"It's a strange day
No colours or shapes
No sound in my head
I forget who I am
When I'm with you."

A Martian Vignette

Sunrise

The ice from last night was melting on the rocky plateau that lay before him. It had been a cold night. Colder than the previous night, and certainly warmer than the nights to come. His limbs were numb and each movement was a source of pain. The horizon was a pale red, hazy strip. The sliver of light-creeping unwieldy over the jagged landscape-submerged the area into a dismal, surreal twilight.

He tried to get up, but his legs were unwilling to obey him. His entire body was shaking and he nearly lost consciousness once again. Thirst-he felt an inexpressible thirst. He moistened his chapped lips with the last few drops of water that he had. His parched throat felt like a grater, causing him great agony each time he swallowed. He hadn't eaten for days. His stomach was now nothing but a useless, cramped muscle. Slowly, he stretched out his arms and felt around on the stone wall above his head, searching. He would have to climb higher, much higher. It couldn't be much farther now. Just another few meters.

He desperately clutched onto a rock spur with his hands. With his last bit of energy, he pulled himself up and heaved his wounded body over the ledge. A wave of pain was sent through his body. His breathing was trembling and his lungs burned like fire. He knew that he did not have much time left. The thin air was beginning to take on an acidic taste to it, and he was having trouble seeing. He pushed himself off the ground and lifted his head defiantly.

A ray of sunlight, warm and forgiving, broke over the outer rim of the Valles Marineres and caressed his emaciated face. Suddenly, he no longer felt hunger, nor thirst. His pain-filled body only seemed to be a distant memory and, for just one moment, the light of the rising sun chased the desperation from his heart.

Then, the oxygen alarm of his spacesuit screeched in protest. It did not interest him anymore. One last time, he looked up at the fading stars. Finally, darkness surrounded him, and he greeted it with a smile.

Translation by Jennifer Johnson

Happy Birthday, My Outerspace Girl

Well can you hear me out there?
I send this message to you
Transmitting out through the air
Signals into the blue
It's earthboy calling on frequency ten
All far out galaxies
I'm beaming love out to my one special friend...
Are you receiving me?

Outerspace girl
I'm sending out a message to you...
Outerspace girl
I'm sending out a message to you...
Are you receiving me?

Well are you grooving up there 
On your mission of love? 
Whizzing onwards at warp factor nine 
Several light years above

Outerspace girl
I'm sending out a message to you
Outerspace girl
I'm sending out a message to you
My outerspace girl
I'm sending out a message to you
Outerspace girl
I'm sending out a message to you
Are you receiving me? 

Well if you ever come back down
To this planet safe and sound
I will be there as you touch down
So that your feet don't touch the ground

Outerspace girl
I'm sending out a message to you
Outerspace girl
i'm sending out a message to you
my outerspace girl
i'm sending out a message to you
outerspace girl
i'm sending out a message to you
Are you receiving me? 

Well if you ever come back down 
To this planet safe and sound 
I will be there as you touch down 
So that your feet don't touch the ground

Or if you'd rather stay up there
Just hanging out in deeper space
I'll send more messages of love
To keep a smile upon your face

Are you receiving me?
Are you receiving me?
Are you receiving me?
Are you receiving me?
Are you receiving me?
Are you receiving me?

Are you receiving?

Most memorable Star Trek Moments...

"Of my friend, I can only say this: of all the souls
I have encountered in my travels. . .
His was the most. . . Human."


Admiral James T. Kirk on Spocks funeral

First Glimpse of Russian-European Lunar Craft

While the Americans are still struggling to receive proper funding to phase out the aging shuttle fleet by 2010, and replace it by an Apollo-style capsule (Project Orion)Europe and Russia are joining forces to get their own next generation spacecraft aloft.

Back in December 2005, Russia proposed a joint development effort for an advanced reusable spacecraft called "Kliper" to the European governments. However, this was rejected by the Europeans due to budget concerns. In 2006, Russia stepped foreward once again with yet a new proposal - to upgrade the old but reliable Sojuz spacecraft.

The current concept, called ACTS (Advanced Crew Transportation System), delineates a vehicle quite similar to the venerable Sojuz craft. It consists of three parts: a Habiation Module, a Reentry Capsule and an Instrument Module. Habiation Module and Instrument Module will be provided by ESA, whereas the Reentry Module will be delivered by Russia. With the U.S. based Orion project going on, the European-Russian moon initiative looming and the current Chinese space activities taking place, everything points to a new moon race. Oh man, how I would like to see HDTV transmissions from the surface of the moon showing astronauts constructing the first permanent human settlement in outer space.

(image credits: Anatoly Zak)

See www.russianspaceweb.com for further information about Kliper and ACTS.

Well, it seems i am...

I am: Isaac Asimov One of the most prolific writers in history, on any imaginable subject.  Cared little for art but created lasting and memorable tales.

Which science fiction writer are you?

15 Cents per Day

"Our great-great-grandparents accepted the challenge of their frontier. Will today's generation do less? And if so, why? To save 15 cents per day? To save six-tenths of 1% of the federal budget? Because that is the cost to the average citizen of our nation's space program. Whether we wish to explore space or not, to say that we cannot afford space exploration is ridiculous."

Editorial response, Mike Griffin - NASA Administrator, USA Today