Everyone knows of the golden record on Voyager and the plaque on Pioneer that give Aliens some idea of humans is the craft ever become confiscated. Does anyone know if the mission to Pluto “New Horizons” has the same stuff?
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One does not need to be a rocket scientist to know how to build a rocket. Of course, we’re not referring to an actual spaceship or missile that anyone can build in the luxury of one’s own home. The next best thing, and just as cool, is putting together a nifty miniature rocket that can actually blast off into the sky right before one’s very eyes.

While there are rocket model kits available in the market, one may also choose to assemble a model rocket of their very own design. It should be noted, however, that rockets are essentially cylindrical in shape, so one should not go too wild with a UFO or Star Wars-like look for their design. An important rule in how to build a rocket; a very simple, aerodynamic design will do the trick. The basic components of the rocket are the cylinder body, the nose cone, three fins, and of course, its engine.

The nose cone must come with a parachute attached behind it, so that the rocket can drop safely back to earth after its flight. In attaching the nose cone to the body of the rocket, the type of glue to use depends on the material the cone and the body is made of. Wood glue may be used if the rocket is made of cardboard, but it won’t work on plastic, in which case plastic cement should be used.

As mentioned, aerodynamics is an important factor to consider when learning how to build a rocket. To this end, the rocket’s fins must be sleek and smooth to allow easy movement through the air and to keep it from getting weighed down. The fins are usually made out of balsa wood. A template of the fins should be made and placed on the wood to trace it shape, after which the shape is cut out of the wood with a craft knife. The fins are then to be sanded to make them smooth. To attach the fins to the body, again one should use either wood glue on cardboard or plastic cement on plastic.

The engine mount goes at the rocket’s bottom, just below its fins. To attach it, glue must be applied via cotton swab to the engine mount’s exterior to firmly fasten it to the rocket’s body. An ignition system will be needed in order to fire up the rocket for launching. It can be acquired from the same retailer where the engine is bought from.

After assembling the rocket, one can now make it look good by painting it. Even here, aerodynamics still plays a significant part, and applying more than a few light coats of paint will help the rocket travel smoothly in the air. The color of the rocket is entirely up to its builder.

Once one has learned how to build a rocket, the completion of the project can only be followed by the eagerly awaited act of firing it up for launch. It may not be the Apollo, but still, if it flies straight up into the sky, it’s a rocket. There’s a genuine thrill in creating something that can actually shoot up into the heavens. And even if it doesn’t quite reach the stars, it can hold our imagination high enough, perhaps until the day when we finally can.
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i need to know why we made or invented space shuttle
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Pretty Cool, huh!
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Here is a list with the fastest vehicles on the planet:

1. Bike – 132.5 km/h. The fastest bike on the planet is called “Varna Diablo 3″. Sam Whittingham, who is part of the cycling team of Canada, reached 132.5 km / h, on September 18, 2008, on a highway in Nevada. He is the grandson of the person who made the first film screenplay for James Bond series.

2. Boat – 511 km/h. The record is maintained since October 8, 1978, when Australian Ken Warby managed to reach speeds of 511 km / h at the command ship “Spirit of Australia”, on lake Blowering Dam in New South Wales, Australia. Powered by a Westinghouse engine, created in the late 40’s for fighter aircraft, the vessel is now on display at the National Marine Museum of Australia, in Sydney.

3. Motorcycle – 580.333 km/h. Last year, in the Bonneville Salt Flats desert, Utah (USA), Rocky Robinson was able to reach with his motorcycle named “Ack Attack” speed of 580.833 kilometers per hour. The machine, although it does not look like we are used, has the characteristics of a motorcycle: walking on two wheels and is powered by two Suzuki engines with a total capacity of 2,600 cubic centimeters.

4. Train – 581km/h. As far as trains go there are two records. Of the classic wheels, the fastest is the French TGV, which went, in 2007, with 574.8 km / h. But the record was demolished by the levitating train (Maglev), which operates as follows: magnetic coils of the magnets repel the train track, allowing him to rise between 1 and 10 centimeters above the track. The Japanese Maglev train went in 2003 with a speed of 581 km / h on a line of Yamanashi.

5. Rocket – 7274.23 km/h. The fastest rocket piloted by a person is X-15. Launched from a B-52 aircraft, it reached speeds of 7274.23 kilometers per hour, in 1967.
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So what is this strategy game with a name I can’t pronounce? Dai Senryaku VII is a turn-based strategy game on a hexagonal grid for the Xbox that is imported from Japan. Before that worries you, it is all in English, in fact, besides the title, you wouldn’t even know it was produced outside of the U.S. Dai Senryaku VII (abbreviated as DS7 for both our sakes) offers a very in-depth look at modern military conflict that is extremely satisfying. Even though it is for an aging system and won’t be found in any stores offline, DS7 is definitely worth checking out.

DS7 lets you play as one of eight nations’ modern militaries, with a total of over 400 different, real-world units to select from. Ranging from infantry, tanks, artillery, fighters, aircraft carriers, and many other types, it’s easy to find the unit balance that fits the map being played and your play style. Units are produced (in free-play mode) only in proximity to one’s Headquarters, with ships being built in ports and aircraft in airports. Each nation is presented realistically, which means that the U.S. and Russia will have better units than Japan or France, but it will cost them in deployment expenses. Logistics must also be managed, and supply trucks, ships, and tanker aircraft are vital in long-range fighting. Combat also takes place at different altitudes, with aircraft flying high, helicopters skimming the surface, troops on the ground, ships on the water, and submarines under it. Most units also carry several different weapons. A light helicopter may only carry machine guns, aircraft will have several types of missiles, ships will have a variety of weapons, and even infantry can carry anti-tank rockets, SAMs, and mortars. The depth will overwhelm those new to the playstyle, but will bring relief and add to the experience for a military buff. The camera is also very controllable and friendly.

There is a lengthy campaign that is linear, but the fighting armies are represented as different colors, with the player taking control of different nations from one mission to the next. Difficulty increases at a good pace, and the missions are widely varied to avoid repetition. Free-play mode allows the player to fight on any of the campaign maps, several dozen free scenarios, and even player-created maps from the map editor. Options are open to the player, including nations, funds, and alliances. The maps range from real-world looking, to made-up, and even the bizarre, like the moon and earth, or the outline of a cartoon face. The multiple options and map editor allow unlimited replayability.

So hopefully you’ve been fully introduced to a strategy game you’ve probably never heard of. That being said, I recommend checking DS7 out. While you won’t find it in any store (most likely), it can be found online at Amazon.com and the like for a bargain price. It is very in-depth for a console game, and offers a lot of realism. Between the campaign, free-play, and a map editor, you won’t get bored quickly. I highly suggest Dai Senryaku VII as one of the very few strategy games for the Xbox.
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“One of the fastest growing franchises in the nation in 2010,” the advertisement read. Many franchise buyers saw this as a great company to buy into and get in on the ground floor. Unfortunately, many franchise systems that experience explosive growth in the first few years of franchising also end up failing, or as they start to fail due to the hemorrhaging of cash a competitor in the market place buys them up and absorbs them into their system.

This is especially common with new franchisers which start out like rocket ships. The reality is that if a franchiser is moving extremely fast in the market place, you need to do more homework, and do additional due diligence. You need to talk to their franchisees and make sure that they are getting proper support, and that the franchiser has competent staff to handle the increased growth. You’d be surprised how many new franchisers don’t, and it doesn’t mean they aren’t trying; the reality is it is overwhelming.

If such a fast growing franchise system does not have an adequate executive team that has done it before, or the financial resources it takes to do it right, chances are this is not a good franchise to buy even though it seems to be breaking all the speed records in the market place. It takes an awful lot to run a franchising company and as more and more new franchisees come on-board, each one brings with them specific problems that must be dealt with in their local regional areas.

A newer franchiser that is only growing at three or four new units per month, but has an excellent franchise executive team, and a good balance sheet with lots of cash reserves behind them can usually make it without any problem. However, it is all too easy to get into problems when growing that fast if the franchiser has a lack of cash. If you are considering buying a franchise, I hope you will please consider this.
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Watching the shuttle blast off into space would be like watching those first ambitious fish haul themselves up onto dry land, topped off with the explosive power of the world’s most expensive firework. If you ever need a little inspiration, a space-shuttle launch will make you appreciate how remarkable human beings really are.

Begin by contacting the Kenny Space Centre ( 321-867-4636 ) too find out if there’s a launch during your visit ( you can also order tickets to view the launch ). If you can’t get tickets to KSC facilities, don’t worry – there are plenty of great places to see shuttles soar. Try the Astronaut Hall of Fame, Jetty Park Campground, Cherie Down Park, Rotary Riverfront Park, Space View Park, Coca Beach Pier, Bennet Causeway (Hwy 528) and Brewer Parkway Bridge in Titusville.

Make hotel reservations early, and plan to stay for a while. The launch i viewed, STS-110, was delayed 3 times due to mechanical problems and windy weather, a week which culminated with a nail0biting countdown that had technicians reloading software onto the space shuttle Atlantis in the final minutes.

Get to your viewing site early and bring binoculars and extra beer – it’s an international tailgate party no matter where you end up. Vendors sell ice cream, soda and even mission-specific T-shirts ( from $10; they make great souvenirs ). Tune into 920AM for up-to-the-minute reports and, five minutes before the big event, the countdown.

At the launch i viewed, the anticipation was thicker than solid fuel in a pressurized STS-110 tank. I was parked at the Brewer Parkway Bridge, blocked in by dozens of cars – no one cared, no one was going anywhere. Folks from all over the world were taking turns with my friend Linda’s telescope, examining Atlantis from across the bay, imagining it straining against the launch apparatus, eager to fly. “The wind may by too strong today.” announced one man, his ear to the radio. We had 28 minutes until the launch window opened. Prayers to various deities ensued. “The shuttle’s computers went down,’ another woman yelled. The window would close in nine minutes.

But NASA came through with seconds to spare, and the whole Space Coast started chanting “Three, two, one – LIFTOFF!” And there were flames, then clouds of steam, and a silent ascent into the stratosphere. “Here comes the noise,” a father whispered to his son. Windshields rattled in response to the roar; not one of us covered out ears. And Atlantis was gone.

International Spare Station Center

This attraction is so cutting edge, you’ll think the swishing automatic doors have transported you straight to the bridge of the USS Enterprise. Not only can you witness actual components of the International Space Shuttle being constructed, but a high-tech observation deck shows the astronauts’ cramped living space – claustrophobias need not apply. You’ll only see the center via the NASA Up Close tour and Astronaut Training Experience.

- Astronaut Training Experience

The Astronaut Training Experience (321-449-4400; per person including lunch & gear $225) is the closest you’ll ever to come to being an astronaut without all that schooling and training. This experience puts you through the intense training bona-fide astronauts endure, including the 1/6 gravitiy chair and a mission-control countdown. You’ll also have a Q&A with former astronauts as well as exclusive tours of the shuttle launch pads, International Space Station and NASA press site. Participants must be at least 14; those under 19 need to be accompanied by an adult. This program is extremely popular to call well in advance for reservations.

- NASA Up Close tour

The NASA Up Close (adult/child $52/36) tour includes regular admission plus a 2-hour tour of ‘restricted areas,’ where the space shuttle is refitted after landing and is prepped for launch. You almost feel like you’re really going to see the alien autopsy room, like Mulder and Scully skulking around a top-secret warehouse, as you weave between towering buildings and steel pathways. Plus, you don’t have to be an uber space junkie to appreciate the coolness of this behind-the-scenes look at NASA facilities. Just that prior to a launch, this tour is cut short (no refunds).

Author : Kenneth Ng, Lonely Planet
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