space odyssey 2008

The private space company Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, successfully launched a rocket into orbit on Sunday. This is the first privately developed liquid fuel rocket to orbit the Earth. Seen here is the Dragon spaceship. I was fortunate enough to see inside the SpaceX factory thanks to a bald and sickly-looking friend. SpaceX assumed it was a "Make-A-Wish-type situation". Seems I'm not the only one to use this excuse.

Ground Control to Major Wong

China's three-man spacecraft shifted from an oval orbit to a more stable circular orbit 213 miles above Earth today in preparation for the country's first attempt at a spacewalk. China's offical Xinhua News Agency was so excited about the event it ran a story on Thursday announcing ground controllers were tracking Chinese astronauts, complete with details and quotes from the astronauts, 12 hours before the astronauts blasted off.