I live in the amazing city of Aurora, Colorado!
(Right above the sideways capital D in the lower middle of the map.)
I first knew Aurora as an Oil Patch bedroom city east of Denver,
but over the past few decades it has become
an amazing Front Range city in its own right.
Among the many things I love about Aurora
is that it's on its way to its own, honest-to-God spaceport!!!!!
Aurorans situated on the high plains
to the east of the Denver Metro Area
are at the leading edge of commercial suborbital flight!
Well, technically,
Front Range Airport is in Watkins
just northeast of Aurora,
but the city of Aurora is working hard
to make commercial suborbital flight
out of Front Range Airport a reality.
In the very near future!
Sign me up!!!!!
Source: The Aurora Magazine: http://theauroramagazine.com/features/aurora-travel-gets-and-altitude/
2028: That's the year!
You could take off from Front Range Airport
and be in South Africa in about two and a half hours!
John Glenn returned to space at 77 ~
In 2028, I could go for "wave riding"
by skipping along the Earth's atmosphere
to experience suborbital flight and weightlessness,
to see Earth as a ball,
and to be checking out Africa's wildlife in no time!
Hummm! Just one problem ~
Fifteen years to win the Lotto!
The price of a ticket will not be cheap!
In March, 2013, it looked like
Spaceport Colorado might be kaput.
The FAA was looking to cut costs because of sequestration
and considered closing Front Range Airport's control tower.
After lobbying by congressional members,
the control tower was spared.
Woop! Woop!
The goal of our spaceport is for real!!!!!
What do you think about space travel?
I thought for sure by now
we'd have colonies on the moon
and astronauts on Mars.
I am very disappointed with where we are,
because I believe humanity's future is in space.
On the PBS NewsHour last night (8/19/2013),
anchor Judy Woodruff discussed
NASA's latest mission ~
Not to the moon :(
Not to Mars :(
But to an asteroid???
NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission is
to find, rendezvous with, capture, and relocate
an asteroid to a stable point near the moon.
(To view the PBS NewHour report click here.)
However, when you think about it,
being able to reach an asteroid is an important goal.
What if an asteroid were on a collision course with Earth?
It's happened before and will likely happen again.
NASA actually has a Near Earth Object Program
to track asteroids and comets that pass close to Earth.
NASA doesn't think that we are in danger anytime soon;
non-the-less, it's keeping an eye on NEOs.
Which brings me to my all-time favorite
asteroid disaster film: Armageddon.
Do I care if the critics panned it? ~ NOT!
What can I say ~
I worked in the Oil Patch on drilling rigs.
I have tremendous admiration
for the dangerous and necessary work drillers and roughnecks do.
How could I not appreciate Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis)
and his crew of deep-core drillers?
And doesn't Arwen get around ~
beautiful daughter of Elrond and Tyler!
While the movie had its share of scientific flaws, it was great fun!
And how about Aerosmith's biggest hit
I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing
One of the great love songs!
Yup! I live in an amazing city with an amazing future.
And I don't wanna miss a thing!
What do you look forward to in the future?
(Right above the sideways capital D in the lower middle of the map.)
City of Aurora Outlined in Purple
Source: Google Maps
I first knew Aurora as an Oil Patch bedroom city east of Denver,
but over the past few decades it has become
an amazing Front Range city in its own right.
Nearby Aurora City Park
Heritage Eagle Bend, Aurora
with Mount Evans in the Background
is that it's on its way to its own, honest-to-God spaceport!!!!!
to the east of the Denver Metro Area
are at the leading edge of commercial suborbital flight!
Well, technically,
Front Range Airport is in Watkins
just northeast of Aurora,
but the city of Aurora is working hard
to make commercial suborbital flight
out of Front Range Airport a reality.
In the very near future!
Sign me up!!!!!
Source: The Aurora Magazine: http://theauroramagazine.com/features/aurora-travel-gets-and-altitude/
2028: That's the year!
You could take off from Front Range Airport
and be in South Africa in about two and a half hours!
John Glenn returned to space at 77 ~
In 2028, I could go for "wave riding"
by skipping along the Earth's atmosphere
to experience suborbital flight and weightlessness,
to see Earth as a ball,
and to be checking out Africa's wildlife in no time!
Hummm! Just one problem ~
Fifteen years to win the Lotto!
The price of a ticket will not be cheap!
In March, 2013, it looked like
Spaceport Colorado might be kaput.
The FAA was looking to cut costs because of sequestration
and considered closing Front Range Airport's control tower.
After lobbying by congressional members,
the control tower was spared.
Woop! Woop!
The goal of our spaceport is for real!!!!!
What do you think about space travel?
I thought for sure by now
we'd have colonies on the moon
and astronauts on Mars.
I am very disappointed with where we are,
because I believe humanity's future is in space.
Astronaut James Irwin of Apollo 15
on the Moon
The mountain in the background about three miles or five kilometers away is Hadley Delta
with an elevation of approximately 13,124 feet or 4,000 meters ~
Doable if you've bagged a Fourteener!
Source: Wikipedia
Moon Colony: Lunar Mining Facility
Artist Pat Rawlins for NASA's Exploration Office
Source: Wikipedia
Mars Colony
NASA Illustration
Source: Wikipedia
On the PBS NewsHour last night (8/19/2013),
anchor Judy Woodruff discussed
NASA's latest mission ~
Not to the moon :(
Not to Mars :(
But to an asteroid???
NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission is
to find, rendezvous with, capture, and relocate
an asteroid to a stable point near the moon.
(To view the PBS NewHour report click here.)
However, when you think about it,
being able to reach an asteroid is an important goal.
What if an asteroid were on a collision course with Earth?
It's happened before and will likely happen again.
Chicxulub Takes Out the Dinosaurs!
Artist: Donald E. Davis
Source: Wikimedia Commons
NASA actually has a Near Earth Object Program
to track asteroids and comets that pass close to Earth.
NASA doesn't think that we are in danger anytime soon;
non-the-less, it's keeping an eye on NEOs.
Which brings me to my all-time favorite
asteroid disaster film: Armageddon.
Source: Wikipedia
Do I care if the critics panned it? ~ NOT!
What can I say ~
I worked in the Oil Patch on drilling rigs.
I have tremendous admiration
for the dangerous and necessary work drillers and roughnecks do.
Driller Jack Taylor and Me, 1981
DNB Crew: Trenton, Donnie, Mike,
Don (Driller) and Claude (Tool Pusher), 1981
and his crew of deep-core drillers?
And doesn't Arwen get around ~
beautiful daughter of Elrond and Tyler!
While the movie had its share of scientific flaws, it was great fun!
And how about Aerosmith's biggest hit
I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing
One of the great love songs!
Yup! I live in an amazing city with an amazing future.
And I don't wanna miss a thing!
What do you look forward to in the future?
My OAS (old age security)cheque, LOL !
ReplyDeleteNo, just kidding!
Space travel remember the 1960's we'll be living on Mars or flying in space mobiles down to the Dairy Queen. Huh? What happened? Reality I guess! Oh well no harm in fantasizing.
It would seem Aurora is/will be on the map mighty soon and I'll keep my eyes open for the news.
PS~~we got broken into last night, our car, 2 things stolen but we are OK! Good excuse to go and buy some new stuff I guess!
Sophie woke me up, growling and apparently she scared off intruder/s! Not looking forwd to tonight!
Ron
OMG Ron! I'm glad that you, Jim, and Sophie Doodle are all right! How awful to have your car broken into and things stolen ~ such a violation! You go, SuperDuperDoodleGoddess! Take care of those guys! Reality ~ I don't think so ~ I think the US lost "The Vision Thing!" Now we have to rely on the Russians to get us to the International Space Station! :( Where are you, Scotty? Beam me up please! Take care tonight and every night!
ReplyDeletehaha mars you say
ReplyDeleteDoubt that will come to any bay
At least any time soon
But sounds like a nice place at your dune
And I enjoyed the movie too
Was what it was a fun view
Yes, Pat, Mars!
DeleteGotta go to Mars before the stars!
I hope a Mars landing happens during my lifetime.
A Martian hill I would climb!
Hope today
is great at your bay!
Well, not to brag or anything, but in June my cat and I went to the moon and had a lovely visit. Perhaps you missed that post on my blog.
ReplyDeleteHi Debra! Actually I did see your post on HRH and you going to the moon. Wish I could have gone too! NASA isn't going anywhere fast, and I lack quite a few millions to talk my way onto a Russian launch. My dentist has volunteered to be a dentist on the International Space Station ~ but he's not having any luck either. Take care!
ReplyDeleteOh Louise, I so enjoyed this post. I am a space nut. I just rewatched "When We Left Earth" because it's now available on Netflix. And I'm currently reading, "Failure Is Not An Option" by Gene Kranz (Flight Director for Apollo 13 and many others)....oh, it's so good. I don't think I want a space ticket.....I'm way too earthy....but I do love reading and learning about others who do travel in space. It's so fascinating!
ReplyDeleteHi Audrey! Another space nut! Yeah! I don't remember a time I wasn't hooked on space. Do you ever go to apod.nasa.gov/apod/ ?? NASA puts up a picture of the day about space. I often started the school day with the class and I checking out NASA's daily photo. It's an awesome site. I'll have to look for Kranz's book! I would go to space in a heartbeat!!!! There's a fabulous science fiction trilogy about Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson: Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars ~ and I just discovered there's a fourth book now! If you like scfi I recommend Robinson's books! Hope your day has gone well! Take care!
DeleteThat APOD sight is very cool ~ I hadn't seen that before. Have you ever been to the Spot the Station site? It tells you what date and time the International Space Station passes over your location so you can view it. Isn't that wild? I think it's too light here but I've been meaning to ask my Dad to borrow his telescope!!! http://spotthestation.nasa.gov/sightings/#.UhV1IJL2aSo
DeleteThanks for the book recommendations ~ I always appreciate those!
Thanks for the STS lead! I am definitely going to check it out! And I have got to get a telescope. I went to a Star Party once on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. A number of amateur astronomers had a whole bunch of telescopes set up, and I saw amazing things. It was one of the best nights in my life! Have a great evening!
DeleteHi Fundy, It is your sis Barb, My 2 favorite things about Aurora is the Barbours and Parkway Bar & Grill :)
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I love Space & hope to one day walk on Mars (no small ambition - ha, ha)
Cheers,
Barb
Hey Barb! Great to hear from you! I tell you, Aurora is amazing! On top of its space port it's got Parkway Bar and Grill and The Clones!!!! LOL!!!! I'll walk on Mars with you! Hey! I've had a couple of great emails from John Hinton! It's so great to hear from him. Take care!
DeleteI didn't realize that you lived in the 'hub' of a very important space travel industry Louise! That is thrilling.
ReplyDeleteI love Steven Tyler too! and I am with you...I don't want to miss a thing either.
What do I look forward to in the future you ask? Well, it's 9PM and that would be almost snack time!! lol