It's Friday and the Simulators Miss Us.

Hello Troops,
Yes, I'm here working at the Center on a vacation Friday. I've no choice. We have the new Magellan plastic coming this morning. The days of cracked and broken black plastic covering the Magellan's computers are over!

I'm not use to working in silence.... The Voyager, Odyssey and Phoenix are dark. Forced air from the air ducts is the only sound I hear . The simulators miss us. They're not happy unless their walls are rumbling with mission sounds and the vibration of children's voices. They don't have long to wait. We hit the ground running on Monday.

I thought I'd start this post with the image above. It shows all the potential alien planets discovered by the Kepler Telescope as they pass in front of their host stars. The following is a more detailed explanation from Space.com.

A photo may be worth 1,000 words, but a new depiction of NASA's Kepler mission is worth 1,235 potential alien planets. Created by a devoted mission scientist, the image takes stock of the Kepler observatory's prolific planet-hunting results so far.

The illustration shows all of Kepler's candidate planets — which await confirmation by follow-up observations — crossing the face of their host stars. This provides scale, and it's also a nod to Kepler's planet-hunting strategy: The spacecraft detects alien worlds by measuring the telltale dips in a star's brightness that occur during these planetary "transits." [See the alien planet graphic]

The graphic is the brainchild of scientist Jason Rowe, who created it in an attempt convey Kepler's exoplanet discoveries to the masses in a clear, concise manner.

I'm convinced we are on the threshold of discovering life on another world. It is an exciting time to be alive.

I'm happy we've found a small part to play in the education and exploration of space here at the Space Center. I'm hoping all of you that have been to the Center will continue to further our dream of encouraging civilization to venture forward and outward into space through education and the wonder of imagination. I believe we should also support America's space initiatives on both the local and national level by encouraging schools to teach space science.

And now........ Let's step through Imagination's looking glass and see what there is to see.

And you thought your room was a mess? At least he doesn't have to waste his valuable time with a broom, brush or vacuum. Mind you, I'd keep a can of air freshener on hand for the day's new deliveries.

The Japanese really know how to provide mass shelter in the wake of disaster. You can give individuals and / or families much needed privacy cheaply and efficiently. This is another example of thinking outside the box.

This is for all of you that are Lord of the Rings fans.

Now why would anyone want to drive anything other than this? The coolness factor is off the scale (spoken by a true nerd). Of course there is the problem of finding a girl that would tolerate being picked up on a date in this.

The following is a lesson in Reverse Psychology It's only a few seconds long so watch and learn, watch and learn.......





And just in case you were wondering how I was going to spend the rest of my day...


Let's enjoy our last weekend off until July 1. Sobering isn't it?

Mr. Williamson