Falcon Test Flight Next Week: Or, Not

"New Private Rocket Poised for First Launch"
Space.com (May 20, 2010)

"A brand new rocket that may one day launch the first commercial spaceship to carry people to orbit could make its first test as soon as May 28 according to the U.S. Air Force, SPACE.com has learned.

"The Falcon 9 rocket, built by Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, Calif., already has a contract with NASA to haul cargo to the International Space Station. Eventually, it could be modified to launch humans as well, company officials said.

" 'We've been thinking about crew from the very beginning,' said Ken Bowersox, SpaceX vice president of astronaut safety and mission assurance...."

That "as soon as May 28" is optimistic, as the article points out a few paragraphs later. But this is a test flight, and delays - unexpected or otherwise - are part of the process.

"...When the test flight does take place, the launch team isn't sure what to expect, since this will be the first countdown of an untried rocket.

" 'There is a good chance of seeing an anomaly (vehicle or ground side) on the first flight countdown that we have to investigate,' SpaceX CEO Elon Musk told SPACE.com.

"If all does go well, though, the second Falcon 9 launch could be the first SpaceX flight to carry real cargo and begin delivering supplies to the space station.

"Whatever happens, anticipation is mounting within the relatively small, upstart company.

" 'Folks are getting very excited,' Bowersox said. 'It will be the culmination of years of work on our big rocket.' "

Like I've said before: the end of the space shuttle program is more of a beginning than an end.

Related post:

• "Goodbye Shuttle, Hello Falcon"
  (February 20, 2010)

More:

• "Humanity in Space: The Next Few Decades"

More

Beijing Olympics Closes With Style: Next Stop, London

The 2008 Olympics in Beijing is over. The closing ceremony was spectacular, with fireworks, drums, and Jackie Chan.

There was even a red double-decker London bus, part of the short 'meet us in London' show put on to whet people's appetites for the 2012 London Olympics.

Quite a bit of what happened in Beijing was good news. Liu Xiang almost made it to the first hurdle in the 110-meter men's hurdles: which, considering the condition he was in, was doing very well indeed.

Google Made a great many logos for themselves, with Olympics themes (Thirteen in all, now displayed at "2008 Summer Games Doodle.")

Abhinav Bindra won India's first individual gold medal.

Chinese athletes won 100 medals, 51 of them gold.

American athletes didn't do too badly, with 110 medals. 36 of those were gold.

There's a pretty good chart of which countries won how many of what sort of medal at the official Olympics website's "Overall Medal Standings" page.

Not everybody's happy, of course. Human rights groups were disappointed that world leaders didn't bawl out China for human rights abuses. Reporters were annoyed because China blocked websites with improper content: like criticism of China's policies. And protesters didn't like China's restrictions on demonstratons. The last I heard, eight American protesters are still being held. I'm not so worried about them, as I am about Ji Sizun, a Chinese protester who disappeared when the Olympics began. I haven't been able to find news about him, apart from his disappearance.

But aside from that, the 2008 Olympics went very well.

More, in the news:

• "Grand spectacle closes Beijing's Olympics"
  CNN (August 24, 2008)
• "Beijing finale has star power"
  The Seattle Times (August 24, 2008)
• "Mixed Legacy in China as Olympic Games End"
  FOXNews (August 24, 2008)

Lego Olympics: Three Videos

"Lego Olympic Games 2008 Swimming Freestyle"
YouTube video (August 13, 2008)

video 0:37

This Lego stop-action animation of an Olympic swimming event is quite short - and includes a replay of the animation. Just the same, it's well-done, and fun to watch.

---

"Lego Olympic Games
YouTube video (August 05, 2008)

video 0:31

"Cute" is a pretty good one-word review of this video. Unlike others, it's mechanical puppetry, not stop-action animation.

---

"Lego Olympic Games 2008 Gymnastics
YouTube video (August 12, 2008)

video 0:39

Twenty-four seconds of really good stop-action animation with Legos. The rest is a simple set of credits.

Lego Olympics: About a Third of This Video is Amusing

"Lego Olympics Beijing 2008 Yang Wei Gymnastics"
YouTube video (Lego Olympics Beijing 2008 Yang Wei Gymnastics)

Video 3:16

I almost didn't post this, but the first third of the video is quite good.

The first 1 minute, 20 seconds, is a well-done stop-action animation of a Lego figure doing gymnastics. The rest is "Lego News" that highlights the last-minute switch of opening ceremonies singers and the CGI fireworks. Then comes what I think is meant to represent a large-scale bombing of the Beijing Olympic venues. Tasteless? I think so, but your experience may vary.

I can't say that I recommend more than the first 1:20 of this video: but that part's well done.

The 2008 Olympics "Water Cube:" Looks Cool, Retains Heat, and Keeps Itself Clean

"How Bubble Wrap Could Power the Future"
LiveScience (August 22, 2008)

This isn't as crazy as it sounds:

"Swim suits that mimic shark skin are not the only high-tech pool materials to be found at the Beijing Olympics. The National Aquatics Center, or 'Water Cube,' is surrounded by a light-weight polymer foil that significantly reduces the energy that goes into construction.

"The thin transparent material, called ETFE (Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene), is segmented into 3,000 air-filled cushions that let in light but hold in heat.

" 'It is like very sophisticated bubble wrap,' said Annette LeCuyer, an architecture professor at the University at Buffalo. ..."

Besides looking cool and saving energy, the high-tech wall material helps keep the building clean. Since the polymer wall is also very slick, rain will wash dirt and dust off the outside of the building.

I think one of the benefits of events like the Olympics is that they give global attention to new technologies like the walls of the "Water Cube."

Liu Xiang Starts 110-Meter Hurdles: a Class Act

Liu Xiang made it a few strides into the 110-meter men's hurdles at the Olympics.

Then he stopped. Under the circumstances, making it that far was quite an accomplishment.

When Liu Xiang stopped, so did everyone else. Watching the event on television, here in Minnesota, I thought that I might be watching a remarkable case of sportsmanship, goodwill, or something like that.

Turns out, someone had made a false start, and the racers had to start over. Except for Liu Xiang. He tore the number off his leg, and limped off the field.

The family and I were watching the 110-meter this morning, here in Minnesota, on KARE, a Twin Cities NBC affiliate. (On cable: In the 'good old days,' this town only got one broadcast channel. I like the Information Age.)

We had a better view, in a way, than people in the stands. One of the cameras was in a warm-up area, where Liu Xiang was getting ready. I'm no expert, but the way China's star athlete lurched toward the first hurdle didn't look quite "Olympic."

Liu Xiang seemed to think so, too. Stopping, he looked up, then walked over to an exercise mat hanging on the wall. Both hands on the wall, and his head nearly so, he aimed a precise volley of short kicks at the mat.

Considering the situation, I'd say that was a very controlled, restrained, action.

And, with the hopes of about 1,300,000,000 people on him, along with a global television audience, China's Liu Xiang walked to the starting line.

And started the race.

He didn't win. He had to stop before reaching the first hurdle. But he started.

Hats off, Liu Xiang. That was a class act.

In the news:

• "Liu's withdrawal stuns Beijing Olympics hosts"
  CNN (August 18, 2008)
• "China's Liu Xiang pulls out of 110 meters hurdles : report"
  MarketWatch (August 18, 2008)
• "Liu Xiang quits heat"
  China.org.cn (August 18, 2008)
  (with video: which wouldn't load when I checked)
• "Injury too great a hurdle for Liu"
  Daily Yomiuri (August 18, 2008)
• "Lessons in how to lose with style"
  The New Zealand Herald (August 19, 2008)

A Very Google Olympics

The 2008 Summer Olympics in China have been Googled. Google has:

• Special logos for its home page during the Olympics - a new one each day, so far
• A 2008 Summer Games page with
  • An iGoogle gadget for your Google homepage
  • A link to a special YouTube Summer Olympics page
  • Google Maps information about
    • Medals
    • Events
    • Stadiums
  • Links to the latest stories from Beijing on - what else? - Google News
• A calendar of events
• About a gazillion¹ directories of pages about Olympics and Olympic events, past and present

Google and the 2008 Olympics are in the news, too:

• "Google's Olympic Extravaganza
  WebProNews (August 8, 2008)
  • Blogger/columnist Philipp Lenssen displays and discusses highlights of Google and YouTube's 2008 Olympics services.
  • Also, a few words about a set of darling little police avatars from China:
    • Cute
    • Helpful, sort of:
      They warn viewers of content that the Chinese government thinks is harmful - which probably includes impolite references to human rights abuses
  • A few words, and a screenshot, of SketchUp 3D models and the Olympics
  • And a screenshot and link to iGoogle, China - a version of iGoogle that's nothing if not colorful.
• "Google brings Olympics updates to mobile phones"
  CNET (August 8, 2008)
  • What the title says.
• "Google launches special sites and services for the Olympics"
  digitaljournal.com (August 9, 2008)
  • Also: What the title says.
  • With two embedded videos
• "Let the Games begin, online
  CNN (August 6, 2008)

I'm hoping that I'll find a video that does a thorough job of showing those opening ceremonies.

---

¹ Several thousand, apparently. "Gazillion" sounded cooler, though.

Astronauts and the Olympics: Far Out!

"Astronauts Help Usher in Beijing Olympics"
Space.com (August 8, 2008)

"The countdown to the lighting of the cauldron and the fireworks that followed its ignition were not the only rocket-related allusions that led to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games. Space explorers from at least three nations took part in carrying the torch to the Beijing National Stadium in China while the son of a U.S. astronaut prepared to compete as one of the athletes...."

In an operation involving as many people as the Olympics, I suspect that an article could be put together on string collectors and the Olympics.

This Space.com piece gives a pretty good look at the spots where this year's Olympics and space programs overlap.


(From Xinhua, via Space.com, used without permission.)
Shenzhou 6 crewmembers, and as first Malaysian in space

China's 2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony is a Blast

The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing opened today. The opening ceremony was on this morning, but I missed them. (I was busy taking pictures of a crew pouring a sidewalk, for another blog.)

From what I've read and seen, the ceremony was spectacular. Make that 'spectacular!' I've put together some of the coverage:

• The Australian (August 9, 2008)
  • Timeline/slideshow interactive display
  • "Beijing sets the Games alight with spectacular Opening Ceremony" article
• CNN (August 8, 2008)
  • "Emotion kicks off China's Olympics" article
  • "Emotion kicks off China's Olympics video (multiple segments - a sort of pre-game show)
• "Beijing Olympics opening ceremony hailed all over world" Xinhua (August 9, 2008)
  China's own news service: lots of description and photos
• "The Olympic Games fireworks explode"
  China Daily (August 8, 2008)
  First in a sequence of four photos of the Olympic opening ceremony fireworks.
  Sure, it's just four pictures: But they're spectacular.

I'm sure that the fireworks, hoopla, flying gymnast, and 2,008 drummers were caught on tape. However, I didn't find online video of the actual opening ceremonies (not the one of rehearsals, leaked earlier). Maybe it'll show up later.

China is doing a pretty good job with One World One Dream, "The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 8-24, 2008." The website has a Videos section, but I didn't find anything on the opening ceremony - they may be still preparing a vid, I suppose.

I recommend the CNN video collection. It gives a look at how some people in China see this year's Summer Olympics. It's a very big deal for them, and a point of national pride. (I posted before, on how anxious the Chinese leadership seems to be, that their Olympics come out flawlessly, in "Chinese Olympics: A Bit on the Control Freak Side?" (August 4, 2008).)

Chinese Olympics: A Bit on the Control Freak Side?

"China goes for gold in Olympic etiquette"
Globe and Mail (August 1, 2008)

"BEIJING -- Don't wear white socks with black leather shoes. Shake hands for only three seconds. Maintain eye contact for 30 to 60 per cent of the conversation. Don't wear more than three colours in your clothing. And above all, please stop spitting.

"China's long march to better etiquette has been under way for years, promoted zealously by millions of campaign volunteers and official booklets - including the rules listed above. But yesterday the government declared victory, announcing that China's personal manners have improved enough to reach Olympic standards.

" 'We have noted a big improvement in people's public manners over the past few years,' Zheng Mojie, deputy director for Beijing's Spiritual Civilization Construction Commission, said at a news conference...."

When I heard of this, in a sort of sound bite, it sounded crazy.

Maybe the Chinese government is going a bit control-happy, but it's understandable. The Olympics is a huge opportunity for China to make an impression on the rest of the world: good or bad.

Wouldn't you be a bit nervous?

China Olympics and Algae: Bad News, Good News, Bad News

It's harmless. Beneficial, actually, but the bright-green mats of algae are in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

I'm not a really big fan of China's current regime ("YouTube Banned by China: Online Censorship?" (March 17, 2008)), but I have some sympathy for China's leaders, as their big moment approaches.

Floods, earthquakes, and Tibet protests have pulled attention away from the games - and from potentially-lucrative lapel pin sales. (Companies that would have bought the pins spend the money on flood relief instead.)

I still think that building open-air venues for use in the rainy season is unwise. Even if China's leadership assures us that they'll banish rain, with their cloud seeding technology.

Now, on top of everything else, they've got green goop where Olympic sailors plan to compete.


(from AFP, used w/o permission)

"Workers scramble to clear embarrassing algae sludge"
AFP (July 3, 2008)

"QINGDAO, China (AFP) — China scrambled Thursday to clear tonnes of algae that is covering a third of the Olympic sailing course and causing huge embarrassment for authorities trying to promote a 'Green Games.'

"Ten thousand workers, bulldozers and dump trucks were being used to clear the green sludge off the coast of Qingdao, which has disrupted preparations for international competitors already in town to prepare for next month's event.

"Qingdao local government said on its website that an "emergency response" team had been set up to deal with the issue...."

Pulling together what I've found, here and elsewhere, it's a case of bad news, good news, more bad news.

• Bad News:
  Something got in the water, right where the Olympic sailing competition's planned
• Good News:
  Naturally-occurring algae is eating the pollutants: and converting carbon dioxide to oxygen in the process
• Bad News:
  There's so much of the algae that it's been called 'the fairway'

Faced with a lush green carpet where open water should be, I think the Australian team's Karyn Gojnich made the best comment: "Oh my goodness."

This is definitely not what China had in mind for their Olympics.

More news about China's bright green Olympics, and what China's doing about it:

• "Qingdao rush to tackle algae bloom around Olympic venue"
  China Daily (July 3, 2008)
  
  (from China Daily, used w/o permission)
• "China mobilizes resources nationwide to tackle Olympic venue algae"
  Xinhua (July 3, 2008)
• "Bad News Plagues Beijing Olympics as Algae, Locusts Threaten"
  Bloomberg (July 3, 2008)
  
  (from Bloomberg, used w/o permission)
• "Blob, Carpet, Fairway? Algae Nightmare Blooms at China's Olympic Sailing Venue"
  FOXNews (July 3, 2008)

---

Update (August 11, 2008)

I've been shown China Olympics 2008, a blog about the 2008 Summer Olympics. It looks like a convenient spot to check on the games: one of many on the Web (see "A Very Google Olympics" (August 10, 2008)).

Thanks, Don.

No, Thanks - We brought Our Own Food: Americans Athletes at the Olympics

"US Athletes Eating US Food During Olympics in China"
Scoreboard Gourmet (March 29, 2008)

I'm not surprised at the American athletes' decision. Think about it: the opportunity of a lifetime only hours away: would you choose that time to try moo goo gai pan, or bratwurst, or pain au chocolat, or aji Criollo, or whatever?

China's Cool New Buildings: Eco-Aware, Too

"10 Amazing new buildings in China" shows that China can produce impressively different architecture, in model or concept form, at least, and make it eco-friendly, too.

It's all in preparation for the 2008 Olympics in China.

The page linked above is on the Beijing Olympic Games 2008 / Countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games site.

Apparently, China brought in architects from around the world to work on these projects. It's a nice gesture, of course, and rather common in situations like this. Just the same, I can't help but think that, if China let its college students have computers, they might have found more Chinese architects who could do the job.