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$2 billion antimatter detector to go on last shuttle mission, taxpayers agree it better find -something
The airspace above the Atlantic Ocean will get a lot more expensive tomorrow as a U.S. Airforce Galaxy jet transports the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer -- developed at CERN -- from Geneva to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The last-ever Space Shuttle mission in February will transport the AMS to the International Space Station, where it will stay docked for 20 years to "search for antimatter and dark matter by measuring cosmic rays." We're not sure what that means, but we trust it will lead to a microwave that heats the interior of our Hot Pockets while keeping the crust crisp and flaky, bringing us one step closer to World Peace.[Image credit: US Mission Geneva's flickr]
Space shuttle fire sale! Free after $28.8m in S&H and some Congressional lobbying
Hey, you! Yeah, you! Come here and listen. Have you ever wanted to own your very own space shuttle? Of course you have, and now NASA is giving away one orbiters apiece to three lucky winners free of charge. All you need to do is follow these three steps: Be a qualified institution. Currently there's just 21 in the running, including the Kennedy Space Center and the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. Possess the proper indoor facility to house the veteran astro-car in a climate-controlled environment. It should also have a big door since at no time can it be dismantled. Pay for shipping and handling. According to the Wall Street Journal, that entails having a runway in your backyard, strapping the shuttle to the back of a specialized 747 jet, and covering post-flight repairs. Estimated cost is $28.8 million. Should you meet the above requirements and manage to add yourself to the list of suitors, that gives you a 13.64 percent unweighted probability to nab one! Just because NASA picks you, though, doesn't mean you actually win -- and if that logic seems fuzzy, allow us to clarify with a quote from aerospace engineer and shuttle historian Dennis Jenkins: "Congress will immediately go into an uproar and un-decide for them." Tricky fine print, best of luck!
NASA's Shuttle Launch Experience thrill ride simulates shuttle blast off
While just being in the presence of a full scale Gundam makes it worth the price of admission, we'd speculate that talking a stroll in the Land Walker would fall more into the thrill ride category. Of course, rocketing from ground zero into outer space takes things (almost) to another level galaxy, and that's precisely what NASA's Shuttle Launch Experience gives you a taste of. The $60 million attraction opened up yesterday to a team of nearly 40 astronauts, some of which reportedly said that the ride managed to best actual training simulators in terms of sheer realism. Apparently, the ride takes passengers through a simulated shuttle launch, and utilizes 13-channels of surround sound, rumbling seats, and an 84-inch HD screen to terrorize (in a good way) riders. Granted, we'd have no idea what cruising around at 17,500 miles-per-hour feels like, but for folks visiting the Kennedy Space Center, feel free to chime in if you can put it into words.[Via Wired]
