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There has to be another difference:
http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/bio_ridenoure.p hp (I get an horizontal scrollbar in Safari and your top-right logo and text get cut off a bit)
http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/profile_ridenou re2.php (no horizontal scrollbar, everything is fine) ... "enjoy"? :(

There has to be another difference:
http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/bio_ridenoure.p hp (I get an horizontal scrollbar in Safari and your top-right logo and text get cut off a bit)
http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/profile_ridenou re2.php (no horizontal scrollbar, everything is fine) ... "enjoy"? :(

I'll give you a very depressing example. Everyone knows about the well-documented IE CSS bugs on Position is everything. A pain they are, but with sufficient hours of slaving away you can hack-around or workaround them, because they are known problems.

But nearly every project, I run into some mysterious *new* IE bug that takes hours to figure out. Here's my favorite example.

Circa 2004, I'm working on the site for Ecliptic Enterprises when I discover that the drop-down navigator menu doesn't work on all the pages. On the staff profile / resume pages, mousing over the menu does not cause it to drop down. It works on all the other pages.

But those menus are defined in an external file that is included on every page. So why would they work on some pages, but not the others? I check several times to make sure that the php code is rendering the menus identically on every page. diff confirms that the HTML, css, and javascript for the menus are 100% identical on all pages. So obviously (I think), some weird interaction with the page's content is breaking the javascript.

I begin systematically removing blocks of HTML trying to find what is breaking the menus on these specific pages. I remove each block, reload to see if the problem is fixed, diff the PHP outputs to check what I've done, replace the block, move on to the next block. I get to the end of the file and nothing has fixed the problem. So I try it over again from the beginning, removing code blocks and NOT replacing them before going on to the next.

After quite some time, I have stripped these pages down to zero content -- just the menus and other nav structure that is common to all pages. Yet the menus still won't function! I strip the remaining common parts of the page until there is nothing but a bare menu in my test file -- it still doesn't work! But the menus work happily on ~50 other pages on the site! About four hours have gone by.

By now I have so many copies of the page (dozens) that I am losing track of what I've tried in what order. profile_test001.php. profile_test002.php profile_whatthehellisgoingonhere.php. Eventually I copy the original page to an entirely different name to start anew. That copy, apparently identical to the original ... works just fine. I start to think I am losing my mind. I have been at this for five hours. I must have copied a different file than I thought. I try it again, using fresh copy of the file from backup. Menus don't work. I copy it to a different file name. Now the menus work. I really am losing my mind.

But no, after testing for an hour, I come to this bizarre, but inescapable conclusion:
if the filename of the webpage contains the string "profile", the drop-menus do not work in IE6. And no, the javascript does not examine the URL or any part of it in any way.

I rename all of the resume pages from "profile_.php" to "bio_.php". Suddenly the drop-menus on those pages work again in IE. My problem is fixed.

That's right, a sensitivity to the filename caused a javascript fault that broke my menus.

You can see it yourself, the files are still around. Boot up IE6, and visit the two following pages. They are bytewise identical, differing only in the filename. You can diff them to check:

http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/bio_ridenoure.p hp (menus work)
http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/profile_ridenou re2.php (menus break)

This bug, which I have never bothered to characterize further, cost me almost an entire workday. And in my experience, that kind of crap is absolutely typical of IE and has plagued me in every web project.

I haven't tested it in IE7. My windo

I'll give you a very depressing example. Everyone knows about the well-documented IE CSS bugs on Position is everything. A pain they are, but with sufficient hours of slaving away you can hack-around or workaround them, because they are known problems.

But nearly every project, I run into some mysterious *new* IE bug that takes hours to figure out. Here's my favorite example.

Circa 2004, I'm working on the site for Ecliptic Enterprises when I discover that the drop-down navigator menu doesn't work on all the pages. On the staff profile / resume pages, mousing over the menu does not cause it to drop down. It works on all the other pages.

But those menus are defined in an external file that is included on every page. So why would they work on some pages, but not the others? I check several times to make sure that the php code is rendering the menus identically on every page. diff confirms that the HTML, css, and javascript for the menus are 100% identical on all pages. So obviously (I think), some weird interaction with the page's content is breaking the javascript.

I begin systematically removing blocks of HTML trying to find what is breaking the menus on these specific pages. I remove each block, reload to see if the problem is fixed, diff the PHP outputs to check what I've done, replace the block, move on to the next block. I get to the end of the file and nothing has fixed the problem. So I try it over again from the beginning, removing code blocks and NOT replacing them before going on to the next.

After quite some time, I have stripped these pages down to zero content -- just the menus and other nav structure that is common to all pages. Yet the menus still won't function! I strip the remaining common parts of the page until there is nothing but a bare menu in my test file -- it still doesn't work! But the menus work happily on ~50 other pages on the site! About four hours have gone by.

By now I have so many copies of the page (dozens) that I am losing track of what I've tried in what order. profile_test001.php. profile_test002.php profile_whatthehellisgoingonhere.php. Eventually I copy the original page to an entirely different name to start anew. That copy, apparently identical to the original ... works just fine. I start to think I am losing my mind. I have been at this for five hours. I must have copied a different file than I thought. I try it again, using fresh copy of the file from backup. Menus don't work. I copy it to a different file name. Now the menus work. I really am losing my mind.

But no, after testing for an hour, I come to this bizarre, but inescapable conclusion:
if the filename of the webpage contains the string "profile", the drop-menus do not work in IE6. And no, the javascript does not examine the URL or any part of it in any way.

I rename all of the resume pages from "profile_.php" to "bio_.php". Suddenly the drop-menus on those pages work again in IE. My problem is fixed.

That's right, a sensitivity to the filename caused a javascript fault that broke my menus.

You can see it yourself, the files are still around. Boot up IE6, and visit the two following pages. They are bytewise identical, differing only in the filename. You can diff them to check:

http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/bio_ridenoure.p hp (menus work)
http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/profile_ridenou re2.php (menus break)

This bug, which I have never bothered to characterize further, cost me almost an entire workday. And in my experience, that kind of crap is absolutely typical of IE and has plagued me in every web project.

I haven't tested it in IE7. My windo

I'll give you a very depressing example. Everyone knows about the well-documented IE CSS bugs on Position is everything. A pain they are, but with sufficient hours of slaving away you can hack-around or workaround them, because they are known problems.

But nearly every project, I run into some mysterious *new* IE bug that takes hours to figure out. Here's my favorite example.

Circa 2004, I'm working on the site for Ecliptic Enterprises when I discover that the drop-down navigator menu doesn't work on all the pages. On the staff profile / resume pages, mousing over the menu does not cause it to drop down. It works on all the other pages.

But those menus are defined in an external file that is included on every page. So why would they work on some pages, but not the others? I check several times to make sure that the php code is rendering the menus identically on every page. diff confirms that the HTML, css, and javascript for the menus are 100% identical on all pages. So obviously (I think), some weird interaction with the page's content is breaking the javascript.

I begin systematically removing blocks of HTML trying to find what is breaking the menus on these specific pages. I remove each block, reload to see if the problem is fixed, diff the PHP outputs to check what I've done, replace the block, move on to the next block. I get to the end of the file and nothing has fixed the problem. So I try it over again from the beginning, removing code blocks and NOT replacing them before going on to the next.

After quite some time, I have stripped these pages down to zero content -- just the menus and other nav structure that is common to all pages. Yet the menus still won't function! I strip the remaining common parts of the page until there is nothing but a bare menu in my test file -- it still doesn't work! But the menus work happily on ~50 other pages on the site! About four hours have gone by.

By now I have so many copies of the page (dozens) that I am losing track of what I've tried in what order. profile_test001.php. profile_test002.php profile_whatthehellisgoingonhere.php. Eventually I copy the original page to an entirely different name to start anew. That copy, apparently identical to the original ... works just fine. I start to think I am losing my mind. I have been at this for five hours. I must have copied a different file than I thought. I try it again, using fresh copy of the file from backup. Menus don't work. I copy it to a different file name. Now the menus work. I really am losing my mind.

But no, after testing for an hour, I come to this bizarre, but inescapable conclusion:
if the filename of the webpage contains the string "profile", the drop-menus do not work in IE6. And no, the javascript does not examine the URL or any part of it in any way.

I rename all of the resume pages from "profile_.php" to "bio_.php". Suddenly the drop-menus on those pages work again in IE. My problem is fixed.

That's right, a sensitivity to the filename caused a javascript fault that broke my menus.

You can see it yourself, the files are still around. Boot up IE6, and visit the two following pages. They are bytewise identical, differing only in the filename. You can diff them to check:

http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/bio_ridenoure.p hp (menus work)
http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/profile_ridenou re2.php (menus break)

This bug, which I have never bothered to characterize further, cost me almost an entire workday. And in my experience, that kind of crap is absolutely typical of IE and has plagued me in every web project.

I haven't tested it in IE7. My windo

Great site, with some cool pictures of their own.

The SRB's never technically 'leave' the atmosphere so they can't re-enter. They are going pretty fast but not Mach 25 like the shuttle and station are doing on orbit. Maybe a few (2-4) Mach. Actually the shuttle goes quite slow while the SRB's are on because the atmosphere is so dense at low altitudes (the SRB's are only on for just over 2 minutes) because dynamic pressure builds up quickly ( a linear function of air density and a square of velocity ) so you keep your velocity at a fair clip until the atmosphere thins and then speed up. Long story short the SRB's aren't going that fast, and the cameras are in a good housing. The cam itself is made by these guys

Nice to see our government is looking out for the interests of all and protecting the freedom of all to access govt. publications by putting these in a proprietary format like Windows Media Video.

The camera supplier has a history of offering these amazing videos in MPEG format. Lets hope the new Discovery videos will be added to the last. The image of the orbiter/ET accelerating from the spent boosters is some of the most spectacular aerospace footage I have ever seen.

One other possibility is that it's a piece of E.T. debris. If it is, it would have had to fly away from the shuttle significantly to produce such pronounced right-to-left motion.

I think Ecliptic does the onboard ET video. They're website is here: http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/ I would imagine they'll post video soon like they've done for other launches. http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/gallery_rocketc am.php

I think Ecliptic does the onboard ET video. They're website is here: http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/ I would imagine they'll post video soon like they've done for other launches. http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/gallery_rocketc am.php

Where the governments are in the process of failing, the private secotor, and human ingenuity have taken the lead once more! My, that must be a black eye for NASA. Tiny fraction of the budget, and yet they made it quite nicely. Hopefully someone over there take's notice. And hopefully rides for the rest of humanity will be along shortly. Regardless, it's deffinitly within our grasp now, if not actually within the practical range quite yet. Only a matter of time, now. Hmmm... I wonder how much it costs per flight now that it's built and the main chunk of design/research is done? Is it low enough that "average" ppl can start thinking about a trip? As in the price per trip down into the single digit thousands? Or is is it still in the range of the very well off? On the plus side, it's gota be less than the $20mil that was being charged for a trip up to the ISS... Oh yes, and a link to footage. http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/gallery_rocketc am.shtml Yeah for us! No need for CNN soul sucking registration for the vid! Z

The SpaceShipOne footage is available along with a lot of other cool space launch footage including the June SS1 first flight into space at Ecliptic Enterprises' RocketCam Videos page.

I just uploaded MPEG conversions, as well, so Linux users (and Macs without Windows Media Player) get to join in the fun.

Disclaimer: I'm Ecliptic's webmaster.

Ecliptic Enterprises, who makes the onboard videocamera used for much of that footage, has two mirrors of the video footage:

RocketCam (TM) Videos

RocketCam (TM) Video Mirror at RocketCam.Space.TV

MPEG and QT conversions of the WMV will be going up in a few minutes, as well, for all you linux and mac users. (As of 12:30pm PST, should be up by 1:00PST/4:00EST).

Disclaimer: I'm Ecliptic's webmaster by subcontract.

Enjoy.

-Ev

Ecliptic Enterprises, who makes the onboard videocamera used for much of that footage, has two mirrors of the video footage:

RocketCam (TM) Videos

RocketCam (TM) Video Mirror at RocketCam.Space.TV

MPEG and QT conversions of the WMV will be going up in a few minutes, as well, for all you linux and mac users. (As of 12:30pm PST, should be up by 1:00PST/4:00EST).

Disclaimer: I'm Ecliptic's webmaster by subcontract.

Enjoy.

-Ev

Sure hope someone posts the video stream from the Amateur TV telemetry. I don't have a 2.4GHz receiver handy.

One of the best on-board color camera videos I've ever seen was that of the MER-A "Spirit" launch. This site has the video.

...put one of these babies (rocketcam) on it.

Related to this story.

YES! The Delta IV was carrying several cameras. Video will be posted at http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/gallery_rocketc am.shtml as soon as we get the tape. (I work with Ecliptic Enterprises, maker of the RocketCam(tm) system).

I should probably defer to the experts on this question; I'm not a NASA engineer =).

My guess- in order to increase the bandwidth, the spacecraft needs to carry a larger, more powerful transmitter. This adds weight and power consumption, two resources that are extremely scarce in spacecraft design.

If you are in low earth orbit, however, it's not impossible to get real-time, high-bandwidth video. One of my clients is a company that specializes in this kind of thing: Ecliptic Enterprises.

And this section of there website, you can view these videos. Very much publicly accessible.

They even provide MPEGs for those Quicktime-impared.

This is really what the shuttle has been missing. After watching dozens of launches through streaming meadia, shuttle really has been behind Delta and others which have had the rocketcam for years. I am sure going to be following the next launch closely.

For previous rocketcam footage, check http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/gallery_rocketc am.shtml.

The cam has a very slim profile an compared to the enourmous circumference of the tank it is strapped to, it won't make much difference

Apparently, this is just the first time it can be publicly accessed.

Apparently, this is just the first time it can be publicly accessed.

Apparently, this is just the first time it can be publicly accessed.

To have an idea of the picture you're gonna get from that camera, take a look here.
If you ask me, it's really not that novel, oke this rocket is a bit bigger...but it still just goes up....