I just took the dog out. I didn’t really want to watch a dog take a dump, so instead I looked up at the sky. Being night time, and unusually cloudless, the view was filled with stars. I had a sudden urge to lie down and just stare up at the mind-blowing view of the cosmos for hours. I shouldn’t have done this, or at least I should’ve looked where the dog had pooped before I sprawled out on the ground. With the Laser Cosmos from IWOOT, I could have just gazed at the stars from my unsoiled bed.

Just turn out the lights, turn on the Laser Cosmos and lie back to stare at a ceiling full of stars, optional blue nebulae and meteors. The size of your room doesn’t matter – the auto-focusing Laser Cosmos will fill it, as if it has given you the power of astral projection. The holographic technology projects a three-dimensional illusion, as if your mind has swelled to the size of a galaxy.

The view from my garden didn’t show many stars, and it was accompanied by a smell of dog excrement. But in space, no-one can smell your dog, and the Laser Cosmos from IWOOT is the next best thing to being in space.

If you have a few million, you could probably get yourself into space, but if you have £64.99, you can watch the cosmos from the comfort of your bedroom.

Why aren’t we living on the Moon? Why can’t I check into a space station hotel on my way to Mars? More than forty years have passed since a gang of dudes went to the Moon to play golf, plant a flag and hang out, and in that time our progress towards the stars has been dismal. The only solution is to inspire the next generation (being your prodigy progeny) to become astronauts, and the way to do this is through the Lego City Space Center.

Once you build your own space port (and let’s face it, you’re going to make sure you get a shot at this well before your kid gets anywhere near it), you can get your rocket into position and fuel the tank up ready to launch into the final frontier. Get the mechanic and the operator minifigs to make sure everything runs smoothly before your two astronauts board and wait for the countdown to hit lift-off…

Okay, it won’t actually launch a rocket into space, but then, neither will the manned missions to the Moon we were promised not so long ago. It will, however, launch your kid’s stellar imagination.

NASA’s budget might have been cut, but if you can find $81 | £50 | €58 in your pocket we can still go rocket.

If you’re as clueless as I am about the night sky and barely know your planets from your stars (much less their names), this gadget will help shoot us both to the top of the class. Called the Meade MySky star and planet identifier, it looks like some kind of futuristic ray gun, but instead of firing an energy pulse, shoots you a wealth of knowledge. Just pull the trigger to learn about your target star, planet, nebula or galaxy (though not satellites, starships or aliens, I’m afraid) from a database of over 30,000 celestial wonders.

Utilizing a 12 channel GPS receiver, magnetic North sensors and accelerometers, the MySky helps you to identify and learn about the stars and planets in the night sky and can even take you on a guided audio and visual tour – highlighting the best bits based on the current time and your location.

Featuring a full-color LCD that won’t obstruct your view of the night sky and illuminated sights to easily point at objects, the MySky can also be used in conjunction with a telescope – using its GPS receiver as an orientation aid.

Requiring 4 x AA batteries which will keep you star-gazing for up to 7 hours, the Meade MySky star and planet identifier is available now from Barnes and Noble for $399.95 or IWOOT in the UK for £299.00.

Sources:
Barnes and Noble and I Want One Of Those

If you love to let your adventurous spirit run wild with a spot of star gazing, but have trouble seeing even the brightest of stars thanks to city pollution and ambient light – this here planetary projector may be just the thing to satiate intensify your cosmic wanderlust. Called the Star Theater Pro Home Planetarium, it brings a beautiful, clear, starry night indoors for you to enjoy and relax with in the comfort of your own home.

Featuring a moving projection function that rotates the stars one full revolution every 10 minutes, the Star Theatre Pro will make you feel like you’re sailing (there’s no warp option unfortunately) through space, exploring the final frontier.

Including two interchangeable high-resolution disks (Starfield and Earth/Moon/Sun) as well as a soundtrack to really get your mind wandering – this Home Planetarium incorporates an ultra-bright LED light source, an optical-quality adjustable-focus lens and even a nap timer with 15, 30 and 60 minute shutoff intervals to ensure you wake up with your feet firmly on the ground.

The Star Theater Pro Home Planetarium runs on either AC or 3 AAA batteries, measures 6-inches in diameter and 7-inches tall when on its included stand and is available now from ThinkGeek for $169.99.

Source:
ThinkGeek

If you’re keen on outdoor astronomy, boating, bird-watching or any other activity where high-power, yet portable optics are a must – this piece of pro kit would be brilliant. Called the Telescope Strength Binoculars, they offer up to 40X telephoto magnification in a portable, dual viewfinder design and are so rugged – they’re completely waterproof.

Also known as the Barska Blueline Binoculars, these professional-grade optics are ideal for both celestial and terrestrial gazing. Engineered with BAK-4 prisms for the highest density glass and a Porro prism system for a wider field of view (up to 64 feet), the Telescope Strength Binoculars see reduced light scattering and bright, sharp images.

If you’re bespectacled like me, you’ll also appreciate their higher than average eye relief (up to 23.6mm) which reduces eye strain and improves usability.

Crafted from heavy-duty steel and aluminum designed for regular outdoor use and including two interchangeable eyepieces, a sturdy handle for easy transport and a tough, hard case for protection when not in use – the Telescope Strength Binoculars are available now from Hammacher Schlemmer for $1,699.95. What a star.

Note:
If you think you’ll want a bit of fixed support when on the lookout, Hammacher also stock the compact tripod pictured for $99.95.

Update:
Hammacher are currently offering these Barska Blueline Telescope Strength Binoculars for the lowest price on the web. Now only $999.95 while stocks last.

Source:
Hammacher Schlemmer

Spaceport America, the world’s first (purpose-built) commercial spaceport broke ground recently in New Mexico and thanks to design winners Foster and Partners, we have some concept images representing just what the giant 110,000 square foot facility may look like. The project is expected to cost $200m and if all goes according to plan, is expected to host the first commercial space flight by 2011.

With a massive 4000 square foot public viewing gallery and a runway 10,000 feet long and 200 feet wide, Spaceport America will be home to the Virgin Galactic commercial space flight service. Through improved operating efficiency for the company and competitors, the spaceport may eventually help reduce the (currently $200,000) ticket price enough for us all to enjoy a bit of space tourism.

To be mostly buried in New Mexico’s desert sand, the building itself is designed with the environment in mind – featuring everything from cooling earth tubes, to solar energy and wastewater recycling. It is expected to be completed in 18 months.

Sources:
Spaceport America (Press Release) and Foster and Partners
Via: Gizmag

An innovative, reusable spaceplane called the Skylon is set to hit the skies within 10 years, aiming to make payload delivery and perhaps even passenger space travel easier and more affordable. The rocket-plane would take-off and land on a traditional runway and use a combination of on-board hydrogen and oxygen taken from the atmosphere to provide thrust.

The project is led by a company called Reaction Engines Limited (REL) in a joint public/private program recently bolstered by a £900K | €1M | $1.3M award by the European Space Agency (ESA). The spaceplane will depend on a unique air-breathing engine called SABRE, that will reduce the weight and running cost of the spacecraft by using atmospheric oxygen in the combustion process.

The Skylon will incorporate a breakthrough heat exchanger pre-cooler, able to cool extremely hot (<1000C/1832F at Mach 5) intake gases to around minus 130C (202F) in a lightning fast 1/100th of a second. The air is then compressed and forced into the rocket combustion chamber where it is mixed with hydrogen, burnt at 3000C (5432F) and expelled with great force through the back.

This is an incredible project that may even lead to rapid intercontinental flights if the numbers are right. It could jeopardize costly space elevator projects too and I must say, would be a very stylish way to get to your space hotel.

If you’re interested in the engineering side of things, be sure to check out the excellent SABRE engine walk-through video at Space.co.uk.

Sources:
Reaction Engines and BBC and University of Bristol

SpaceX today made history with a successful launch of their Falcon 1 rocket. It has set a new record, becoming the first ever privately developed liquid fuel rocket to orbit the Earth. This was the company’s fourth attempt at reaching orbit. The last rocket in August failed with a payload of two NASA satellites and the ashes of 208 people, including those of Star Trek’s James “Scotty” Doohan.

The successful fourth flight was launched from Omelek Island, 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii. The Falcon 1 is a 70-foot tall, two-stage rocket that runs on liquid-oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene. It was developed with the help of only 550 employees and was made entirely from scratch. Gotta love the efficiency of private enterprise.

SpaceX will be following up with another Falcon 1 launch shortly, apparently carrying a Malaysian “RazakSat” satellite. If this flight is also successful, SpaceX will make preparations for the first flight of its considerably larger Falcon 9 rocket. This should take place around the second quarter of 2009.

The company’s founder, Elon Musk, must be ecstatic with this achievement. The entrepreneur put up $100 million of the company’s $120 million startup capital to realize this goal.

Sources:
SpaceX and TechCrunch