Jul 04
How to Put on a Space Suit
Posted in: Today's ChiliIf you think wriggling into your cycling lycra or trussing yourself up in a tux is tricky, think again. Donning an astronaut’s space suit is no mean feat—as this video shows.
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Jun 18
NASA picks eight astronaut trainees that may go to asteroids and Mars (video)
Posted in: Today's Chili
If you like space exploration, you’ll want to get used to these eight faces — odds are that you’ll see at least some of them again. They represent NASA’s 2013 astronaut candidate class, and they’ll start training in August for a chance at going on missions to the International Space Station, asteroids and even Mars. The trainee pool is more eclectic than usual this time around. Half the picks are women, while three of the candidates come from non-military outfits such as Harvard Medical School and NOAA. Check out the full roster after the break.
Filed under: Transportation, Science, Alt
Via: Space Travel
Source: NASA
May 02
Astronaut Smartphone Stand: I Hope My Screen Don’t Break, Walking on the Moon
Posted in: Today's ChiliI’ve never seen really seen the need to have a desktop dock for my smartphone, since I can just as easily plug the cable right into the bottom of the phone when it’s lying on my desk. That said, I might have finally found a dock worthy of my beloved mobile gadget.
This clever dock from Japan’s Cibone turns your iPhone into a giant backpack for an astronaut. Of course now this means you not only have to monitor battery life, but how much oxygen is left in your phone.
The Astronaut Smartphone Stand sells for ¥1995 (~$20 USD) over at Cibone. And if you’re not into astronauts, they also have a couple of other similarly amusing phone stands…
[via FRESH]
Apr 19
Let’s be honest, everything is more difficult in space than here on Earth. It’s hard enough just to get into space and bring all of the things humans need to survive. It’s an amazing technological feat for astronauts to live and work on the International Space Station in and of itself. What you might not think about is how different actually living in outer space is. Take for instance the simple act of using a washcloth.
A group of students recently suggested an experiment to be conducted on by astronaut Chris Hadfield on the ISS involving nothing more than squirting some water onto a washcloth and wringing it out. As it turns out, even washcloths are cool when NASA buys them. The cloths themselves are compacted down into a little pucks and have to be unraveled.
Since you can’t just have a bucket of water in space, Hadfield uses what looks like a large Capri Sun pouch to squirt water onto the cloth. The water just floats in little globs until it absorbed by the cloth. The result is incredibly cool. The surface tension of the water means that it sticks to the outside of the cloth and oozes between the astronaut’s fingers like some sort of gel.
Check out the video above, it’s probably the coolest thing you’ll see all day.
[via Boing Boing]
Apr 15
As a kid, we’re sure you had a lot of questions as to how exactly astronauts perform their everyday routines while in space, such as eating, going to the bathroom and sleeping. Your inner child is in luck today as one of those questions will be answered as soon as you watch the video above as an astronaut has recorded what exactly he goes through in order to get some sleep while in space.
Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield recently recorded a video which explains how exactly astronauts are able to sleep in space. Hadfield explains the process of sleeping by showcasing a sleep pod that is located inside of the International Space Station which includes a sleeping bag that is tied to the wall. Hadfield also takes this opportunity to show the world his “space pajamas.”
The weightlessness of space doesn’t require much to be able to sleep as Hadfield says you don’t need a mattress or a pillow as you simply relax your muscles and go to sleep. Your arms will naturally raise themselves, which would result in you looking like a zombie while you sleep. Let’s just hope no one else thinks so or else you could be waking up to some serious trouble.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Pump-Action Oreo Separation Gun Makes Cookies Into A Deadly Weapon, Power Glove Oven Mitt Keeps You Cooking ‘So Bad’, 
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Apr 07
We’ve seen lots of cool parents making cool stuff for their kids, and here’s another Dad who made something truly special for his daughter to geek out on. While most parents just settle for ordinary sized LEGO minifigs, Instructables contributor ChampX made a ginormous minifig for his household.
This oversize LEGO “maxifig” is exactly 10 times the size of an ordinary minifig, but it’s at least 100 times more awesome. It’s made from PVC pipe and plexiglas. It’s almost as big as his 10-month-old daughter, though she will continue to get bigger and the LEGO maxifig won’t. Sounds like the plot to the sequel to Ted.
Champx made this massive minifig to look like the classic LEGO space figure, and it’s a perfect match. He even made it out of separate pieces, so everything moves just like a regular minifig. The helmet can even be removed and turn like the real deal.
You can check out more pics of the build over on Instructables. Amazing job, Champx!
Mar 04
Kirobo, the Robot Astronaut – KIBO ROBOT PROJECT – Robot to join the International Space Station team
Posted in: Today's ChiliWe recently wrote about a robot named Robi who is a member of the Japanese family.
Now, Dentsu Inc. has announced the names “Kirobo” and “Mirata” for two humanoid communication robots being developed under the KIBO ROBOT PROJECT, a joint research project being carried out in collaboration with the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo, ROBO GARAGE Co., Ltd., and Toyota Motor Corporation.
This project is developing a friendly …
Jan 30
An exhausted astronaut searching for oxygen. A soldier bleeding to death crawling to complete his mission. A sailor sinking into the deep sea trying to reach the surface. That’s the perfect description of one of the most important, head spinning moments of every human being’s life. Watch this outstanding short film directed by Martin Rosete and you will understand why and what that moment is. More »
Jan 28
Iran Just Sent a Monkey Into Space
Posted in: Today's Chili
Sky News is reporting that Iran just took a major step towards its goal of achieving manned space flight—by firing a monkey into space. More »
Dec 27
Astronaut Records Song In Orbit
Posted in: Today's Chili
The world is full of firsts, and we all clearly celebrate those achievements with plenty of pomp and grandeur. The arts, whoever, do not seem to have that many ‘firsts’ compared to the world of science, but now is a moment where both fields intersect. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, commander at the International Space Station (ISS) program, who is aboard Expedition 35 at the moment circling the earth, decided to try something different as he spends Christmas in space – by recording a song in orbit.
Doing so on Christmas Day itself makes it all the more memorable, making Chris the first person in the galaxy to record a song while orbiting the earth. He has dubbed his original composition as ‘Jewel in the Night’, being an acoustic guitar and vocal piece. Over the weekend, Chris uploaded the song to YouTube and SoundCloud. What other frontiers are there for humanity to break? Has someone recorded a song while being 20,000 leagues under the sea?
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Sonos Playbar Hits The FCC, Google’s Scan And Match Feature Censors Explicit Lyrics [Rumor],
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