Complex 34

A space blog by scifitwin. (If I follow you, it'll be as scifitwin.) NASA, mostly vintage and pondering the future of human space flight--with a heavy side serving of snark. But if it launches into space with the thrust of a God, then it's likely to be here. var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-81643-3']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();

[complex34]

This is Tranquility Base. The party snacks have landed.

Moon Bowl

[complex34]

The ISS is throwing their underwear at us.

[complex34]

I saw Thomas Dolby this weekend. (If you can see his Invisible Lighthouse tour I highly suggest it. It is an incredible experience. One of the most unique shows I've ever seen. He is so much more than a one-hit wonder.) During the encore presentation before he played his signature hit he told a wonderful story regarding how he and Buzz Aldtrin performed the song together this summer. Buzz was the one who sought out Dolby at the event and he was the one who wanted to go rehearse in his car (but they didn't have time). Dolby described his fantasy of that moment as sublime. Sitting in Buzz's Corvette with the seats reclined just singing.

[complex34]

In chapter 29 of Kurt Vonnegut's novel Hocus Pocus Wally Schirra appears, unnamed, with diarrhea in a bar. The character doesn't remember his name, just remembers he used to be an astronaut who did sinus medicine commercials.

So there you go.

[complex34]

The original Mercury 7 astronaut was being cared for at a hospice center in Denver when he passed. Carpenter was initially expected to make a full recovery from the stroke, but his condition worsened this week, sources close to his family shared.

[complex34]

The government shutdown hits a future scientist hard. He just wants to go on to NASA.gov and play his games. (via)

[complex34]

Space Frog now joins Space Bat in the esteemed list of NASA explorers.

[xplanes]

nobody died! friday #18: Neil Armstrong ejects from Lunar Landing Research Vehicle 1, May 1968

(footage here. more on Armstrong next week..)

[complex34]

At that moment, once he realized he was clear of danger, Armstrong literally decided what to have for lunch next. I mean, after his Gemini landing and a frightening X-15 landing he knew this was a piece of cake. 

[complex34]

WANT!!!

[lightthiscandle]

Gus gets a pre-Gemini 3 dental check….from the same doctor who tickled him earlier.

[complex34]

This doctor is terrible. He's looking the wrong way and instead of checking Gus' teeth he's shoving something in his nose. I'm assuming he wasn't asked back for Gemini 4.

[for-all-mankind]

Exhibit showcasing the launch vehicles used by the United States in 1964. Two things of particular interest here are the models of the Titan-IIIC/MOL and the Saturn V. The Titan-IIIC/MOL was launched only once on a test flight a year and a half after the closing of the fair, in November of 1966. The first mechanically-completed Saturn V, SA-500F, was not completed until around the same time, and was, during the time of the fair, still undergoing final design changes.

[complex34]

They forgot one from my childhood:

Them (Charlie) Duke boys!

[spacewatching]

NASA Space Shuttle Enterprise Lunch Box from King Seeley /Thermos Co. It was released during the beginning of the Shuttle Era

[Probably from around 79/80 - ed]

[complex34]

I know where you can buy one. Though it has a sticker on it.

[todaysdocument]

Midshipmen Wrong and Right are back for another vintage installment of the U.S. Navy’s Dating Dos and Don’ts training film: How to Succeed with Brunettes. 

(See if you can guess which one is Midshipman “Wrong.”)

In case you missed it, some background from the previous post:

Courtesy of our colleagues in the National Archives’ Motion Picture Preservation Lab we present How to Succeed with Brunettes (1967), a film produced by the Navy that demonstrates proper dating etiquette for officers. Part of a recentaccession of military instructional films from the Defense Visual Information Center (DVIC), the somewhat dated film features wonderful music, evocative of its era, and a fair bit of comedy, both intentional and unintentional.

via Media Matters: Don’t Shut Your Date in the Door: Military Dating Dos and Don’ts

[kaiyves]

Oooo…kaaaay… This is just about the strangest thing I’ve seen on Today’s Document.

Definitely old-fashioned, but the central idea that the key to success in any relationship is respect is valid.

[complex34]

But why the hair color classification? Do blondes not deserve the same respect? Redheads?

[complex34]

Dolphin Research: "Tuffy the Sea Teacher" 

Not enough love for Tuffy, Scott Carpenter's best friend. (Part 2)

[bunnybundy]

I don’t know why they made this record label.There was no real record*. I don’t know why they did a lot of the things they did in 1965. But this happened, and here it is.

*(I’m actually really disappointed that there was no record. It would have pleased me to know that somewhere out there existed an LP with John on guitar and the pair of them singing an ode to the Molly Brown. It would almost certainly have been terrible and excellent.)

[asonlynasacan-deactivated201412]

Oh my god…I bet this was just cusses and laughing and farting

[bunnybundy]

SIDE 1:

“Hey Gus, you want some of this sandwich?”

“Dammit John, we’re recording and - where the hell did you get that, you son of a bitch?”

“Heh heh heh heh heh”

SIDE 2:

“Goddamnit rookie, there’s crumbs everywhere! What’s that face you’re makin—oh, god, no —”

*TTHHHBBBBBBPPPPPTTT* “Heh heh heh heh heh”

“Aw, fuck.”

[complex34]

"Dear Gus...Thank You for the Advice on the Underwear" is a beautiful ballad.

[j-b-a-blog]

Since [landing after Apollo 12], I have not complained about the weather one single time. I’m glad there is weather. I’ve not complained about traffic. I’m glad there’s people around. One of the things that I did when I got home, I went down to shopping centers, and I’d just go around there, get an ice cream cone or somethin’, and just watch the people go by, and think: “Boy, we’re lucky to be here. Why do people complain about the earth? We are living in the Garden of Eden.”

— Apollo 12 moonwalker Alan Bean

Via Brainrow: “Perspective”

(via janf)

[letsdolaunch]

“when man shoots for the stars, he’ll want one hell of a lot more than rocket fuel.”

[complex34]

Oh joy. Space sexual assault.