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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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.
practical favors

The roots of the black space experience date back some 8,500 years when the first lunar calendar was crafted from a bone. Like ancient peoples elsewhere in the world, Africans (sub-Saharan black peoples) “shared the same inspiration and awe of the stars” and “struggled to make sense of it [through] creativity and intelligence” [1] patiently taking “countless generations to watch, justify and map the heavens”[2] and define their relationship with them. According to Dr. Thebe Medupe, a prominent astronomer at the University of Cape Town and the South African Astronomical Observatory, “[Africans] shaped constellations out of stellar patterns and came up with stories about them, …constructed calendars to organize their lives and even erected stone alignments… to follow the sun’s ‘path’ throughout the year.”[3] It was for this reason that Bernard Harris, Jr., the first black astronaut to walk in space stated, “When we look at history itself, you realize that astronomy – the study of the stars – that whole origin… [was] being done by people from Africa. And now I get to fly amongst those same stars” when emphasizing the importance of knowing and understanding history – “If you don’t know where you are and where you came from, you’ll never know where you are going.”[4]

African societies dating back to the ancient times relied on “the stars to predict the likelihood of rain, so they could prepare the land”[5] for planting, for migration (e.g. the Bozo people of Mali “migrate along the delta of the Niger river when the Pleiades transit overhead and begin their fishing season when the Pleiades leave the night sky”[6]) and navigation as well as for determining points in time, leading to the construction of megalith (large stone) observatories and the development of lunar-based calendars, all of which were critical since for them, “knowledge about the movement of the stars [was] a matter of life and death.”[7]

Accordingly the Moon and the stars had a special place in African societies. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) “the Milky Way is called ‘God’s clock’ [since] it is orientated east-west during the wet season and… north-south during the middle of the dry season.[8] At the same time, in “central Nigeria… a strong correlation [is] observed between the tilt of the points on the crescent moon and rainfall. As points tilt to the right, dramatic increases in rain[fall occur and] as points tilt to the left, dramatic decreases in rainfall [occur].[9]

Two famous African megaliths that made use of astronomy are Nabta, built between 5500 B.C. and 3500 B.C. by Central African nomads in southern Egypt near the modern-day border with Sudan and Namoratunga II, which was erected in 300 B.C. (aligned to the 7 stars of the Borana calendar – Triangulum, Pleiades, Aldebarran, Belletrix, Orion, Saiph, and Sirius)[10] and stands near Kenya’s Lake Turkana. Based on archeological data, Nabta consisting of “stones aligned with the different rising positions of the Sun… (caused by the Earth’s rotation) [used] to determine the seasons”[11] is perhaps the oldest astronomical alignment in the world, 1,000 years older than Stonehenge. At the same time archeological finds indicate that the Mursi of Ethiopia and Kushites and Bambara of Sudan were also influenced by and “interested in horizon and zenith (sunrise and sunset) events”[12] as were the peoples inhabiting Benin, Togo, and Zimbabwe.

In Benin and Togo, “the Batamalimba people designed their houses such that their crossbeams [were] aligned to the equinox sunrise and sunset” while the Karanga people constructed “a chevron pattern bisected by the solstice Sun” in the Great Zimbabwe stone city that was built around A.D. 400 and completed about A.D. 1350 to mark “important astronomical seasonal events.”[13] In addition, the Pyramids of Meroë built in Kush (now part of Sudan) and the more than 1600 stone circles discovered to date in the lands comprising the Gambia, Senegal and Togo are likely further examples of African archaeoastronomy.

In conjunction with the construction of megaliths, African societies ranging from southern Africa to sub-Saharan northern Africa, also developed calendars based on the lunar cycle. The oldest such calendar, the Ishango bone, dating back to 6500 B.C. that “was found at the site of a fishing village on the shores of Lake Edward which borders the [Democratic Republic of] Congo (DRC) and Uganda”[14] and is believed to have been used for predicting tidal phenomena. At the same time, another early lunar calendar based on a series of concentric circles ranging in number from 29 to 30 was found in “certain caves in Tanzania.”[15]

Even today several African peoples use lunar calendars. Examples are the Borana of southern Ethiopia and northwest Kenya, the Mursi of Ethiopia, the Ngas of Nigeria, and the Dogon of Mali, each of whom either adds an extra month consisting of 11 days at the end of the year or a 33-day month at the end of each third year to compensate for the difference that arises from the 365.25 day solar year (period of time it takes the Earth to complete one revolution around the Sun) in which there are 12 lunar cycles (period of time ranging from the first rise of the new moon to the final setting of the full moon) consisting of 29.5 days each. The Ngas use the term “bergu” for each 29.5-day month and “gamwe” to describe the final 11 days that follow the 12th and last “bergu” of each year. In addition, some peoples in South Africa “still use the same word for month and moon”[16] because of their connotative relationship.

Because of their interest in the heavens and their attempt to create intelligible frameworks around them, Africans also developed myths and legends surrounding celestial bodies and constellations. “The Pleiades and Sirius figure largely in the star lore of the peoples of Mali and Ethiopia… The Milky Way… and Venus… are focused on all over Africa, while the Southern Cross is important to the Zulu, Sotho, and Tswana [peoples] of southern Africa and… recognized as a navigation constellation.”[17]

Examples of these African myths and legends are as follows: The Bushmen who inhabit southern Africa “believe the Milky Way was made by a Bushman girl who wished for a little light and threw wood ashes into the sky [creating] different colored stars by throwing different colored burning roots into the air. [There are also two other stories. One involves] two stars of the Southern Cross, Alpha and Gamma Crucis… The creator had two sons called Khanka and Khoma. One day the two boys went hunting with a family of lions, but the treacherous lions ate the boys. In his anger and despair, the creator made fire and hid it in a meteor disguised as an eland’s horn. The creator called down the meteor and it hit [and killed] the lion. [Afterwards the creator’s] heart was calmed and there was fire for everyone. Khanka and Khoma are Alpha Crucis and Gamma Crucis. [The next is about Pleiades and the three stars of the Orion Belt, in which] …seven daughters of the sky god (Pleiades) were married to a hunter. One evening [he] went hunting [for] zebras (the three stars of Orion’s Belt). He was such a bad hunter that his arrow missed, and because he was afraid of the nearby lion (Betelgeuse, another star) he left the arrow where it lay (now known as Orion’s sword). [Afterwards, being] …too embarrassed to [return] home to his wives because he did not have meat to bring to them, …he [stayed] out… in the cold as the star called Aldebaran.”[18]

In addition to merely studying astronomy, developing lunar calendars, and creating myths and legends about the heavens, Africans also exchanged information and ideas with Islamic scientists following the establishment of protected trade routes in the areas encompassing Mali, Mauritania and Senegal. The peak of this exchange occurred during the rule of the Ghana, Mali and Songhay empires (c. A.D. 1200-A.D. 1591) when Islamic traders traveled to African cities in search of gold, the economic standard of their lands after Iranian scholar, Ibn al-Faqih al-Hamadhani wrote in c. A.D. 900:

It is said that beyond the source of the Nile is darkness and beyond the darkness are waters which make the gold grow… to the town of Ghana is a three-months’ journey through deserts. In the country of Ghana gold grows in the sand as carrots do, and is plucked at sunrise.[19]

During the height of this trans-Saharan trade, Islamic scholars established learning centers and introduced the written language, resulting in the creation of thousands of African books pertaining to astronomy and science.

However, it was not until late in the 20th century, some two decades after the United States and the now defunct Soviet Union (USSR) had begun their manned space programs, that descendents of these early African astronomers actually made it into space, much in part due to the efforts of Luke Weathers (b. A.D. 1920), a black World War II veteran with a degree in science and biology and others who had “pressured the U.S. military to train a corps of black pilots at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama… to prove that black Americans… could handle the most challenging… jobs.”[20]

This led to June A.D. 1967 when another pilot, Major Robert H. Lawrence, Jr. (A.D. 1935-A.D. 1967) with over 2,500 flight hours behind him, successfully completed the Air Force’s Flight Test Pilot Training School at Edwards Air Force Base in California and was named the first African-American astronaut. “Though he never made it into space”[21] dying on December 8th when the F-104 Starfighter piloted by a trainee whom he was instructing crashed, Major Lawrence had participated in the Air Force’s Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) Program, a project that “would eventually lead to today’s International Space Station.”[22]

Despite the setback, blacks were not going to be denied their place in space. Following the success of the Civil Rights movement, new opportunities emerged much in part due to improved education and equal opportunity chances. As a result greater numbers of blacks enrolled and were accepted into America’s space program.

History was made on September 18, A.D. 1980 when Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez (b. A.D. 1942), a Cuban of black-hispanic heritage was launched into space as part of the Soyuz 38 crew. “After docking with Salyut 6, Tamayo (a Cuban Air Force pilot) and [his partner Yuri] Romanenko (b. A.D. 1944) conducted experiments in an attempt to find [the cause] of space sickness, and… a cure.”[23] He spent 188 hours and 43 minutes in space before returning to Earth on September 26, A.D. 1980.

This was followed by the August 30, A.D. 1983 launch of Guion “Guy” Bluford (b. A.D. 1942), a U.S. Air Force Colonel who had majored in aerospace engineering and minored in laser physics, aboard the space shuttle Challenger on the STS-8 mission which lasted 145 hours. Upon entering space during the worlds’ first night launch, Guy Bluford became the first African-American astronaut to make the trip.

Afterwards Guy Bluford participated in three additional missions – STS-61-A (October 30-November 6, A.D. 1985 aboard Challenger), STS-39 (April 28-May 6, A.D. 1991 aboard Discovery), and STS-53 (December 2-December 9, A.D. 1992 aboard Discovery). During his career, Col. Bluford who retired from active space duty in 1993, amassed 28 days, 16 hours and 33 minutes in space. Since then Col. Bluford has been inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame (A.D. 1997) and “has spoken before many groups… where he serves as a role model,” all possible because his mother, a teacher, and father, an engineer, had encouraged him and his three brothers to “set their goals high” and because he ignored a school counselor’s advice to”learn a trade, since he was not college material.”[24]

The next black astronaut to make history was Dr. Mae Jemison (b. A.D. 1956), the daughter of a maintenance worker (her father) and teacher (her mother) who earned a BS in Chemical Engineering, a BA in African-American studies, and a doctorate in medicine. Notably, during her years in medical school and participation in the Peace Corps she had provided medical care to persons in Cuba, Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Thailand.

When the space shuttle Endeavor was launched on September 12, A.D. 1992, Dr. Jemison became the first African-American woman in space. Following her 7 day, 22 hour, 30 minute mission aboard Endeavor as a mission specialist (STS-47 September 12-20, A.D. 1992), Jemison retired from space flight to found The Jemison Group “to research, develop and implement advanced technologies suited to the social, political, cultural and economic context of the individual, especially for the developing world.”[25] Yet despite her post NASA pursuits, Dr. Jemison in following the encouragement and support given by her parents, consistently encourages African-Americans to pursue scientific careers especially with the space program – “This is the one time when we can get in on the ground floor.”[26]

A third history making black astronaut was Dr. Bernard A. Harris, Jr. (b. A.D. 1956), a private pilot and flight surgeon with a doctorate in medical science and a master’s degree in biomedical science who had dreamed “to look down on the clouds” since he was 8. “I was watching what was happening with the space program, watching these guys go up… people called them American heroes. I wanted to be a hero too,” he declared when thinking back to the infancy of the U.S. space program.[27] On February 9, A.D. 1995, Dr. Harris became the first African-American to walk in space when he and astronaut Michael Foale (b. A.D. 1957) “made a five hour space walk to test thermal improvements in space suits and to hoist a 2,800 pound telescope that would aid… efforts to design [the] International Space Station.”[28] Afterwards, he reflected back to 1963, perhaps the most pivotal year in the Civil Rights movement (e.g. the march on Washington, D.C. where Martin Luther King, Jr. made his famous “I have a dream” speech in August, the Birmingham Church bombing a month later that martyred four young black girls, etc.) stating, “Those were some of the best times and worst times. Here on this planet we were fighting for human rights and at the same time we were sending men to the moon.”[29] Appropriately, Dr. Harris dedicated his space walk, which he described as “probably the most wonderful day of my life”[30] to “all African-Americans and to African American achievement.”[31]

During his astronaut career, Dr. Bernard Harris, Jr. took part in two missions – STS-55 (April 26-May 6, A.D. 1993 aboard Columbia as a mission specialist conducting “a variety of research in physical and life sciences”[32]) and STS-63 (February 2-11, A.D. 1995 aboard Discovery as payload commander) logging 18 days, 6 hours and 8 minutes in space. Like Bluford, Dr. Harris also serves as an inspiration encouraging “children of all races to follow his example – ‘Don’t be afraid to dream… Get… an education. Be willing to work hard. If you do these three things, there is nothing that you can’t do in life.’”[33]

In addition to the above-mentioned African-American astronauts, others have also pursued and made the journey to and from space. In the process, two – Ronald E. McNair, Ph.D. and Col. Michael A. Anderson, made the ultimate sacrifice – giving up their lives in quest of scientific exploration and discovery for the benefit of humanity. Summaries of these inspirational astronauts are listed below:

Lt. Col. Michael P. Anderson (A.D. 1959-A.D. 2003) amassed 24 days, 18 hours, and 8 minutes in space, participating in STS-89 (January 22-31, A.D. 1998 aboard Endeavor) and STS-107 (January 16-February 1, A.D. 2003 aboard Columbia). Tragically Lt. Col. Anderson lost his life when the “space shuttle Columbia and her crew perished during entry, 16 minutes before scheduled landing”[34] at Cape Canaveral.

Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (b. A.D. 1946) amassed 28 days, 8 hours, and 37 minutes in space, participating in STS-61-C (January 12-18, 1986 aboard Columbia), STS-31 (April 24-29, A.D. 1990 aboard Discovery), STS-45 (March 24-April 2, A.D. 1992 aboard Atlantis as the first African-American mission commander), and STS-60 (February 3-11, A.D. 1994 aboard Discovery).

Robert L. Curbeam, Jr. (b. A.D. 1962) amassed 24 days, 17 hours, and 49 minutes in space, participating in STS-85 (August 7-19, A.D. 1997 aboard Discovery) and STS-98 (February 7-20, 2001 aboard Atlantis).

Col. Frederick D. Gregory (b. A.D. 1941) amassed 18 days, 23 hours, and 4 minutes in space, participating in STS-51-B (April 29-May 6, A.D. 1985 aboard Challenger), STS-33 (November 22-27, A.D. 1989 aboard Discovery), and STS-44 (November 24-December 1, A.D. 1991 aboard Atlantis).

Ronald E. McNair, Ph.D. (A.D. 1950-A.D. 1986) amassed 7 days, 23 hours, and 15 minutes in space during STS-41-B (February 3-11, A.D. 1984 aboard Challenger). Tragically Dr. McNair perished along with the rest of the Challenger crew when the space shuttle exploded minutes after launch on January 28, A.D. 1986 for the STS-51-L mission.

Stephanie D. Wilson (b. A.D. 1966) who to date has amassed 12 days, 18 hours, and 36 minutes in space (STS-121 – July 4-17, A.D. 2006 aboard Discovery).

Based on the growing roll of African-American astronauts, which likely will include Joan Higginbotham (b. A.D. 1964) who is slated for launch this fall, the efforts of Dr. Beth A. Brown, a pioneering African-American astrophysicist, the creation of a “National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme” in South Africa consisting of a collaboration among the country’s “universities and research institutes [that focuses on] honors and masters students [to create a new generation of space scientists][35], and the A.D. 2005 debut of the 11-meter-wide South African Large Telescope (SALT) at Sutherland, “the Southern Hemisphere’s largest and most advanced telescope”[36] the black space experience can only grow richer as the future remains bright like the Earth’s shining star, the Sun.

______________________________

Endnotes:

[1] Ancient Astronomy In Africa. Fall 1998. 18 July 2006. http://hej3.as.utexas.edu/~www/wheel/africa/index.html

[2] Jarita Holbrook. African Astronomy. Center for Archaeoastronomy. June 1998. 18 July 2006. http://www.wam.umd.edu/~tlaloc/archastro/ae28.html

[3] Africans studied astronomy in medieval times. The Royal Society. 30 January 2006. 18 July 2006. http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/news/asp?year=&id=4117&printer=1

[4] Kathy Nellis. Trip to the stars rooted in history. CNN.com. 24 February 1996. 18 July 2006. http://www.cnn.com/US/9602/black_astronaut/index.html

[5] M. Panther. Africans Studied Astronomy in Medieval Times. 26 February 2006. 18 July 2006. http://www.assatashakur.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-15793.html

[6] Jarita Holbrook. African Astronomy. Center for Archaeoastronomy. June 1998. 18 July 2006. http://www.wam.umd.edu/~tlaloc/archastro/ae28.html

[7] Curtis Abraham. Astronomy and the legacy of apartheid. New Scientist.com. 15 January 2005. 18 July 2006. http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18524822.000&print=true

[8] Jarita Holbrook. African Astronomy. Center for Archaeoastronomy. June 1998. 18 July 2006. http://www.wam.umd.edu/~tlaloc/archastro/ae28.html

[9] Ngas. Cultural Astronomy. 18 July 2006. http://ecuip.lib.uchicago.edu/diglib/science/cultural_astronomy/cultures_ngas-1.html

[10] Namouratunga II. Archaeoastronomy Africa. 18 July 2006. http://library.thinkquest.org/C0118421/africakenya.html

[11] M. Panther. Africans Studied Astronomy in Medieval Times. 26 February 2006. 18 July 2006. http://www.assatashakur.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-15793.html

[12] A.F. Veni. Tropical archeoastronomy. Science 213. 1981.

[13] Laurence R. Doyle and Edward W. Frank. Astronomy of Africa. Encyclopedia of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. 18 July 2006. http://www.tusker.com/Archaeo/art.encyclo.htm

[14] Jarita Holbrook. African Astronomy. Center for Archaeoastronomy. June 1998. 18 July 2006. http://www.wam.umd.edu/~tlaloc/archastro/ae28.html

[15] Laurence R. Doyle and Edward W. Frank. Astronomy of Africa. Encyclopedia of the History of Science, Technology and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. 18 July 2006. http://www.tusker.com/Archaeo/art.encyclo.htm

[16] M. Panther. Africans Studied Astronomy in Medieval Times. 26 February 2006. 18 July 2006. http://www.assatashakur.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-15793.html

[17] Jarita Holbrook. African Astronomy. Center for Archaeoastronomy. June 1998. 18 July 2006. http://www.wam.umd.edu/~tlaloc/archastro/ae28.html

[18] Curtis Abraham. Astronomy and the legacy of apartheid. New Scientist.com. 15 January 2005. 18 July 2006. http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18524822.000&print=true

[19] John Reader. Africa: A Biography of the Continent. Vintage Books: New York. 1997. 286.

[20] WWII flier paved way for black astronauts. News 4. 10 July 2006. http://kvoa.com/global/story.asp?s=5130972&ClientType=Printable

[21] Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr. Biography. NASA and About, Inc. 2006. 18 July 2006. http://space.about.com/cs/deceasedastronaut/a/rhlawrencebio.htm

[22] Robert Henry Lawrence, Jr. Wikipedia.com. 3 July 2006. 18 July 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Henry_Lawrence_Jr

[23] Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez. Wikipedia.com. 4 July 2006. 18 July 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnaldo_Tamayo_Mendez

[24] Nick Greene. Guion “Guy” Bluford – NASA Astronaut. About, Inc. 2006. 18 July 2006. http://space.about.com/cs/formerastronauts/a/guionbluford.htm

[25] Mae Jemison. Wikipedia.com. 28 June 2006. 18 July 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mae_Jemison

[26] Marilyn Marshall. Child of the ‘60s set to become first Black woman in space. Gale Group. 2004. 18 July 2006. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_n10_v44/ai_7804625/print

[27] First African-American To Walk In Space Speaks In Palestine. KLTV.com. 18 January 2005. 21 July 2006. http://afgen.com/bernard_harris.html

[28] 1997 Honorees – Bernard A. Harris, Jr., M.D. Dominion. 2006. 21 July 2006. http://www.dom.com/about/education/strong/1997/bernardharris.jsp

[29] First African-American To Walk In Space Speaks In Palestine. KLTV.com. 18 January 2005. 21 July 2006. http://afgen.com/bernard_harris.html

[30] Nick Greene. Dr. Bernard Harris, Jr., Biography. About, Inc. 2006. http://space.about.com/od/foremrastronauts/a/bernardharris.htm

[31] 1997 Honorees – Bernard A. Harris, Jr., M.D. Dominion. 2006. 21 July 2006. http://www.dom.com/about/education/strong/1997/bernardharris.jsp

[32] Nick Greene. Dr. Bernard Harris, Jr., Biography. About, Inc. 2006. http://space.about.com/od/foremrastronauts/a/bernardharris.htm

[33] Nick Greene. Dr. Bernard Harris, Jr., Biography. About, Inc. 2006. http://space.about.com/od/foremrastronauts/a/bernardharris.htm

[34] Michael Phillip Anderson. Wikipedia.com. 3 Julye 2006. 18 July 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_P._Anderson

[35] Space science programme takes off. Science in Africa. May 2003. 18 July 2006. http://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2003/may/stars.htm

[36] George Faraday. South Africa to Build Largest Telescope South of the Equator. Africa News Service. 8 July 1998. 21 July 2006. http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200101080369.html

Additional Sources:

Bail Davidson. The Lost Cities of Africa. Little, Brown and Company. USA. 1959.

Bernard A. Harris, Jr. Wikipedia.com. 11 May 2006. 18 July 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Harris

Charles F. Bolden, Jr. Wikipedia.com. 4 July 2006. 21 July 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_F._Bolden

Frederick D. Gregory. Wikipedia.com. 8 June 2006. 18 July 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Gregory

Guion Bluford. Wikipedia.com. 15 June 2006. 18 July 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guion_Bluford

Nick Greene. Dr. Mae C. Jamison. About, Inc. 2006. http://space.about.com/cs/formerastronauts/a/jemisonbio.htm

Nick Greene. Ronald E. McNair (Ph.D.). About, Inc. 2006. http://space.about.com/cs/deceasedastronaut/a/ronmcnair.htm

Robert Curbeam. Wikipedia.com. 21 June 2006. 18 July 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Curbeam

Ronald McNair. Wikipedia.com. 6 July 2006. 18 July 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_McNair

South African Large Telescope Makes Its Debut. Physorg.com. 1 September 2005. 21 July 2006. http://www.physorg.com/news6159.html

Stephanie Wilson. Wikipedia.com. 18 July 2006. 18 July 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephanie_Wilson
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With their 2 months satisfaction guarantee, most of the people do not have to worry about the quality of course provided.
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Rocket Spanish is a “learn to speak Spanish” course from the popular “Rocket” Collection. Rocket Languages offers online courses teaching French, German and Spanish. Learning a new language online has recently become one of the most popular and cost efficient ways to learn. Courses are easily accessible, you can learn in your own time using rich multimedia lessons and there’s no costly tutoring involved.

Not only will they teach you how to speak spanish fluently but you will also have fun doing it. Rocket Spanish – by Mauricio Evlampeiff, is the ultimate online Spanish immersion course available, no questions! They combine professional audio/video instruction with written notes, interactive exercises, and fun learning games to ensure you retain as much information as possible. There is no comparison when it comes to online Spanish courses, Rocket Spanish is by far the industry leader. The information is clearly laid out and easy to understand. With this program it’s simple to stay motivated.

One of the greatest hurdles faced by language courses is keeping the audience interested and motivated. Rocket Spanish is a highly interactive course, which makes learning fun and involving. Unlike other programmes, it also includes several games that keep this course entertaining and ensures that the course stays enjoyable throughout. Furthermore, Rocket Spanish focuses on practical uses of the language. It has a greater focus on real life situations than many other courses so you will always feel that you are learning useful information.

If you have been looking for a learn to speak Spanish CD set, the Rocket Spanish language course is also available in this format and is delivered to your door. In case you were unaware, Rocket Spanish is available in two formats, one of which can be downloaded straight to your computer.

Rocket Spanish is aimed at people that want to get a fully rounded Spanish language education. It has sections that teach you to speak, listen, read and write. There is a forum where you can discuss the course with others and ask questions. They send extra lessons via email every fortnight to keep you focused on learning the language. You will spend many hours using the program as an educational tool and as a reference guide for Spanish words and verbs. The games provide a useful distraction when you need a break from the lessons. You can also warm up on the games before starting a proper lesson.

There are over 16 hours of audio, you will be listening to audio courses and replicating what they say in order to retain what you have learned. This course will allow you to learn Spanish fluently where you can speak with other Spanish speaking people and navigate through Spanish countries with ease.

In order to be fluent in a language you will have to develop the ability to think in that language and directly know what you want to say. It seems that Rocket Spanish has a good grasp of this concept and forces this method to its users.

Anyone can try the course for up to eight weeks and simply request a refund if they aren’t satisfied with the product. Compared to other Spanish Language courses available online, Rocket Spanish offered the best features and usability. If you’re considering learning to speak Spanish fluently and don’t have the money for expensive one-on-one tutoring or group classes, Rocket Spanish is an excellent choice.

In the end, Rocket Spanish seemed to make accurate claims of the effectiveness of their program and usability. In a series of a dozen or more programs tested and reviewed this language program seemed to be the very best. This program is recommended for any English speaker who wishes to learn Spanish the right way.
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You want to learn that second language but you are not sure where to start – there are so many options open for learning French you are confused about which one to get.

Let’s look at three different courses which are available to you and what they have to offer.

1. Rosetta Stone

This course is offered on CD-Rom that you can use on your personal computer in the comfort of your own home. It is available for purchase online or from your local bookstore. Learning French becomes easy with the methods provided and you begin with the first course of the three levels which comprise the full set.

Level one will equip you with the vocabulary you need to begin the journey towards mastering the language in full and costs $239. Level two will help you to begin engaging people in conversation and costs $269 and level three which is the most advanced level of French costs $299.

2. Rocket French

Rocket is a relative newcomer to the market of language tuition but has gained popularity quickly due to its effectiveness. You can learn to speak and understand French in as little as 8 weeks and do it at your own pace. It is offered as a download straight to your computer for as little as $99 or, if you prefer, you can also get it as a hard copy. Downloading it is more cost effective, but the hard copy can enable you to take it with you in the car or wherever you go, providing you have a CD player. Rocket French teaches the language as it is spoken on the street by everyday people.

3. Pimsleur

This method has been used by government departments and is purportedly the quickest method of learning any second language. It is offered as a download, on CD, or on cassette and comes in a 3-level set similar to Rosetta Stone. Pimsleur makes the claim that you can learn a language in as little as 10 days or if you are not happy you can receive a full refund. It was developed by a doctor who spent many years studying the building blocks that comprise any language.

Which course you need depends on your requirements and the amount of time you have to devote to learning French, but each one can teach you all you need to know.
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Make a balloon rocket for your next science fair project using your own air as the energy.

Here are the materials you need to get to complete this project:

Fishing line about 30-50 ft. A bag of various size balloons. You can get these at a dollar store A straw Tape 2 chairs or something you can tie the fishing line to such as two poles about 10 to 15 ft apart from each other

The instructions for this project are pretty simple but they show a great deal of physics and energy.

Take one of your balloons and blow it up. Do not tie it but pinch off the end and while it is blown up tape the straw to the side of the balloon. You will probably want to secure it in several places to make sure it will stay.

Let the air out of the balloon slowly. You do not want to make the straw fall off.

Now place your chairs with the backs facing each other about 10 to 15 feet apart.

Thread the fishing line through the straw and then take the monofilament thread and tie it around the back of the chairs. You will want this to be very tight so the line does not sag. You may also want to tie a knot that you can easily untie and retie again and again. Now you will want to make sure there is your balloon with a loop of fishing line wrapped around two chairs or poles.

Blow up the balloon and pinch the end again so no air escapes. If you have a balloon pump this works wonders. You can also get these at a local dollar store. They usually come in a package with long skinny balloons to make shaped animals. Pull your balloon rocket to one side of a chair. The end you are pinching closed should be closest to the chair.

Release your fingers and watch your balloon rocket to the other side.

How far did your balloon travel?

You will want to graph this on paper. Measure the length the balloon traveled. Now get a different size balloon and do the same thing. You will want to test different size and shape balloons to see if a certain size or shape is more effective at propelling the rocket farther.

Also you will want to try only blowing the balloon up half full and see what that does.

So how can you explain this as a science project? This is physics. The law states with every action there is an opposite reaction. So the air releasing from one end forcefully cause an opposite reaction by pushing the balloon matter the different direction. Your air blown into the balloon was energy to fuel the rocket. When you opened your fingers that stored energy was released and was able to move the balloon.
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I’m going to be your police exam study guide. I’ve been working with all sorts of people to help them get better at passing these types of tests because they’re tough. It’s not that the questions are necessarily hard, it is just such a different dynamic to what is expected of you. Being a police officer isn’t something on paper. It is a very complicated, dangerous and reward experience. The last place a potential police officer is, is in their head. It’s hard to go from how to properly do things on the street to how to properly do things on a piece of paper in a hypothetical situation. I’m going to act as your police exam study guide and help you get through this.

What if I told you that the answers to these exams are all pretty much common sense, you’d probably relax. The questions aren’t rocket science. You’re not asked to build a space ship, you’re asked what you should do in various situations and if you’re a human being in a normal capacity, you should be able to rely on your common sense. You have to keep the peace, stay in control and not let things get out of hand. It is really that simple.

My best piece of advice to share with you in this police exam study guide is to actually read the questions. I know that sounds trivial, but when you’re under the clock your mind will start to try and figure out the question before you finish reading it. This leads to people answering incorrectly, even though they assume they read the question. Make sure you read them.
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