Hang Ups

    IMAGE: NASA

SHORT WALK: First thing this morning, we tuned into NASA TV to check out a couple of Tims taking a spacewalk! Tim Peake, an astronaut from the United Kingdom, and Tim Kopra, of NASA. Among other things, the Tims were tasked with fixing replace a failed voltage regulator that caused a loss of power to one of the station’s eight power channels last November.

The spacewalk started at 4:48 a.m. our time (in Seattle), and was scheduled to last about 6.5 hours. Imagine our surprise as we tuned in only to hear the astronauts were heading back into the International Space Station, ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, liquid showed up in Peake's helmet during the extravehicular activity, and as a precaution, the spacewalk was aborted.

You may recall that back in 2013, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano nearly drowned during a spacewalk when liquid started accumulating in his helmet.

According to a story in The Telegraph, Peake reported a small water bubble, and then a film of water, inside his helmet. Soon thereafter, Mission Control terminated the planed six-hour spacewalk at the four-hour and 10-minute mark.

After the spacewalk, Kopra is reported to have said the water bubble was 4 inches long and getting thicker. That's disconcerting, to say the least. Early reports say the leak is believed to have come from the cooling loop in Kopra's spacesuit.

Troublesome bubble aside, Peake's adventure was history making, as he's the first astronaut to wear the Union Jack while taking a spacewalk! Twitter was abuzz with the news, and Sir Paul McCartney chimed in, Tweeting: "We're all watching, no pressure!" Wishing you a happy stroll outdoors in the universe."

In other space-y news, Sunday morning, there is a scheduled SpaceX launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in So Cal. The launch is planned to take place at 10:42:18 a.m. (then and only then, not much of a launch window!). Called Jason-3, the international mission is led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in an effort to continue U.S.- European satellite measurements of the topography of the ocean surfaces,

CRASH COURSE: We recently were introduced to Crash Course and Crash Course Kids, two YouTube channels that have quick video lessons about a variety of educational topics.

The videos include a little animation and/or cartoon accents, they're very fast paced and work to include some levity.

Crash Course features diverse topics, ranging from sciences (including chemistry and astronomy) to government to economics, psychology and more. Today, we watched videos about the United States judicial system and the legislative branch. The host, Craig Benzine, speaks very, very rapidly.Here's one about the structure of the court system.

https://youtu.be/IGyx5UEwgtA

We also checked out a couple of Crash Course Kids videos, including one about particles. It's a good introduction to the states of liquid, solid and gas for those new to those concepts.

https://youtu.be/npv74D2MO6Q

SETTING: This afternoon, we spent an hour or so doing a test fit of some of the staging elements we've been working on for a play CJ is in next week. It's based on the Greek myth Theseus and the Minotaur. We made quick partial covering for a doorway to an offstage area, and a little valance to go with ...

And then there were the muslin banners. Here's the first 'wave' of them, for the front of the stage.

What's not pictured here is another column that will go to the left of the woman (caryitid) on the left. Also, there's a longish banner missing to her right. And those little weird squares on the bottom corners of the banners will go away - they were measurement labels. It's a work in progress, but we're inching ever closer.

Shuttles and Shuffles

SPACE SHUTTLES: Today, NASA announced cargo contracts to keep critical science, research and technology flowing to the International Space Station (ISS) from 2019 through 2024. Three private companies were awarded contracts to act as cargo shuttles to the ISS:  Orbital ATK and SpaceX, both of which have already flown ISS missions. A newcomer is Sierra Nevada Corporation of Sparks, Nevada, with their Dream Chaser® vehicle, which looks a bit like a miniature version of the good ol' NASA shuttles of days gone by. It lands like a plane, on a runway (rather than a splashdown).

When making the contract announcement today, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said, “Few would have imagined back in 2010 when President Barack Obama pledged that NASA would work ‘with a growing array of private companies competing to make getting to space easier and more affordable,’ that less than six years later we’d be able to say commercial carriers have transported 35,000 pounds of space cargo (and counting!) to the International Space Station -- or that we’d be so firmly on track to return launches of American astronauts to the ISS from American soil on American commercial carriers. But that is exactly what is happening."

We're sure looking forward to that day when NASA astronauts are, once again, on U.S. flown spacecraft to the ISS.

Below is an animated video representing the Dream Chaser® Cargo System. https://youtu.be/eHvBUqfWDRs

HIGH STAKES: Last night we broke out Annabelle's My Little Pony cards and some pistachios and played high stakes blackjack.

It struck me while we were playing that the game is a good math lesson. Obviously, there's the counting to 21 thing, but beyond that, it also involves a lot of estimating and strategizing (for instance, when to hit, when to stand, trying to count cards [how many tens/face cards and aces have been played so far).

I am happy to report I was the BIG WINNER last night. I happily shared the spoils of victory. 

YOUNG AMERICANS: Yesterday, while working on sets for CJ's play, we had Bowie as our soundtrack. As we listened to a wide range of songs from his catalog, I was able to share some stories with the kids about the musician and man. 

Bowie had a long track record of taking on social issues. I love this clip where he's grilling one of the MTV producers about the dearth of videos featuring African American artists on MTV back in the day when they actually used to play music videos instead of just a stream of awful reality TV).
https://youtu.be/XZGiVzIr8Qg

I also told the kids about an article in the LA Times by writer Sasha Frere Jones that noted Bowie "worked like a dog, and he paid attention."

Bowie's video "China Girl" was a message about stereotypes regarding Chinese women, and the video for "Let's Dance" shined the light on discrimination against Aboriginal Australians. 

And just for fun we watched a great old live performance of "Young Americans" 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydLcs4VrjZQ


PRETTY PAIR: A space-loving friend posted a link to this video, a Soyuz module TMA-16M docking with the International Space Station on 28 March 2015, set to  "Blue Danube Waltz" by Johann Strauss II. It makes one think of "2001: A Space Odyssey."

https://youtu.be/KEGzVCHNYqg

★

     IMAGE: NASA's Hubble Space Telescope; Words: Millions of Twitter/Instagram/Facebook users on 1/11/2016
IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?: So many heartfelt tributes to David Bowie abound as we're all getting used to life on Earth without the artistic genius. 

As our arts appreciation lesson today, we soaked in three takes on one phenomenal song, "Life on Mars" from Bowie's album Hunky Dory, which was released in 1971.

The first version we watched was an absolutely stunning send off for Bowie by Rick Wakeman. The Englishman is an author, songwriter and keyboardist best known for his work with the progressive rock band Yes. Wakeman also happens to be the chap who performed piano on the original recording of Bowie's haunting "Life on Mars" track (an astounding 44 years ago - wow!).

The way the music flows from this man's fingertips to the keyboard is absolutely mesmerizing.

https://youtu.be/jogv7tD18gs

Another touching "Life on Mars" tribute came from a near vacant cathedral, St. Albans, in Hertfordshire. Opened in 1877, its 84-meter nave is the longest of any cathedral in England.  This tribute features Nicholas Freestone, 24, on the organ. CJ and Annabelle couldn't believe one person with one instrument could produce these sounds.The cathedral's organ was built in 1962, the first cathedral instrument in Britain to be voiced and built on neo-classical lines. (You can read its complete specs in a PDF.)

https://youtu.be/TncxHFmDEyM

A spokesman for the Diocese of St. Albans said: "Our organ scholar has proved brilliantly adept at playing Life on Mars with just a hint of a mournful voice and a prayer for a departed soul."

Naturally, we had to also re-watch Bowie's original performance of "Life on Mars." As we watched, I reminded the kids that while they're used to seeing men in makeup and gender lines blurred, what Bowie did when he artistically kicked down the doors was so SO far out there for his time. He showed that being different wasn't just OK, it was fabulous!
https://youtu.be/v--IqqusnNQ

AN HOUR, AT LAST: Back in December, we were super busy during the official week "Hour of Code" was held. The awesome annual event was founded in 2013, by Code.org®, a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer science, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. Code.org®'s vision includes seeing every student in every school with the opportunity to learn computer science. 

This afternoon we finally sat down and immensely enjoyed this year's Hour of Code offerings. Annabelle chose to do a Star Wars project, while CJ opted for their Minecraft lesson. 
You can check out the game Bee created by following this link: https://studio.code.org/c/165543904

If you click on the "How it Works" button on her game, you can see which building blocks of code she used to make the program.

On CJ's first go through of his project, I love how the program told him he'd completed the mission, but that he could have done it in four steps instead of eight. We'll be back at the Hour of Code for many more hours!

And the Stars Look Very Different Today

AS THE WORLD FALLS DOWN: If you read last Friday's blog, Jan. 8, you'll see I noted, "We spent several hours today with (David) Bowie as our soundtrack thanks to local radio station KEXP observing Intergalactic Bowie Day by playing songs from the Bowie catalog between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. They also played other artists covering Bowie songs, tunes by artists Bowie worked with, was influenced by or whom he influenced. All in all twelve hours of amazing music."

We were thrilled with Bowie's new album's release ★ (Blackstar) on his birthday (Jan. 8). At first listen it was nuanced, eerie, brilliant and haunting.

It was also David Bowie's parting gift to the world. 

David Robert Jones died on Jan. 10 at the age of 69, two days after releasing ★, and I am crushed. 

Still basking in the afterglow of a most unlikely Seahawks' victory on Sunday, we went to bed Sunday night blissfully unaware. I woke up this morning to an email from my sister saying nothing more than: "This is the big one."

I thought there was a devastating earthquake or something, and immediately hopped online for the news. 

I quickly came to find out that it was a tear in the fabric of the starfield. Suddenly, unexpectedly, David Bowie, who always seemed not quite of this world, had left Earth behind. 

Planet Earth is blue, and there's nothing left to do ...

Reactions poured in from around the globe as people tried to wrap their heads around it all. So much of Bowie's catalog referenced space-related topics. It was no wonder that scientists were among those mourning publicly today. 

The official NASA Twitter account tweeted: "'And the stars look very different today.' RIP David Bowie."

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson weighed in, as well ... 

Dr. Brian May, astrophysicist and out of this world musician most famous for his work as the guitarist for Queen wrote this on his blog ...

"I woke up late, after a long night, to shocking news. David Bowie gone.
I don’t know if I can react immediately.
He was a fearsome talent, and the loss to Music and Culture from his passing is inestimable.
In and out of our lives, always challenging and innovative, and … shocking.
But this news is hard to take in.
I had no idea he was close to death. Would like to have said something …
Very sad. Sincere condolences to his family.
But what a life.
All hail, David Bowie, Star Man, Hero. RIP.
Bri"

The European Space Agency's Rosetta Mission posted this touching graphic ... their space probe with a little Ziggy Stardust flair.

Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield made multiple posts today about Bowie. Perhaps you remember Hadfield (with Bowie's permission) did a cover of "Space Oddity" while on the International Space Station? 


Hadfield also posted this tribute to his Facebook account.

David Bowie has died. It leaves me and, I suspect, millions around the world, with an instant feeling of loss and emptiness - and yet also a wistful joy, a sense of how creative and inspirational just one of us can be. His art defined an image of outer space, inner self, and a rapidly changing world for a generation finding themselves at the confluence.

I am honoured to have been able to return some of that favour. Being able to record Oddity (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo) on the International Space Station was an attempt to bring that art full circle. It was meant as a way to allow people to experience, without it being stated, that our culture had reached beyond the planet. We live in space. I thank him for allowing us the opportunity, and for being so kind since.

These past two weeks I had watched and listened to David twice: once absorbing Lazarus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-JqH1M4Ya8) from his new album, and once re-watching the recording he did of Little Drummer Boy with Bing Crosby (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9kfdEyV3RQ). To me they are lovely, thoughtful moments, insights into in his relentless creativity. Bookends of intimacy spanning a life, both which make me want to watch them again and again. If you haven’t seen them, I recommend you take the time.

With much respect to a genius, a silent moment of reflection: ashes to ashes, dust to stardust. Your brilliance inspired us all. Goodbye Starman.

As Bowie once said, "I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human."

And that he was. And it was anything but repulsive. :) Often other-wordly, but always lovely.

https://youtu.be/v--IqqusnNQ
To say Bowie is iconic is an understatement. Art was his life and his life was art. 

It's just such an overwhelming sense of loss. I'm just so sorry Annabelle never got to see him in concert and so glad my three other kids (and my parents!) did.

There were so many tributes to read and see online today. Millions mourned Bowie's departure. One of my favorite articles was this: 11 life Lessons to Learn From David Bowie
https://www.powerofpositivity.com/11life-lessons-to-learn-from-david-bowie/,  because at least it made me feel happy instead of sad for a couple of minutes. 

So much more to say, but I'll leave you with this - part of David Robert Jones' parting gift to his legions of fans. David Bowie knew he was dying, and ever the chameleon and artist, he took on one more role in a haunting, prescient performance of the track "Lazarus" on his final album.

Look up here, I’m in heaven
I’ve got scars that can’t be seen
I’ve got drama, can’t be stolen
Everybody knows me now

https://youtu.be/y-JqH1M4Ya8