Leaders in Space No More

The Chinese plan to establish a moon base.  This isn’t news; they’ve had a space program since 1956 and they put people into space in 2003.  In 2000 elements within the Chinese scientific community began to develop a plan for a manned lunar base.  At that time, the effort was unfunded by the Chinese government but the groundwork was being laid.

On October 24, 2007, Chang'e-1, China’s first lunar probe was launched.  Its 16 month mission ended on March 1, 2009.  This was followed by Chang'e-2, launched October 1, 2010.  It orbited the moon, collected data and left and established an orbit at the Lagrangian point L2. 

They plan to send a rover to the moon in 2013 and to bring back samples in 2017 with the goal of a lunar base in 2025.  Even former NASA administrator, Michael Griffin seemed to believe in the Chinese space program.  In January, 2009, he was of the opinion that there was a chance the Chinese could attempt a manned lunar orbit by 2015.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not upset the Chinese are planning it; I’m peeved that we seemed to have fallen behind.  It’s seems as if we planned poorly.  We’ve dumped our shuttle fleet into the crapper without a replacement.  We have plans for a next generation of spacecraft but Lockheed Martin’s Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) probably won’t be ready for a manned test until 2016.  That’s a span of five years from the time Atlantis ended the shuttle era.

And how do we get to the International Space Station now that there are no more shuttle flights?  We pay the Russians a ton of scratch.  We have a huge investment in space and we can’t even get there on our own.  Think about it.  That’s tantamount to me deciding to sell the car I use to get to work every day because I’m planning to buy a new one and then hope I can bum a ride to work for the next five years.

Somehow I don’t think this is what John F. Kennedy had in mind when he challenged the nation to strive for the moon on September 12, 1962 at Rice Stadium.  I feel as if we’re allowing ourselves to become second-class citizens in regards to space.

That’s what irks me; not that another sovereignty is planning moon missions.

In his address at Rice Stadium JFK said, “And no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in the race for space.”  It would seem we no longer desire to be a leader but rather a follower.

We’re losing our edge.  Maybe it’s a sign of the times ahead?  I hope not but I wonder sometimes. Is anyone else of the belief that the U.S. is following rather than leading?  If so, do you have a theory why?

Review of Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

SPOILER ALERT!!!!

Inheritance is the fourth installment of Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance cycle.  The series follows a 16 year-old boy (Eragon) as he transforms from simple farmer to mighty Dragon Rider and joins  allegiance with the Varden to overthrow the Empire ruled by the tyrant, Galbatorix.

Inheritance opens as the Varden’s forces, comprised of Humans, Elves, Urgals (orge-like creatures), and Werecats (feline-like beings that can assume human form) march toward a final confrontation with the seemingly invincible Galbatorix, his powerful dragon, Shruikan, and his vast army.  The Varden’s leader, Nasuada, is captured by a Galbatorix raiding party.  Eragon reluctantly assumes the mantle of leadership.  Events progress, Galbatorix is defeated and Eragon sails off into the sunset; literally, he boards a ship and sails away.

I have a couple issues with book four.  In two places, Paolini took the easy way out with problem resolution for major plot points that were disseminated over course of the four books.

First issue: 

Paolini has created an ancient language for his magical world.  The books are rife with instances of ancient language usage.  In Paolini’s world, everybody and everything has a true name in the ancient language; that name, if known, allows a practitioner of magic to exert control over that person or thing.

Galbatorix has divined the true name of the ancient language.  With this knowledge, he can control all spell casters.  When the time arrives to reveal the true name, all Paolini could come up with was “The Word.”  Come on!  In six years and four books, he couldn’t come up with something more creative?  Why bother creating an entire language if the reveal is in English?

Second issue: 

In the first book, Solembum, a Werecat, relays to Eragon a cryptic message containing two pieces of advice.  The first states where Eragon can find a vital weapon (which he finds in book three, Brisingr).  The second tells Eragon to find the Rock of Kuthian and speak his name to open the Vault of Souls only when times are bleakest.

After Nasuada’s capture, Eragon summons Solembum.  He cajoles and badgers but Solembum cannot expand on his second piece of advice.  All Solembum can say is the answer must be in the book Domia abr Wyrda.  When all seems lost, Solembum enters a trancelike state and tells Eragon what chapter, page and passage of the book to peruse.  Just like that, Eragon discovers the clue that leads him to the means of defeating Galbatorix.

Come on!  Paolini needed to get this information into Eragon’s mitts and this is how he chose to do it.  Eragon presses Solembum, he spaces out and presto, problem solved!  It seems way too easy a solution for a linchpin event.  Again, six years, four books, yet this is what he came up with.  Nothing should ever come easy to the hero.  Overcoming adversity is what differentiates heroes from the ordinary.

Don’t get me wrong, the Inheritance cycle  was an enjoyable read.  For the most part, I think Paolini has weaved an interesting tale (similarities to Star Wars notwithstanding) and built a fascinating world, which is why I felt let down with his easy outs.  I would look forward to reading further exploits of Eragon if Paolini decided to rebuild the Dragon Riders or write a prequel to the Inheritance cycle.

Maybe I’m being too critical, but these two things really stuck in my craw.  What do you think, overly critical or justified?

Movies to Watch in 2012

There are reports that attendance at movie theaters in 2011 was at its worst in years. There are theories as to why, such as cost or availability of movies on DVD and services like Netflix. I have a theory of my own. Don’t turn out crap! People would be willing to spend money on a decent product. In many cases (Transformers: Dark of the Moon) it seems like many movie makers are more interested in glitz over substance, big action over story.

Turn out a good product – people will come.

This week I present the 2012 movie releases I most look forward to viewing. I originally intended the list to be a top 10 but there are not 10 on my radar. These are the 9 movies I’d like to see before the ball drops on 2012.

1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey; release date is 12/14/12. Peter Jackson is the director and here’s hoping he maintains the same high quality he exhibited in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I’ve read J.R.R. Tolkien’s, The Hobbit numerous times. I will read it again before December. What can I say? I’m a fan. Tolkien has created a world that I lose myself in every time I read the series. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the release I most anticipate.

2. The Hunger Games; release date is 3/23/12. The Hunger Games is based on a book of the same name by Suzanne Collins. It is the first book in The Hunger Games trilogy. Thus far I’ve only read the first book of the set but it was an easy, enjoyable read. Suzanne Collins has created a world where the masses are kept in check through fear and hunger.

3. The Avengers; release date is 5/4/12. The Avengers brings together some of Marvel Comics favorites (Iron Man, Captain America, Hawkeye, Thor, Black Widow and Nick Fury) in this flick.

4. John Carter of Mars; release date is 3/9/12. John Carter is the creation of Edgar Rice Burroughs. I became familiar with John Carter when I was a kid via DC Comics. I’m curious to see how director Andrew Stanton brings this character to the big screen.

5. Men In Black 3; release date is 5/25/12. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back for the third installment. It’s been ten years since Men in Black II.

6. The Amazing Spider-Man; release date is 7/3/12. Andrew Garfield replaces Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spiderman.

7. The Dark Knight Rises; release date is 7/20/12. Christian Bale is back as Batman/Bruce Wayne. This tale takes place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight.

8. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters; release date is 3/2/12. This just looks interesting. It’s supposed to take place 15 years after Hansel and Gretel had their run-in with the wicked witch. The brother/sister duo has become witch hunters.

9. Dark Shadows; release date is 5/11/12. This movie is based on the soap opera-like series about a vampire, Barnabas Collins, which ran from 1966 to 1971. I was a wee lad but I remember getting home from school and watching the creepy goings on of the Collins’ clan. Can Johnny Depp pull off Barnabas?

That’s it; my top 9. It’s subjective to be sure. Did I miss any? Let me know.

2011 Movie Favorites

This is my first, annual, end-of-the-year, top ten favorite movies of the year list.  To make my list, a movie needed to be a theatrical release (in any year) and viewed by me during the calendar year of 2011.  In that vein, you’ll note my first choice, District 9, was released in 2009.

District 9 is number one.  There’s plenty of action and I like the way the director, Neill Blomkamp, humanizes the aliens and creates a nice interaction between the alien protagonist and the human government agent.

The main concern, for me, in a science fiction story is plausibility.  Blomkamp takes an implausible situation, alien refugees, and makes it believable by providing a realistic scenario in which humans confine the aliens to what becomes a crime ridden refugee camp.  District 9 has all the elements of a good science fiction thriller – high tech machinery, outstanding action sequences and a compelling story.  If you haven’t seen it, rent it.

Two of my selections are not in the science fiction/fantasy genre.  On a Clear Day is an Irish drama about a 50 year-old man who alienates his family, loses his job and decides to swim the English Channel.  Bridesmaids is on the list because it made me laugh and I think Melissa McCarthy is funny; she makes the movie.

A person’s favorites are subjective.  I know what appeals to me may not appeal to you.  This is my list; any thoughts?

Rank	Movie	Release Date
1	District 9	8/14/09
2	Paul	3/18/11
3	On a Clear Day	7/8/05
4	Battle: Los Angeles	3/11/11
5	Bridesmaids	5/13/11
6	Cowboys & Aliens	7/29/11
7	The Green Hornet	1/14/11
8	Super 8	6/10/11
9	The Adjustment Bureau	3/4/11
10	Captain America:  The First Avenger	7/22/11

Japan's Spy Satellite

Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun.  I was on an extended deployment in the summer and early fall of 1981, a bit over seven months.  The squadron I was attached to, VMA 223, was fulfilling our portion of a three-squadron rotation.

We were assigned to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan.  The most lasting memory I have of Iwakuni is the smell of smoldering flesh.  There was a crematorium in the town and on Thursdays they burned the bodies.  That is an odor that will forever be imprinted on my olfactory system.  YUCK!

I was very young and did not understand the opportunity I had to explore a country with such a rich history.  I managed to spend a day in Hiroshima.  I don’t recollect much and I don’t think I took many pictures.  I mostly remember two things:

1.    It was the first time I had seen the brightly colored koi fish.

2.    There was a McDonalds in Hiroshima and this offered a little taste of home.

I did see some of the land though.  We lost an airplane (the pilot ejected safely) and I was one of the many assigned with searching for missing pieces.  Four of us trudged through a rice paddy and then there were three of us.  One of our party had fallen into a hole that had been covered up.  He didn't get hurt but it took us a few minutes to extricate him.

Why do I reminisce about this short tour of duty?  I was thinking about Japan on Monday, December 12, 2011, because the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched a spy satellite.  I didn’t know the Japanese had spy satellites.  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised; I knew they had this capability since they are partners on the International Space Station.  I just never thought of Japan as having a need for spy satellites.  They started this effort in the late 90s after North Korea fired a missile over Japan.

This isn’t even their first spy satellite; it’s their seventh launch since 2003.  This satellite is radar tipped which, when operational, will allow the Japanese to monitor ground conditions at night or through cloud cover.  The need to monitor their own landmasses became especially crucial following the tsunami and earthquake in March, 2011.

I have a military background and I’ve worked in the aerospace industry for over 25 years, yet I never thought of Japan as requiring spy satellites.  When I ponder those who might be monitoring from above I don’t think of Japan but rather Russia, China and the U.S.  But, I guess I’m going to have to alter my world view and realize that the Big Three don’t have a monopoly on the sky.  Is Big Brother watching?

Kepler-22b, New Earth?

In last week’s blog I expressed the hope we are not alone in the universe and that the Mars’ rover Curiosity will discover evidence of life on the Red Planet.

Is it possible that hope may become reality?  On Monday, December 5^th, NASA announced its Kepler telescope had discovered a planet, Kepler-22b, that may be Earth-like.  The scientists believe Kepler-22b has an average surface temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit which would allow water to exist in liquid form.

But, it will be a long time before the authenticity of the discovery is verified.  Kepler-22b is 600 light years from Earth.  1 light year is roughly 5.88 billion miles so 600 of these is a haul – not something you’d do in a weekend.

Unfortunately, unless Zefram Cochrane is about to test his warp drive enticing the Vulcans to visit this little blue orb, Kepler-22b will remain a mystery for generations.

What do you think?  Is this a new Earth?

Mars Rover - Curiosity

In the middle of a gluttonous weekend, otherwise known as Thanksgiving, 2011, an interesting event occurred.  It was barely a footnote in the evening newscast.  On Saturday, November 26th, NASA launched a car sized, nuclear powered, robotic rover named Curiosity toward Mars.  The trip will take 8 ½ months.

Curiosity’s mission is to take samples and relay its findings to scientists on Earth.  It’s another step in the cycle of determining if Mars has now or ever supported organic life forms.

Getting to Mars will only be half the challenge.  This nearly one ton-behemoth still has the task of settling safely in Gale Crater on Mars’ surface; no easy feat.

A couple years ago, I had the good fortune of visiting a Mars’ mission control center in Denver, where technicians monitor the progress of Mars rovers.  Unfortunately, it was at a time of inactivity.  It was still cool.  The folks working in these control centers adjust their schedules to accommodate a Martian day; somewhere in the neighborhood of 24 ½ Earth hours.

I’m excited about the prospect that there may be life of some type on Mars.  There’s water in the form of ice, at least on the surface.  Some scientists theorize there may even be water in liquid form below the surface.  Where there’s water, there’s always the potential for life.

I hope we are not alone in the universe.  Anyone else feel the same?