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Volunteers Needed for Space Launch
BradNeuberg writes "The Ansari X Prize needs volunteers to help at the Scaled Composites and da Vinci Project's launch attempts in the next few months! I've digitized and created BitTorrent's of an Ansari X Prize video that is pretty cool and can tell you more about what we are doing. Want to be a volunteer? Sign up here. I've also set up a carpool and rideshare list for those who can offer or want a ride down to Mojave, CA to see history made."
I can think of a few ppl I'd like to volunteer for a trip into space... What's that? Round-trip you say? Bah! Nevermind.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH I hope they email me back!
-Randy
When in the neighborhood be sure to check out the huge wind farm on the western side of the Tehachapi Pass, the Tehachapi Loop and all the mothballed aircraft parked outside of Mojave. There's also camping up at Red Rock Canyon State Park (a great place to watch for meteor showers =)
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
I totally understand that volunteers can't fly on the actual flight.
But can ya open up a few "BIG RED BUTTON" pusher slots? I mean -- there's gotta a be a few "BIG RED BUTTONS" to push.
I'm your man for the following "BIG RED BUTTON" volunteer spots:
I look forward to applying for volunteer status on one of these "BIG RED BUTTONS." In the meantime, good luck!
IronChefMorimoto
Checklist:Got life insurance (limited term), travel insurance (possibly leaving the country's borders), vehicle insurance (protects it against bumps and dents on the way down). Damnit, I can't be the pilot after all. Still, parking attendant could be a dangerous job...
Due to lack of disk space this user has been discontinued
they will need the help, but not so much as other events of similar size.
I was present at the first SpaceShipOne manned spaceflight and I must say, the whole experience was so unique.
I've been to many large events/gatherings and I must say that the crowd that gathered for that launch was remarkable: unusual.
Probably the most obvious indicator that this was no ordinary crowd was the state of the portable bathrooms: they were spotless.
Go to any concert and the sanitary conditions of those things is horrific; but here there was nary a corner of toilet tissue on the floor.
Which brings me to the second observation: no litter. There was, seriously, no litter. Even in my extraordinarily beleaguered state I was taken aback at how spotless everything was as the crowd dispersed following the landings.
Another observation of note, the din: there was none. Not that one would expect hooting and hollering of Metallicaesqe magnitude; nevertheless the noise level was so peaceful you could close your eyes and almost believe it was you and a few dozen others - not thousands (well, at least until Paul Allen started speaking inaudibly over the loudspeaker).
Of course this state of pax may have been partially attributed to the fact that so many of us were running on fumes at that time of the morning, after having driven whatever distances we drove (myself 6 hours, northern cali).
And of particular note, the decency. I recall seeing a group of onlookers gladly making room for an elderly gentleman - right at the nylon rope meters from the runway. these half-dozen camera-wearing men simply picked up their chairs and created a spot. those around the perimeter gladly scooted a few feet to allow for this.
For a moment I thought how wonderful it would be to have a society consisting completely of people like this: a veritable techocratic utopia.
and then I wondered, why aren't all societies like this right now?
Volunteer for the following positions:
1) The "Are We There Yet?" guy.
2) The Vulcan foam hand thingy vendor (what, like there won't be any trekkers in the audience)
3) The dude that calibrates the "Chairhead" on the moon laser.
4) The guy that ports their system software to Linux
5) The SCO volunteer paralegal that charges volunteer for #4 $699
6) The guy that yells "BOOM!!!" at random intervals.
7) The guy that beats #6 to a pulp
. . .anybody who signs up is a sure bet for a Darwin award.
My children are already old enough to breed themselves.
One of the advantages to growing old is the discharge of your social and genetic responsibilities, leaving you in a state where you can do any damned fool thing you want. My early expiration could, in fact, be viewed as a social boon, as I'm not quite old enough yet to begin drawing on age based entitlements.
Your joke is valid though. Once upon a time, Brian Redman got a call from Porsche asking him if he'd like to do some testing on their new car, the 917. Brian says the very first thing that ran through his mind was (my paraphrase), "Wait a minute. Porsche has a stable of the best test drivers in the business. If they're soliciting outside volunteers there's something seriously amiss with the car and they know it."
And the car did, in fact, develop a reputation as a man killer before it was tamed. It went 40 mph faster than any other car, but was aerodynamically unstable. Not a good combo.
Oh yeah, Brian took the ride, of course, and the rest is racing history. He helped tame it and didn't die much.
Not everyone considers the maximum extension of their life as the greatest achievment they can make. We're all going to die someday, like it or not, and I think there is validity in choosing a good day to die.
God rest Christa. You died "prematurely," but you died doing something that gave you a reason to live, which is more than can ever be said about most people.
KFG