Starship Asterisk*

Reflections on Planet Earth

Explanation: Catching sight of your reflection in a store window or shiny hubcap can be entertaining and occasionally even inspire a thoughtful moment. So consider this reflective view from 300 kilometers above planet Earth. The picture is actually a self-portrait taken by astronaut Michael Fossum on July 8 during a space walk or extravehicular activity while the Discovery orbiter was docked with the International Space Station. Turning his camera to snap a picture of his own helmet visor, he also recorded the reflection of his fellow mission specialist, Piers Sellers, near picture center and one of the space station's gold-tinted solar power arrays arcing across the top. Of course, the horizon of our fair planet lies in background.

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Speaking of reflections... Here's a Supreme one.

Does todays APOD qualify as a selfie ?

BTW, what sort of camera would this be.
Common little digital cameras wouldn't make it up there - or would they ?

Always an interesting picture on APOD...

A reflected view of Eternity.....

:---[===] *

Ron_in_Oz wrote:Does todays APOD qualify as a selfie ?

Definitely - but I can see no twerking.

Ron_in_Oz wrote:BTW, what sort of camera would this be.

Here's a list of cameras that have been used up there. I couldn't find data in the EXIF info for the APOD itself.

Rob

In a space suit no one can see you twerk...

OK, I literally LOL'd on that one, FloridaMike.

If you gaze at her long enough, you'll see a young Michael Jackson. A reflection and a distortion !

I see they are still spending good money on the ISS. Has it ever been useful? Has it ever contributed anything to science?

eltodesukane wrote:
I see they are still spending good money on the ISS. Has it ever been useful?
Has it ever contributed anything to science?

I doubt if science is the primary reason even for unmanned space missions.

However, the primary science mission is to understand the biological effects
of extended human missions in space... but other science is taking place:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific ... l_Sciences
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Magn ... ectrometer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_%28ISS_module%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destiny_%28ISS_module%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Experiment_Module
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisk_%28ISS_module%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rassvet_%28ISS_module%29

eltodesukane wrote:I see they are still spending good money on the ISS. Has it ever been useful? Has it ever contributed anything to science?

The answer to both questions is certainly "yes". A better question to ask is whether the money has been well spent- if the investment was (and is) worth the scientific return.

Art / Chris,
Don't litter the landscape with inconvenient facts. I am sure it feels much better to conclude that ISS has contributed nothing at all. Arguing the facts is like twerking in a space suit…

Confucius say,
Astronaut who fart in spacesuit while spacewalking is only one who knows

eltodesukane wrote:I see they are still spending good money on the ISS. Has it ever been useful? Has it ever contributed anything to science?

At the least, I think of our endeavors at the ISS as an investment? Are they the best investments we could make? Time will tell. Assessing the decision not to make the investment, that’s easy; time will make you pay more (until you get good at it).

Come up with a better idea for learning to exist in space – I think most would be interested to hear it. This is a pretty good place to post an alternative. The thought will come in handy if we are still around to need it.