcJZrqQ/s1600-h/P5280061.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGORNbdIBtDM8cNHcW0g07H3tq0V9nOnkRSfLHiq-nUeXHWpcPTcJum53HqNLULmRIs6vngYkLSMAwloM6G1nx8hRwbDHyq_iDqVVFtrUqzhJzeAavzDYrZ86kfOAew3ovcJZrqQ/s320/P5280061.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347727863808101506" /></a><br /><br />The interactive highlight was getting to play with the lab equipment. I clobbered my way to the front of the group to volunteer for the dry immersion tank. The idea is to simulate weightlessness by floating in water, while protected from the actual wetness by a giant tarp. It was like being swallowed by a flabby waterbed. Here's me going...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHzusnybbyjdnQGsNi-dDAHmaXk9srW0ana_NxaPAnqWnwGT1wKFGIV8Fj4TtZ6Uw8qfCe5Qb6zTTzweMTXjFq3o3HABzKCwq4hK7-OIAZc09Ko8PLeTbI3_D1t1a_SKqLAtxAQ/s1600-h/P5280064.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdHzusnybbyjdnQGsNi-dDAHmaXk9srW0ana_NxaPAnqWnwGT1wKFGIV8Fj4TtZ6Uw8qfCe5Qb6zTTzweMTXjFq3o3HABzKCwq4hK7-OIAZc09Ko8PLeTbI3_D1t1a_SKqLAtxAQ/s320/P5280064.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347729522139385570" /></a><br /><br />...going...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1JEDORQREC11cJctU6a9xWH1Rc43XL0Ev_U1rBBA2RY8vLHFcgzyV5TEi198ib4_w48CUPmDA7zj3mokfwjkKCrHV8GUwVlAn2bi2seR04Cdzosousfr9Eoy03E2zdReCUfspQ/s1600-h/P5280065.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1JEDORQREC11cJctU6a9xWH1Rc43XL0Ev_U1rBBA2RY8vLHFcgzyV5TEi198ib4_w48CUPmDA7zj3mokfwjkKCrHV8GUwVlAn2bi2seR04Cdzosousfr9Eoy03E2zdReCUfspQ/s320/P5280065.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347731928286793346" /></a><br /><br />...going...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3YPH5yaYMIYglVktd0tOHO3XKtVqlg7Z_p96ke6lQ6AV-d0bmFD5_nAXQky7H7bp8Ch55uK7uV57lAupbkYHxmFCOJhB2Qi3AEQSpCTUELHvUhf8lvHETYDV_fA8bh3p6tV99Q/s1600-h/P5280066.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3YPH5yaYMIYglVktd0tOHO3XKtVqlg7Z_p96ke6lQ6AV-d0bmFD5_nAXQky7H7bp8Ch55uK7uV57lAupbkYHxmFCOJhB2Qi3AEQSpCTUELHvUhf8lvHETYDV_fA8bh3p6tV99Q/s320/P5280066.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347733272757011938" /></a><br /><br />...gone.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrTh23z8gmOIQ2t0KxVhaGhc5v24RKhYbQgYDzt85z2VrsdcD4j1RqY77Xmge10gOo7LZeZZHT08scq0Y8JTdw2yPJL2lderASdKv5jSiOGzDAtr7X_O9XBuqJ_JjGcvqnqt8FQ/s1600-h/P5280067.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrTh23z8gmOIQ2t0KxVhaGhc5v24RKhYbQgYDzt85z2VrsdcD4j1RqY77Xmge10gOo7LZeZZHT08scq0Y8JTdw2yPJL2lderASdKv5jSiOGzDAtr7X_O9XBuqJ_JjGcvqnqt8FQ/s320/P5280067.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347735277669283122" /></a><br /><br />I hogged the dry immersion tank, so it was only fair that someone else got to try the vertical treadmill:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpYzzROiJjCU1qe43IWBPRSjPPkzcZh52RHkmsgz63RCsMw6AobrVFe23QUDLqluyIAud-A1Zksxc1s-KjVjhTDCe1gKQacYxjl9jIE9J02CYHBLg9YNOg9ereo7ikiam43MHmg/s1600-h/P5280069.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpYzzROiJjCU1qe43IWBPRSjPPkzcZh52RHkmsgz63RCsMw6AobrVFe23QUDLqluyIAud-A1Zksxc1s-KjVjhTDCe1gKQacYxjl9jIE9J02CYHBLg9YNOg9ereo7ikiam43MHmg/s320/P5280069.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347740819102180242" /></a><br /><br />Finally, we got to see the MARS-500 facility, where a six-member crew is locked in, simulating the journey to Mars: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8bi2ZVWAiJtnddLecQgItHyfI9dkHOotaxdeWFogX8I5miKmTDUYNNfHzy-E11WRF0Faj_Dhwh7FKE3EBYONnN40Ak22Zy5NqpvLdJ3KUX4I84CFw1__ULKaeFWNaqPMg_Bw0A/s1600-h/P5280078.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8bi2ZVWAiJtnddLecQgItHyfI9dkHOotaxdeWFogX8I5miKmTDUYNNfHzy-E11WRF0Faj_Dhwh7FKE3EBYONnN40Ak22Zy5NqpvLdJ3KUX4I84CFw1__ULKaeFWNaqPMg_Bw0A/s320/P5280078.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347743680547887362" /></a><br /><br />They're about 3/4 of the way through their 105 day pilot study, so we couldn't go in, but we did spend some time in the control center, watching the all-male crew pump weights (playing to the audience to some extent, I suspect). I'm going to submit a study for the full 500-day experiment, so who knows - I might be back!Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-57913978832871387342009-06-05T09:15:00.001-07:002009-06-05T12:07:31.340-07:00<b>Cosmonautics Museum</b><br /><br />Today my target was the Cosmonautics Museum. I came out of the metro, and started my usual confused reorientation. "Let's see. The map shows that green area, and the station is here, so the museum should be in this general direct- oh."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrRfuqaK57hclcbmBoPYP4iBVIsX4aakfiM2oogsEBo3su3mchOhoQnXFKok8GHl8tj0XQ09NIKrcTR8INUlZEPfY6Tw-iZJb8Mx2T7unJcKJpKrdz5dXGZGYiQVBAnBLuiCEfA/s1600-h/P5210004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrRfuqaK57hclcbmBoPYP4iBVIsX4aakfiM2oogsEBo3su3mchOhoQnXFKok8GHl8tj0XQ09NIKrcTR8INUlZEPfY6Tw-iZJb8Mx2T7unJcKJpKrdz5dXGZGYiQVBAnBLuiCEfA/s320/P5210004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343878002922946226" /></a><br /><br />Say what you will, the Russians can do monuments. Check out the march of progress:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTY7u45Jm6jOdZSLbONhBwQhVjQiiFLBs_ayPLCzIwxUwc_xvVT82olp44u_glLACYRR4cZR05p93Dr425rU4DlvUeIS44P7-zRmo3Um3lfYUY1S9Fh9qUIHSx4j-dbwid0EG3Iw/s1600-h/P5210003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTY7u45Jm6jOdZSLbONhBwQhVjQiiFLBs_ayPLCzIwxUwc_xvVT82olp44u_glLACYRR4cZR05p93Dr425rU4DlvUeIS44P7-zRmo3Um3lfYUY1S9Fh9qUIHSx4j-dbwid0EG3Iw/s320/P5210003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343878304467244722" /></a><br /><br />Even Laika is gazing sternly at the future:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsECGMr0f3PDF3mXQrq8Fw2ZCuhH-HfyGKrl4_1vU92rMIIAcQIUb_NiMW4bvd2A5JqRYoUc0X5mrsT3DxMX4wmaLuItyGjjPdxmTPDDedcgRzD-ZPU8Cf5V-pGMFYlh71JCg0TQ/s1600-h/P5210005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsECGMr0f3PDF3mXQrq8Fw2ZCuhH-HfyGKrl4_1vU92rMIIAcQIUb_NiMW4bvd2A5JqRYoUc0X5mrsT3DxMX4wmaLuItyGjjPdxmTPDDedcgRzD-ZPU8Cf5V-pGMFYlh71JCg0TQ/s320/P5210005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343878552869075906" /></a><br /><br />There was a row of stars approaching the monument, marking significant moments in the Russian space program. Oddly, there were several at the end of the row that hadn't been used yet. They'd clearly been saved for future accomplishments, and yet the last one inscribed with a date (there were several with just names) was from 1975:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghxWYymssXA4b3eF4Pn4Sc5pJQ4NxJnNAFQp78-L1ds1ZmDJeODxiIXyZbCu6GWTj9ei2193TxBv95iWCsiZ2P45rA3nnpZiumpmo1qu8oig-ADbxHdN5K88ox1npuFJplP-FmQ/s1600-h/P5210022.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghxWYymssXA4b3eF4Pn4Sc5pJQ4NxJnNAFQp78-L1ds1ZmDJeODxiIXyZbCu6GWTj9ei2193TxBv95iWCsiZ2P45rA3nnpZiumpmo1qu8oig-ADbxHdN5K88ox1npuFJplP-FmQ/s320/P5210022.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343878905010867138" /></a><br /><br />Does this mean that Russia isn't as proud of its space program post-1975, or did I miss the point completely?<br /><br />The museum itself was an excellent collection of hardware and mementos. I wasn't supposed to take pictures, but I couldn't resist this one:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNuPnEnzKJppSLf5-ungeMyLF9x927FMi4DMoWH_KYcu3A5mfIZsIXkVi0kL8EBJVkSNYi67iI7CUAqKj7lVyfVL7zXLA9Etea1GPa5axAQmG0ELWGsj1ZW99e1A-IF6mXt7IDA/s1600-h/P5220023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNuPnEnzKJppSLf5-ungeMyLF9x927FMi4DMoWH_KYcu3A5mfIZsIXkVi0kL8EBJVkSNYi67iI7CUAqKj7lVyfVL7zXLA9Etea1GPa5axAQmG0ELWGsj1ZW99e1A-IF6mXt7IDA/s320/P5220023.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343879188261008946" /></a><br /><br />Note the universal symbols for "this way up" (upper right) and "fragile" (upper left), and instructions for cosmonaut extraction. Sensible, of course, given that the capsule might go wildly off-course before landing, but I love the idea of the cosmonauts being urgently offered a glass of wine the moment the hatch opened!Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-33222262382390083502009-06-03T03:16:00.000-07:002009-06-03T03:27:33.518-07:00<b>Moscow, June 3, 09</b><br /><br />In sharp contrast, the Russian shuttle-like prototype, Buran, has found its final resting place in Gorky Park, as part of a slightly shabby, slightly surreal fun fair (Other attractions include a haunted house shaped like Mount Rushmore. Go figure). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfRbikQcXLSXNsWU5TyRZxiZuaUUfOR-KAQIgVojU5RAz31EqxwOCRTJ2JJCyHU99o1Y709s-O6W4B5RRAaEA31922Kw1ySlaMYDKajFBm0c9vjEo7Y0ndhbW1NSn9jbO2M9bZA/s1600-h/Buran.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfRbikQcXLSXNsWU5TyRZxiZuaUUfOR-KAQIgVojU5RAz31EqxwOCRTJ2JJCyHU99o1Y709s-O6W4B5RRAaEA31922Kw1ySlaMYDKajFBm0c9vjEo7Y0ndhbW1NSn9jbO2M9bZA/s320/Buran.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343044822970998354" /></a><br /><br />Buran's rusted shell is now home to a 4D (i.e. 3D plus shaking) cinema, showing a six minute feature ("Space Creeps") so unpleasant that, after one minute, I chose to shut my eyes and just endure the bumps and jolts for the remainder.<br /><br />Poor Buran.Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-75848936904465818662009-06-02T07:50:00.000-07:002009-06-02T17:15:49.915-07:00<span style="font-weight:bold;">Air and Space Museum, Dulles, May 31<br /></span><br /><br />Any aviation enthusiasts with a longish stopover in DC should check out the <a href="http://www.nasm.si.edu/UdvarHazy/">National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center</a>, a short bus or taxi ride from the airport. It's basically a giant hangar full of wonderful flying machines - anything that was too big for the Air and Space Museum on the Mall. The star of the show is the shuttle Enterprise:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECGfRwcucvjxi9SQoX-KpbzvQ5p1rnUvev_Y2067wDy4hKwaSpfahXGPjVlvIbzcx50hbeA7ZxrDqmZcLJH9N7wdTVbDN_B6oRZPYyhuU8WjkIhHa62FP0GaX3Dsu_k56yINs5g/s1600-h/P5170005.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECGfRwcucvjxi9SQoX-KpbzvQ5p1rnUvev_Y2067wDy4hKwaSpfahXGPjVlvIbzcx50hbeA7ZxrDqmZcLJH9N7wdTVbDN_B6oRZPYyhuU8WjkIhHa62FP0GaX3Dsu_k56yINs5g/s320/P5170005.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342743511194464450" /></a><br /><br />I'd also like to recommend a book I picked up there, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Into-That-Silent-Sea-Trailblazers/dp/0803211465/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243987851&sr=8-1">Into That Silent Sea: Trailblazers of the Space Era, 1961-1965</a>, by Francis French and Colin Burgess. It is full of anecdotes in context from the people who made early space exploration happen in both the US and Russia. Some of the stories contradict each other, but that's part of the appeal.Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-21550672809532304912009-05-15T15:57:00.000-07:002009-05-15T16:01:15.053-07:00<b>Humans In Space Symposium</b><br /><br />In two weeks, I'm off to the <a href="http://iaa-his2009.imbp.ru/">AIAA Humans In Space Symposium</a> in Moscow, where I also hope to observe the <a href="http://www.imbp.ru/Mars500/Mars500-e.html">MARS-500</a> 100-day pilot study, which is in progress. Then it's back to Montreal, where I will be on sabbatical at the <a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/default.asp">Canadian Space Agency</a>. More on all of these later!Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-4710226113552316292007-09-06T17:18:00.000-07:002009-06-03T03:28:54.648-07:00<b>Public Service Announcement: Free stuff, food, refreshments, this Saturday</b><br /><br />My computer just crashed (don't worry, it will recover), leaving me without easy access to everyone's email addresses, so I'm posting this here:<br /><br />I just bought a house "as is", with a basement crammed to the brim with junk^H^H^H^H treasures. If you help me clean it out, you can grab the best of it! I get first dibs, but don't need any more junk in my life, so will only use it in the case of fist-sized diamonds and the like. Otherwise, you touch it first, it's yours. I have no idea what's in there, but there are rumors of "geology equipment" (the previous previous owner was a surveyor) and "paddling stuff". There are also major appliances (oven, fridge, etc) but I can't attest to their condition. You need to be able to haul away anything you want. I'll provide food and refreshments.<br /><br />Hope to see you there!<br /><br />Kim.Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-41409647060971677542007-08-27T14:06:00.000-07:002007-08-27T14:29:15.212-07:00<b>Some things I didn't need to spend four months in simulation in the Arctic to learn:</b><br /><br />1. Indoor flush toilets are amongst the peak achievements of civilization.<br />2. Butter is delicious, as are fresh vegetables and nicely-cooked meat.<br />3. A comfortable bed in a dark, quiet, private room is more conducive to a good night's sleep than half of a hard bunk in a tiny hab without any soundproofing in 24-hour sunlight.<br />4. A change of scenery and company is nice every once in a while. <br />5. A long hot shower is an extraordinarily pleasant thing.<br /><br /><b>Something I <i>did</i> learn:</b><br /><br />With sufficient motivation, training and luck, a crew can do without all of the above and do just fine, thank you very much. <br /><br />Not that that first shower wasn't pretty amazing. We were using 10L of water per person per day at the hab (including cooking, cleaning, and drinking water), and I must have poured a crew-week's worth of water over my head (30min shower at 10L/min = 300L, so not far off). Worth every drop.<br /><br />In Resolute now and heading south tomorrow - home soon!Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-79619849200362285482007-08-20T22:38:00.000-07:002007-08-20T22:45:02.766-07:00<b>DONE!!!!!</b><br /><br />As of midnight (about 30 mins ago), we are done with sim. Done, I tell you. We immediately went outside, and toasted the sunset with some of James' fine Countdown Lager. Outside without a spacesuit for the first time in 100 days. The world is big and beautiful, and we have the island to ourselves. Breathtaking.Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-87896493322889342182007-08-20T21:39:00.001-07:002007-08-20T22:35:40.516-07:00<b>TVPtastic</b><br /><br />This would be better with ground lamb, but it really wasn't bad. Honest.<br /><br />'meat'balls: Mix reconstituted taco TVP, dried spinach, dried onion, garlic salt, lard and herbes de provence with enough powdered egg to make it all stick together. Roll the mixture into balls, and fry until brown and firm on the outside. They end up tasting a lot like falafel.<br /><br />yogurt sauce: Make yogurt. Mix about a cup of it with garlic salt, lots of dill, and olive oil. Spoon over the TVPballs.<br /><br />salad: Harvest the last of the lettuce from the Aerogardens. Top with chopped artichoke hearts, and dress with olive oil, lemon juice and herbs.<br /><br />rosemary potatoes: Get instant scalloped potatoes, and save the sauce packet for some other dish. Reconstitute the potatoes by nuking them in water. Drain on paper towels. Put in a baking pan, coat with olive oil and season with rosemary and garlic salt. Roast at 400F or so until yummy.<br /><br />I'll post a picture tomorrow, but really, I swear, it really wasn't bad at all.Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-76416960596535261942007-08-16T20:32:00.000-07:002007-08-16T20:54:51.714-07:00<b>Sunset</b><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQt6zgNqmyBvyf_rj7mdEulR5sGD8NobmStcVHr50vPMe-Skz4S02xjF-6GeHTTa_bAKB-Tr24aGNlqaO0XVhXEnimgfLg5wC6Jx4a0TTJcuZo_rVo5-N4j8H7pg8E_bzgs2Xhg/s1600-h/sunset.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQt6zgNqmyBvyf_rj7mdEulR5sGD8NobmStcVHr50vPMe-Skz4S02xjF-6GeHTTa_bAKB-Tr24aGNlqaO0XVhXEnimgfLg5wC6Jx4a0TTJcuZo_rVo5-N4j8H7pg8E_bzgs2Xhg/s320/sunset.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5099512771333253106" /></a><br /><br />The sun finally set yesterday, dipping briefly below the horizon for a few minutes, before dawning bright and new just after midnight. As nights go, it wasn't much to speak of, but we celebrated it anyway. It has been a long day. Our last sunrise was in late April, in Resolute. It was -30 degC, the world was white, and we were just setting off on our great adventure. Now it's a balmy 7 degrees, the landscape is Mars red, and we're nervously contemplating reintegration into society. Will we smell funny? Hopefully not, after copious showers in Res. Will we flinch at social contact? Mmm, maybe. Will we remember to behave ourselves? Will we want to? I'll admit that I spent precious air miles on an upgrade for my flight to LA, to reduce the odds of being stuck next to a crying baby or some other challenging neighbor. Still, I'm not too worried - a salad bar, a hot tub, and a glass of wine, and I'll be right as rain.Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-22290542908878835672007-08-09T09:42:00.000-07:002007-08-09T12:49:01.622-07:00<b>And then there was one</b><br /><br />Twice a day, we do the "sked", a radio check-in with the Polar Continental Shelf Project back in Resolute. They keep track of all the science teams in the field in this part of Nunavut, and send in the cavalry if anything goes wrong. When we first got here, it was just us and a team way out on the ice cap at the east end of Devon. For most of May and June, we got the personal attention of the Polar Shelf guy, at least for the time it took to say "read you five by five, weather's fine, no traffic". Then, in July, at the peak of the field season, the sked exploded from an intimate affair into a mass conference call, with more than fifteen camps calling in to schedule flights, discuss problems, and announce polar bear visits. OK, the camps were spread out over thousands of miles of the Arctic, but it still felt a bit crowded.<br /><br />Now, we're back down to five, and one of those is finishing its pullout tomorrow. If we're not the last in the field, we'll be close (damn you, ice cap guys!). Although no snow has settled yet, there's a reasonable chance that they will have to put the skis back on the Twin Otters for our pullout flights. Winter is coming, the sked is getting quiet, and soon Devon will reclaim its title as the world's largest uninhabited island.Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-73641438497034666052007-08-08T12:11:00.000-07:002007-08-08T12:30:01.787-07:00<b>Nobu</b><br /><br />Would anyone else like to go to <a href="http://www.noburestaurants.com/waikiki/index.html#552-622-656">Nobu</a> when I get back? And does anyone else see a grinning triceratops in the Nobu logo?<br /><br /><img src="http://www.waikikiparc.com/i/SITE_050201_16133676_1OQ9R/content/CMS_070413_11180204_E2PLN/EC2B35A3-1143-3174-FDC4BD1EBA3EE0C1.JPG" width="400" /><br /><br />I remember being bemused by this at the Tokyo restaurant many years ago, so it's not perceptual dysfunction brought on by isolation. At least, not <span style="font-style: italic;">just </span>that.Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-59395033640585529932007-08-08T09:30:00.000-07:002007-08-08T10:23:08.448-07:00<b>News from the North</b><br /><br />I own a house! Thanks to Jen, who has been bullying lawyers, scheduling inspectors, and signing things for me all summer, I am now the proud owner of #34 Kauhale Beach Cove, five units and a few hundred feet from #29, where I lived a few months and many thousands of dollars ago. Small steps, people. Small steps.<br /><br />In other news, we went with a fiery theme for the Phoenix launch, and had creme brulee. OK, it was an eggy custard with some burnt sugar on top, but isn't that what creme brulee really is, when it's not putting on airs? Here's an action shot. fyi, the blowtorch is normally used for sterilizing the permafrost drill. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNvY8Rf8k5zmJj2AzHVS0KlRuU63xk_UMrvmItz4l4ae0cemfX3w1JvPIPu_jeJSJb1RszvJoGt--ZVPGp61NzlQx0iRpoa5OBGUgq1OR-jx1DizkKL-9sa-01T37m_rIrmaUFg/s1600-h/P8070418.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNvY8Rf8k5zmJj2AzHVS0KlRuU63xk_UMrvmItz4l4ae0cemfX3w1JvPIPu_jeJSJb1RszvJoGt--ZVPGp61NzlQx0iRpoa5OBGUgq1OR-jx1DizkKL-9sa-01T37m_rIrmaUFg/s320/P8070418.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096379939827625506" /></a>Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-12056425200474466032007-08-03T10:13:00.000-07:002007-08-16T20:30:54.082-07:00<b>Welcome back, Winter</b><br /><br />Believe it or not, mid-July was actually pretty warm here, peaking at about 18 degrees Celsius outside, and downright muggy in the hab. It has also been sunny and dry for weeks. Then, a couple of days ago, we woke up to a heavy wall of fog and a chill in the air. This morning, the snow started. None of it stuck, but it definitely feels like we're through the summer and sliding back into winter. There are still a few patches of white here and there, and I'm rooting for them to make it to the first real fall of new snow.<br /><br />In cuter news, we had an outreach event with the Iqaluit Science Summer Camp a couple of days ago. We gave a presentation online, then video-chatted with the kids using Skype. Then, they had a space suit fashion show (image from the Nunatsiaq News):<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nunatsiaq.com/archives/2007/708/70803/news/70802_Pg01_pic.jpg"><img src="http://www.nunatsiaq.com/archives/2007/708/70803/news/70802_Pg01_pic.jpg" /></a><br /><br />How adorable is that??Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-73395159293491140842007-07-27T23:00:00.000-07:002007-07-27T23:02:27.206-07:00Much to the disappointment, I suspect, of some of the human factors researchers tracking our mission, our crew has gotten along astonishingly well. I put this down in part to luck, but also in part to some common values, including the stereotypical Canadian ‘niceness’, which a lot of Americans (at least, the ones on our crew) obviously share. Matt is our poster boy for this trait: he’d make you breakfast in bed, then apologize for undermining your diet.<br /><br />Even with all this harmony, however, sometimes a girl just gets up on the wrong side of the bunk. I had already snarked at both James and Ryan today for no good reason, when an issue came up that actually causes me some real stress: how to make sure that we get all the data we need before we leave (there’ll be no popping back for one more sample once we’re gone). Problem was, I was too irritable to deal with it in an even-tempered, rational way. So, what to do? <br /><br />One of the human factors studies is looking at coping strategies, which seem to fall into a few broad categories: actively working towards a solution; seeking advice and support; emoting; denial; booze and/or prayer; and so on. Here, many of our habitual strategies just aren’t available: no pets to cuddle or oceans to swim in, for example. In this case, I just wanted to go somewhere else, and do something else for a while – but there’s nowhere else to go, nothing else to do. So, instead, I stopped working, went to my bunk, put in my earplugs, and played stupid computer games for a couple of hours. As coping strategies go, it may not be the healthiest, but when I came out I was able to discuss the EVA schedule without biting anyone’s head off. Mission accomplished.Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-17094192799192671542007-07-27T01:59:00.000-07:002007-07-27T02:08:22.260-07:00<b>Tragic News</b><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/">Weekly World News</a> is <a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/amvo/farewell_weekly_world_news">ceasing publication.</a> Not only did they introduce the world to my fave celebrity, Bat Boy, but they have been publishing <a href="http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/World%20Headline%20Mars/news/breaking_news/31">insightful science stories on Mars</a> for many years. It's a sad day for journalism.<br /><br />Would someone mind grabbing a copy of that last issue for me?Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-599783416984260192007-07-22T08:47:00.000-07:002007-07-22T08:53:41.699-07:00C'mon, people. I need comments. It would be too sad if I were to crack up a mere month away from the end!<br /><br />One more LOST parallel: webcams all over the hatch/hab...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOa_QaWYlqn2JdviEhxhuqSEEpKR8qS-0R_xhehC37sWsZtzDbFyGzsFG6_wFRi6SAD_pa64-XgFSyBAJlfDjqDleUcG6ucNyJ0PNOW6qViLCJzHdMT2mF58qoW9I-cmJo22zRA/s1600-h/LostPatch.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOa_QaWYlqn2JdviEhxhuqSEEpKR8qS-0R_xhehC37sWsZtzDbFyGzsFG6_wFRi6SAD_pa64-XgFSyBAJlfDjqDleUcG6ucNyJ0PNOW6qViLCJzHdMT2mF58qoW9I-cmJo22zRA/s320/LostPatch.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090049501630705154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWvpvj4G0bp-5Ur5OanO7NFjJElRleO7q81X6i6fzcTrHZqZmDzrvDWmevMgsBBm3w5xWY5gRS-bnSwVd9fZV8DCTXgpXSCebHnn2yNuu9EFMOMRSz0wo0JOFgAWWFcvLHtvaxQ/s1600-h/KimPatch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWvpvj4G0bp-5Ur5OanO7NFjJElRleO7q81X6i6fzcTrHZqZmDzrvDWmevMgsBBm3w5xWY5gRS-bnSwVd9fZV8DCTXgpXSCebHnn2yNuu9EFMOMRSz0wo0JOFgAWWFcvLHtvaxQ/s320/KimPatch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090049746443841042" border="0" /></a>Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-37762528820377266672007-07-20T07:17:00.000-07:002007-07-20T11:44:39.573-07:00<b>LOST vs. FMARS: a side-by-side comparison</b><br /><br />We've become more than a bit obsessed with LOST, partly because it's a great show that we have watched through, as a crew, from the first season; but mostly because we have a sneaking suspicion that we're on that island. Yes, I know, the human factors researchers will be delighted to take this as evidence that we've finally gone irredeemably nutso, but check the evidence (I don't know why the software's putting a big space here, but live with it):<br /><table><br /><tbody><tr><br /><th>LOST</th><br /><th>FMARS</th><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td>the hatch</td><br /><td>the hab</td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td>polar bears</td><br /><td>polar bears</td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td>Dharma-brand canned food</td><br /><td>Safeway-brand canned food</td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td>Button must be pressed regularly; may be part of cruel experiment</td><br /><td><a href="http://www.techbriefs.com/content/view/401/22/">Button must be pressed regularly; definitely part of cruel experiment</a></td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td>The Others, mysterious researchers who live on the other side of the island</td><br /><td><a href="http://www.marsonearth.org/">The Others</a>, mysterious researchers who live on the other side of the stream</td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td>Bulky suits must be worn outside; may or may not serve useful purpose</td><br /><td>Bulky suits must be worn outside; may or may not serve useful purpose</td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td>Little bottles of booze from the plane, last way longer than expected</td><br /><td>Little bottles of booze from the plane, run out almost instantly</td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td>Guys at polar station receive signal from island, send help</td><br /><td>Guys at <a href="http://polar.nrcan.gc.ca/">Polar Shelf</a> receive signal from island, know help is not needed</td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td>Jack</td><br /><td>Matt</td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td>Charlie</td><br /><td>Ryan</td><br /></tr><br /></tbody><br /></table><br /><br />...and so on. We even have photographic evidence. <br /><br />Jack/Matt:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgan_069NcN72ROgu1H_xKu0Fv2E4a4zEQZvUc3rc4-UZkqq-fm8MRn_mM_zD8aBNAnU8CLUoQ3naI71wjQ-h9SQmzgn9xliGxRqrcps4QlipRFMi5HEYSRIL39xT1Fea6tsWv3xw/s1600-h/jack.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgan_069NcN72ROgu1H_xKu0Fv2E4a4zEQZvUc3rc4-UZkqq-fm8MRn_mM_zD8aBNAnU8CLUoQ3naI71wjQ-h9SQmzgn9xliGxRqrcps4QlipRFMi5HEYSRIL39xT1Fea6tsWv3xw/s320/jack.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089315506573919330" /></a><br /><br />Charlie/Ryan:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83--BoLK9UOUb8hN5gpdz8tWzEkAHF2sooor6eJ8Qmiz5icVunEPF_Z7Tjo2cUQfrOx2FZSLKEfMOyYRqJvhZYy18fM4fZ_zpeLQL8XbqgLsfQSjhBr9uKHaHzOBPFzREVH44SQ/s1600-h/charlie.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi83--BoLK9UOUb8hN5gpdz8tWzEkAHF2sooor6eJ8Qmiz5icVunEPF_Z7Tjo2cUQfrOx2FZSLKEfMOyYRqJvhZYy18fM4fZ_zpeLQL8XbqgLsfQSjhBr9uKHaHzOBPFzREVH44SQ/s320/charlie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089315510868886642" /></a><br /><br />Our hatch:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NEB50-AwFmgGKpgqNHF1W2rbVK00Qlx8GrHCIsET3q3FGgdImxlUS3nUhdrYhuhPuffOPs06HX3Lk88rCMw_EHOHD2UvNSCHeo1vB0YQ5BP1S3OG_vaZjqtoYh277052BFWpUg/s1600-h/hatch.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NEB50-AwFmgGKpgqNHF1W2rbVK00Qlx8GrHCIsET3q3FGgdImxlUS3nUhdrYhuhPuffOPs06HX3Lk88rCMw_EHOHD2UvNSCHeo1vB0YQ5BP1S3OG_vaZjqtoYh277052BFWpUg/s320/hatch.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089351751802930306" /></a>Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-27643361343609845852007-07-13T02:54:00.000-07:002007-07-13T03:46:17.185-07:00<b>Mars Clock</b><br /><br />If you'd like to know whether I'm up or not and can't be bothered to check the webcam, have a look at the <a href="http://engineering.marssociety.com/FMarsTimeLarge.html">FMars Time Clock</a>. I particularly like that the 24th hour has 99 minutes.<br /><br />Oddly, my circadian rhythm seem to be naturally on Mars time. On a 24hr day, I always want to stay up just that little bit later, and sleep in that little bit later, than a normal schedule allows. The extra 39 minutes in a Martian sol allows me to do just that, without throwing the whole day off. Kinda neat.Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-55711163974345233522007-07-11T23:10:00.000-07:002007-07-11T23:17:30.851-07:00Recent hab food: chicken pot pie, a really good beef stew made with jerky (the first one didn't simmer for long enough, and the meat was still chewy), and Matt's chocolate tofu pudding (delicious). Just so's you know.Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22365782.post-62172467941267005232007-07-11T01:19:00.001-07:002007-07-11T01:28:18.670-07:00<b>Kim vs. Mud Part II</b><br /><br />I got my boot back! And Simon's! The mud dried out just enough to be diggable, so we dug. Here are the triumphant boot hunters: <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJdIULzxRK4c__mw0HWxEny3zP4cTOU9jz03mNQ_dxOxcGnjjgVWzQ7R5K0awSLqxkZCVB-FWtkc47N-DpEWpnpiCye-Pyy5eIyBgaUmcvlqJbtiJYEtS7AdXcmuh9AnQrodSAQ/s1600-h/BootHunting.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJdIULzxRK4c__mw0HWxEny3zP4cTOU9jz03mNQ_dxOxcGnjjgVWzQ7R5K0awSLqxkZCVB-FWtkc47N-DpEWpnpiCye-Pyy5eIyBgaUmcvlqJbtiJYEtS7AdXcmuh9AnQrodSAQ/s320/BootHunting.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5085851781452007138" /></a><br /><br />For the sticklers out there, I'm not wearing my EVA pack and helmet because I'm just about to get on an ATV, so I've switched to a motorcycle helmet for safety. Ryan was our polar bear monitor for this jaunt, so is au naturale-ish.Kim Binstedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01421514393818523297noreply@blogger.com25