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Aspiring Astronaut Gideon Gidori Invents a New Holiday: Star Day (Video)
Gideon wants to be an astronaut. You could even describe him as "space-obsessed." He wants to be the first astronaut from Tanzania. The only African to make it into space so far is Mark Shuttleworth, who is from South Africa. Can Gideon talk Elon Musk into launching from Tanzania, which is directly on the equator? How about bringing in other space buffs and entrepreneurs? Don't think this is a silly idea. Gideon is only 14, but he's a straight-A student at the Florida Air Academy, and before that was one of the top students at Shepherds Junior School in Arusha, which Mama Lucy Kamptoni originally financed by raising and selling chickens. Gideon's scholarships to Shepherds and later to Florida Air Academy have been financed in part by EpicChange.org, which is also helping him spread the word about Star Day (tomorrow; June 7), the holiday Gideon created, which is being celebrated all over the world even in this, its first year of existence. You can celebrate it, too. All you have to do, weather permitting, is sleep outdoors under the stars, and maybe make a wish or two. After all, wishing (and a lot of studying and hard work) have helped Gideon get to where he is today, and may yet help him become Tanzania's first astronaut.
Too many bugs.
Stupid sexy Flanders.
every day needs a DAY.
June 7 is blame-google-for-not-being-patriotic-enough-with-their-doodle day.
One does not think of some white dude from the Zud.
Once per earth year? You earthlings think your star and planet are superior to everyone else's....
Did Hallmark have a hand in this? Do I have to send cards to all the stars? They're going to make a fortune!
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
Probably isn't going to happen. I won't say never, but the only time I could ever see SpaceX constructing a launch site that's outside of US territory is if they've both saturated the launch capacity of their American launch sites, and are also unable to secure the rights to any additional ones in the US with affordable deals.
Yes, I'm aware that SpaceX has a defunct launch pad in the Republic of the Marshall Islands on Omelek Island, but that's leased by the US military, so it's effectively US territory.
"You might know me by another name... Star Day"
Never mind...
before making such a silly suggestion?
"I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
The laser shark just jumped.
he deserves it. good kid.
That would make Tanzania a good place to build a skyhook/orbital tower
Isn't the rocket technically a Chinese invention?
approves.
Liberty - Security - Laziness - Pick any two.
get the fuck off /. this is for intelligent discussion, not bigoted horn tooting.
That's a joke, right?
bigoted horn tooting
Seeing as how my ancestors are mostly Spanish, Norwegian, French & Scots-Irish, there's not actually much bigoted horn tooting.
"I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
Who cares... Just put the kid on a plane and tell him that "space" is barely higher and show him this drawing:
http://physics.ucsd.edu/do-the...
"a" is the practical value of "space", and "d" is the Moon.
Get over it.
If you go back enough, your ancestors are African
At what point exactly does the equator run through Tanzania?
Last time i was in East Africa it ran through Nanyuki, Kenya - many miles north of TZ.
Tom Newton
Which is more important: who invents "it", or who -- like the English, Germans & Americans -- makes it better, stronger faster?
Took us long enough. For a very long time the best game in town was in the civilizations around the Mediterranean, India, and China. What was going on in England, Germany, and the Americas during that time? There were tiny tribal societies that eventually built great societies based upon the knowledge of their great predecessors in the Mediterranean, India, and China. Implying it's racial seems a little idiotic.
Don't forget the Russians.
One does not want to be too discouraging at this point in the young man's development. Therefore, of course Gideon can become an astronaut, why not? If he continues showing perseverance, capability and drive he has every chance.
On the other hand I find the idea of Tanzania becoming a spaceport a little too implausible. They'd need deep-pocket partners and ones with a strong reason to invest. Perhaps as an emergency alternate landing location? That's one of the very few reasons I can think of to do this. Africa is just too far from any space-capable country otherwise. And there's enough political instability to scare partners away.
I don't care how many races brought your sorry ass into this world, it's you who's spreading your WASP ideas, and honestly, if you've got so many non-white races in your heritage, you're being a disgrace to them as well.
What -- specifically -- "WASP" idea am I spreading?
"I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1