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Russia's space agency preps for its first manned moon landing
NASA, the US government and American space corporations aren't the only ones with their eyes on the moon. Russia's Space Agency (Roscosmos) has begun planning for its first manned lunar landing, starting with a recruitment drive for potential cosmonauts. The agency is looking for six to eight trainees with a background in engineering or aviation, or those who already have experience working in the space industry. All interested candidates will go through several stages of psychological, physical and medical tests during the selection process. The chosen eight will have to undergo some intense training until four remain. Those who get the job will pilot Russia's next-gen reusable manned spacecraft Federatsiya.
Bonhams' Space History Sale includes spacesuits, memorabilia, and a Game Boy flown in space
Bonhams' upcoming Space History Sale -- happening May 5th in New York -- is filled with items that will make any space geek reconsider their current spending priorities, but we couldn't help but notice one particular item that hits a little closer to home. Mixed in with spacesuits expected to fetch upwards of $100,000 and other various memorabilia from both the US and Soviet space programs in this, a wholly ordinary Nintendo Game Boy (complete with Tetris, of course) that accompanied cosmonaut Aleksandr A. Serebrov on Soyuz mission TM-17 in 1993. Interested? The estimate is pegged at a somewhat reasonable $1,500 to $2,000, but we have a sneaking suspicion Bonhams might be underestimating the will of a considerable number of folks who are both space and video game nerds (we're speaking as one ourselves, of course). Hit up the source link below to check out everything up for auction.
Countdown to the last few hours before The Cosmonaut stylus launch
If you're an artist and you like to paint with your iPad, then you know how much nicer it can be to use a capacitive stylus rather then your finger. While there are already a number of styluses that work with iOS devices on the market, Studio Neat has decided there's room for one more. The Cosmonaut is differentiating itself by using a wide-grip design inspired by dry-erase markers, which Studio Neat argues is a more appropriate analog for the way we use an iPad than a pen or pencil. Studio Neat's first big product, the Glif iPhone stand, had a very successful launch thanks to backers on Kickstarter who were willing to fund the manufacturing costs to get the Glif off the ground. The Cosmonaut is being funded the same way. The original goal was to have $50,000 pledged by the end of the Kickstarter campaign, and right now -- with only a few hours to go -- they've raised more then $125,000. If the Cosmonaut looks like your dream stylus, you should hurry over to Kickstarter and pledge $25 or more to reserve one in the first batch, which they hope to be shipping in June. The Cosmonaut looks like a pleasure to hold, and I definitely plan on picking one up at some point.
First Orbit offers a glimpse at Yuri Gagarin's spaceflight 50 years later (video)
It's been exactly 50 years to the day -- in some places, anyway -- that cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's maiden voyage set off an international space race that defined an era, and while only Gagarin knew exactly what it was like to be the first man in space, documentarian Christopher Riley is giving us a glimpse of what the world might have looked like from the porthole of Vostok 1. As we reported before, First Orbit is a mashup of sorts that features original audio recordings from Gagarin's flight, coupled with footage taken by Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli from aboard the International Space Station. The result is nothing short of stunning, but you don't have to take our word for it -- in fact, go ahead and grab yourself some popcorn, hit the play button, and prepare to be amazed.
Visualized: the hardware of the Soviet lunar program
The Russian space program's emphasis on orbital space stations can be traced back to July 1969, when America put the first man on the moon and the Soviet Union scuttled its own lunar ambitions, either destroying or dispersing the hardware in the process. Despite the fact that much of it is still classified, a Russian blogger was recently able to snap a bunch of pics of the gear currently at home in the Moscow Aviation Institute. It's a shame we can't see some of this stuff where it would do the world some good, such as in the foyer of Engadget HQ. Hit up the source link for the rest of the story.
