Advancing Robotics: Canadian Style

Last week I had heard something on the radio about the space shuttle "Endeavour" and was surprised to hear about another shuttle mission. I did not get all the details of the mission or even hear about what was going up to the International Space Station. Today I was looking through one of my favourite sources for news and read about the current shuttle mission. This time the shuttle Endeavour is carrying not only another contribution from Canada; but also Japan's first contribution, Kibo lab. Japan's Kibo lab requires two components to complete the lab; the first is to be installed during the current 16 day mission.

Early reports suggest that 'Dextre' is broken, but a comment on the news story told me other wise. Apparently the current electrical problem the robot is encountering is limited to the temporary platform that is used in transporting the component into space. Currently Dextre is not drawing power from the International Space Station. N.A.S.A. has planned on 5 space walks to fully assemble the robot; two of the five have been completed.

This is an excellent accomplishment for Canadian robotics. I am glad to hear that we are still in the foreground of space robotics. The current Conservative Government in Canada does not see space ventures in the same way the rest of Canada does. We should be proud to be creating a niche in the field of space robotics. Now all of us Canadians have a little more to boast about, it's about time that we are making some headlines.

Image source: Canadian Space Agency: Image Gallery
News Story: Astronauts start 2nd spacewalk to assemble Canadian-made robot

Another step forward for the International Space Station

Recently I received an email from Reuters Alert net. I subscribe to this email because I like to stay on top of breaking news. I came across an interesting story about the International Space Station, the article was called Space Station lab will boost Europe's status in space. Inside the article were a few details on the next shuttle launch slated for this week. The European contribution to the International Space Station, the Columbus science lab, is ready to become apart of the station. This is good news for those who have been waiting to see the completed station in orbit.

I've been following the construction story of the International Space Station (I.S.S.) since Expedition 2. I paid the most attention when Canada's own Chris Hadfield left the airlock on the shuttle to install the Canada Arm 2. Unfortunately, terrorist activities halted the construction of the station for a few years. You can't always be prepared for the unexpected and the tragic events of 9/11 caught almost the entire world by surprise. But now that construction is going ahead, mankind is one step closer to leaving low earth orbit.

The I.S.S. is a good testing ground for new technologies that we will need if we are to go back to the Moon and then on to Mars. We still have to implement a shielding system to keep the cosmic radiation out side of the space craft. Not to mention that the space craft that goes to Mars will have to be assembled in space. The I.S.S. is the stepping stone or gateway to other worlds in the sense that the knowledge we acquire from constructing the station will be applied and improved upon during construction of interplanetary space craft. How important do you think it is to finish construction of the International Space Station?

Image Source National Space Science Data Center

Tag, Your It!

Recently I've been tagged to do a meme. I'm not entirely sure what a 'meme' is, but since it was MeghnaK who tagged me, I will try. The topic is '50 things things to do before I die,' which means I have to do some thinking.

Well here goes:

50 Things to do before I die

1. Climb Everest
2. Go sky diving
3. Visit Japan
4. Learn to speak fluently 5 more languages
5. Visit Russia
6. Spend a week in Paris, France
7. Go to Hawaii
8. Write a novel
9. Have dinner with Gordon Ramsay
10. Stick my foot in the Pacific ocean
11. See what Australia looks like, up close and personal
12. Spend a week with my cousins in Britain
13. Meet some of my friends who have commented on my posts
14. Stay in Peru for a month
15. Take a picture of the Great Wall of China
16. Go to chef's school so I can learn a few things about cooking
17. Cook for a big dinner party
18. Challenge Iron Chef Bobby Flay
19. Go camping on Madagascar Island
20. Take an extended vacation in the Bahamas
21. Have my picture taken standing in the centre of 'Stone Henge'
22. Stand in front of the Sphinx
23. Get paid for blogging
24. Fly an airplane
25. Visit the International Space Station
26. Control the Canada arm2 and wave at Canada while flying over
27. Land on Mars
29. Buy a Canadian Flag for my front porch
30. See for my own eyes what the Rocky mountains look like
31. Spend some time in Rome, Italy
32. Visit India
33. Go to Disney Land
34. Join the 'Mile High' club
35. Get a high paying desk job
36. Write some freelance articles
37. Clean up our environment
38. Inspire some one to do something great!
39. Play guitar in a stadium full of people
40. Play drums in a stadium full of people
41. Meet Rachael Ray and Giada DeLaurentis
42. Get a guest judge spot on 'Iron Chef America'
43. Party with one of my favourite bands
44. See a Metallica concert
45. Play a song with Metallica
46. Cook with Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay
47. Spend some money in a Las Vegas Casino
48. Drive a Formula 1 race car
49. Start a business
50. Fly a helicopter

Okay, that wasn't easy! Now onto the last part, tagging some other bloggers to do a 'meme,' but who to choose?


BadKitty0126: Things that Make you go WTF
TonyLewis: Global News Blogger
AntiBarbie: antibarbie.net - Madness, Monsters and Motherhood
Libdrone: The Thin Red Line
Globalgirl: Globally Minded Works


If you've been tagged, its because I enjoy reading your blog. Hopefully you'll have a meme up soon.

I.S.S. Hits Milestone, but Still Incomplete

Recently I found a site with an update on the International Space Station entitled The International Space Station So Far: Five Years of Service, But Incomplete by Tarig Malik a staff writer at Space.com. It was quite interesting. The slated retirement of the shuttle fleet could cause problems with completing the massive construction as NASA plans to retire their fleet of shuttles in 2010. The completion of the international project requires quite a few more shuttle missions.

Canada's major contribution is the 'Canada arm2,' and is currently flying with the International Space Station. However, there is still one component left to go up, hopefully it will fly soon, no details on when it is scheduled to fly as of yet. But the Canada arm2 is a major work horse for assembling the station, it has been flying since April 19, 2001, and has been used for installing the stations 'Quest' airlock.

Currently the International Space Station is awaiting the delivery of the 'Columbus' module, which is the European Space Agencies contribution to the Station. Also the Japanese 'Kibo' Lab is still awaiting launch. The most recent addition to the station was the U.S. 'Harmony Node 2,' which is necessary for installing the 'Columbus' module and the Japanese 'Kibo' module.

Hopefully there will be more news on the assembly of the International Space Station, as it is imperative to future endeavors into space. We will need a place to stage flights to the moon and Mars. I'm sure that NASAs homepage will have more. When I find more, I will post more, till then, Peace!

How Many Stars Can You Count?

Today I was taking a look at another page on the C.B.C.s website. This has been a source of inspiration for my posts as of late. I found an article on Light Pollution, which was quite interesting. I have a lot of interests and one of them is preserving our planet, and one thing that has been bothering me about the current urban environment is light pollution.

Years ago, when I was a child, I could look up at the night sky and see many stars. Over the years, the stars have been blocked out by light pollution. After groups like the International Dark Sky Association called attention to the phenomenon of light pollution, some Governments started asking cities to reduce their light pollution. Street lights were were changed so they would reduce the amount of light pollution, some cities even passed by-laws that prohibit the use of light fixtures that spill excess light into the night sky.

One of the main reasons why light pollution irks me, is that I used to draw inspiration from the stars. I also remember going on many camping trips and seeing the stars at night after a great campfire always gave me a warm feeling. Now when I look up at the sky from the backyard of my house in one of Canada's cities, I can almost count all the stars in the sky! I know that there are an extremely large number of stars in the sky, but most of them get blocked out by light pollution. In fact a few nights ago I went outside for some fresh air, and looked up at the night sky. I could count the number of stars on one hand! Granted the full moon that night may have blocked some of the stars out, but come on, how can we be inspired to go to space if we can't even see the stars that we want to reach?

The Quest for Space

I recently read an article on the CNN website mentioning that China has successfully launched a lunar probe. Now there has been speculation about Americas landing on the moon, but is it possible that a new space race is evolving? In the article Chinese Rocket blasts off to moon the associated press mentions that India may be joining the quest for the moon as well. Japan already has a probe orbiting the moon right now.

Also in the article, it mentions that China has interest in joining the International Space Station program. Currently, the Americans have denied China from joining the program, mostly because of the form of government China has. They have a communist dictatorship, and anyone who has heard of the cold war can understand why America would be uneasy about allowing a communist dictatorship to join the International Space Station program.

Speaking of the International Space Station (I.S.S.), has anybody heard any new developments on the story? I know that the I.S.S. was breaking news before the attacks on the World Trade Center, has that program been put on the back burner? Canada has been developing robotic systems to be added to the space station and I have heard very little on that as well. The last I have heard about the Space Station is that every shuttle crew that goes up will visit the station, mostly to check for any damage incurred during launch. Shouldn't the I.S.S. be used as a stepping stone for our quest for a space fairing civilization?