Gizmodo: space race

Russia Wants Nuclear-Powered Rocket to Go to Mars

Jesus Diaz — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:59:28 EDT

The space race is on again: The Russians are planning a nuclear-powered spacecraft that will get them to Mars faster than Duck Dodgers in the 24 and a half century. Space Agency chief Anatoly Perminov promises a design by 2012:

The project is aimed at implementing large-scale space exploration programs, including a manned mission to Mars, interplanetary travel, the creation and operation of planetary outposts. The implementation of this project will allow us to reach a new technological level surpassing foreign developments.

It would only take nine years to fully develop at the tune of $600 million, which is spare change compared to all the economy stimulus plans in place. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev—knowing that this will generate money and specialized jobs, not to mention pushing Russia to a new scientific and engineering level—has backed the project and wants the government to pay for it.

Meanwhile, the Guys With the Right Stuff are seeing their projects scrapped, with Constellation about to get cancelled, and the shuttle getting killed. Godspeed America, godspeed. Let's go to KFC and sink our hope in greasy chicken and cheap beer. [Yahoo via Universe Today]

Space Age Fetishism Getting Silly New Moniker: Atompunk

Elaine Chow — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:00:00 EST

Are you obsessed with Sputnik, the Space Race, Googie architecture and radioactive powers for superheroes? Look out, it seems like your fetish is about to get a name: "Atompunk."

According to a mailing list from the Netherlands, Atompunk is devoted to the cultural period (mostly of the United States) of between 1945 to 1965. While the moniker hasn't become a part of our country's vernacular yet (though I'm sure some of you already started using it ages ago), it sounds just annoyingly catchy enough to warrant a New York Times trend piece in about eight years. And the Dutch aren't helping, devoting a festival to it in Amsterdam for September 2009.

First I had to shake off being labeled steampunk because of my love for Jules Verne novels and Victorian-era science... NOW I have to go around convincing people I'm not another type of punk just because I'd totally live in Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion home? Great, Dutch people. Thanks a lot. [Boing boing]

Soviet Dog Cooked in Space Only Got this Lousy Statue

Jack Loftus — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EDT

It's the stuff of canine legends. Fifty years ago Laika the dog went from stray zero to hero when the Soviet Union strapped her to Sputnik 2 and launched it into the cold reaches of outer space. The trailblazing pooch, who had a statue to her unveiled in Russia last week, proved that living things could survive in space. Her trip also paved the way for more ambitious human-related endeavors, like John's Glenn's historic orbit, the Apollo 11 moon landing and Tom Hanks' career. Laika eventually died an excruciating death from overheating when life support failed a few hours after launch, for which Russia recognized her with a monument. All that sacrifice, and just a statue?

Laika's statue resides outside the Moscow military research facility where her flight team prepared the original space mission in 1957. Reuters reports the monument features the hot dog standing atop a rocket.

Like all dogs used in the Soviet space program Laika was a stray. Strays were selected because Soviet doctors apparently believed the mean streets of Moscow were similar to conditions experienced in space. Small dogs were selected due to the size constraints of the Sputnik 2 capsule, but at least Laika got to travel in style with this custom space suit-complete with euthanasia needle and feeding trough!

"Laika was quiet and charming," Dr. Vladimir Yazdovsky wrote in his book about Soviet space medicine. He even took the dog home to play with his children. "I wanted to do something nice for her: She had so little time left to live," he said. After fetch with the kids, Yazdovsky launched Laika into space, attached to a fuel-filled tin can with no parachute, and into history. We should all be so lucky. [Images: Telstar Logistics and Reuters]