Nerd News: NASA's Inflatable Module for ISS

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/news/beam_feature.html
http://www.space.com/19290-private-inflatable-space-station-bigelow.html
http://www.gizmag.com/bigelow-beam-iss-nasa-contract/25877/

For more on Whipple Shields see http://ares.jsc.nasa.gov/ares/hvit/basic.cfm, http://ares.jsc.nasa.gov/ares/hvit/sd.cfm or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whipple_shield

I am real interested in this inflatable module, eventually we might be able to have entire space stations or space ships made this way, or with most of the structure made this way, which could really lower the weight.

Weight is a big problem for getting this to orbit from Earth surface, the gravity well is useful in day to day life, but it is a real PITA for getting into space.

For more on orbital costs see http://home.earthlink.net/~kstengel226/astro/cost2orbit.html also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_orbital_launch_systems

Pew Pew "Lasers from Space"

Now on Earth http://www.technologyreview.com/view/509586/physicists-demonstrate-first-laser-made-from-a-cloud-of-gas/

For more on the natural occurring Lasers see NASA link http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/1995/95-148.txt

Really Cool!

Science is so much stranger than Fiction!

Nerd News: Curiosity Lands on Mars

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/mars/curiosity_news3.html