Discovery Channel Ident

"We knew going into this project that the technical challenges would be immense. Especially for a television promo, this level of 3D is quite unheard of. Mark and Lauren were our first and right choice to provide our in-house artists with the high level ocean simulations that were necessary, they worked with us very closely all the way through the rendering and compositing process to ensure that the look was being realized correctly. Mark's high-level technical background proved to be the magic bullet needed to get this project done, delivering the feature quality we needed." Dan Schmidt, VFX Supervisor, Engine Room VFX

Working with Engine Room VFX in Hollywood, Fusion Studios provided 3D fluid assets for a large stormy ocean surface for the Discovery Channel Ident for a new season of the Emmy Award-winning series, Deadliest Catch. Engine Room VFX handled logo design, solid geometry and camera animation, texturing, lighting and rendering while Fusion focused on creating the voluminous fluid elements for all aspects at and above the ocean surface.

The two studios exchanged Maya scene assets on a near daily basis, with Engine Room interfacing with the director and making revisions to the animation, while Fusion created iterations of ocean surface, surface foam, cresting waves, logo splashes, spray and mist elements and delivered these to Engine Room for rendering. With the full set of 3D assets in their possession, Engine Room had maximum capability for creative changes to camera, shading and lighting.

The piece required Fusion to redevelop a variety of their ocean tools to give the surface greater integrity for the close-up viewpoints, to make major elements of the wave-field directable, to make a more dynamic and faster-simulating surface foam layer, and fuller cresting waves.

Check out the press section to see coverage in Entertainment Engineering magazine and VFXTalk.com.

Music by: Michael Richard Plowman

Grand Staircase

William H. Powell
Oil on canvas, 12' x 18'
Commissioned 1847; purchased 1855
Rotunda

William H. Powell was the last artist to be commissioned by the Congress for a painting in the Rotunda. His dramatic and brilliantly colored canvas shows Spanish conqueror and explorer Hernando DeSoto, riding a white horse, the first European to view the Mississippi River, in 1541. As De Soto and his troops approach, the Native Americans in front of their tepees watch, and a chief holds out a peace pipe. In the foreground is a jumble of weapons and soldiers, suggesting the attack they had suffered shortly before. To the right, a monk prays as a crucifix is set in the ground.

Powell (1823–1879) was born in New York and raised in Ohio. He studied art in Italy and worked on the painting in Paris. He also painted The Battle of Lake Erie, which hangs in the east Senate Grand Staircase in the Capitol.

The Space Shuttle Discovery

Although they were keeping a cautious eye on Hurricane Dennis as it moved through the Caribbean, NASA flight operations officials decided to leave the Space Shuttle Discovery on its launch pad at Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on July 8, 2005, in anticipation of the scheduled launch—July 13, weather permitting. Cape Canaveral is roughly in the middle of Florida’s eastern coastline, just over 75 kilometers (about 50 miles) east of Orlando, and the forecasted path for Dennis as of July 8 called for the storm to swing wide of eastern Florida and head toward the Gulf of Mexico.

This image from the Ikonos satellite shows Discovery on launch pad 39B on April 8, 2005. The tip of the bright orange external fuel tank is clearly visible, with the white, solid rocket booster snug up next to it. The orbiter itself is “in front of” (to the left in the image) the booster and fuel tank, but it is almost completely hidden by the support scaffolding, which swings away from the spacecraft before the final countdown to launch. Only the tip of the shuttle’s right wing is visible; it sticks out as a slim white triangle between the gray scaffolding and the rocket booster. (The ground-based photo provided in the link above shows the shuttle with the support structure in an open position.)

The shuttle was on the launch pad on April 7, but engineers decided to roll Discovery back to the Vehicle Assembly Building in order to replace the external fuel tank. The shuttle returned to its familiar spot on launch pad 39B on June 15, and has been undergoing its final checkups. Launch is scheduled for 3:51 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Wednesday, July 13.

Nortel PEC Solutions

Apple Press Conference

Apple Press Conference is going to announce big related to their new Apple products. There is no idea that what is going to be revealed in the Apple Press Conference.

Everyone is having his own expectations from Apple Press Conference; let’s see what is going to happen in the Apple Press Conference.

Well, it can be like this, Steve Jobs would be appearing on Apple Press Conference riding on a golf car with Tiger Woods, and Steve will announce that they have arranged juicy apples along with juicy girls for Tiger Woods with touch sensitive features and option of deleting all the memory on the arrival of wife.

Sounds little cheap, so let’s talk expensive and serious about Apple announcement.

It has speculated that Apple is going to launch their most intelligent machine itablet, touch screen computer, it is supposed to be smart computer with virtual keyboard and mouse, or it can be a flat screen having compete operating system in it or

it can be a virtual computer having nothing tangible, last option is little over I suppose, but Apple Incorporation is launching a seriously amazing and magical device, a computer with touch screen.

Apple didn’t announced anything before the planned Apple Press Conference and they created a great curiosity and interest not only among the media, customers but the competitors are also dying to get into the details that what Apple is going to launch.

So, get yourself ready to digest the news of new product launch of Apple Incorporation.

The Mount Morning

Mount Morning 8934 ft (2723 m) .
Location:	Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica
Lat / Long:	78.5° S, 163.5° E
Volcanic Type:	Stratovolcano
Volcanic Status:	Extinct
First Ascent:
First Ski Descent:
Skiable Vertical:	over 8500 ft (2600 m)

	Mount Morning lies just to the southwest of Mount Discovery, with their summits only about 20 miles (30 km) apart and their flanks joined by a broad 3500 ft (1100 m) high saddle. Although Mount Morning is much less visible from most common viewpoints (especially from Ross Island), it is roughly the same size as Discovery and is in fact slightly higher. The similarity ends there, though, as Morning is topped by a 3 mile (5 km) wide summit caldera and tests have revealed that it is the oldest volcano in the entire Erebus region, over 14 million years old (almost three times the age of Mount Discovery).
		Topographic map of Mounts Morning and Discovery (1:250,000 scale) from USGS Mount Discovery

A variety of Northern Lights In The Winter Sky of Oslo, Norway

20 Guesses About What The Apple Tablet Will Look Like

Apple is working on a tablet computer that could be announced early next year.

Apple chief Steve Jobs has been "pouring almost all of his attention" into the device, the WSJ reported earlier this year.

What will it look like?

That's one of the great unanswered questions in technology right now: Only a select group of designers, engineers, and executives at Apple and its partners know for sure. (And depending if and when it's released, many things could still change between now and then.)

In the meantime, many gadget enthusiasts and illustrators have published concept sketches of what they think the Apple tablet could look like. Not surprisingly, many of the concept design cues come from Apple's existing gadget lines: The iPhone and Mac.

Click here to see 20 Apple tablet design concepts →

Apple's iPhone and iPod touch are the most obvious design inspirations because they are already Apple tablet computers, just smaller than the 10-or-so-inch screen that the larger tablet will reportedly include. Many concept designs use the iPhone's curved sides, silver display border, "home" button, and software interface.

That seems like a good start. If the tablet is designed for what we think it's designed for -- browsing the Web, reading e-books and e-magazines, watching movies and TV shows, playing games -- it makes sense to basically take the iPhone and stretch it. The physical structure would probably be quite similar, with a larger battery to power the screen for longer periods.

Perhaps the best tablet mockup we've seen so far is by Gizmodo's Jesus Diaz. It's basically an iPod touch the size of a paperback book, featuring a "dock" of apps at the bottom of the screen. With a glossy screen and sleek bezel, it looks like it could be close.

Meanwhile, other concept illustrations take more direct cues from Apple's Mac line, including straighter edges, brushed aluminum, more Mac-like software, and more ports for other input devices.

This makes some sense, too. If the tablet is designed to be more Mac-like than iPod-like -- potentially capable of running Mac apps, using a mouse and keyboard, running disc media, and much more expensive than the iPhone or iPod, it may be part of the Mac family, and therefore could take more design cues from the iMac and MacBook series than the iPod.

What will the final tablet look like? We'll find out next year if we ever find out at all. In the meantime, we can guess...

Some of The Unique Pictures Taken by NASA

Red surface of Mars, NASA

Discovery on the back, Reached home

Discovery on the back, Way to home

Entrance of sunlight into the Earth, NASA

Ganapati on the sea-beach at Puri, India

* Ganapati, or Lord Ganesh is considered as the God of the Mass as nurtured in Hindu philosophy is being depicted by Elephant which has more powerful memory than any other animals.

The Space Shuttle Discovery

Space Shuttle Discovery was the third operational space shuttle and is the oldest remaining in service. It was also the third orbiter built and the lightest one thus far because of its lightweight thermal blanket material. Discovery is commonly referred to as OV-103, for Orbiter Vehicle-103. Discovery was first flown in 1984 and is set for retirement in 2010.

Specs: Empty Weight: 151,419 lbs at rollout and 171,000 lbs with main engines installed.

Name

Discovery was named after one of two ships that were used by the British explorer James Cook in the 1770s during voyages in the South Pacific that led to the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. Another of his ships was the Endeavour, the namesake of NASA's newest orbiter. Cook also used Discovery to explore the coasts of southern Alaska and north-western Canada. During the American Revolutionary War, Benjamin Franklin made a safe conduct request for the British vessel because of the scientific importance of its research.

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Upgrades and Features

Discovery benefited from lessons learned in the construction and testing of Enterprise, Columbia and Challenger. At rollout, its weight was some 6,870 pounds less than Columbia. Two orbiters, Challenger and Discovery, were modified at KSC to enable them to carry the Centaur upper stage in the payload bay. These modifications included extra plumbing to load and vent Centaur's cryogenic (L02/LH2) propellants (other IUS/PAM upper stages use solid propellants), and controls on the aft flight deck for loading and monitoring the Centaur stage. No Centaur flight was ever flown and after the loss of Challenger it was decided that the risk was too great to launch a shuttle with a fuelled Centaur upper stage in the payload bay.

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Construction Milestones

29 January 1979: Contract Award
27 August 1979: Start long lead fabrication of Crew Module
20 June 1980: Start fabrication lower fuselage
10 November 1980: Start structural assembly of aft-fuselage
8 December 1980: Start initial system installation aft fuselage
2 March 1981: Start fabrication/assembly of payload bay doors
19 October 1981: Start detailed fabrication/assembly of body flap
26 October 1981: Start initial system installation, crew module, Downey
4 April 1982: Start initial system installation upper forward fuselage
16 March 1982: Mid-fuselage on dock, Palmdale
30 March 1982: Elevons on dock, Palmdale
30 April 1982: Wings arrive at Palmdale from Grumman
30 April 1982: Lower forward fuselage on dock, Palmdale
16 July 1982: Upper forward fuselage on dock, Palmdale
5 August 1982: Vertical stabilizer on dock, Palmdale
3 September 1982: Start of Final Assembly
15 October 1982: Body flap on dock, Palmdale
11 January 1983: Aft fuselage on dock, Palmdale
25 February 1983: Complete final assembly and closeout installation, Palmdale
28 February 1983: Start initial subsystems test, power-on, Palmdale
13 May 1983: Complete initial subsystems testing
26 July 1983: Complete subsystems testing
12 August 1983: Completed Final Acceptance
16 October 1983: Rollout from Palmdale
5 November 1983: Overland transport from Palmdale to Edwards
9 November 1983: Delivery to Kennedy Space Center
20 June 1984: Flight Readiness Firing
30 August 1984: First Flight of Discovery (41-D)

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Flights

1. 41-D (30 August 1984) - First Discovery mission. Launched two communications satellites, including LEASAT F2.

STS-41-D was the first flight of Space Shuttle Discovery and the 12th shuttle mission. The Discovery orbiter was launched on its maiden flight on 30 August 1984. The mission lasted 6 days, 56 minutes, with landing on Runway 17 at Edwards AFB on 5 September. It was transported back to KSC on 10 September.

2. 51-A (8 November, 1984) - Launched two and rescued two communications satellites including LEASAT F1. Featured the third landing at Kennedy Space Center.

3. 51-C (24 January 1985) - First mission dedicated to Department of Defense. U.S. Air Force Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) booster deployed. STS-51C marked the 100th human spaceflight to achieve orbit.

4. 51-D (12 April 1985) - Launched two communications satellites: TELESAT-l (ANIK C-1) and LEASAT F3.

5. 51-G (17 June, 1985) - Sultan Salman al-Saud was the first Saudi Arabian in space. Launched two communications satellites.

6. 51-I (27 August 1985) - Launched two communications satellites including LEASAT F4. Recovered LEASAT F3.

7. STS-26 (29 September 1988) - First 'Return to Flight' mission after the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster. This was the first mission to use the original Space Transportation System numbering system since STS-9, and the first to have all crew members wearing pressure suits for launch and landing since STS-4.

8. STS-29 (13 March 1989) - The 3rd mission after the Challenger disaster. Launched TDRS.

9. STS-33 (22 November, 1989) - Launched DOD Magnum ELINT satellite.

10. STS-31 (24 April 1990) - Launched Hubble Space Telescope. First use of carbon brakes at landing. Launch marked the first time since January 1986 that two Space Shuttles had been on the launch pad at the same time - Discovery on 39B and Columbia on 39A.

11. STS-41 (6 October 1990) - Launched the Ulysses probe. Ulysses was a joint venture of NASA and the European Space Agency. It was designed to study the Sun at all latitudes. It was originally scheduled for launch in 1986 aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger.

12. STS-39 (28 April 1991) - Launched DOD Air Force Program satellite.

13. STS-48 (12 September 1991) - Launch of Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS).

14. STS-42 (22 January 1992) - Carried into orbit the International Microgravity Laboratory-1 (IML-1), a pressurized manned Spacelab module. Canada sent its first woman astronaut, Roberta Bondar, into space on this mission.

15. STS-53 (2 December 1992) - Launched Department of Defense payload.

16. STS-56 (8 April 1993) - Atmospheric Laboratory (ATLAS-2).

17. STS-51 (12 September 1993) - Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS).

18. STS-60 (3 February 1994) - The first mission of the US / Russian Shuttle-Mir Program, which carried the first Russian cosmonaut, Sergei K. Krikalev to fly aboard a Space Shuttle. The mission carried the Wake Shield Facility experiment and a SPACEHAB module into orbit, and carried out a live bi-directional audio and downlink link-up with the cosmonauts aboard the Russian Space Station Mir.

19. STS-64 (9 September 1994) - Carried the LIDAR In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE), a project to measure atmospheric parameters from a space platform.

20. STS-63 (3 February 1995) - The second mission of the US / Russian Shuttle-Mir Program, which carried out the first rendezvous of the American Space Shuttle with Mir Space Stationr. STS-63 was the first mission to see the use of the new full-pressure Advanced Crew Escape System Pressure Suit, which eventually replaced the partial-pressure Launch-Escape Suit.

21. STS-70 (13 July 1995) - Launch and deployment of the 7th Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) by means of the two-stage Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) solid rocket. STS-70 marked the maiden flight of the new Block 1 orbiter main engine.

22. STS-82 (11 February 1997) - Second servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.

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Discovery underwent a nine-month Orbiter Maintenance Down Period (OMDP) in Palmdale California. The vehicle was outfitted with a 5th set of cryogenic tanks and an external airlock to support missions to the International Space Station. Discovery departed Palmdale, California, riding piggy-back on a modified Boeing 747 at 10:01am EDT 28 June 1996 and arrived at Kennedy Space Center on 29 June 1996.

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23. STS-85 (7 August 1997) - Carried a complement of payloads in the cargo bay: the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere-Shuttle Pallet Satellite-2 (CRISTA-SPAS-02); the Japanese Manipulator Flight Development (MFD); the Technology Applications and Science-01 (TAS-1) and the International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker-02 (IEH-02).

24. STS-91 (2 June 1998) - Final Shuttle / Mir Docking Mission.

25. STS-95 (29 October 1998) - Second space flight of John Glenn, who broke the record for oldest person to go into space. Pedro Duque became the first Spaniard in space.

26. STS-96 (27 May 1999) - First flight to dock with the International Space Station.

27. STS-103 (19 December 1999) - Third servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.

28. STS-92 (11 October 2000) - STS-92 marked the 100th mission of the Space Shuttle. An assembly flight that brought the Z-1 Truss, Control Moment Gyros, Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3) (mounted on a Spacelab pallet) and two DDCU (Heat pipes) to the International Space Station.

29. STS-102 (8 March 2001) - Resupplying the ISS and rotating the Expedition 1 and Expedition 2 crews.

30. STS-105 (10 August 2001) - International Space Station crew and supplies delivery for Expedition 2 and Expedition 3.

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In 2002, Discovery underwent an over two year Orbiter Maintenance Down Period that provided 99 upgrades and 88 special tests, including a number of changes to make it safer for flight. Each wing contains new sensors that are able to take 20,000 samples per second and detect micrometeorite or other impacts. There are 22 temperature sensors and 66 accelerometers. Discovery also has a new 50-foot inspection boom that can be used to check Discovery's underside for damage.

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31. STS-114 (26 July 2005) - First return to flight since Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster, tested safety improvements and resupplied the ISS. Eileen Collins was the first woman to pilot and command a Space Shuttle. She was the first astronaut to fly the space shuttle through a complete 360-degree pitch maneuver. This was necessary so astronauts aboard the ISS could take photographs of the shuttle's belly, to ensure there was no threat from debris-related damage to the shuttle.

32. STS-121 (4 July 2006) - The second return to flight mission since the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster. Tested new safety and repair techniques, delivered supplies, equipment and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Reiter from Germany to the ISS.

33. STS-116 (9 December 2006) - Delivery and attachment of the International Space Station's third port truss segment (the P5 truss), major rewiring of the station's power system, and exchange of ISS Expedition 14 personnel.

34. STS-120 (23 October 2007) - Delivered the Harmony module and reconfigured a portion of the station in preparation for future assembly missions.

35. STS-124 (31 May 2008) - International Space Station crew rotation and assembly (carried and assembled the Kibo JEM PM module).

36. STS-119 (15 March 2009) - ISS crew rotation and assembly of a fourth
starboard truss segment (ITS S6) and a fourth set of solar arrays and batteries.

37. STS-128 (6 August 2009) Planned International Space Station crew rotation and expansion of Expedition crews from 3 to 6 by the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module.

38. STS-132 (8 April 2010) Planned International Space Station assembly of Russian Mini-Research Module 1.

39. STS-132 (16 September 2010) Planned International Space Station delivery of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. Final mission for Discovery and last flight of the Space Shuttle program.

Apple Tablet Scorecard

The rumors and speculation about Apple's announcement Wednesday are just that. The reality is we know nothing concrete about what the grand unveiling will bring-but we all assume that the mythical Apple tablet, long rumored but not seen, will be at the center of the big day.

Following that assumption, we'll be getting our first glimpse at what Apple has in store for us. Whether this device will transform how we access and interact with content remains to be seen. But we certainly have a few thoughts on what Apple needs to conquer it it's going to succeed with bringing a tablet into a consumer market that hasn't openly embraced the concept of a tablet just yet.

One could argue that as a category, tablets are not new...what will be new is how we expect Apple to integrate the software with the hardware-the very thing that made the original iPhone a breakthrough success when it debuted nearly three years ago.

So what are the points that Apple has to get right in order for this mobile device to break out where others have failed? Read on for the 10 points critical areas Apple needs to nail. We'll revist our score card when the dust clears, and grade Apple based on what we learn.

Come back after the annoucement on Wednesday, Jan. 27th for our scores!

Join PC World on Wednesday, January 27 at 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern for live blog coverage of Apple's product launch from Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco.

1. Design

It needs to be slim and light enough that we don't feel like we're carrying around a netbook. It has to be easy to hold in one hand, and operate with the other. And of course, it has to be visually appealing - something which we expect Apple to make good on.

2. Display

Needs to be at least 720p (1280 by 720) resolution, to support the growing selection of high-definition video available for download and streaming. It also has to have good contrast and color, and it would help if it's easy to view outdoors or in bright light. Saying we expect it to be a touch interface would be stating the obvious

3. Connectivity

Wi-Fi is a must. If this is going to be something we stream video on, a 802.11n connection would be best. 3G connectivity is also a must-or at least needs to be an option, for when we're not near a Wi-Fi hotspot. Oh, and multiple carrier options would be best. We can only hope that Apple has learned its lesson about exclusivity with AT&T and the iPhone.

4. Price

While $700 seems to be a reasonable ceiling, $600 would be better. It would be great to see the device launch at $500, but we can't imagine a world where the new tablet would cost the same as a top-of-the-line iPhone 3GS. Suffice it to say we expect the price to be between that and the entry-level Macbook ($1,000), and lower is better.

Beyond the base price, we of course want a discount if we sign a 3G data contract. And if you have an iPhone, you shouldn't have to pay an arm and a leg to add 3G data to your tablet.

5. Battery Life

It has to outlast a good notebook or netbook. Ten hours of continuous heavy use seems like a bare minimum, with 12 or more hours of video and music playback. In "typical use" it should last a few days before you need to recharge it. The wireless shouldn't be a drain, either. No point to this device if it can't keep up with you all day without needing a charge.

6. Interface

No matter what OS it's based on (probably a modified iPhone OS, but whether it will still be called iPhone OS remains to be seen), we need to interact with this thing in a new and better way. It's all about touch interface, and finding new and intuitive ways to interact with the device through touch. The iPhone interface is great for a device of that size, but it doesn't simply scale to a larger screen. Tablets have failed in the past largely because they have tried to either duplicate the "notepad" interface (a la Newton) or the desktop interface (scores of Windows tablets of yore).

7. Text Input

A larger screen means people are going to want to write more. They'll take more copious notes, write longer e-mails and Web forum posts, etc. Apple needs to demonstrate that text input will be fast and easy.

8. Applications

Nobody wants to buy an app twice: once for their iPhone and once for the tablet. Apps need to be either completely distinct, or Apple has to come up with a way for us to buy an app once and use it on our iPhones and on our tablets. Developers, meanwhile, will have to figure out how to best optimize their apps for the different environments, and Apple will have to redesign its App Store to clearly delineate which platform an app is for (or, to prevent accidental downloads of the wrong app).

9. Browsing

A bigger screen necessitates a better browser. Compared to the iPhone's Safari browser, we need better bookmark management, better tabbed browsing, and a richer feature set. If there's no Flash support, Apple needs to come up with an extremely compelling excuse why we wouldn't be able to watch Hulu videos on this thing, and buying TV shows on iTunes isn't the answer.

10. Content

Will iTunes sell books, or will we have separate book apps (as we do today for iPhone/iPod Touch), or both? Will you be able to buy content once and get it on your iPhones and tablets? Will the games be a serious step up from the typical smartphone fare? Apple needs to come up with an approach that capitalizes on its iTunes and App Store commerce integration available today, such that whatever new, tailored content Apple offers makes the tablet a holistic part of a digital content distribution system. If the tablet reacts in the same way as the iPod and iPhone, it will not stand alone-and will immediately gain an edge compared with previous attempts at tablets.

The NASA Orbiter Fleet

Space Shuttle Overview: Discovery (OV-103)

Discovery (OV-103) was NASA's third space shuttle orbiter to join the fleet, arriving for the first time at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in November 1983.

After checkout and processing, it was launched on Aug. 30, 1984, for its first mission, 41-D, to deploy three communications satellites.

Since that inaugural flight, Discovery has completed more than 30 successful missions, surpassing the number of flights made by any other orbiter in NASA's fleet. Just like all of the orbiters, it has undergone some major modifications over the years. The most recent began in 2002 and was the first carried out at Kennedy. It provided 99 upgrades and 88 special tests, including new changes to make it safer for flight.

Image left: Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off Pad B at the Kennedy Space Center on September 12, 1993, to begin STS-51. Image credit: NASA

Discovery has the distinction of being chosen as the Return to Flight orbiter twice. The first was for STS-26 in 1988, and the second when it carried the STS-114 crew on NASA's Return to Flight mission to the International Space Station in July 2005.

The choice of the name "Discovery" carried on a tradition drawn from some historic, Earth-bound exploring ships of the past. One of these sailing forerunners was the vessel used in the early 1600s by Henry Hudson to explore Hudson Bay and search for a northwest passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Another such ship was used by British explorer James Cook in the 1770s during his voyages in the South Pacific, leading to the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. In addition, two British Royal Geographical Society ships have carried the name "Discovery" as they sailed on expeditions to the North Pole and the Antarctic.

Destined for exploring the heavens instead of the seas, it was only fitting that NASA's Discovery carried the Hubble Space Telescope into space during mission STS-31 in April 1990, and provided both the second and third Hubble servicing missions (STS-82 in February 1997 and STS-103 in December 1999).

Image right: On February 21, 1997, the Space Shuttle Discovery touches down in darkness on Runway 15 of the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility, bringing to a close the 10-day STS-82 mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Image credit: NASA

During its many successful trips to space, Discovery has carried satellites aloft, ferried modules and crew to the International Space Station, and provided the setting for countless scientific experiments.

Construction Milestones

January 29, 1979	Contract Award
August 27, 1979	Start long lead fabrication of Crew Module
June 20, 1980	Start fabrication lower fuselage
November 10, 1980	Start structural assembly of aft-fuselage
December 8, 1980	Start initial system installation aft fuselage
March 2, 1981	Start fabrication/assembly of payload bay doors
October 26, 1981	Start initial system installation, crew module, Downey
January 4, 1982	Start initial system installation upper forward fuselage
March 16, 1982	Midfuselage on dock, Palmdale
March 30, 1982	Elevons on dock, Palmdale
April 30, 1982	Wings arrive at Palmdale from Grumman
April 30, 1982	Lower forward fuselage on dock, Palmdale
July 16, 1982	Upper forward fuselage on dock, Palmdale
August 5, 1982	Vertical stabilizer on dock, Palmdale
September 3, 1982	Start of Final Assembly
October 15, 1982	Body flap on dock, Palmdale
January 11, 1983	Aft fuselage on dock, Palmdale
February 25, 1983	Complete final assembly and closeout installation, Palmdale
February 28, 1983	Start initial subsystems test, power-on, Palmdale
May 13, 1983	Complete initial subsystems testing
July 26, 1983	Complete subsystems testing
August 12, 1983	Completed Final Acceptance
October 16, 1983	Rollout from Palmdale
November 5, 1983	Overland transport from Palmdale to Edwards
November 9, 1983	Delivery to Kennedy Space Center
June 2, 1984	Flight Readiness Firing
August 30, 1984	First Flight (41-D)

Upgrades and Features

Discovery benefited from lessons learned in the construction and testing of Enterprise, Columbia and Challenger. At rollout, its weight was some 6,870 pounds less than Columbia.

Beginning in the fall of 1995, the orbiter underwent a nine-month Orbiter Maintenance Down Period (OMDP) in Palmdale California. The vehicle was outfitted with a 5th set of cryogenic tanks and an external airlock to support missions to the International Space Station. It returned to the Kennedy Space Center, riding piggy-back on a modified Boeing 747, in June 1996.

Following STS-105, Discovery became the first of the orbiter fleet to undergo Orbiter Major Modification (OMM) period at the Kennedy Space Center. Work began in September 2002, and along with the scheduled upgrades, additional safety modifications were added as part of the preparations for Return to Flight.

Discovery Space Shuttle

On July 26, 2005 at 10:39 EDT, Discovery launched into space on mission STS-114, marking the first shuttle launch since the February 2003 Columbia disaster. Videos taken during the minutes after the launch revealed that a piece of foam insulation came off Discovery's external fuel tank, although it apparently did not damage the shuttle. After the problem was discovered, NASA suspended all future launches until the problem is solved. During the mission astronauts removed a piece of gap filler from the nose on an extra-vehicular activity (spacewalk).

Discovery was set to return on August 7, 2005, but their mission was extended due to unfavorable weather conditions. The shuttle returned from orbit on August 9, 2005, landing in darkness at 8:12 AM EDT just before dawn at Edwards Air Force Base after travelling 5.8 million miles (9 300 000 km).

Discovery was flown from Edwards Air Force Base using a Boeing 747 (Shuttle Carrier Aircraft) and landed at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10 AM, Monday, August 22. After landing, Discovery was lifted off the back of the 747 and then towed to the nearby Orbiter Processing Facility marking the end of STS-114. Here, Discovery was emptied of its cargo from the International Space Station and was readied for the next shuttle mission, STS-121.

Space Shuttle Discovery (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-103) is one of three remaining spacecraft in the space shuttle fleet belonging to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). First flown in 1984, Discovery is the third operational space shuttle, and the oldest in service. Discovery has performed both research and International Space Station (ISS) assembly missions.

The spacecraft takes its name from previous ships of exploration named Discovery, primarily HMS Discovery, the sailing ship that accompanied famous explorer James Cook on his third and final major voyage. Others include Henry Hudson's ship Discovery which he used in 1610–1611 to search for a Northwest Passage, and RRS Discovery, a vessel used for expeditions to Antarctica in 1901-1904 by Scott and Shackleton (and still preserved as a museum). The shuttle shares a name with Discovery One, the fictional femer-shaped Jupiter spaceship from the films 2001: A Space Odyssey and 2010: The Year We Make Contact.

Discovery was the shuttle that launched the Hubble Space Telescope. The second and third Hubble service missions were also conducted by Discovery, and she is currently scheduled to perform the 5th one sometime in 2008. She has also launched the Ulysses probe and three TDRS satellites. Discovery has been chosen twice as the return to flight orbiter, first as the return to flight orbiter after the 1986 Challenger disaster in 1988, and as the orbiter for the return to flight mission in July 2005, after the 2003 Columbia disaster. Discovery also carried Project Mercury astronaut John Glenn, who was 77 at the time, back into space during STS-95 on October 29, 1998, making him the oldest human being to venture into space.

Had the planned DOD shuttle missions from Vandenberg Air Force Base gone ahead, Discovery would have flown these missions.

Today's Edition of "Conniving and Sinister"

Strips One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101. In which Liss reimagines the long-running comic "Frank & Ernest," about two old straight white guys "telling it like it is," as a fat feminist white woman and a biracial queerbait telling it like it actually is from their perspectives. Hilarity ensues.

Daily Fail

Shaker BrianWS emails:

Remember when Michelle Obama wore that "flesh-colored" dress? And the fact that it was called "flesh-colored" was so fucked up in the first place, since it was a cream-colored "white flesh-colored" dress?

So imagine how excited I was when I saw an article that called a portion of Venus Williams' Australian Open ensemble "flesh-colored," and it actually meant the color of *her* flesh! Oh wait, that was the only cool portion of the entire article, which then goes on to include gratuitous ass and breast shots.

I love (where love = loathe with the fiery passion of ten thousand suns) that the only reason they made any effort at all to employ a not-racist use of the phrase "flesh-colored" is to slut-shame and body-police a woman of color. (Check out the image captions, particularly.)

Gawd, the Daily Mail is such a disgrace.

Monday Blogaround

This blogaround brought to you by Shaxco, makers of Lissie's Aerodynamic Meatball Subs. "They fly as awesome as they taste!"

Recommended Reading:

Echidne: Utterly Hilarious

Meloukhia: Avatar: The New York Times Has Found Itself Some Straw Feminists

Resistance: No … thank … you …

Tami: Is a diverse environment enough to innoculate against racism?

Angry Asian Man: The Game "Supports" Korean Pop Group

Andy: Report: Sex Tape Features Well-Endowed John Edwards

Leave your links in comments...

Discovery Channel (Television)

The Discovery Channel has added programs on mechanics and popular science including American Chopper, MythBusters, Dirty Jobs, and Monster Garage that widen the network's scope beyond its initial focus on science and because of it, have put it under scrutiny of presenting infotainment instead of educational television.

Discovery Networks U.S. has decided to return The Discovery Channel to its founding agenda after dropping out of the Top 10 of watched channels and ratings for two-year span have been low. Chris Moseley, Discovery Networks U.S.' Executive Vice President, has said that the channel will return programming to the channel's original intent, interesting science programming that educates. ^[1]

On January 4, 2006, Discovery Communications announced that Ted Koppel, longtime Executive Producer Tom Bettag and eight former Nightline staff members were joining the Discovery Channel.

Discovery Health

Discovery HealthAt Discovery our vision is clear - to make people healthier and protect and enhance their lives. Discovery Health is a dynamic, innovative and financially strong health care funding company and is part of the Discovery Group, which is listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange. We're also part of the FirstRand group, one of South Africa's largest financial services companies. Independent rating agencies have awarded Discovery Health one of the highest ratings for its claims-paying ability. Discovery Health has a unique range of Plan choices with varying cover and benefits to suit you and your individual circumstances. As a Discovery Health member, you'll be able to join our unique Vitality wellness programme, which offers health, lifestyle and leisure rewards at unprecedented rates.» Join Discovery Health» Find out more about Discovery HealthDiscovery LifeDiscovery Life offers a unique, innovative and living assurance product to help you and your family maintain your lifestyle when illness, disability or death threatens it. Discovery Life is part of Discovery Holdings, an established and financially sound company that has a reputation for pioneering products that set new standards in the assurance industry. As a Discovery Life policyholder, you'll be able to join our unique Vitality wellness programme, which offers health, lifestyle and leisure rewards at unprecedented rates.» Join Discovery Life» Find out more about Discovery LifeLA HealthLAMAF (Local Authorities Medical Aid Fund), now re-branded LA Health (Local Authorities Health), and Discovery Health have joined forces with effect from 1 January 2005. Discovery Health is the new administrator for LA Health and together we've designed a range of exciting new Plan options to give LA Health members a more flexible, comprehensive and affordable range of benefits. As an LA Health member, you'll be able to join our unique Vitality wellness programme, which offers health, lifestyle and leisure rewards at unprecedented rates.

What's in a Name?

Sometimes, everything.

Changing a name might seem like a minor matter for those who are changing their gender identities and, for some, facing challenges like finding knowledgeable doctors, trying hormones and experimenting with painful hair-removal procedures. But many who have gone through the switch say a name change sends an important message to the world, a message solidified and made official with a court's approval.

..."There is a long emotional, physical process that a lot of us have to go through," said Katherine Cross, 22, of the Bronx, who got her new name in July. She said her transition included learning how to force her voice into a higher register and the basics of shopping for women's clothing.

"For me," she said, "the centerpiece was the name change."

...The two recent rulings in New York courts helped clear the way for more such moments on Centre Street.

In one case, an appeals panel overruled a Manhattan civil court judge who had insisted on doctors' notes giving reasons for name changes in transgender cases. The panel said there was "no sound basis in law or policy" for the requirement and noted that the law generally permits people to change their names unless there is some fraudulent intent involved.

In the other decision, a Westchester judge made an exception to a general requirement that name changes and home addresses be advertised in newspapers, saying the safety issues for people in gender transition were obvious in a world that can be hostile.

I love when I see courts and common sense and compassion all in the same place. And what a refreshingly sensitive (if imperfect) article from the New York Times on a gender issue.

[H/T to Shaker ASDKids2.]

Greetings and Salutations

by Shaker ninthpossibility

[Trigger warning.]

So the other day I was browsing for a birthday card, and I found one. It's the perfect card for anyone who wants to take time on their special day to celebrate violence against women in the classiest, most sentimental way. With Hallmark! Let me describe this card for you, since the picture I tried to take didn't turn out. On the front is a cartoon drawing of O.J. Simpson with his arms full of football memorabilia and a speech balloon that says "I didn't steal all this stuff, but if I did, this is how I would have done it." Which is a clever reference not only to the sports memorabilia he's currently serving time for stealing, but also – and this is the really funny part, people – also to that one time when he murdered two people, got away with it, and then wrote a book called If I Did it, Here's How it Happened.

The inside of the card reads: "Have all the birthday fun you can get away with."

Because murdering your wife? That is fun. I mean, who could argue with that?

Oh. Yes. I could. And I did!

I sent Hallmark a short email in which I admirably refrained from using a single profanity and quite clearly outlined what was wrong with the card. I also asked them to please not bother sending me a reply at all if said reply contained the words "I'm sorry if you were offended."

I'm not interesting in condescending lip service.

Which is just tough cookies, apparently, because Hallmark emailed me back:

Thank you for contacting Hallmark.

We have received your thoughtful comments expressing concern about some of the topics and images represented in our humor cards, and are happy to have the opportunity to respond.

You are right that some of our more recent humor cards incorporate more offbeat styles and topics than you've seen from Hallmark in the past. Greeting cards reflect the times - something we have learned over nearly 100 years of being in this business of helping people connect and nurture relationships. Nowhere is this more true than in the realm of humor, where "what's funny" is not only very individual to each person and relationship, but also constantly evolves over time. This is why we have extended our range of humor cards into some areas that may not be to everyone's taste, but please know that these are a narrow segment of the total humor card offering and have not replaced our more traditional humor cards.

Our goal with humor cards has always been, and remains, to appeal to a wide range of people and help them connect with one another through laughter. Occasionally we don't get it right, but we never intend our products to offend or be used in hurtful ways.

We appreciate your preference for Hallmark products and place a high value on your comments.

Please accept our apology for the unintended offense, and our appreciation for taking the time to let us know about that.

Thanks,
Hallmark Consumer Care

That's a doozy, that is. I forwarded the response to my best friend and she said that her favorite part was how ''they reassure you that the 'offbeat' cards haven't replaced the 'traditional' cards. Because you are obviously just a traditionalist worried about the damn hippies screwing up your greeting card selection."

Yeah. That's a good part. I also like the part where they remind me that "what's funny is individual to each person and relationship." Because the relationship where one person murders the other person? Totally funny. And why shouldn't there be a greeting card for just such an occasion? Clearly I'm behind the times.

So I did a small bit of teaspooning against Hallmark, and my teaspoon did about exactly as much good as I thought it would. My concerns were waved away and the few dollars that I spend annually on greeting cards won't be missed. That's why I was hoping to bring this in front of some Shakers: Maybe a few more teaspoons will do the trick. What I'd like to see from Hallmark is a real apology and the card being pulled from stores.

Because the last place I'd expected to be sucker-punched with this kind of casual regard for violence and misogyny was in the freaking birthday card selection at Hallmark.

Contact Hallmark at 1-800-HALLMARK or go here for email links.

[Note from Liss: As always, please be polite if you decide to contact Hallmark.]