Where the Space Force must go

Christopher Tolkien Dies: Literary Executor For Father J.R.R. Tolkien Who Expanded His World Was 95

How would the Space Force wage war?

We're All Going to Live in Mushroom Houses on Mars

An Asteroid has been Found that Orbits the Sun Closer than Venus

Astronauts and addiction: Ending the stigma

A Critical Test for NASA’s Monster Rocket

Some Space Rocks Are Notorious for Being Stinky

Have you hugged a fracker today? Our oil expansion keeps us safe from Iranian meddling.

NASA's Mars habitats could be made from a surprising material: fungi

Robotic skins might enable the next generation of space exploration

‘Living bricks’ that can reproduce could cut construction’s carbon footprint

Megadrought Helped Topple the Assyrian Empire

New "Achilles Heel" for Blood Cancers Identified

How would the Space Force wage war?

NASA to Provide Coverage of SpaceX Crew Dragon Launch Escape Test

See NASA's new lunar rover test out its 'moon shimmy' on Earth

Ex-Navy SEAL and Harvard graduate is NASA's first Korean-American astronaut

Five Features That Make Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser Spaceplane Unique

How the fight over a Hawaii mega-telescope could change astronomy

Dynetics teams up with Sierra Nevada Corp. for NASA’s big lunar lander competition

NASA tests its water-hunting lunar rover VIPER

Navy: Top-Secret UFO Files Could 'Gravely Damage' National Security if Released

Nasa is preparing to launch its most ambitious Mars mission ever

Democratic leadership turns its back on Iranian protesters

How would the Space Force wage war?

A recent article in Defense One suggests that while the United States Space Force knows how it will fight wars beyond the atmosphere, those plans are so highly classified that industry is not able to build the things that will make war in space possible.

SpaceX tests rocket for critical Crew Dragon in-flight abort launch on Jan. 18

Japanese billionaire Maezawa seeks girlfriend for SpaceX voyage

Raiders Of The Lost Arawaks: Columbus Was Not Exaggerating About Caribbean Cannibalism

Hubble Finds Teeny Tiny Clumps of Dark Matter

Does A Time-Stopping Paradox Prevent Black Holes From Growing?

We Should Go to Mars

What was the Sea Dragon rocket, and what would it have been used for?

Fox executive teases Browncoats with hints of possible Firefly revival

If You Make It to 2083, You Could Witness Two Stars Collide

How IoT devices & smart home automation is entering our homes in 2020

Artificial Intelligence Makes Bad Medicine Even Worse

NASA’s path to the moon leads through Congress. Good thing NASA’s No. 2 knows his way around Capitol Hill.

A Japanese Billionaire Wants A ‘Single Woman’ To Go To The Moon With Him On A SpaceX Rocket In 2023

The Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles

I notice that the incoming astronaut class is calling themselves "the Turtles." I wonder if any of them know the history behind that name, especially in regard to the early space program.

The custom was to ask a fellow member of the Turtles, "Are you a Turtle?" If the respondent did not answer, "You bet your sweet ass I am" he had to buy drinks for everyone in earshot. This caused some complications as we will see.

During the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission (part of the United States space program), astronaut Wally Schirra was asked by a ground controller whether he was a turtle. Not wanting to use vulgar language while his communications were being broadcast worldwide, he temporarily stopped transmitting while he gave the required response "YBYSAIA".

Deke Slayton, a mere three minutes into Sigma 7's flight, came on the radio, which was open for everyone to hear, and asked, "Hey, Wally, are you a turtle?" Schirra switched his mic from live to record and uttered the appropriate response. On the open line, he said, "Rog."

Later, on board the recovery ship USS Kearsarge, in front of Slayton, Walt Williams and the other astronauts, Walt Williams demanded to know how Schirra replied to Deke's question. Schirra played the recorder. "Hey, Wally, are you a turtle?" followed by the proper response, "YBYSAIA". This incident is also recounted in Tom Wolfe's book The Right Stuff.

Wally Schirra's membership in the Ancient Order of Turtles came up again during Apollo 7, which was captured by the in-flight recorder:

CAPCOM radioed, "Just a minute, Wally. Let's see. Oh, it's a little message to Deke Slayton. A little bit closer Wally. Kind of looks like something about - 'Are you a, are you a—" Schirra acknowledged, "That's right." CAPCOM continued, "Looks like it says, 'Are you a turtle, Deke Slayton?"

Schirra confirmed, "That's right." Eisele added, "You get an A for reading today Jack." Swigert continued, "Here comes another one. Walt, oh, that-a-way, that's the way to turn it. It says, 'Paul Haney, are you a turtle?'" Cunningham radioed, "You'll get a gold star. Perfect score!" Swigert reported, "And there is no reply from Paul Haney there." Cunningham asked, "You mean he's speechless?"

A short while later, CAPCOM Cernan informed Schirra, "Wally, this is Gene. Deke just called in, and we've got your answer, and we've got it recorded for you return." Schirra acknowledged, "Roger. Real fine."

Shortly thereafter, Schirra asked CAPCOM Swigert, "Have you got Haney's answer yet?" Swigert replied, "No, Haney's isn't talking, Wally." Swigert then added, "Somebody tells me he isn't talking, but just buying." A pleased Schirra responded, "He is buying. Thank you very much. Very good."

This exchange about turtles was a reference to the notorious Turtle's Club drinking club of which Wally Schirra held the title of a Grand Potentate. During Schirra's Mercury flight Deke Slayton had radioed up to Schirra asking Schirra if he was a turtle.

A membership card for the "Interstellar Association of Turtles (Outer Shell Division)" signed by astronauts Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper and Wally Schirra sold at auction for $1,952 on May 5, 2011.

President Kennedy was allegedly asked if he was a Turtle at a press conference, to which he replied, "I'll buy you your drink later

Could Unseen Aliens Exist Among Us?

3D Printing and the Murky Ethics of Replicating Bones

'Flash' Radiation Therapy Could Deliver Cancer Treatment in Microseconds

Why America has less to fear from an oil shock

Planes Can Plant 1 Billion Trees A Year With Seed Bombs

What was the Sea Dragon rocket, and what would it have been used for?

Aiming higher: SpaceX hopes to launch Starship by spring

NASA’S SUPER-MUSCULAR MICE RETURN TO EARTH FROM SPACE

The Next DARPA X-Plane Won’t Maneuver like Any Plane Before It

An Idea From Physics Helps AI See in Higher Dimensions

Did HAL Commit Murder?

Big News in Cancer, Versus Big Talk About It

Why Didn't Tuberculosis Wipe Out Humanity in the Paleolithic Era?

The Ice Giant Spacecraft of Our Dreams

Beard Bravado: 75% Of Men Feel More Confident With Facial Hair

Virgin Galactic’s next spaceship reaches build milestone

What was the Sea Dragon rocket, and what would it have been used for?

NASA may ask lunar lander aspirants to put more skin in the game

The largest gaseous structure ever observed in the Milky Way

Two stars colliding in 2083 will outshine all the others in the sky

Will A.I. Take Over? Quantum Theory Suggests Otherwise

Are we part of a dying reality or a blip in eternity? The value of the Hubble Constant could tell us which terror awaits