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Simonyi Arrives At the ISS After Shuttle Lands

Posted by kdawson on from the two-times-lucky dept.

RobGoldsmith writes in with news of the further adventures of Charles Simonyi, whose first trip to the ISS we discussed a couple of years ago. The Russian Soyuz vehicle carrying Simonyi and two others docked a day after the US space shuttle Discovery landed in Florida. "Space Adventures, Ltd. ... announced today that its orbital client Charles Simonyi and his crew successfully arrived at the International Space Station after launching on-board the Soyuz TMA-14 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 26. The spacecraft docked to the ISS at 9:05 am (EDT) with Dr. Simonyi and Expedition 19 crew members Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka and NASA astronaut Michael Barratt. They were greeted at approximately 12:30 p.m. (EDT) by the Expedition 18 crew..."

66 comments

  1. fp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    you fags never seem to tire of eating my asshole.

    1. Re:fp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Fact: *BSD is Dying.

    2. Re:fp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      Could all Europeans, Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders please just die? Fuck you all. Stay the hell out of my country with your stupid faces all over the places polluting my scenery. And you all stink. Seriously, learn to take a bath, please. Or, just die. Yeah, that'd be much better. Just die.

  2. Niggers in space? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Well, it's a start. Bus over a cliff, space shuttle that breaks apart on re-entry, whatever. Gotta get them somehow.

    1. Re:Niggers in space? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Artist: Johnny Rebel Song: who likes a nigger

      L.B.J. was a-flyin' one morn', Over south Louisiana...feeling for alarm, When he looks down below, and what does he see?, Two cajuns pullin' a nigger on ski's!, So he lands, and says, "Thanks for helping your black brother!", And them two cajuns just looked at each other, And said, "He might be smart, but I'll tell you something...", "He don't know a thing about alligator huntin'!", O-wop-bop-bam-bam, Who likes a nigger?, o-wop-bop-bam-bam
      (CHORUS), Who likes a nigger?, o-wop-bop-bam-bam, Who likes a nigger?, And the hatin', everybody, is a-gettin' much bigger, Rich man travelin' down thru the South, Stopped in Mississippi to get a tooth pulled out, When he paid the doctor the charges due, He said "My nigger chauffer's got a bad tooth, too", "Well, I'll pull it...", said the doc, "but you'd better not holler!, Cause I'll have to charge you $200.00, Cause here in Mississippi he can't open his mouth, We'll have to go thru his bottom, to get the thing out!"
      Chorus
      There ain't much difference 'tween a nigger and a donkey, 'Bout as much between an ape and a monkey, Ones a little bigger, but you gotta agree, There's not very much more that you can see., But a mule earns his livin' by the sweat of his neck, While a nigger sits down and draws a gov't check, The nigger should be smarter, as a general rule, But in a spelling contest, I'd pick the mule!

      Artist: Johnny Rebel Song: nigger hating me

      I like sugar, and I like tea, But I don't like niggers...no siree!, There's two known things that'll make me puke, And that's a hog eatin' slop, and a big, black spook!, You know it...cause I show it, Like a barn-yard rooster I crow it!, And the NAACP, Would sure like to get a-hold of nigger-hatin' me!, Roses are red, and violet's are blue, And nigger's are black, you know that's true, But they don't mind, cause what the heck!, You gotta be black to get a welfare check!, And I'm broke...no joke, I ain't got a nickel for a coke!, And I ain't black, you see, So Uncle Sam won't help poor nigger-hatin' me., Jig-A-Boo, jig-a-boo...where are you?, I's here in the woodpile...watchin' you, Jig-A-Boo, jig-a-boo...come out!, No! Cause I'm scared of the white man's a-way down South, You know it!...cause I show it., Stick your black head out and I'll blow it!, And the NAACP, Can't keep you away from little old nigger-hatin' me!, Mirror, mirror...on the wall, Who is the blackest of them all?, A man named King, and there ain't no doubt, That he's causin' lots of trouble with his baboon mouth., Brewin'...he's a doin', It's caused by the trouble he's a-brewin', And the NAACP, Can't win if the white men stick with nigger-hatin' me!, Hey! Mr. President! What do you say?, When are we whites gonna have our day?, The nigger's had there's such a long, long time, I'm white, and it's time that I had mine!, You know it...cause I show it!, Stick your black head out and I'll blow it!, And the NAACP, Can't win if the white man sticks with nigger-hatin' me

      Artist: Johnny Rebel Song: Affirmative Action

      Affirmative action, what's this country coming to?, Affirmative action, what's the white man gonna do?, It's another government handout and simply said, "You've got to hire a nigger instead", I was down at the office, cleaning up the joint, Just doing a little extra, making brownie points, Cause I'd heard somebody say, a promotion's on the line, So I was working hard, I wa.nted that promotion to be mine, So I asked the CEO if I could have a try, He said "you work hard, son and I know you qualify., You're the best man for the job but it's out of my hands, I've got to give it to a nigger, courtesy of Uncle Sam", Oh affirmative action, what's this country coming to?, Affirmative action, what's the white man gonna do?, It's another government handout and simply said, "You've got to hire a nigger instead.", Now I went looking for a new job the very next day., I got an interview and things were surely going my way.., I was asked a lot of questions, I was giving it

  3. Obama Policies Will Bankrupt USA Tsarkon Reports by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Obama Policies Will Bankrupt USA Tsarkon Reports
    (Note: We are not a GOP-sters, Republicans or affiliated with any parties, and as George Washington warned against parties We do not believe in parties and, unlike most people, We evaluate every issue on a case by case basis and do not defer to the judgments of politicians who are corrupted and untrustworthy as a group.)

    Obama is controlled by the same people as Bush see The Obama Deception documentary

    Yuan Forwards Show China May Buy Fewer Treasuries, UBS Says
    Anemic Treasury auction effects felt beyond bonds
    The Sherminator Kicks Some Wall Street Ass
    China Angry That Fed Is Deliberately Destroying The Dollar
    China suggests switch from dollar as reserve currency
    What are the reserve currencies?
    Anatomy of a taxpayer giveaway to investors
    Geithner rescue package 'robbery of the American people'
    Geithner just put only the rich in Titanics lifeboats
    Geithner Plan Will Rob US Taxpayers
    A False Choice
    Bargain-hunting house buyers wearing on sellers ajc.com
    Time to Take the Steering Wheel out of Geithner's Hands
    Socialising and Privatising
    Fannie, Freddie to pay out bonuses
    Fitch Raises Prime Jumbo Loan Loss Estimates Sharply

    Chinas central bank on Monday proposed replacing the US dollar as the international reserve currency with a new global system controlled by the International Monetary Fund

    - Russia on an new world reserve currency: It is necessary to work out and adopt internationally recognized standards for macroeconomic and budget policy, which are binding for the leading world economies, including the countries issuing reserve currencies - the Kremlin proposals read.

    - President Barack "The Teleprompter" Obama is deeply connected to corruption. Rahm Emanuel, his Chief of Staff, is radical authoritarian statist whose father was part of the murderous civilian-killing Israeli terrorist organization known as IRGUN who is obsessed with gun control and compulsory service to the country in a capacity which he has yet to define. (Think brown-shirts.) Barack is intimately connected to disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (Rahm inherited Rod's federal-congress seat). Barack Obama is also connected to William Ayers (who ghost-wrote his books); Ayers is a man who promotes the concept that civilian co

  4. Hackers. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Was the best movie of all time.

  5. In other news... by Mishotaki · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Someone farted as someone else died on the other side of the earth...

    How can we get two fairly unrelated news events mixed together to try to make it look like it is a big event? well i think the article demonstrates just that.

    1. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Umm, unrelated?

      Perhaps some people don't realize that Discovery just finished a mission at the ISS and undocked four days earlier. Quite a quick turn around.

    2. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      I'm sure that the docking mechanism must be exhausted.

  6. You go to space once, that's cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Going twice? Now you're just showing off.

    1. Re:You go to space once, that's cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Going twice? Now you're just showing off.

      This time, Steve Balmer commissioned an experiment to examine the effects of zero gravity on thrown chairs. It's been hypothesized that in space, having a chair thrown at you is no different than simply trying to sit on one.

    2. Re:You go to space once, that's cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In space, no one can you hear scream as a chair comes hurtling toward you.

    3. Re:You go to space once, that's cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The man is filthy rich. Maybe their salesfolk got him to spring for the three pack ("be first in line"), though he was probably too smart to sign up for trip insurance and extended warranty on the ISS.

    4. Re:You go to space once, that's cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Offtopic? Boy you guys really are tired of the Steve Balmer chair-throwing jokes.

  7. Obama Policies Will Bankrupt USA Tsarkon Reports by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Obama Policies Will Bankrupt USA Tsarkon Reports
    (Note: We are not a GOP-sters, Republicans or affiliated with any parties, and as George Washington warned against parties We do not believe in parties and, unlike most people, We evaluate every issue on a case by case basis and do not defer to the judgments of politicians who are corrupted and untrustworthy as a group.)

    Obama is controlled by the same people as Bush see The Obama Deception documentary

    Yuan Forwards Show China May Buy Fewer Treasuries, UBS Says
    Anemic Treasury auction effects felt beyond bonds
    The Sherminator Kicks Some Wall Street Ass
    China Angry That Fed Is Deliberately Destroying The Dollar
    China suggests switch from dollar as reserve currency
    What are the reserve currencies?
    Anatomy of a taxpayer giveaway to investors
    Geithner rescue package 'robbery of the American people'
    Geithner just put only the rich in Titanics lifeboats
    Geithner Plan Will Rob US Taxpayers
    A False Choice
    Bargain-hunting house buyers wearing on sellers ajc.com
    Time to Take the Steering Wheel out of Geithner's Hands
    Socialising and Privatising
    Fannie, Freddie to pay out bonuses
    Fitch Raises Prime Jumbo Loan Loss Estimates Sharply

    Chinas central bank on Monday proposed replacing the US dollar as the international reserve currency with a new global system controlled by the International Monetary Fund

    - Russia on an new world reserve currency: It is necessary to work out and adopt internationally recognized standards for macroeconomic and budget policy, which are binding for the leading world economies, including the countries issuing reserve currencies - the Kremlin proposals read.

    - President Barack "The Teleprompter" Obama is deeply connected to corruption. Rahm Emanuel, his Chief of Staff, is radical authoritarian statist whose father was part of the murderous civilian-killing Israeli terrorist organization known as IRGUN who is obsessed with gun control and compulsory service to the country in a capacity which he has yet to define. (Think brown-shirts.) Barack is intimately connected to disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (Rahm inherited Rod's federal-congress seat). Barack Obama is also connected to William Ayers (who ghost-wrote his books); Ayers is a man who promotes the concept that civilian co

  8. Obama Policies Will Bankrupt USA Tsarkon Reports by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Obama Policies Will Bankrupt USA Tsarkon Reports
    (Note: We are not a GOP-sters, Republicans or affiliated with any parties, and as George Washington warned against parties We do not believe in parties and, unlike most people, We evaluate every issue on a case by case basis and do not defer to the judgments of politicians who are corrupted and untrustworthy as a group.)

    Obama is controlled by the same people as Bush see The Obama Deception documentary

    Yuan Forwards Show China May Buy Fewer Treasuries, UBS Says
    Anemic Treasury auction effects felt beyond bonds
    The Sherminator Kicks Some Wall Street Ass
    China Angry That Fed Is Deliberately Destroying The Dollar
    China suggests switch from dollar as reserve currency
    What are the reserve currencies?
    Anatomy of a taxpayer giveaway to investors
    Geithner rescue package 'robbery of the American people'
    Geithner just put only the rich in Titanics lifeboats
    Geithner Plan Will Rob US Taxpayers
    A False Choice
    Bargain-hunting house buyers wearing on sellers ajc.com
    Time to Take the Steering Wheel out of Geithner's Hands
    Socialising and Privatising
    Fannie, Freddie to pay out bonuses
    Fitch Raises Prime Jumbo Loan Loss Estimates Sharply

    Chinas central bank on Monday proposed replacing the US dollar as the international reserve currency with a new global system controlled by the International Monetary Fund

    - Russia on an new world reserve currency: It is necessary to work out and adopt internationally recognized standards for macroeconomic and budget policy, which are binding for the leading world economies, including the countries issuing reserve currencies - the Kremlin proposals read.

    - President Barack "The Teleprompter" Obama is deeply connected to corruption. Rahm Emanuel, his Chief of Staff, is radical authoritarian statist whose father was part of the murderous civilian-killing Israeli terrorist organization known as IRGUN who is obsessed with gun control and compulsory service to the country in a capacity which he has yet to define. (Think brown-shirts.) Barack is intimately connected to disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (Rahm inherited Rod's federal-congress seat). Barack Obama is also connected to William Ayers (who ghost-wrote his books); Ayers is a man who promotes the concept that civilian co

  9. Routine by Mista2 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So now spaceflight must be routine if slashdotters think a private citizen being able to fly to space with nothing but money is no longer newsworthy 8)

    1. Re:Routine by Tubal-Cain · · Score: 1

      a private citizen being able to fly to space with nothing but money is no longer newsworthy

      I think its newsworthy. I thought that you needed to bring oxygen, too.

    2. Re:Routine by Molochi · · Score: 1, Troll

      I think it would be funny if being able to buy your place in the worldly heaven became known as Simonyi.

      --
      "The Adobe Updater must update itself before it can check for updates. Would you like to update the Adobe Updater now?"
    3. Re:Routine by gparent · · Score: 1

      I don't think it's newsworthy considering it happened before, if I recall correctly. It's no longer 'new'.

    4. Re:Routine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh that pun was not only original, but also funny. Mod parent up! (Please!)

    5. Re:Routine by pmarini · · Score: 1

      and I think that after being able to drink your own recycled urine in space, you could breath your own words... oh wait, there isn't any sound in vacuum...

      --
      Can I put a spell on those who can't spell?
      Your wheels are loose and they're losing their grip, good you're there.
    6. Re:Routine by Alcoholist · · Score: 1

      Wouldn't it be cool if it were routine? I wanna be able to use this line on a girl:

      "I'm from Iowa, I only work in outer space."

      --
      Bibo Ergo Sum.
    7. Re:Routine by justinmikehunt · · Score: 0

      So then the next time that New Orleans gets decimated by a hurricane, it's not newsworthy!

    8. Re:Routine by Mishotaki · · Score: 1

      a private citizen being able to fly to space with nothing but money is no longer newsworthy

      I think its newsworthy. I thought that you needed to bring oxygen, too.

      I'm going to space and i'm bringing...

      food

    9. Re:Routine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can imagine the headlines: hurricane strikes again, kills all of the two remaining rats.

    10. Re:Routine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      'm going to space and i'm bringing... food

      I'll bring the beer, who's going to sort out the blackjack and hookers?

  10. More to come by WindBourne · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is hailed as the end of the tourism. I am guessing that there will be at MOST 3 year delay, and I am starting to think not even that much. The shuttle sounds like it will be extended for 1-2 years due to the ares I delay. In fact, I am guessing that the dems will extend the shuttle UNTIL SpaceX is on-line with crew capability. The shuttle will be used to rotate crews until 2012, and most likely we will plant a dragon on the ISS as a 7 person lifeboat, which will solve the issue of requiring 2 soyuz. We are about to have plenty of up cargo capability (Progress, ATV, HTV, and within another year or two, spaceX and Orbital). SpaceX will be the only down cargo. The important issue is crew. If SpaceX has a number of launches by mid-2011 (when they are suppose to have their human rated capsule ready), then I could see the shuttle being stopped and dragon taking over the western crew.

    In addition, Bigelow will almost certainly run their system up once falcon 9 flies.

    Tourism is about to make it BIG. It will all be for the bloody rich, but, those same ppl are not impacted on something like this.

    --
    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  11. Wrong... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Simonyi arrived before the shuttle landed.

  12. Amateur Radio by caluml · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I'm just hoping he spends lots of time on the Amateur Radio on the ISS, racking up lots of contacts with eager hams on the earth. Like me.

    --
    Get your own free personal location tracker
    1. Re:Amateur Radio by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

      Since you're a HAM, would you tell us why this is interesting? I mean, is it just novelty, essentially a sort of celebrity contact via your favorite hobby instead of say via email through NASA? Or is there something HAM-specific 'cool' about this that would be of further interest to non-HAM geeks like me?

      Seems it wouldn't be that hard to negotiate a signal with the ISS since it's such a clear shot through the atmosphere -- not that hard compared to other DX achievements. Are there any hidden challenges, or is this simply about it being a unique station for the contact-collectors?

    2. Re:Amateur Radio by Patch86 · · Score: 4, Funny

      If you don't think that talking with a millionaire software developer on an orbiting space station using a home-built radio transmitter is cool, you're probably reading the wrong website.

    3. Re:Amateur Radio by caluml · · Score: 1

      You're right that it's a "clear shot" through the atmosphere, only about 70 miles away. However, the ISS has a very large footprint, and so you're competing against hundreds or thousands of other amateurs in the 3000 mile footprint. Plus, you'd be talking to fucking astronauts! :) I don't know many people who can say they've spoke to people in space. I'm sure that once I manage it, I'll move on to other things - that's the good thing about Amateur Radio - there are so many different facets to try. At the moment though, I only have a car to operate from, and only have an omni-directional antenna - which wastes about 99.99% of my output power. So I'm at a huge loss.

      --
      Get your own free personal location tracker
    4. Re:Amateur Radio by Lumpy · · Score: 2, Funny

      Plus, you'd be talking to fucking astronauts!

      Wait what? Who will he be having sex with? and why would he be talking on the ham radio during sex
      ?

      That would just be wierd.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    5. Re:Amateur Radio by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Okay, cool. Thanks.

      I'm not against the novelty aspect, as another poster miss-inferred. This was straight curiosity, wondering if I was missing something more. Good luck, and I hope you get a QSL card out of it.

    6. Re:Amateur Radio by syousef · · Score: 2, Funny

      If you don't think that talking with a millionaire software developer on an orbiting space station using a home-built radio transmitter is cool, you're probably reading the wrong website.

      Also if you do think it's cool, you're STILL probably reading the wrong website. Slashdot ain't what it use to be.

      Just face facts. You're reading the wrong website, and your mother smells like sausage, and your dog wants to bite you, and your girlfriend is just using you for the money.

      --
      These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
  13. Space greeting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    So Simony walks in, and the astronaut 1 goes "so you're the Hungarian douchebag in "Hungarian notation", eh?!"

    1. Re:Space greeting by Prodigy+Savant · · Score: 1

      strThatsSeriouslyFunny :)

      --
      Dont make a better sig, you insensitive clod!
  14. That's a lot of frequent flyer mileage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    What kind of stuff can you get with "three times 10 to the six miles"?

  15. Wrong... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Simonyi arrived BEFORE the shuttle landed.

  16. another milestone is still waiting by zogger · · Score: 1

    Two private "bloody rich" business guys go up at the same time, "discuss business", then get to deduct expenses off their taxes.

    1. Re:another milestone is still waiting by khallow · · Score: 1

      Heh, any country that would allow that, would allow it in some more mundane setting.

  17. Just remember one thing... by JamesP · · Score: 4, Informative

    this is the guy who invented Hungarian Notation.

    --
    how long until /. fixes commenting on Chrome?
    1. Re:Just remember one thing... by VeryLargeNumber · · Score: 0

      shortest Slashdot article:

      szsmnyArrAtISS2_meh

  18. Borat in Space! by dmesg0 · · Score: 1

    Newsflash: Barrat has left Kazakhstan to do cultural learnings of the open space!

  19. Re:Obama Policies Will Bankrupt USA Tsarkon Report by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I got as far as the Obama Deception link and that was enough to discredit the rest of your post. That video talks about water fluoridation as population control. Coming out with that as your first argument really makes you look like a tool.

    Would you like some tinfoil?

  20. Subsidizing Russia by Doc+Ruby · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    I'm sure glad the US spent all that money subsidizing Russia's contributions to the ISS, so that Russia's space programme could make money off rich Americans taking vacations up there. After all, Russia is our friend, has no money or means to make it, and the US government has money to burn, no need to collect any more from our rich citizens.

    That ISS is the best investment we ever made.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

    1. Re:Subsidizing Russia by WindBourne · · Score: 2, Informative

      Doc, normally, I would agree with you, but not now. You are SO FAR OUT THERE.

      There is no doubt that Russia has made a nice sum of money on tourism. In fact, they have been charging 25M/seat and are raising it to 50M/seat for US to buy them. I think that they are trying to rip us off on that. BUT, the tourism has started a GREAT thing. Now, it makes Bigelow/spacex/etc look great. As to the price that Russia is charging, it is what the market will bear. I say AWESOME. That price should cause CHOKING by our congressmen. Musk has it right. He can send up 7 ppl for about 2/3 of the price of 2 Americans via Russia. Basically, Russia is doing America, in fact, the west, a favor. Otherwise, if they were below Spacex prices, it would make arguing for SpaceX COTS-D difficult. It is no different than when OPEC ran up the price of oil. I LOVED IT. We were moving forward with AE.

      --
      I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
    2. Re:Subsidizing Russia by jcr · · Score: 1

      There is no doubt that Russia has made a nice sum of money on tourism. In fact, they have been charging 25M/seat and are raising it to 50M/seat for US to buy them. I think that they are trying to rip us off on that.

      WTF?

      They're charging what the market will bear. The people who fork over $50M to go to space don't get a gun to their head, they give their money willingly for something they want more than the money. This is not a rip-off, it is a business transaction free of coercion.

      -jcr

      --
      The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    3. Re:Subsidizing Russia by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      It's a monopoly. Without competition, there's no "choice". Market monopolies don't require necessities for consumption to abuse their control of their market. They don't even need to be the only vendor in the market to abuse it, just domination.

      --

      --
      make install -not war

    4. Re:Subsidizing Russia by WindBourne · · Score: 1

      Actually, the tourists are paying 25M (though Simonyi paid 30M). The American gov will be paying 50M/seat for the same thing. And I SAID that it is what the market will bear, so I like what Russia is doing. Their actions will encourage congress to not be dependant on them. Of course, Congress/NASA now have to think ahead. Many inside of Congress/NASA are opposed to getting SpaceX to the point of doing crewed dragons, which is a major mistake. Space travel WILL progress regardless if America leads or not. It would actually be in America's best interest to pay to get SpaceX, Bigelow and even boeing/l-mart's new venture into space.

      --
      I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
    5. Re:Subsidizing Russia by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      Subsidies mean we spent money on the ISS that Russia doesn't have to recoup in prices for vacation flights there.

      Russia's home economy has all kinds of other subsidies, not least the energy costs in their huge and devastatingly abusive energy industry.

      I'm all for the competition, the growth of tourism, the publicity. I don't even envy Simonyi - I wish there were many more of him, and eventually me, too once they've brought all the prices (and risks) down. I'm just annoyed that I'm subsidizing Russia's benefits, when Russia is doing me no favors (and in fact is still the perennial existential threat to the US, and to its own people). And it's showing no signs of driving down prices the US pays our own contractors for space services. So I'm going to complain until this whole "virtuous cycle" gets around to doing something for me, after the years I've been doing something for it.

      --

      --
      make install -not war

    6. Re:Subsidizing Russia by WindBourne · · Score: 1

      Actually, Russia has done a great job of trying to get their companies (note: not their ppl) to be paid what American companies are paid. I am fine with that. SpaceX, Scaled, etc are what will bring down the obscene profits by American space companies. Russia is not the enemy on this. Instead, it is the fact that the prices that we pay for our space systems is keeping us from developing real space bases (i.e. mars, moon,etc). Russia pushing their prices up is the best thing that happened to us. If they charged 10M/seat for Americans, it would make THEIR program bloom. NOW, it is our commercial systems that will grow. Assuming that SpaceX is successful with Falcon 9/Dragon/Falcon 9 Heavy, THAT will force Boeing/LMart to re-do their approach. Heck, those 2 are fighting against orbital for ISS -resupply, with a craft that will be a fraction of the costs of shuttle. If we are lucky, those two will push for money from cots-d and get a system into space. Once we have several private companies in LEO, AND Bigelow, we will see an explosion in space systems akin to what opening the internet did.

      --
      I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
    7. Re:Subsidizing Russia by temcat · · Score: 1

      There's no abuse whatsoever when nobody forces you to buy/sell or not buy/sell a certain item. As in, threatening you with a gun.

  21. Actually by WindBourne · · Score: 1

    I would not mind seeing us offer up a SMALL taxcut to get some folks thinking about. In fact, I would like to see us offer a small cut for anybody going up on American equipment.

    --
    I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
  22. This is just rude... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...okay, you're stinking rich and I certainly understand going the first time. But to go again - that is just frakkin' RUDE! We all wanna go! Why rub your riches in our face? Someone, please, take him for a walk outside with a nice big leak in his suit.

  23. WTF is goin' on with /. ?? by aqk · · Score: 0

    I started to read a thread about Charles Simonyi and the space station, and all I got (1st 10 messages) was a bunch of racist crap about niggers, fags, eating assholes, etc,etc...
    I realize /. has no moderation except the "Karma" crap (of course mine is waaaay down- LOL!) but-
    hellooo! Isn't it time we cleaned up some of these ACs?

    I am about to bail out of this loser (oh, sorry! real /.er's spell it "looser's" with the requisite apostrophe's) website...!

    I know, I know.. good riddance, aqk. Well, sorry for being literate.

    --

    .
    - aqk
    F U /. illiterates.
    1. Re:WTF is goin' on with /. ?? by WindBourne · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I have to agree with some of what you are saying. The liking and hatred towards obama based on his skin color is incredible. Personally, I view him as another president and HOPEFULLY, he will be a good one. Of course, I voted out the neo-cons because I hated their running up 16 years of massive debt (reagan and W), and now the liberals and obama seem to want to do the same. Time will tell.

      --
      I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
    2. Re:WTF is goin' on with /. ?? by aqk · · Score: 0

      Geez! You don't get it. It has NOTHING to do with Obama... OK, maybe a racist smidgen or two, but more of just a general malaise, particularly (as near as I can detect) amongst Americans, and to a lesser extent, among Canadians.
      I know it sounds weird, but I seem to have "grown up" at this late stage in my life.
      And most of slashdot commentary simply does not impress me, or even interest me anymore.
      Time to move on. But where?
      Is there a /. doppelganger somewhere that excludes young American twits? ;-)

      .

      --

      .
      - aqk
      F U /. illiterates.
  24. Getting rid of Microsoft executives... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...one at a time, by shooting them into space.

    Expensive, sure, but think of the long term benefits to the planet.

  25. Time machine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Minor correction:

    "The Russian Soyuz vehicle carrying Simonyi and two others docked a day after the US space shuttle Discovery landed in Florida."

    No. The Soyuz docked a couple of hours *before* Discovery landed, on the same day.

  26. "The Blue Danube"? by Anonymous+Freak · · Score: 1

    Watching the NASA TV footage of the Soyuz approaching ISS, I immediately started humming "The Blue Danube"... Anyone else?

    --
    Another non-functioning site was "uncertainty.microsoft.com."
    The purpose of that site was not known.
    1. Re:"The Blue Danube"? by Thuktun · · Score: 1

      Glad I'm not the only one.

  27. See-Saw! by turgid · · Score: 1

    That must have been one heck of a see-saw if the space shuttle descending on one end was enough to get him all the way to the space station. Shall he have but a penny a day? Can he not work any faster?

    --
    Stick Men
  28. Old Soviet Song in English by temcat · · Score: 1

    (to the tune of "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah")

    We'll send Ronald Reagan on a rocket to the moon,
    We'll send Ronald Reagan on a rocket to the moon,
    We'll send Ronald Reagan on a rocket to the moon,
    When the Red Revolution comes!

    Glory, glory, Hallelujah,
    Glory, glory, Hallelujah,
    Glory, glory, Hallelujah,
    When the Red Revolution comes!