Space and Tech update - This week in Space! & Tech!

Had the webpages going for a blog post, decided now that I'm on holiday (for a week) I've gotta work on actual stuff including projects instead of blogging news. So here's a list of somewhat outdated links/quick rundown.

www.space.com/27741-google-leases-nasa-moffett-field.html
- yay for Google acquisitions and diversifying into hardware tech =) I might actually want to work for google's hardware subsidiaries if I could =D

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30026398
- we landed on a comet
www.space.com/27756-comet-landing-google-doodle.html
- technically a robot did but whatever, also got great pics
http://xkcd1446.org/
- and xkcd did live updates on it

www.space.com/27684-orion-space-capsule-test-flight.html
 - wow, I thought we were behind on this project, oh wait, that was the horribly executed SLS. How did they manage to screw up everything in both the analysis and design phases? I mean they wrote the book on Systems Eng and SDLC.

www.space.com/27669-orbital-sciences-rocket-explosion-soviet-engines.html
 - they're not gonna use the 40 year old (built) engines anymore. yay.


EDIT: Forgot Virgin Galactic news
http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-science/20141106/US-Space-Tourism-Virgin-Galactic/ - looks to resume tests in 2015
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-ntsb-will-have-no-quick-answers-after-virgin-galactic-405675/
www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/06/us-space-crash-virgin-new-idUSKBN0IQ02920141106
http://www.betawired.com/ntsb-theorizes-miscommunication-may-have-led-to-virgin-galactic-crash/1415503/
- Feathering system deployed early 
http://www.ntsb.gov/news/2014/141112.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOSNVJzZn90
- NTSB last daily briefing

TECH:

http://news.microsoft.com/2014/11/12/microsoft-takes-net-open-source-and-cross-platform-adds-new-development-capabilities-with-visual-studio-2015-net-2015-and-visual-studio-online/
- Interesting ... open source big leagues now?
http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-to-open-source-more-of-net-and-bring-it-to-linux-mac-os-x-7000035716/
- Still wouldn't trust them with my dev environment though. Even after all those great trust building things they've done in the past. /sarcasm

Flying cars - the Jetsons are go; Star Citizen updates including a really cool graphics webpage

Here's some news of cool stuff so my posts this week aren't all disheartening.

Here's a video of a testflight of a car that turns into a plane and back again!




 __________________________breaking like a boss___________________________________________


Here's a: really cool webpage showcasing a data-based (interception, hacking, courier, transfer) spaceship from Star Citizen.

If you're logged in, it has a nice personalisation showing your profile as the only one not yet eliminated! =P There's also a nifty 'decrypt page' button to reveal the unscrambled data on the webpage. =)

Also, release 13 or Arena Commander v0.9.2 has been released: https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/14258-Arena-Commander-092-Released

Virgin Galactic spacecraft crashes with a test pilot killed.

Unfortunately, more sad news this week, this time all the more sadder with a death and another in hospital.

No doubt this disaster will take a toll on the Virgin Galactic team as it did on Burt Rutan in 2007.

Looks like another engine failure for this week, this time with a solid rocket that apparently exploded. They have already tested powered flights 3 times and unpowered - gliding flights over 20 times.
I've always liked liquid engines more with their increased capabilities including throttling and manual engine stop, which is obviously a plus for safety.

With SpaceX making things look so easy (including soft-landings on the ocean) with their in-house manufactured and tested Falcon 9 (and Merlin engines), these recent events have reminded us all of how dangerous the frontier of space can be, especially with rocket engines being in a whole different class compared to conventional combustion engines or even turbojet engines you'd get in airplanes.

BBC has more coverage. (with eye witnesses)

and so does Space.com (warning, Space.com's 2nd video has slightly graphic description of the aftermath).