Atlantis

Shuttle program's real fuel: Two decades of M&Ms

With the space shuttle program drawing to a close, we can now examine in depth what kept it going for decades. While billions of our tax dollars surely helped, it turns out tiny bits of chocolate in a candy-coated shell have been the real fuel behind our modern space program. Yes, M&Ms were there on the first space shuttle mission in April of 1981, Mars Chocolate tells us, and they've been a part of every one since, right up to the final flight that's currently underway.

"We've been honored to fly on more than 130 missions with hundreds of American heroes over the last three decades," Debra A. Sandler, chief consumer officer of Mars Chocolate North America, said in a statement. "It's bittersweet to see this program, which has inspired millions to reach for the stars, come to an end, but we wish the crew of Atlantis a safe and successful mission."

Red, blue, and gray commemorative M&Ms with July 8, 2011 printed on one side and a rocket on the other them have been spotted figuratively floating around the CNET offices and are literally floating around the Space Shuttle Atlantis in zero gravity this week.

In addition to being included in NASA's space food system and finding a place on the menu of the International Space Station, M&M's are also part of a permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute's National Air & Space Museum and have inspired at least one cool science experiment about how best to distribute glucose in zero gravity.

Now I guess we know why NASA hasn't made contact with extra-terrestrials yet. Everyone knows E.T. prefers Reese's Pieces.… Read more

This Day in Tech: Shuttle launch; LivingSocial closer to IPO

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET and elsewhere for Friday, July 8.

We are glad the stormy Florida weather didn't get in the way of the historic launch at Cape Canaveral. Atlantis lifted off for its last space shuttle mission today. Four astronauts are on board and are carrying supplies to the International Space Station as we speak. The end of the shuttle program is bittersweet: Now NASA faces the hard reality of layoffs and questions about America's commitment to leadership in space. Just as the Atlantis crew can drink its own urine

Over in the deal world, LivingSocial seems to be moving closer to IPO filing, tapping the public's interest in Internet companies. It was on track to reach $1 billion in revenue this year. It will join monster group-buying company Groupon, which has already filed for an IPO. The bigger question: how will these young Internet companies fair against dominant ones like Facebook and Google?

And Internet wars continue. This week has all been about Facebook versus Google+, but there's also a legal battle going on between Oracle and Microsoft and Google. Oracle and Microsoft want Google to pay to use their patents used in the Android operating platform. Oracle and Microsoft are reportedly seeking a licensing fee for Android devices sold--as much as $20 per device. CNET's Jay Greene writes, "Oracle, which acquired the Java patents that it claims Google is infringing when it bought Sun last year, is merely looking to tap that patent portfolio for more income."

If you think your spouse is cheating, it's okay to use a GPS tracker on their car without a warrant, according to one judge. Discuss. What do you think? The Supreme Court will decide next year. (Forbes)… Read more

Shuttle Atlantis rockets into history on final voyage

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla.--After a cliff-hanger countdown, the space shuttle Atlantis thundered to life and majestically rocketed into history Friday, putting on one last sky show for spectators jamming area roads and beaches to witness NASA's 135th and final shuttle launch.

With commander Christopher Ferguson and pilot Douglas Hurley monitoring the computer-orchestrated countdown, Atlantis' three hydrogen-fueled main engines flashed to life at 120 millisecond intervals, followed 6.6 seconds later by ignition of the shuttle's twin solid fuel boosters at 11:29:04 a.m. EDT (GMT-4).

At that same instant, explosive charges in four massive bolts … Read more

With Atlantis launch, shuttle program is history (roundup)

Mission STS-135 for the space shuttle Atlantis marks the end of the three-decade U.S. shuttle program and a fundamental shift in focus for NASA.

Shuttle Atlantis rockets into history After a cliff-hanger countdown, the space shuttle Atlantis rockets into orbit, putting on one last show for spectators jamming area roads and beaches to witness NASA's 135th and final shuttle launch. (Posted in Cutting Edge by William Harwood) July 8, 2011 2:05 p.m. PT

A bittersweet end for space shuttle program With Atlantis set to lift off for the shuttle fleet's very last flight, NASA faces … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1506: Copyright Cops (Podcast)

Antuan Goodwin joins us today to discuss the ISP's agreement to become the Copyright Cops of the internet. Should we fear them? We also talk about driving while talking on the phone and whether or not it is safe. And we continue to follow all of the hacking stories and possible vulnerabilities in our devices. Also the Space Shuttle Atlantis launches for it's final voyage into outer space!

Friday Poll: Your reaction to last shuttle launch?

Was 1981 really 30 years ago? It seems like only a decade or so since MTV launched, we were all wearing day-glo threads, and the shuttle Columbia inaugurated NASA's reusable space vehicle program.

Fast forward to today, when Atlantis roared off into history around 11:30 a.m. ET from Cape Canaveral on STS-135, the final shuttle mission. The 12-day journey to the International Space Station will be the last before the orbiters are mothballed.

Overcast skies at the Kennedy Space Center cast doubts over the launch schedule, but after a minor delay Atlantis took off on 7 million pounds of thrust and a pillar of flame, penetrating a low cloud ceiling toward its orbit 135 miles over the planet.

The crew of four will deliver the Rafaello multipurpose logistics module to the ISS before scheduled return to Earth on July 20. A robotic refueling experiment is also part of the mission.

NASA is ending the shuttle program due to high costs, and will rely on Russian rockets to ferry people and supplies to the ISS until private firms can take over the job. NASA will meanwhile design new, cheaper spacecraft that will travel to asteroids and Mars.

Some fear that terminating the shuttles while having nothing to replace them will also end America's long dominance of human spaceflight. Meanwhile, many highly skilled people will be put out of work.

What did you think of the final shuttle launch? Was it something you'll tell the young ones about when you're older? Or did it leave you nonplussed? Vote in our poll and be sure to elaborate in the TalkBack section below. … Read more

The 404 856: Where we have liftoff (podcast)

We all watched NASA's final space shuttle launch this morning before heading into the studio, and by "we" I mean Wilson and me, because as usual, Jeff couldn't care less. Nevertheless, we're still excited about Atlantis and spend part of the first half of the show watching videos and talking about the official Atlantis fanfare written by Emmy-nominated composer Bear McCreary and produced by actor Seth Green!

We're also mourning the death of Sony MiniDiscs, checking out a new way networks are handling product placements, and singing a brand new Tang That Tune!

The 404 Digest for Episode 856

Atlantis launch a bittersweet end for space shuttle. Fanfare for final NASA shuttle mission. Sony to kill the MiniDisc Walkman in September. TV networks inserting ads and product placements in show reruns. Kidrobot launches Street Fighter toys. The missing person living in Savannah.

Episode 856 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

NASA puts the pee in potable water

Soon, we will not only be able to drink our recycled urine. We'll transform into a tastier, more refreshing beverage choice--thanks, in part, to NASA's final space shuttle mission.

The shuttle Atlantis, scheduled to launch today, is carrying aloft tests of the Forward Osmosis Bag, which is designed to convert dirty water into a liquid that is safe to drink using a semi-permeable membrane and a concentrated sugar solution. According to NASA, the FOB test "looks at the forward osmosis membrane in a space flight environment and compares its performance against ground reference controls." It's … Read more

Atlantis launch a bittersweet end for space shuttle

For tens of thousands of past and present shuttle workers, including more than 3,000 expecting layoffs July 22, the traditional "wheels stopped" call when the space shuttle Atlantis returns to Earth will signal the end of an era.

Atlantis lifted off on time at about 11:30 a.m. ET today on NASA's final shuttle mission after three decades and more than 130 flights, with a landing at the Kennedy Space Center set for July 20.

"After the wheels have stopped and the displays go blank and the orbiter is unpowered for the final time...… Read more

ISS floating orbs to get Nexus S phones

The shuttle Atlantis is set to carry two Nexus S phones into orbit tomorrow that will turn a trio of floating satellites on the International Space Station into remote-operated robots.

The 135th and last flight of the shuttle program, set for 11:26 a.m. ET, will help advance the cause of robotkind when the Android handsets are attached to the bowling ball-size orbs.

Propelled by small CO2 thrusters, the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellites (Spheres) were developed at MIT and have been in use on the ISS since 2006.

As seen in the vid below, they look like the Star Wars lightsaber training droid but are designed to test spacecraft maneuvers, satellite servicing, and flight formation.

Normally, the Spheres orbs carry out preprogrammed commands from a computer aboard the ISS, but the Nexus Android phones will give them increased computing power, cameras, and links to ground crew who will pilot them. … Read more