XB-70A

One of the worst point about the Independence-class being that... a similar problem happened earlier on some units from the San Antonio-class LPDs (it was more than ten years ago, I guess it has been resolved since).

Come on CNSA... every time we can clearly see the perfect on-board camera shot transmitted to the control room, with a nice 3d model, and the real external view too. To have a sight of these without being able to enjoy them more than 5 seconds is torture. Let's hope they will release more data about this important flight (they did it for the failure of CZ-5, after-all )

There is also https://transit-finder.com/. It can be interesting if you want to observe and/or picture it while it is transiting in front of the moon or the Sun (or when passing close-by). Just enter your coordinates and it will load different locations from where you could spot it. --- To stay on the topic: Another nice video of the Adventures of B1050.

That's it! Everybody was waiting for the famous "sonic bang" we're having at each RTLS, but once 1050 disappeared behind the tree I was pretty worried to see a nice fireball rising. Sole comforting point: from our location, I saw that it "landed" further South than usual, and farther too, and (usually) we can clearly see the remnant exhaust gases coming from the engines. As there was none, we deduced that it had probably landed at sea.

Was there, and it was pretty stressful in-live. Almost no one could see it with their eyes due to the distance, but as I was looking at my monitor I could not believe what was happening! Jump to 3:02, the swaying movement is terrifying!

And good weather probability for Tuesday launch now rose 20% better than previously expected:

With a really nice sound: Or, if you can stand it in USC:

Go back home, Topol. You, Minuteman, and your solid-rocket cousins are not welcome in our ICBM club. (Shame, no R-36/36M clear launch pictures are available, only Dnepr)

I really enjoyed that movie, but it contains one of the most ridiculous dramatic-emotional slow-motion shot ever (around 26 minutes) when Fyodorov is drifting his GAZ-24 model 81. I mean, if he had been in a Chaika why not, but a Volga... even the GAZ-53 he passed by could be have been a more appropriate one.

VK-1 RULES! Good to de-ice too.

Still 40% only of good weather probabilities for Tuesday, but Wednesday is going 90% now.

For me, one of the craziest looking tracked vehicle's mod' was the 1991 "Big Wind": A crazy improvisation from Hungary, where two Tumansky R-13 turbojets were placed on a T-34-85 in order to extinguish blow the oil wells fires in Kuwait. Once started, water was injected through the exhaust gases, then engines were throttled up. The maximum flow attainable was 30 300 kg/min. The last time I looked for it, it still was in "service" despite its age. I guess more as a displayable big toy for demonstrations and shows rather than for real interventions.

http://rammb-slider.cira.colostate.edu/?sat=goes-16&z=0&im=12&ts=1&st=0&et=0&speed=130&motion=loop&map=1&lat=0&opacity[0]=1&hidden[0]=0&pause=0&slider=-1&hide_controls=0&mouse_draw=0&follow_feature=0&follow_hide=0&s=rammb-slider&sec=full_disk&p[0]=geocolor&x=10848&y=10848

Any news about the supposed hot-fire test which should have happened yesterday? The 45th is predicting a good 60% probability of launch safety violation for Tuesday. We still are at 89 hours from the launch.

Some were reequipped with CF700s, then with TFE731s. From the engines nacelles shape, I would say it's a 465, powered by AiResearch Garrett AlliedSignal Honeywell. Also, one easy way to recognize it from its bigger 380 brother is the shape of its windows: somewhat triangular, while the models with CF700s are based on the bigger 370 with rectangular windows.

Some shots taken the last week in Titusville. A memorial dedicated to the Mercury program. Different plates dedicated to the eight astronauts are present, some containing their handprints. Here are some: Then, I drove for 20 minutes to go to Playalinda: The weather was not really nice, but it still was possible to have a sight of the SLC-41. The famous fence built to restrict the approach to the launchpads is visible on the left of these people. (For several years I literally hated the concept of "blurring" pictures by using long focal lengths and distant subjects... and now I do it myself.) Also, I finally took the time to adjust some "photos" taken during the launch of Es'Hail 2 ten days ago: The NASA famous UH-1H II Huey making its typical pass along the shore. The followings are not really screenshots like I was taking before, but pictures that the camera can take while filming (in bad resolution, however)

I would bet the guys at Grumman Northrop Grumman would not really like to read this. For the rest it is quite easy when one absorbs the absolute majority of the old companies.

Easily beaten by... 1973, made in Turkey, a.k.a 3 Giant Men, a.k.a. Captain America and Santo vs. Spider-Man. Plot: Istanbul is terrorized by a wave of crimes led by... Spider-Man, a dangerous psychopath defined as "heavily retarded" by Captain America.

Hey, not so bad. From my point of view, if I was trying to reproduce my 15 years old Javas attempts they will be awful. Terrible compared to this.

Driving is exhausting... and I slightly start to have enough of it. Even more when you are surrounded by snails and old-timers.

The launch of MS-10 taken by Gerst on board ISS: 00:07 Rocket booster separation. 00:19 Core stage separation. 00:34:05 Core Stage starts burning in the atmosphere 00:34:19 Progress separates from rocket Just majestic.

This! Pam Grier (......), Ice Cube, and Statham in an artwork of the Master of Horror, it can only be bad, but deliciously bad.